What would make you switch to linux?

[nathanrosa]

turning into a geek

[Scraggles]

think again :laugh:

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I'm not. I just realized that after about 10 years of scanning for viruses/spyware I made a huge mistake. I'm curious why people deal with it when they know that linux is strong in that area.

If people convert to linux because of a Neowin thread, than I'm impressed. Whoever started the post should be a journalist or something.

I don't care if you guys use linux, Windows, or OS X. I just prefer linux since I started actally using it and not 'installing, then changing my mind'. I actually sit her and I'm upset that at work I still have to use windows. :no:

[Rix]

As much hardware support as windows, if not more.

Much more unique Distros / Window Managers.

That's about it really. I only use my pc for photoshop, web browsing/irc/chatting on msn, And i can do all of those on linux, Just my modem dosen't work :(

[Scraggles]

As much hardware support as windows, if not more.

Much more unique Distros / Window Managers.

That's about it really. I only use my pc for photoshop, web browsing/irc/chatting on msn, And i can do all of those on linux, Just my modem dosen't work :(

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Really? I haven't had any serious issues yet with hardware. As for the distro's/window managers... You do realize that Windows has 1 distro... Microsoft. And what do they have for quality Window managers? Style XP and Window blinds.... Linux has, KDE, Gnome, Fluxbox, FVWM, MetaCity, iceWM, blackbox, CTWM, and a LOT more good ones. I found settling with one WM difficult. I love too many of em.

[kyro]

I am linux super user . the big mutha.

use it for server enviornment setting in corporate offices. use it as desktop at home. (got dual boot xp too , usage 40 percent of total time.) on laptop too .(on laptop i have freebsd, slackware 10, fedora core 3, ubuntu 4, xp home running with multiboot grub setup)

for doc/excel/powerpoint work i use Openoffice suite, for simple graphic things i use GIMP 2.* devel, i am also trying my hand in programming using Monolinux(c#) and Gambus (vb 6 ish ), tried doing qt , kylix (RAD in LINUX ) programming but gave away.

using cadega for gaming (jedi knight 2, quake 3 arena) i have tried using Crossover for running OfficeXP but gave it away cause felt more at ease using OpenOffice.

for other normal thing use GAIM (messenger for aol yahoo icq jabber msn) firefox (browser).

word,

kyro.

(what i now wish linux shud hav is Ultra modern Device Driver Support, like Wifi-cards, bluetooth thingy's, Digital camera's, Tv-Tuners ,USB run devices (they run but not all and not smoothly). its not like linux doesnt at all has support for it but not that vast as some other company has :shifty: )

Edited February 26, 2005 by kyro

[+Biscuits Brown MVC]

When I can continue to make as much money as I do developing Microsoft .NET Desktop and ASP.NET solutions. Right now there is no real way to be a .NET developer and use Linux (and don't even suggest wine or mono, they just aren't nearly robust enough).

[Evolution]

Although I already use both Linux and Windows, I think one thing that needs to change are better drivers, and better support for drivers. i.e. I've got an Intel Extreme Graphics II chip on my laptop, and the drivers are meant for 2.4.x instead of 2.6.x :/ -and this means that I can't even play games at the level of quake 3 decently...while running q3 on Windows isn't a problem. A second example is for my usb sound card, the sound works great, and I don't really need the sound effects, however, I can't seem to get 4.1 surround sound working....only my front two speakers are working.

[Verbose.]

I've used Redhat and more recently, FC2, before and was starting to use FC2 more and more until I restored my system, which wasn't too long along. My computer is not able to install any of the latest games because of the vga so I wouldn't care all that much about drivers of course, although it would be nice to be able to play games like HL2 and FarCry.

The main issue I find with Linux is its incompatibility with Lucent/Agere modem chipsets, considering the majority of OEM computers come with junky Lucent modems. I've tried installing drivers many times on different distros and was finally successful on FC2 because I bought a USR, but it was very slow (how, it is probably equally as slow on Window). Therefore, t is possible but a pain.

Also, if Linux is going to continue operation extensively through the gui I think they should improve stability a little bit. For example, I think it was Redhat where the control panel froze quite often. The control panel was rather essential for me considering I wasn't knowledgeable enough to know how to do certain tasks any other way. In FC2 a few times, it crashed (that's right... Linux crashed :rolleyes: ).

Null vote.

I would change to linux if my machine was a better spec

Umm...that's one of the major advantages of linux. It works great on slow machines. My linux box right now is an 800mhz amd with 256 megs pc133 ram, tnt2 video card and onboard sound. It's running vectorlinux with kde and a samba server (in constant use) flawlessly. I really haven't seen any more lag than my 2700+ with a gig ram, radeon 9800 pro in my windows box (or even using the same machine for linux, which I used to do).

Specs are pretty meaningless when it comes to linux, which is one of the reasons a lot of people start using it.

I was going to make the same comment. Specs are meaningless when it comes to Linux. I have a Celeron 733 and Linux ran maybe 3-5 times faster than Windows.

[g-n-t]

a p2 with halfway-decent ram can fly with linux.

im not really sure why i switched. but i am sure of one thing, im never going back to that hell.

3 things keeping me with linux

1. Customization- From a visual POV, just about every linux WM/DE look a hell of a lot better than windows. Just take a look through the february desktops thread. i can have a computer with 110% eyecandy and it still flies. in windows, i had to keep my computer ugly cause adding a dock or a window border would have a pretty negative effect on performance. Not to mention the pain you have to go through in order to get things like themes/icons to work.

2. Speed/Stability- its just so snappy and fast and never crashes. Sure, sometimes apps crash, but that is to be expected, especially since i use a lot of alpha/beta software. But the OS as a whole hasnt ever crashed in a BSOD type thing. ive used it for 6 months, and ive never gotten a kernel panic or anything like that.

3. It's FREE!-I used to pirate a LOT of windows apps. But with linux, its all free and its all legal. It used to take me hours to download things off of p2p and then get keys and replace the .exe with a cracked version and all that crap. Screw it. "apt-get install gimp" installs gimp in just a couple of minutes and requires no additional input from me, and i dont have to worry about the FBI showing up at my front door.

[Rix]

Really? I haven't had any serious issues yet with hardware. As for the distro's/window managers... You do realize that Windows has 1 distro... Microsoft. And what do they have for quality Window managers? Style XP and Window blinds.... Linux has, KDE, Gnome, Fluxbox, FVWM, MetaCity, iceWM, blackbox, CTWM, and a LOT more good ones. I found settling with one WM difficult. I love too many of em.

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It works fine with all of my hardware except my modem, It detects it when i go into /Dev or whatever, its called 'Adsl Modem' i think, theres just no way to get it to connect :(

[Scraggles]

Get the drivers on a floppy, or cd. There's got to be something out there that will work for you.

[markwolfe Veteran]

With this poll being in the *nix forum, I expect a lot of "I already use Linux" responses. :p

As for "hardware support", I think that you mean x86 hardware, because Linux works on a lot more than just the Intel (and compatible) set of archetectures.

And even on the x86 platform, there are pieces of hardware that Linux can "just use" out of the box that Windows cannot. My old scanner is no longer supported in Windows since 2000/XP. It is recognized and runs witout me having to do anything in Linux. My USB WiFi was immediately used by Linspire, but XP would not use it until I removed it from the device manager, then unplugged it, then throw in another CD and install a driver, and finally plug it back in. (not sure if there was a reboot or not).

Sure, Linux is still growing (and has a miniscule percentage of the desktop market), but Windows is not the "all hardware works out of the box" godsend that some think it is. If it wasn't for the manufacturers doing the work of writing the drivers for their hardware to work, it would fall on Redmond to do it.

For me, Linux has been a "just use it" OS. No worries. :) It isn't the same for everyone though. No one here tries to convert anyone (trolls just push buttons, regardless of OS - they aren't trying to convert people, either). Neowin members in the Linux section help people uninstall Linux just as readily as they help to install Linux.

[Ciderx]

This is a pointless thread because if anyone posts anything that might be conceived as a criticism of Linux, scraggles is replying with "but you can, wah wah wah" in order to make people change their mind. So its not a poll, just scraggles just posting an anti-Windows, Pro-Linux thread.

[jack_canada]

Already a Linux user :p !

[Knight']

I'm not sure these days, Linux is fun to play with and I waste all my free time on it, but I don't think it's for the everyday Windows user. And most people on this forum won't want to have to worry about updating their config files and the like.

One thing that does amaze me however is just how badly Wireless networking is handled, more specifically, howto switch between different Wireless LANs and WEP key support works on some Wireless LANs but not all I've used...

[Packet1009]

speaking as someone who used to run FreeBSD on the desktop, i guess my response is really a "shrug" - been there, done that, would probably do it again when i find an extra desktop.

[Scraggles]

This is a pointless thread because if anyone posts anything that might be conceived as a criticism of Linux, scraggles is replying with "but you can, wah wah wah" in order to make people change their mind.  So its not a poll, just scraggles just posting an anti-Windows, Pro-Linux thread.

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This post isn't pointless to me. Maybe it is to you, but as you can obviously see, less than 15% of the poll replies are completely content with windows. I don't have to change anyones minds. Majority rules.

[markwolfe Veteran]

... less than 15% of the poll replies are completely content with windows...

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Well, this is posted in the Linux section... :shifty: :whistle:

[Scraggles]

true, didn't think moderators would find it appropriate for any other section. However, if your anything like me, you'll just refresh the main page and wait for a topic to catch your eye. I rarely scan old threads.

[E t h a n]

Man, I'm getting near there. Microsoft can .... my ....! :rofl:

[g-n-t]

DO IT!!!

[Scraggles]

Would it be cool with a moderator if I posted this elsewhere? I'm curious how many windows users are willing to switch.

[Mathiasdm]

Would it be cool with a moderator if I posted this elsewhere? I'm curious how many windows users are willing to switch.

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Actually, I'm curious too.

Perhaps post this again in the Poll forum?

[ichi]

I already switched years ago. Windows was getting a bit boring, the only thing that kept me interested in that platform was playing video games.

Once I stoped wasting so much time with games I didn't see any reason to not switch to Linux, and then I found that messing with that OS is even more fun that playing video games :happy:

[Rix]

Get the drivers on a  floppy, or cd. There's got to be something out there that will work for you.

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There is apparently, but i've got to mod some Connexant Drivers or somthing, i'd get stuck :(