Why Switch to Linux?

by Sam Dean - Aug. 29, 2008Comments (15)

In an interesting post on Lifehacker, the editors ask the readers "Why did you switch to Linux?" The question drew quite a lot of interesting responses, including some very offbeat reasons for why people made the switch. If you're under the impression that people switch solely for rebellious or "fight the man" reasons, here are some of the more interesting responses and trends that they point to.

USB Drives. I myself have become very enamored of my 8GB USB thumb drive, which contains lots of open source applications. In response to the Lifehacker poll, reader urmston says: "I was originally enamored with the idea of using a USB drive to hold an entire OS so I gave it a go with Ubuntu. After about a week, I started dual-booting and within another week, I realized that I wasn't using Windows at all and made the switch completely." USB thumb drives have moved beyond just being conveniences. They change the way people work.

Dual-Booting. Many, many respondents, in addition to the one above, used Linux in conjunction with another OS, then dumped the original OS.

Old Hardware. This came up in many responses. AJ.Hidel writes: "What else can run so smoothly on old hardware?"

Clusters. Clusters are a popular trend, and Linux is often favored for putting them together. Severnclay says: "I got interested in parallel computing, and realized that its much easier to build a cluster in Linux than in Windows."

Why Did You Climb Everest? Quite a few respondents gave the classic answer to the Everest question. "Because it's there," was one response, and Ender15 followed up with: "I was bored." Curiosity was frequently cited.

Privacy and Security. Quite a few respondents cited switching to Linux because it is where the hackers are not.

Divorcing the Redmond Giant. Well, truth be told, some people do switch to Linux for "fight the man" reasons. Bodybybuddha writes succinctly: "Had to break out of my abusive relationship with Microsoft." In other cases it gets a bit more complicated. BruceBates writes: "I don't get FREEDOM with Windows. With GNU/Linux, I can compile the kernel especially for my system, and select ONLY those apps which are required." Quite a few respondents specifically cited Windows Genuine Advantage as the final straw from Redmond.

It's Free. Hey, don't underestimate this. Shadowfirebird writes: "I was broke, Windows sucked, I had a bunch of supposedly dead computer equipment lying around." 'Nuff said.

 



Browse Blog

Randy Clark uses OStatic to support Open Source, ask and answer questions and stay informed. What about you?



15 Comments
 

You forgot working needs...I use Linux at work and I 'ssh' a lot...Finding a good Linux distro that is easy to install (ubuntu) was the main trigger for the switch. Before I used Linux at work only and I struggle with 'ssh' on windows.

1 Votes

I needed a web server to learn how to do web programming. Windows Server was too expensive, so I ended up on FreeBSD. I moved to Linux because there was more software available for it.

Since then, I have found that the freedom and stability I gained is much more important that the original reason I switched.

2 Votes

Some of the reasons listed applied to me also. The main reasons I switched were due to being frustrated with Windows XP, the Windows Genuine disadvantage spyware, Service Pack 2, and the increasing expense of software for Windows as well as the cost of Windows had I wanted to put it on all my PCs. I decided to originally try Linux as a good alternative to Windows some years ago, but it was not that great back then.

But the more recent change, after XP SP2 and its spyware prompted me to look again at Linux, and try various distros in that. I am currently using Ubuntu on this PC, but regularly try out others.

It is such great fun. I cannot just try out a different version of Windows (it's expensive and they are mostly the same anyway, and there are no live CD versions) like I can with Linux.

The other reasons include freedom, free software which I know can be improved by various programmers freely and made freely available, all without spyware, adware or nag screens asking me to pay up after 30 days.

And after using Linux for over a year regularly at home, I find it easier and more intuitive than using Windows. I still use Windows XP at work and find it frustrating that certain features are not available, which I otherwise take for granted now in Linux (e.g. zooming the whole screen, Firefox extensions, multiple desktops).

I have seen Vista, but I will never buy it or want to use it myself. Linux is superior to Vista, because it is better designed and easier to use, as well not requiring such powerful hardware.

1 Votes

I think you left off a key one. I don't know if it is why people switch, but it is the most important reason I use Linux.

