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Listen to the podcast: So why don't I run
Linux? 
Transcript
This is Leo Notenboom for askleo.net.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article that discussed my problems activating a copy of Windows XP Home.
A common response has been to ask me why I even bothered? Why didn't I just run Linux?
I want to be very clear about something: I love Linux, I really do. For example the servers that host Ask Leo! have run Linux for several years now. I'm extremely comfortable using Linux.
And I do keep looking for an excuse to run it as my primary machine.
But I can't. I've tried several times, and each time I give up, returning to Windows.
The problem I keep running into is simply this: I don't use my computer in isolation. I keep needing to interact, either directly or indirectly, with other machines running Windows and with other people running Windows. I need to run applications that are available only on Windows. And even when alternatives are available, they're frequently not compatible alternatives - meaning that seamless or even near-seamless interchange of data between Windows and Linux is difficult at best, and in many cases simply not available. And those that claim compatibility often have small flaws and differences that render them either frustrating or effectively useless for my purposes.
But I'll try again sometime in the near future, probably when I get a new machine. No, the new machine will run Windows - like I said, I have too many critical dependencies on Windows - and I believe that's true for many people. but it's a great opportunity to try it again on the old machine as I migrate off.
Perhaps I'll be able to restrict what I do on that machine to a Linux compatible subset.
In a podcast a couple of weeks ago I also asked the somewhat rhetorical question: What do normal people do?
As bad as it might be for Windows users, the situation is still worse for Linux. For most "normal people", Linux is still too much of a conceptual leap with little to no support to fall back on. And while I absolutely recognize that there are many support forums and resources out on the internet, my claim is that's actually not enough. Until there's a family member or a local computer store, or even a major manufacturer that's willing to truly support Linux, it's not something I can yet recommend for the average user.
For anyone who likes to experiment, absolutely, it's worth a try and if it fits your needs, then by all means go for it.
It's getting better, but recognize that it still has the feeling of a "do it yourself" operating system.
And no, that doesn't minimize any of the issues that folks have with Windows - it just makes Linux less of an alternative than we might want it to be.
At least for now.
I'd love to hear what you think. Visit askleo.net and enter 12311 in the go to article number box to access the show notes, the transcript and to leave me a comment. While you're there, browse the hundreds of technical questions and answers on the site.
Till next time, I'm Leo Notenboom, for askleo.net.
Article C3335 - March 30, 2008
After trying out 16 or 18 versions, I have found that Xandros 3.02 works very well for "newbies" to Linux. I've installed it on machines donated to refugee families our church is sponsoring and they seem to be able to use it with little or no difficulty. It looks and feels very much like Windows XP. Particularly if what the user primarily wants is Internet access, e-mail capability, and an Office-like suite (included with most, if not all, Linux distributions), Xandros will suit them well. It's all-but-automatic to install and takes little installation time. The only customization needed was to clear some shortcuts from the desktop. Another fine performer in the Linux camp is Ubuntu 8.04. Either is available for less than $2.00, plus the inevitable shipping and handling. Sorry if this sounds like a commercial, but after years of searching for a bridge from Windows to Linux, these two versions seem to be more seamless in transition than any I've found.
Posted by: Art Hall at October 22, 2008 7:47 AMI don't really understand the problem people have using Linux. I have run one or another version of Linux on my computers for over three years now. This past year, I deleted all versions of Windows and sent the to "Microsoft Heaven" where I think all Microsoft products belong.
Posted by: Ken Sturmer at February 10, 2009 8:43 AMI currently use SUSE 11.1 on both my PC and Laptop. It functions much more smoothly than Windows ever did, and the support is excellent. There is never a problem, that I cannot solve by checking the forums. I don't understand people who claim Linux is not "user friendly". I found all my software applications ( and could pick and try out each as Linux is freeware! If something did not work, I tried something else. I do video editing and photo editing on my computer. I have found applications that do this better, and just as easily as any Windows software, and all for free. I would never use Windows again!
Thank you so much! I had exactly exactly same problem as you. I'm actually running both XP and Ubuntu, and it was jarring how difficult XP was to set up compared to the painless process Ubuntu was.
And I thought Linux was the complex, confusing OS?!
And I tho
Posted by: Krezos at September 13, 2009 2:57 PMI agree: I'd love to run Linux as well. I firmly believe that someday in the future, Linux will be as easy to use as (and interchangeable with) Windows, at which point Linux will become as dominant as Windows is today. There can be no doubt about it: Windows can only lose.
But I tried to run Ubuntu several times on a Virtual Machine and even something as simple as installing the Flash plugin for FF takes me hours to figure out. There is simply too much of a learning curve.
I also have the difficulty with using software that's only available on Windows, like music and graphical software (creation and notation of music in CuBase and Finale, and programs like Photoshop). If just installing a Flash plugin takes so much trouble, I don't have any confidence in using an emulator to run Windows programs under Ubuntu.
Also, I tried using OpenOffice instead of MS Office, and noticed that they're not 100% compatible yet (this was in 2008). Editing and saving a spreadsheet created in MS Office didn't work correctly in OpenOffice. (Although, a way around it may be to use have the Excell user export the spreadsheet as a CSV file and import that in Calc.)
So, I agree completely with the article. However, I'll keep on trying to use Ubuntu, and am hopeful Google is coming up with a Linux based OS, which hopefully means Linux will become more widespread.
As soon as it is possible, I'll switch to a Linux based OS.
May I suggest a book here? It's written by the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds, and called "Just for Fun (The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary)". It's a very entertainig, insighftul and non-technical book about the humble origins of Linux.
Posted by: Emiel at November 23, 2009 6:48 AMI have run several Linux "distro's", as they are called. But going from 10 years of using Windows to a whole different platform was way too much of a learning curve for me. Executing downloads was a nightmare, installing printers the same. I could browse the Web, check my emails, shop online, etc. But with Linux, you don't get the very latest browsers (Firefox, in my case), and you don't get many of the apps that Windows has to offer. And the most important thing, Professional Support. All that you have are the forums, and you may get 20 answers to one simple question. And not to put anyone down for it, but a lot of the replies were in broken English. And the top dogs of Linux, they look like members of the Manson family. Any of you ever seen Richard Stallman? A self proclaimed atheist at that. That didn't even belong in the forums. The Free Software Movement? Sure, who wouldn't like free software. But once again, where's the professional support. That's my point. We NEED support for the OS of our choice, and with the exception of a couple of paid versions, Linux doesn't do it for me. Who knows, I may have had as much trouble with a Mac OS. But at least I would have access to professional support. No, I just got a new PC with Windows 7 on it, and I upgraded my laptop (the same make & model as Leo's) to Windows 7 as well. It's worked out well for me, and if I do have a problem, it's a phone call away.
Posted by: Charles Tilley at December 27, 2009 8:37 PM