Linux on the Desktop II
Podz, a Wordpress Support Maven and frequent flyer in #wordpress has posted his reasoning behind going back to Windows XP after a short affair with Ubuntu. I have to say that I agree wholeheartedly with his experience. Linux simpy isn't ready for desktop usage, at least for people who want to use their OS and not fiddle around with their OS. I love Linux, don't get me wrong. My own webserver runs Linux (of the Debian flavor), but my desktop remains XP. Why? Well, simply put; I like it. It's as easy as that, and it's not due to lack of experience with Linux either. I find using Linux on a desktop cumbersome, even obtrusive in ways and it "just doesn't feel right". I also happen to manage roughly 25 servers, and about 110 clients on a daily basis, spread over 2 continents and 5 countries (Thats not counting our ships). If it wasn't for using Windows 2003 Servers, Active Directory, Citrix and Windows XP clients that would pretty much be an unsurmountable task. I want to enable my users to do their job, not battle with their computers. Of course, Microsoft being a market leader helps in a way, since everyone knows how use a computer with Windows on it. Thats just the way it is. I'm not saying that this is necessarily a good thing, but it does help me in my day to day job. If I were to give my users a Linux box, I seriously doubt that it would increase their efficiency at all. As far as I'm concerned, running Linux on the desktop is still something reserved for those with a special interest in it, it's not for people who actually want to spend time using their computers for their day-to-day tasks. So far, the best usage for Linux on the desktop (for Joe Average) I've seen is this and The VMWare Player based Browser Appliance. BTW: I think VMWare has struck gold with the newly released VMWare Player. It really opens up an alley of virtualization for everyone that I'm sure will find loads of good uses in the time to come.Post metadata
Published January 10, 2006 23:30
12 comments
Tagged with computing, desktop, linux, microsoft, os, personal, rant, VMWare, windows and Windows XP
12 Responses to Linux on the Desktop II:
4 Pingbacks to Linux on the Desktop II:
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January 1, 1970 1:00ammatch hardware and operating systems 16 janvier 2006 With Apple’s decision to use Intel chips for the next line of Macintosh computers, the lines are blurring between which hardware can be used to run… Linux on the Desktop II 15 janvier 2006 Podz, a Wordpress Support Maven and frequent flyer in #wordpress has posted his reasoning behind going back to Windows XP after a short affair with… [VMware]もろもろ 15 janvier 2006
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January 9, 2006 11:05amh0bbelpiece of shep » Back to the World of WindowsFightingfriends » Blog Archive » Ubuntu Round UpNatalyskippyJim Comments (6) ¤ Read (85)
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May 20, 2006 3:18amsure the hardware is supported, or that there is an alternative. You may need to install add-on drivers for some hardware, download it first. Of course, living permanently in one virtual and one physical machine has some of its own challenges, andLinux on the desktop is not for everyone.
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August 2, 2007 2:46pmmatch hardware and operating systems 16 janvier 2006 With Apple’s decision to use Intel chips for the next line of Macintosh computers, the lines are blurring between which hardware can be used to run…Linux on the Desktop II15 janvier 2006 Podz, a Wordpress Support Maven and frequent flyer in #wordpress has posted his reasoning behind going back to Windows XP after a short affair with… [VMware]もろもろ 15 janvier 2006
January 1, 1970 1:00am
match hardware and operating systems 16 janvier 2006 With Apple’s decision to use Intel chips for the next line of Macintosh computers, the lines are blurring between which hardware can be used to run… Linux on the Desktop II 15 janvier 2006 Podz, a Wordpress Support Maven and frequent flyer in #wordpress has posted his reasoning behind going back to Windows XP after a short affair with… [VMware]もろもろ 15 janvier 2006
January 9, 2006 11:05am
h0bbelpiece of shep » Back to the World of WindowsFightingfriends » Blog Archive » Ubuntu Round UpNatalyskippyJim Comments (6) ¤ Read (85)
January 11, 2006 4:19am
It just takes some time to get used to Linux. I wouldn’t turn back to Windows because I’ve been using fluxbox for around 3 years. But, it’s quite sad that it lacks some applications, so my Windows friends get the cool toys.
