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I used to use Windows XP.
Then someone told me about Linux, and so I tried it.
Now I only use Linux.
The reason? It's open source! You can distribute it for free, no need to pay for a license, you can modify it, tailor it to your own needs and likes, etc.
AND, rather than just 2 or 3 flavors, like Windows, Linux has hundreds of versions (distros), made for different purposes. The sky's the limit!!
---My impression though, is that Linux isn't so popular in the US. Why is that? Does it seem to "communist?" Why must a person buy a Windows license which costs 100 dollars or more every time they buy a computer, even if they don't want it??
Well, I like the freedom to use my computer to do what I want. (And I'm not even very expert in programming!!)
Why must a person buy a Windows license which costs 100 dollars or more every time they buy a computer, even if they don't want it??
Because the company selling the computer has an agreement with Microsoft for this. With a few minutes of research you can easily find a PC pre-loaded with any flavor of Linux that you want.
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Linux isn't so popular in the US. Why is that?
Because 99% of the PC users want something simple to use without know what is happening behind the scenes. There are more users of Windows that can "support" these people. I run Linux on one of my computers but I also have a career in IT. It's hard enough to help my parents (both in their 70's) with Windows. They can't copy/paste in any operating system much less understand a sudo command.
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Does it seem to "communist?
No. Just because something is given away for free doesn't associate it with any ideology.
Linux is terrible and clunky. It's not for your average joe. If people run into hardware or software installation issues with it most people in their lives kids/family wouldn't be able to help them fix it. I have Ubuntu 12.04 and I can't get my soundcard to work. I had to do a huge work around just to get my motherboard to work correctly with it and that took hours of digging through their forums. Ubuntu is supposed to be the easiest distro to work with and use. Linux is the Ron Paul of OSes. It's annoying and nobody cares about it.
Linux is terrible and clunky. It's not for your average joe. If people run into hardware or software installation issues with it most people in their lives kids/family wouldn't be able to help them fix it. I have Ubuntu 12.04 and I can't get my soundcard to work. I had to do a huge work around just to get my motherboard to work correctly with it and that took hours of digging through their forums. Ubuntu is supposed to be the easiest distro to work with and use. Linux is the Ron Paul of OSes. It's annoying and nobody cares about it.
To be honest, the open source movement is libertarian/liberal. Libertarians and liberals don't believe in patents and copyrights. I would say that it's more aligned the beliefs of libertarianism.
Robert, Linux is often referred to software socialism.
Linux is terrible and clunky. It's not for your average joe. If people run into hardware or software installation issues with it most people in their lives kids/family wouldn't be able to help them fix it. I have Ubuntu 12.04 and I can't get my soundcard to work. I had to do a huge work around just to get my motherboard to work correctly with it and that took hours of digging through their forums. Ubuntu is supposed to be the easiest distro to work with and use. Linux is the Ron Paul of OSes. It's annoying and nobody cares about it.
Did you know that Google's servers are run on Linux? That way, they avoid fees, licenses, and limits of modifications.
Also, most supercomputers today run on Linux, for the same reasons.
I have never seen a Windows computer run as fast as a computer with Linux. You don't even need an anti-virus!
As for Ubuntu, there are tons of people (including the Ubuntu forum) who are happy to help out. There are many very intelligent people working on the 200+ versions out there, and so you're never alone!
With Windows, getting assistance is quite difficult. And sometimes expensive.
My point is, Linux is easy to use, even for people like me.
So why don't people want to save their money and have a free, open-source operating system?
Libertarians and liberals don't believe in patents and copyrights.
A quick search shows that there is a split. Libertarian perspectives on intellectual property - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia As a person with strong libertarian leanings, I agree with Rand in the link above. A person's idea is their property to do what they want with it. Sell it or give it away is solely the choice of the originator of the idea.
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Originally Posted by knowledgeiskey
Robert, Linux is often referred to software socialism.
I have not heard this. It's not like the contributors to Linux are forced to do this. It's a voluntary interaction with other Linux developers. In a socialist society, the central command would assign developers to work on the project as needed. A central command (without IT or Linux knowledge) would determine the "best" features to be added.
Because the company selling the computer has an agreement with Microsoft for this. With a few minutes of research you can easily find a PC pre-loaded with any flavor of Linux that you want.
Because 99% of the PC users want something simple to use without know what is happening behind the scenes. There are more users of Windows that can "support" these people. I run Linux on one of my computers but I also have a career in IT. It's hard enough to help my parents (both in their 70's) with Windows. They can't copy/paste in any operating system much less understand a sudo command.
No. Just because something is given away for free doesn't associate it with any ideology.
This really hits the nail on the head. I'm also in IT and while I would love a world of all open source, the truth of the matter is that most people just need something idiot proof. Windows offer that for them.
I've had to help non-tech people do things as simple as create a new folder. Does anyone really believe that non-tech user could successfully use Linux?
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