::. Intelligent Linux Solutions .::

Ron Barrett of Network World is claiming that “Windows 7 will crush Linux” because he like other Microsoft junkies doesn’t understand why people (like myself) use Linux. People like Ron are good a stating the obvious stuff like:

Windows 7 installs easier, has simpler configuration of user settings, greater availability of software, blah, blah, blah

Take a look at this one sided article that subtly points out most of the problems Windows has to begin with. Aside from the server operating systems which tend to be lean on a vanilla install (and I am being generous), the more mature Windows gets, the more bloated it gets; The more features it packs, the more resources it needs, and don’t forget the hassle of day-to-day upgrades as well as service pack releases. Mainstream Linux distributions are not oblivious to updates, and have methods of distributing updates as well, but receiving updates in most cases doesn’t depend on purchasing the “Boxed” version of the product.

Windows is including POWERSHELL and that’s great, but Linux has had multiple power-shells since the beginning. So way to catch up there Windows, Microsoft finally understands that scripting is important to the real IT administrators.

Notice that features of the “New” Windows GUI (Macs are guilty too) were simply stolen. A lot of the eye-candy that was implemented in Windows Vista existed for some time in Sun Microsystems Looking Glass, KDE, and GNOME. Virtual Desktops like the Compiz and Beryl project (Logical or 3D) have been solid on Linux for some time now. But enough with the look and feel business. Windows, GNOME, KDE, and Mac desktops can be made as glamorous as you would like them to be, but hands-down you have more options and more control on Linux. You have dozens of window management choices at your disposal on Linux and other UNIX operating systems. I will give Windows and the MacOS credit for being very integrated and cohesive operating environments, but this isn’t hard to accomplish when there is only one entity is setting the rules. KDE, GNOME, and others are cohesive as well, but a lot of the components that are the building blocks for these window managers come from more that one open source project. But as time goes by they are getting tighter and tighter by the moment.

As far as applications go, well I cannot tell you how much money my company has saved businesses by using alternatives to mainstream computing solutions (like Microsoft, Oravle, SAP<, etc.) by using their open source counterparts. These savings are across the board server and desktop, as well as development platforms. Just do some research for yourself, and see what kind of savings you well get if you replace something like Windows server/SQL server with Linux/MySQL or Linux/Postgresql. You can IIS, or Apache, both are mainstream solutions, but one is free. For the most part the former and latter do exactly the same thing except one will cost you more than the other. If it is in issue of expertise or support you will have to find that expertise regardless of what it you’re using if it’s proprietary or otherwise. Some businesses are scared of projects based on open source technologies because they fearful of having support issues, but those of you who are should take a look at companies that use mostly open source softwares like Google, Amazon, and Yahoo which are using open source applications for mission critical services. I bet you they saved a ton of money going this way instead of using proprietary solutions.

On the desktop Linux is close but has a ways to go, but in my view this is to be expected because there isn’t one entity that governs how the desktop should look, feel, and function unlike Microsoft and Apple, but projects like KDE and GNOME are getting there slowly but surely. I also think that a stable full-featured Windows emulator integrated into the Linux desktop will give windows users a better incentive to a the very least test Linux as an alternative desktop. I myself will admit to using Windows, but I use it primarily for Microsoft Office (mostly Word, Powerpoint, and Access), but with Crossover Office from CodeWeavers I can run those and more on Linux with few issues.

On another note I like the fact that I can pack a fully-functional version of Linux on a 512M USB Flash drive and take that as well as my data with me wherever I go. Try doing that with Windows 7! Or maybe you can even try ReactOS (which is in alpha now).

-Intelliginix