January 11, 2006 8:53am
For me toys doesn’t even come into the equation. I run Linux daily, in different virtual machines here, but I can’t imagine running my desktop as a Linux only install.
January 11, 2006 7:43pm
I’m a Linux user, and I do use it as my regular desktop. I once used only Windows. Later I started fiddling about with Linux, and got to know more about it. After that, I started using Linux as my primary desktop and kept Windows as a “backup”. Now, I don’t have Windows installed, and I wouldn’t dream of going back. Even when I need to use a Windows PC occasionally, it feels rather awkward, the same way I felt about Linux initially.
I disagree with the conclusion that Linux is not for the desktop. Like Dave said, Linux takes some time to get used to. Yes, it gives users a chance to fiddle around with the whole system, but that is basically in the beginning, when you’re setting it up the way you want. Once this initial customizaton is done, Linux makes day-to-day activities a snap.
I think Linux is lacking only in the area of Office software. OpenOffice is the best one, and I am fond of the “Styles” paradigm to an extent that makes it difficult for me to use MS Office, but the loading time is way too much.
January 11, 2006 8:08pm
My views are in large biased by the fact that I administer a lot of Windows based client machines at work, and that I have a family that also uses my home computer. As I said, I love Linux as a server, but I can’t really see myself using it as a desktop instead of my Windows XP machine. In addition, sure, but not as a replacement.
As for a corporate desktop environment, so far thats a no go. The manageability I get with Active Directory, Group Policy, Software Distribution, WSUS and other management tools does actually make Windows worth it.
I’m very happy that people take the time to comment though, thanks.
January 11, 2006 10:43pm
I use Windows XP, OSX, and KDE on a regular basis. I’m the most comfortable in Windows because the interface is the most to my liking. That said, I wouldn’t be able to survive without sshing to my linux boxes, and I wish that Windows were a little more Unixy in the nuts and bolts, like, uh… case sensitive file names?
January 11, 2006 11:41pm
XP with Putty and SSH to a Linux box is what I use the most too. KDE annoys me and so does Gnome. Windows isn’t perfect by any means, but for my day to day usage it’s way better than Linux on my desktop. It does lack a proper shell though, I’m hoping Monad will fix that.
January 12, 2006 8:23am
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm is an interesting read.
January 31, 2006 10:01am
It’s too bad Ubuntu didn’t suit your needs so well for the desktop.
If you weren’t so entrentched in the Microsoft paradigm on the machines you administer at work, things may be different.
“Active Directory” is a fancy marketing name for what is basically LDAP. Microsoft provides an admittedly nice graphical administration tool, however, graphical tools for LDAP on Linux are being developed presently, so that’s an area that will improve, too. Good progress is being made in other areas of improving the Linux user experience and in the near-term future should be to the point that it needs to be for simpler administration.
Things like this are far better today than they were even 5 years ago when I first started running Linux as my desktop OS and getting better all of the time!
I think Linux could have even been an option for you and your family at home if they had not been first exposed and indoctrinated (I don’t mean that in a bad way) in the Microsoft paradigm. The Linux learning curve is present, but not insurmountable. The funny thing about learning curves is that they only apply if you already have a base preconception about the given subject matter and are learning a new way to go about it. I feel that a person totally new to computers will have the same amount of challenge learning Linux as they would learning Windows or even MacOS.
I hope Linux matures quickly to the point that you consider trying it again as your desktop OS.
May 20, 2006 3:18am
sure the hardware is supported, or that there is an alternative. You may need to install add-on drivers for some hardware, download it first. Of course, living permanently in one virtual and one physical machine has some of its own challenges, andLinux on the desktop is not for everyone.
August 2, 2007 2:46pm
match hardware and operating systems 16 janvier 2006 With Apple’s decision to use Intel chips for the next line of Macintosh computers, the lines are blurring between which hardware can be used to run…Linux on the Desktop II15 janvier 2006 Podz, a Wordpress Support Maven and frequent flyer in #wordpress has posted his reasoning behind going back to Windows XP after a short affair with… [VMware]もろもろ 15 janvier 2006