Kevin posted a blog today about his decision to stick with Windows Vista rather than travel the Linux route. I'm always up for a spirited debate, so I figured I'd post a reponse to his request for reasons that another OS is better.
My reasons may not be good reasons for Kevin, or anybody else for that matter, but they are some of the reasons that I will not move back to Windows after making the switch a year ago (on all my computers except for one at home that I keep on Windows “just in case”). So, in no particular order, I consider Linux to be a better operating system choice because:
1. Stability – In my experience, Windows has been far from a stable operating system. Perhaps Vista has improved on this, but I've never been able to go more than six months without something deep within the OS giving up the ghost for no particular reason. For example, on my one remaining Windows machine, there is currently no sound output because Windows decided it has no sound card, Flash content will not display, and two of my four USB ports aren't recognized. Why? Who knows! I might as well bludgeon myself with a slab of frozen meat than try to find a rhyme or reason to how Windows behaves under general usage after just a few months of use of a clean install.
In contrast, almost all issues I have with my Linux boxes are my own fault. Even then, when I've overwritten something important in my system config, it's not a problem. Everything is a plain text file!
2. Open Source and All its Perks – Plain text config files, plain text everything. How much of a pain is it just to dig through the Windows registry to troubleshoot an issue? Want to customize any and every part of your OS to optimize it for you; not a problem if you want to go that route in Linux!
3. Up-Front Cost – As I built my work computer from scratch, adding Windows would have thrown at least $100 onto the cost of the hardware. Add MS Office and that's a couple of hundred more. Sure, OpenOffice isn't quite as pretty, but everything in the interface is well-laid-out and it does anything I'd want to do in an office application.
Total software cost incurred in building my system - $0.
4. Putty vs Gnome Terminal – Putty manages to make the simple and common act of copying and pasting an irritation. Gnome Terminal offers tabbed terminals, which I need given my 8-12 simultaneous logins to various places, and a simple default copy-paste scheme.
5. Security – Yes, it is true that Linux security is superior only because it doesn't have a hold on the majority of PC users like Windows does, and so hackers don't spend much time exploiting it. Even so, it's still more secure and I don't have to deal with Vista's approach as it monitors and asks you to confirm every single action you take.
6. Desktop Goodies – You know that Aero interface in Vista that Microsoft is so proud of? The one that you don't get unless you pony up for one of the more expensive versions of Vista? Well, Compiz/Beryl give snazzier, more customizable desktop graphics, and have been on my laptop for the last year.
7. Work Environment Consistency – I spend most of my day in SSH sessions with our Linux servers, so why not maintain that environment for the desktop as well? The commands are all the same and, if I need to test a script before uploading it, then it can just be run locally.
8. Software Selection – I actually would say Linux wins on this front. I have yet to come across a Windows app that I absolutely needed to run (other than testing for bugs in Outlook or IE) that didn't have a fully-capable Linux equivalent. And, if it's a tie on features and performance, then we go back to having cost as a factor.
9. No “Big Brother” Software – I totally understand where Microsoft's heart is, but I don't like the road they started down when they first introduced product activation. I like my private data to be kept private and I don't like having to call Microsoft every time I upgrade enough components in my computer for Windows to decide that it is no longer activated.
Now, don't misunderstand, I don't consider myself vehemently anti-Windows. I certainly don't hate Microsoft; I love my Xbox 360. However, for what I do at home and at work, I've found Linux to be a better option for an operating system.
Where do I cede superiority to Windows? In the area of gaming, thanks to the neverending catch-22 that keeps Windows as the clear winner. Game companies need to develop for the largest market share they can and that is, obviously, Windows. Though, there have been some interesting developments in games for Mac OS over the last few years, so maybe we're on the verge of seeing some new development on the Linux side of things as well.
The hardware support crown goes to Windows as well. There are still wireless cards that just don't play well in Linux (mine have all worked fine, though), and ATI's video drivers have caused me enormous pain. The up side, though, is a rabid development community that takes your unsupported hardware and codes their own drivers for it.