I love Linux. I love the ethic, the openness, the dependability, the way it just works - for me.
However, I'm a techie. Most desktop users are not techies. They need a business tool to be productive with the minimum amount of effort. Organisations don't want additional training overheads, they want their employees to be productive with an easy to use tool from day 1. Unfortunately, the (many) Linux distros do not provide this, out of the box. I always find I have to tweak settings, mess around with drivers and ferret out non-standard methods to get my machines working just the way I want it. Most of my computers run Linux, and a few also dual boot into Windows.
I recently had to 'upgrade' from Vista to Win7 on a couple of my dual boot machines, and felt a bitter pang in my stomach at actually having to pay for the software knowing it would further help fuel Microsoft's profit margin (the shame). However, I did this for a couple of reasons, 1: to keep up with the Joneses (not much to report), and 2: to get missing functionality working (i.e. bluetooth).
I also didn't take this decision lightly, and thought about the pros & cons before going ahead, but there are still a few reasons why I still need the (actually, very good) business tools that run on windows. Specifically, I still haven't found *good* alternatives to Visio or Project. Next, I'm still waiting for my beloved Android phone to be able to sync in the same way it can only currently do with Outlook. I'd honestly appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction to overcome these deficiencies.
Thankfully, I can dip in and out of whatever OS, and use the right tool for the task in hand. This is a privilege that we enjoy, but your average user can not (easily).
I feel at the end of the day, it's about using the right tool for the job. Linux is great for those with a few more brain cells and are willing to put the time and effort (sometimes) into getting a working desktop that's right for them. Windows is about productivity in the corporate world's desktop arena.
An observation: Instead of the huge amount of talented individuals and companies hell bent on creating THE best Linux distro... why not concentrate on making the best Linux based (productivity) tools - maybe more Summer of Code? C'mon guys/girls, show the corporate world why Linux is so good, there's some great apps already out there, why not make them even better, fill in the gaps (i.e. missing apps) and give them no reason for not wanting to choose Linux.
We all know Linux is a great server platform, maybe it's about time to make it a great desktop platform too!
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I love Linux. I love the ethic, the openness, the dependability, the way it just works - for me. However, I'm a techie. Most desktop users are not techies. They need a business tool to be productive with the minimum amount of effort. Organisations don't want additional training overheads, they want their employees to be productive with an easy to use tool from day 1. Unfortunately, the (many) Linux distros do not provide this, out of the box. I always find I have to tweak settings, mess around with drivers and ferret out non-standard methods to get my machines working just the way I want it. Most of my computers run Linux, and a few also dual boot into Windows. I recently had to 'upgrade' from Vista to Win7 on a couple of my dual boot machines, and felt a bitter pang in my stomach at actually having to pay for the software knowing it would further help fuel Microsoft's profit margin (the shame). However, I did this for a couple of reasons, 1: to keep up with the Joneses (not much to report), and 2: to get missing functionality working (i.e. bluetooth). I also didn't take this decision lightly, and thought about the pros & cons before going ahead, but there are still a few reasons why I still need the (actually, very good) business tools that run on windows. Specifically, I still haven't found *good* alternatives to Visio or Project. Next, I'm still waiting for my beloved Android phone to be able to sync in the same way it can only currently do with Outlook. I'd honestly appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction to overcome these deficiencies. Thankfully, I can dip in and out of whatever OS, and use the right tool for the task in hand. This is a privilege that we enjoy, but your average user can not (easily). I feel at the end of the day, it's about using the right tool for the job. Linux is great for those with a few more brain cells and are willing to put the time and effort (sometimes) into getting a working desktop that's right for them. Windows is about productivity in the corporate world's desktop arena. An observation: Instead of the huge amount of talented individuals and companies hell bent on creating THE best Linux distro... why not concentrate on making the best Linux based (productivity) tools - maybe more Summer of Code? C'mon guys/girls, show the corporate world why Linux is so good, there's some great apps already out there, why not make them even better, fill in the gaps (i.e. missing apps) and give them no reason for not wanting to choose Linux. We all know Linux is a great server platform, maybe it's about time to make it a great desktop platform too!