Linux Or Windows? A Unusual Argument!
Posted 5 months ago at 4:45 pm. 5 comments
Well I’ve seen this arugument flung around places like Digg and decided I would give my take on it. Personally I have one problem with Linux. I tried a few distros of Linux when I first started to use it and eventually decided upon Ubuntu as it was by far the most user friendly. But here is my major problem with Linux.
If you think I’m going to say there’s no programs available, you’re wrong. There are programs. They may not be the ones you are used to using and it may be lacking in certain areas *cough*NLE Video Editors*cough* but there are some good programs available. My problem is with the user-friendlyness of these programs, more specifically the installation of them.
All I want is to install a program. Yes I know you can just open up the add/remove programs in Ubuntu and install whatever you want. If that program isn’t there though you are fu*ked unless you know your way around terminal. Even then you might need some dependancies for the program to run, and then it says it can’t load that dependancy because it was replaced by this newer one. The program doesn’t care though, it wants the old one and won’t install without it. Now there are probably some Linux fanboy’s screaming at their monitor but I couldn’t really give a toss.
In the computer industry, as I’m sure most of you know, time is money. Would you waste a shit-load of time installing a program in Linux if you could do it in 3 seconds on Windows?
I mean I have nothing against Linux, especially Ubuntu. It’s a great OS, it makes Windows look like an amature at somethings but I don’t think I could leave Windows behind untill someone sorts out the installation procedure for programs.
I loaded Ubuntu onto my laptop because it’s old and Ubuntu makes it a million times faster but I spend most of my time doing things that would take me two seconds in Windows. Hell even in OSX I could do them faster.
So. I hope some of you agree, if you do leave me a comment and let me know what you think they could do to improve installing programs in Linux. If you don’t agree then leave me a comment and try to convince me that there is a reason for all of this dependacy shit. If I’ve pissed you off, I don’t care, but leave a comment anyway to let off some steam.
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Hi, I was very surprised when reading your article. One of the greatest advantages of linux to windows is the easiness of installing programs. Just go to synaptic package manager from administration menu and select all programs that you want to install and then press apply. It will download and install all programs and dependencies automatically.
You can install as many programs as you want at the same time for free just by selecting them. Can you do that in windows?
I recommend you have a look at this website:
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Gutsy
Here you can find how to add additional repositories. The reason that ubuntu doesn’t come with all these additional repository is the license issues with some programs in them.
Funny…I’ve had the opposite experence…
I often find myself saying “This is a lot faster in Linux…”
But Then again I work on servers all day…
I can do things faster/better on my Linux server than on my Windows Server…
But then again that’s on the server side…at home I am using a MAC and I have Ubuntu on my laptop…I’ve never hap problems…
-jd
if I’ve said it once,I’ve sait it a million times,if one distro does not work for you…Try another and another and another..
The distros that I’d suggest for you are:
Mepis 7
Fedora 8
Klikit (when the main release is out).
Mint
Freespire
@Mohammad: Yep, I love synaptic it was one of the things I loved most about Ubuntu and Linux but there are some programs I require that are just not on synaptics list because I pay for them.
Trying to install these is a bitch because it requires knowledge of terminal and downloading and installing dependancies. Now for me that’s quite easy as I’m fairly experienced with Linux but for others, not so easy.
@jd: Linux it’s self is fast and installing programs that are available on Synaptic is really easy but if you require a program not available it is a real pain.
Personally I would love a MAC as I do a lot of website/graphics/video work so a MAC would be ideal but I just can’t tear my self away from a PC because of the games factor. I understand that now MAC’s use Intel architecture it is getting more commonplace to get games on a MAC but still, I just don’t have the money to have both a PC & a MAC. Maybe sometime soon I will.
@LR: Been, saw and conqured. I have tried Ubuntu, Slackware, Fredora, Suse (one of my faves). I have all of the CD/DVDS right here.
The problem is that as a whole the nation is lazy. They don’t want to trapse through a lot of distro’s. Now me yes I will because I want to give Linux a chance but other will not do it.
I really want Linux to succeed and give Windows a run for it’s money, Microsoft has dominated the OS market for too long.
@all: I really must improve my writing technique. I am sorry if you all got the impression that I wasn’t able to get around Linux. I have been using it on and off for a while now, and while I’m not an expert I do now enough to install programs and stuff like that.