On July 1, I decided that Windows was just not working for me. Yes, having a plethora of possible applications to install appealed to me, but I feel that no operating system has a monopoly of having things "just work." Here are just of a few of the annoyances I experienced while using Windows:
- Disabling AutoPlay (for security reasons) caused the content of CDs and DVDs not to appear when the disc was inserted in the drive. Once I inserted two CDs in rapid succession and was surprised to see the content from the first CD still appearing in Windows Explorer.
- No WPA2 support. While my wireless network card supports it, I was unable to install the WPA2 update from Microsoft's website due to a cryptic Windows Update error. Since Google was no help and rolling back updates like a madman did not solve the problem, it seemed like I was out of luck, unless I decided to pay Microsoft for phone support.
- Lack of good GPG encryption support. In Linux with seahorse, it is easy as right-clicking and selecting a context-menu option. In Windows, I had to go to the command-line.
Windows Updates. The Malicious Software Removal Tool is not a critical update. It annoys me that when I told Automatic Updates that I did not want to install the June version of the tool, it waited ten minutes or so before prompting me to install the May version. And the April version. And the March version...- Lack of free software. With the exceptions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice, most free software programs that run on Windows (like the GIMP or Gaim) are just not the same quality applications that they are on Linux.
Now, whether I talk the issues I have with Windows or Linux, someone (normally in off-line conversation) remarks that I really would be better off using OS X, and that I would become so much happy if I just made my way over to the Apple Store and picked up a new iPod/Powerbook/Mac Mini/MacBook/Apple device du jour.
Thanks, but no thanks. Because of work, I have become acquainted with the workings of a 17" Powerbook G4. Here are some of the problems I have had:
- The keyboard on the 17" Powerbook G4 is the exact same keyboard as that on the 15" Powerbook G4 and the 12" Powerbook G4". As you have probably already suspected, it is a 12" keyboard. Not only it is smaller than the keyboard on my 14" Thinkpad, but it is of inferior quality.
- Mac OS X is a consumer-oriented operating system. I like to think that when it comes to computers, I am closer to the prosumer class. While consumers just want their computers to work, prosumers want their computers to work the way they want it to. Since Apple has an one-size-fits-all policy(read the previous paragraph about keyboards), the only choices they offer are false ones.
- Do you want your user interface to be blue or graphite?
- Do you want three years of AppleCare, or three years of regret after your laptop experiences a known problem but is out of warranty?
- Would you like a white MacBook, or do you want to pay extra for a black one?
And so on. OS X works wonderfully, except when I want to do something and it does not want to let me.
Simultaneously buoyed by Mark Pilgrim's successful transition (which reminded me of the Linux programs I missed) and concerned over the recent revelations surrounding Microsoft's WGA (in Linux, nothing is un-uninstallable when you have root), I decided to back up all of my data (using DVDs, since my external hard drive is in Virginia) and install Ubuntu 6.06. Despite the fact that my wireless did not seem to be working initially (it was quickly fixed), I was still happy with it. It was nice to see my Thinkpad's hardware volume mixer integrated into the native volume systems - something that does not even occur in Windows.
Staying with Linux means that I do not have to worry about updating my system will contact some company's server in Washington. It means I do not have to put aside money to upgrade to the next version of the operating system in order to receive the latest security updates. It is security and freedom at the same time.
The fact that my favorite author, Cory Doctorow, is not only planning on making a similar switch (from OS X to Ubuntu), but is purchasing a Thinkpad as well is just icing on the cake.
# At 8:50 on July 5, 2006, Solveig Haugland wrote:
Great to hear about the move! I think Ubuntu is where things are going, distro-wise. And that's interesting about Cory Doctorow. If we can get a critical mass of authors to switch (maybe Stephen King can write a realllly scary story about Windows and MS Office? ), that'll be the tipping point open source needs. ;>
# At 16:14 on July 5, 2006, veridicus wrote:
Great to hear of another convert! I developed Windows software for over 10 years and just got sick of the BS. I switched to Linux, but after a few years moved to Macs. I got very tired of having to tweak every little thing to get it working the way I want it. Plus I wanted a high quality laptop and I think PowerBooks are the best. Linux rocks on the server side. Blending that with OS X on the desktop is a winning combination for me, personally. Every convert off of Microsoft software is a good one!
