| "I tried Linux and was very disappointed" |
a guest column by Andy Stone (Jan. 11, 2006)
Foreword: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols received a thoughtful response to his recent column titled "4 Reasons to Dump Linux." Since many of the points expressed by the writer may be typical of issues facing Windows users who try switching to Linux, we obtained the writer's permission to share his comments here.
Subject: I tried Linux and was very disappointed
Hi Steven,
I just read your short article, 4 Reasons to Dump Linux, on PCmag.com. I used Ubuntu for about three months and was very disappointed with the OS. Please give me a moment to explain why I believe Linux is a long way from being ready for the average user, and why the best thing to do at this point would actually be to discourage most people from using it. This might even give Ubuntu more incentive to rapidly make the software truly user friendly - for the majority of users who have no interest in computer technology or writing lines of code, but want something that simply works, no questions asked.
I think there are some very serious flaws with the software right now that Linux enthusiasts -- who appear to be much more technically interested than the average computer user -- blindly overlook time and again. First off, Ubuntu is in reality a frustratingly limited program for the average Joe. For email it works fine, for simple web surfing with the Firefox browser it's nothing more than sufficient. Most online video doesn't work, it requires a Windows Media compatible player that I couldn't find. Even the Linux junky in my office who encouraged me to switch to Ubuntu (after I'd complained about Windows XP - more on that later) had no idea how to get such a player for my computer. I found a link in package manager for a Real media -compatible player, but never could get it to work. After weeks of frustration I finally got Flash to work, allowing me to watch You Tube (I love that site). However, video was slow and choppy and frustrating with Ubuntu. My understanding is that my computer (a 5 year old Dell Latitude laptop with a 650 Celeron chip and 256 megs of memory) doesn't have enough memory to run memory-hungry Linux. Yet Windows ran such video perfectly. And, I though Linux was supposed to be more stable for the average computer. I found the opposite to be true.
My second major qualm with Ubuntu was that many essential applications that run on it are horribly, unacceptably slow. The time needed to open Open Office programs is measured in minutes, rather than seconds. I am a relatively sane individual, but nothing puts me in a more horrible mood or gives me more of a headache than waiting in front of a computer screen for a program to open. In a good number of reviews that I've read about Linux, writers make mention of this slowness but kind of downplay it. For someone like myself who is interested in turning on the computer, getting his work done, and moving on to do something else (off the computer), such slowness is a deal breaker. Additionally, Open Office's word processor has limited compatibility with Microsoft Word (which I use on a Mac at work). I can't view text edits in Open Office, for example, which makes the software ill-suited for any work that I might need to do from home. Evil Empire or not, Microsoft Office is an incredibly good application suite that operates in a snappy, immediate way even on my old computer. Open Office is frustrating by comparison.
There were also a number of annoying glitches with Ubuntu. The reminders feature in the calendar included in the Novell email suite wouldn't consistently work. I use reminders to tell me when to pay bills, etc, and had to start using my Yahoo calendar, generally more cumbersome to use because of the fact that it's online, to pick up the slack. Toggling between programs was very slow (again, I assume due to Linux's hunger for memory?). PDF documents took forever to load, if at all. If they did load, they scrolled horribly.
I couldn't find programs that I'd like to install easily and, when I did, they often required me to type in code. Typing code must seem laughably simple for techies, but dedicated end users really don't feel comfortable doing anything more than pointing and clicking to get something installed. I guess I should be embarrassed about this fact, but I'm actually rather proud. I searched the Ubuntu help pages and found guides telling me to simply "cut and paste" lines of code into Ubuntu to install programs. Never worked, very frustrating.
Finally, I had to fork out for a PCMCIA Ethernet card because I couldn't Ubuntu to connect to Verizon DSL through the USB connection that had worked perfectly under Windows (my old computer didn't come with its own Ethernet connector).
Ubuntu did offer some nice features. The integration between email and the calendar, located in the top left of the desktop screen, was great. Startup and shutdown were faster than with Windows and, because I didn't have to fear viruses, I felt comfortable downloading email straight to my computer without weeding out spam from my online Yahoo client first. I also appreciated not having to run virus scans, spy ware scans or periodic defragmentation sessions. This saved time and annoyance. But, the slowness of the system, software incompatibility and difficulty in getting anything other than the basics to work were very major problems that I never figured out. I am a pretty bright person, but I'm not a computer person. Windows respects this.
And, I did learn something vital that has helped me deal as I switched back the the Windows world. I learned that much of the slowness in Windows is due to systems management issues rather than an inherent slowness of Windows itself (again, this became clear once I saw how slowly my computer ran with Ubuntu -- much more slowly). I now have turned off all automatic updates for Windows, they hog resources and make me pull my hair waiting for the computer to do anything. I run Norton anti virus automatic updates once daily. When Norton kicks in, I understand that need to get up from my computer and not return for five to seven minutes, when the update will be complete and the computer will once again be my own. The rest of the time, my old Dell works passably. At least good enough that i can't justify forking out a grand for a new system (or considerably more for a hefty computer really capable of getting everything out of the upcoming Vista). Truth is, my computer works, I put in a new hard drive (all by myself, including loading all Windows software), and I'll keep it until I run it into the ground. Then, I'll buy a new Mac.
Best,
Andy
Do you have comments on this story?
Talkback here
NOTE: Please post your comments regarding our articles using the above link. Be sure to use this article's title as the "Subject" in your posts. Before you create a new thread, please check to see if a discussion thread is already running on the article you plan to comment on. Thanks!
Related stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed