Many posters seem to be saying that particular applications or lack of linux desktop support keep them tied to windows, but I think it is something more fundamental than either.People in general don't like massive change. Once you know how to do something a certain way, it is often very difficult to willingly adjust to something new.
For instance there are a couple prototype cars out there that have a joystick instead of a stearing wheel. Most people would see that and say, "WTF?!?!?!!" Maybe a joystick interface is easier to control, they would certainly be safer where airbags are concerned... but people aren't going to run out an embrace the joystick as an auto steering mechanism.
Another example would be those "ergonomic" split keyboards. I took a chance on one and I absolutely love it. Yet, most people I know still use the old kind. Why? Because they are used to it. Because learning to use the new one well takes too much time.
A more softwarey example... Today I found I needed to get a list of all Groups in a domain and their members. After fiddling with Active Directory for about 5 minutes, I was like, wtf, I'll just do it in perl. I spend about 20 minutes trying to get Win32::AdminMisc through the proxy using ppm, give up, download it manually, spend about 20 minutes looking for a version 5xx build of perl or a 6xx compatible version of AdminMisc, give up, spend another half hour figuring out how Win32::NetAdmin works, realize that's actually what I used when I did this stuff two years ago, then write the script, most of it anyway. The point is, there was probably some easy way to get the information I needed from within the User interface, but I didn't know how, and I wasn't willing to learn when I had a known option available to me.
It's pretty obvious how this behavior pattern ties in to Linux. People everywhere have grown up using Windows. They know how to browse the web in IE, to create documents in Office, to install software, to install drivers, etc. In Linux, everything is different. Switching to even a user friendly distro like RedHat is like coming home one day to find some dude has moved all your stuff around. Your furniture is upside down, the walls are painted green, all your food has been replaced with organic variants, your universal remote control no longer works with anything, and for some reason your monitor is stapled to the ceiling. You have to relearn where everything is and spend days getting it back into a state in which you can work effectively. To make matters worse, you now have 3-10 very different versions of everything. While I like having choices, I only like making informed decisions.
So what's my point? Hell, I forget. Oh yeah, the question is what is keeping me on windows? The answer is, ease of use. I know where everything is. Of course if you asked me what was keeping me on Linux, I'd give you the same damn answer. Ever try to find free anti-spam support for Exchange (shudder)?
I use Windows on the "Main" PC, run RedHat and Debian on my two servers, and use Deb on my thick thin client laptop. I stick with Windows on the desktop because the amount of time it would take me to reach my current level of desktop mastery on linux is well worth the price of XP and probably the next Windows as well. Right now there's room for both in my world. After using linux as a server for near 2 years, I'm getting a little better learning my way around, and while I'm sure the Linux desktop is ready for me, I'm not yet ready for it.
People in general don't like massive change. Once you know how to do something a certain way, it is often very difficult to willingly adjust to something new
Absolute hogwash. If Linux improved on the Desktop, ran apps like dreamweaver, was a little easier to configure, and sucked a little less all round, your so-called "unwilling masses" would flock to it in enough numbers to be a real competitor to M$. Change is what people are seeking (not avoiding), because they know M$ sux.
Absolute hogwash......Change is what people are seeking (not avoiding), because they know M$ sux.
Allow me to rephrase then, it is not change itself that people do not like, it is the large amount of relearning of everything from basic to advanced tasks which they don't like. People dislike it when change requires vast amounts of effort, especially when the alternative is a functional known method.
if Linux improved on the Desktop
I have no doubt that many folks out there greatly prefer *Nix desktops. From what little exposure I've had to the desktop, I can see many ways in which it is superior to its Windows counterpart.
was a little easier to configure If you know how to configure Linux, it can be much easier to configure than Windows. Many things in Linux are extremely easy to do IF you know how to do them. I guess this distinguishment really only makes sense when you are thinking about maintaining lots of machines.
I agree, I'm a huge Linux fan, but we were diuscussing it from the point of view of the "average masses", were'nt we? All these things are well and good, to those in the know. But what's stopping a greater acceptance of Linux as a real force are those niggling issues, as much as you and I can explain them away. And until they are perceived to be corrected, people will not stay away for the sake of "extra effort". Duh. Why change to do something more difficult?
But change itself is not the hurdle you suggest, if that change is for the better (ie easier - after all we as humans didnt progress to make life more difficult, but you can never say we are afraid of good change).