# At 6:10 on July 6, 2006, Blogs of War wrote:
Mac Gurus Switching to Ubuntu Linux...
It’s time for your daily dose of nerd. Ubuntu Linux has picked up two very high-profile users: If you want to spend more time enjoying your PC (and less time configuring it and battling 'helpful' popups), you could do a lot worse than the syn...
# At 21:46 on July 6, 2006, No-Doze wrote:
It's so great to hear of terrific experiences with Ubuntu...I'm thinking of switching there, or to Puppy Linux (please don't laugh). I want to learn my system inside and out, but I have to have time to work on other stuff. Gentoo just took all my time...it's great, but their password-encryption utility (Pam) has problems, not to mention coming back with "24 config files need updating"...without telling you which ones, and running the automatic function can royally mess with your system. I still plan to go back to it maybe this winter or next summer.
I hear Ubuntu is both user-friendly AND customizable. By contrast Xandros has a reputation for simplicity...why??? It's software-download library doesn't work without upgrades, and it doesn't seem to contain ANY popular shells, so unless you're a real GURU (as opposed to the newbies they market to), good luck installing anything through the command-line! (I couldn't, and I did so on Mandrake before, and Gentoo and Knoppix since!)
It started with the standard frustration of not being able to control the "Windoze" in my own computer to my liking, then the nefarious security updates that still do not make the system adequate compared to other systems out-of-the-box (Linux, Apple/MacIntosh). Windows fanatics always say it's "only a matter of time" before there are real viruses on Linux...but they've said that for years and it hasn't happened! Besides, WOULD YOU BUY A CAR YOU KNOW HAS FAILING BRAKES, DEFECTIVE AIRBAGS, AND TIRES THAT WILL BLOW OUT ANY MINUTE, INSTEAD OF THE CAR THAT HAS ALWAYS HAD A PERFECT SAFETY RATING, ON THE THEORY THAT SOME DAY, SOMETHING MIGHT ACTUALLY GO WRONG? (Egads!)
Now, with the Sony rootkit and Windows spyware, it's forcing me to switch no matter how busy I am...like, NOW!!!...or I'd like it to be NOW, but besides needing to use Windows for certification/job training & qualification/other needs, I can't afford to be stuck without accessing my data for the few hours I am home while I work out a problem. I'm halfway there, got all my files copied to FAT/FAT32, with the OS on NTFS. I guess I'll keep the unpatched Windows and never use it while connected to the Internet after I make sure whatever Linux I end up with can access evreything...my other computer can be more of a lab for a custom install of Gentoo, when I have the time to deal with it.
By the way, THE MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION BOOKS LIE WHEN THEY SAY YOU CAN'T CONTROL PERMISSIONS ON FAT/FAT32 FOR INDIVIDUAL FILES AND FOLDERS...yes you can, though you loose a "little bit" of functionality, it's not a lot, not enough to matter outside a corporte envrionment. I can control it enough to secure my system (as secure as Windows can ever be) and still allow my webserver and database access.
And no, I don't have a live (production) webserver on an unpatched Windows (who do you think I am, Larry of "The Three Stooges"?), it's just for development. My Linux Lab will eventually become my server, this computer here is a better machine, I'll eventually use it to transfer all my videotapes to DVD and do all sorts of fun media stuff...so maybe I'll always have different versions of Linux, too.
# At 20:48 on July 11, 2006, Marc wrote:
Good luck with the switch. I dumped Windows a few months ago when the machine I was using as a print server decided to BSOD in the network driver every time it received a network packet. Switched over to Ubuntu Breezy and everything just worked. And then the Dapper upgrade noticeably improved my performance. I think Ubuntu is actually easier to install than Windows. With Windows I have to install from the CD, reboot, then get the service pack, then reboot, then get a bazillion security updates, then reboot, then get Media Player, then reboot, etc.....