I changed and still use linux on and off, with icewm... openoffice, opera, xmms etc. For me for one, change isnt a problem. The fact that I have to switch back to windows is. If windows runs EVERYTHING and linux a subset of it, I'll use that lesser OS. Dotn get me wrong I'm feet in into free software, even developed some. I strongly suggest linux/bsd to clients over M$, but for the desktop, until everyone starts producing linux ports too, or someone finds a way to integrate wine/X/kde/ nicely, I'll stick to an option that doesnt require me to reboot and wait 30 seconds
Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.
-- Dave Olson
Linux is ready - I am not (Score:5, Insightful)
For instance there are a couple prototype cars out there that have a joystick instead of a stearing wheel. Most people would see that and say, "WTF?!?!?!!" Maybe a joystick interface is easier to control, they would certainly be safer where airbags are concerned... but people aren't going to run out an embrace the joystick as an auto steering mechanism.
Another example would be those "ergonomic" split keyboards. I took a chance on one and I absolutely love it. Yet, most people I know still use the old kind. Why? Because they are used to it. Because learning to use the new one well takes too much time.
A more softwarey example... Today I found I needed to get a list of all Groups in a domain and their members. After fiddling with Active Directory for about 5 minutes, I was like, wtf, I'll just do it in perl. I spend about 20 minutes trying to get Win32::AdminMisc through the proxy using ppm, give up, download it manually, spend about 20 minutes looking for a version 5xx build of perl or a 6xx compatible version of AdminMisc, give up, spend another half hour figuring out how Win32::NetAdmin works, realize that's actually what I used when I did this stuff two years ago, then write the script, most of it anyway. The point is, there was probably some easy way to get the information I needed from within the User interface, but I didn't know how, and I wasn't willing to learn when I had a known option available to me.
It's pretty obvious how this behavior pattern ties in to Linux. People everywhere have grown up using Windows. They know how to browse the web in IE, to create documents in Office, to install software, to install drivers, etc. In Linux, everything is different. Switching to even a user friendly distro like RedHat is like coming home one day to find some dude has moved all your stuff around. Your furniture is upside down, the walls are painted green, all your food has been replaced with organic variants, your universal remote control no longer works with anything, and for some reason your monitor is stapled to the ceiling. You have to relearn where everything is and spend days getting it back into a state in which you can work effectively. To make matters worse, you now have 3-10 very different versions of everything. While I like having choices, I only like making informed decisions.
So what's my point? Hell, I forget. Oh yeah, the question is what is keeping me on windows? The answer is, ease of use. I know where everything is. Of course if you asked me what was keeping me on Linux, I'd give you the same damn answer. Ever try to find free anti-spam support for Exchange (shudder)?
I use Windows on the "Main" PC, run RedHat and Debian on my two servers, and use Deb on my thick thin client laptop. I stick with Windows on the desktop because the amount of time it would take me to reach my current level of desktop mastery on linux is well worth the price of XP and probably the next Windows as well. Right now there's room for both in my world. After using linux as a server for near 2 years, I'm getting a little better learning my way around, and while I'm sure the Linux desktop is ready for me, I'm not yet ready for it.
Re:Linux is ready - I am not (Score:1)
Absolute hogwash. If Linux improved on the Desktop, ran apps like dreamweaver, was a little easier to configure, and sucked a little less all round, your so-called "unwilling masses" would flock to it in enough numbers to be a real competitor to M$. Change is what people are seeking (not avoiding), because they know M$ sux.
Re:Linux is ready - I am not (Score:2)
Allow me to rephrase then, it is not change itself that people do not like, it is the large amount of relearning of everything from basic to advanced tasks which they don't like. People dislike it when change requires vast amounts of effort, especially when the alternative is a functional known method.
if Linux improved on the Desktop
I have no doubt that many folks out there greatly prefer *Nix desktops. From what little exposure I've had to the desktop, I can see many ways in which it is superior to its Windows counterpart.
was a little easier to configure
If you know how to configure Linux, it can be much easier to configure than Windows. Many things in Linux are extremely easy to do IF you know how to do them. I guess this distinguishment really only makes sense when you are thinking about maintaining lots of machines.
Re:Linux is ready - I am not (Score:1)
But change itself is not the hurdle you suggest, if that change is for the better (ie easier - after all we as humans didnt progress to make life more difficult, but you can never say we are afraid of good change).
Re:Linux is ready - I am not (Score:1)