Windows and Mac OS are designed to be operated like a car. The developers don't want you to know or worry about what is under the hood. In fact, they go out of their way to hide it. This works great for the 75% of the population that want a computer to be nothing but a tool.

But linux is open, it allows you to learn. My understanding of operating systems and computers has grown 10 X more over the 3 years I've worked with Linux than over the 10 previous years with Mac/Window.

That, to me, is the key difference. Linux encourages learning and growing. Windows and Mac encourage you to stay uninformed and clueless to how computers work.

Again, for 75% of the people out there, the Microsoft method works fine. But for those of us that need to know how things work, Linux is the future of computing.

2 Votes

[cite]Privacy and Security. Quite a few respondents cited switching to Linux because it is where the hackers are not.[/cite] Yeah right! Hackers created GNU/Linux! There aren't very many malicious users, but it is flooded with hackers. I think the word you are looking for is "Crackers".

Hackers create. Crackers destroy.

1 Votes

Very well summarized.

I'd also add.

-> Attend a lecture by Richard M Stallman at College (Trivandrum, India , 1999) and listen to the dangers of Patents (the famous story of unavailability of printer driver software at MIT), by the world's most famous Open Source Advocate.

After 11 years of dual booting Windows and Linux, here's my summary.

-> Want something quick, dirty, unreliable and uber user-friendly -> Go with windows.

-> Want something reliable, difficult, scalable with the support of the community use Linux

0 Votes

There is alot reasons I change to Linux there is no Adwear or Spywear. Linux is the most awsome OS around. And to with Windows you get all the viruses not in Linux. I use Sidux OS a frind got me hooked onit and been using ever since. I will not go back to Windows or should I say Winblows.

0 Votes

"Switch" to Linux? I don't understand.

0 Votes

My biggest reasons are flexibility, simple to install and maintain, and, finally, GNU/Linux has everything I need.

Linux is very flexible to use. It just works predictably all the time. No nervous sense of BSOD doom everytime I do something resource intensive, something new I haven't done before, change hardware, etc. Linux makes my PC a perfect tool, not an unpredictable one that limits what I can request it to do.

Installing and maintaining Linux distribution is several clicks away. No need to hunt down applications, shuffle through cd-roms, license keys, etc. User files and application files are well separated and easy to backup.

Installing applications? No dependency headaches between applications. The Linux distribution folks already tested the set of applications for each distribution. I remember many weird conflicts between Windows applications when they each over-wrote different versions of DLLs, and the order of install mattered. One application makes another application unstable. Quite a nightmare. No easy update when the company no longer supports the application.

I have everything I need in GNU/Linux. I even run wine if I want to run some Windows games from time to time. Yes, I boldly bought one Windows game after I switched to Linux, by trusting winehq website appsdb and planning to run it exclusively through wine. It works superbly.

0 Votes

Pros: Safety Privacy Package management. Run update and every piece of software (installed through the package manager) is up to date! No need to constantly monitor xx numbers of software to see if there are updates; no need to browse xx webpages to find where to get them; etc... Command line and scripts rules!

Cons: Too many prorietary drivers/softwares/plugins still don't integrate well. Some quirks still exists with USB devices; with automount. Some do, some don't... Depending on the distro, codecs support (file associations) can be a real pain...

0 Votes

Because I cut my baby teeth on Unix in college. Of course I also run OS X ( UNIX ) at home.

0 Votes

I switched because Debian GNU/Linux and software in it supported Unicode better than, say, WinRAR and Far Manager, or the Windows NT 5.x's text-mode.

0 Votes

more security

0 Votes

I love windows for it produces more curbside computers that perfectly run any of my favorite linux distros! But I switched years ago when each time I changed my hardware configuration MS wanted to reauthenicate the xp install. I also had a 17 year old virus living in my house that was always installing new software on the computer to the point of seeing many blue screens. Now it is painful to get back on a windows box unless it is formatted and reconfigured with a good linux distro!


0 Votes

I'm a Mac user (and ex-Windows user) who runs a virtual machine of Ubuntu via Fusion. I like it better than Windows, but sadly not better than OS X. I say "sadly" because as an open source advocate I would love to be able to say that Linux is the the best. But I believe strongly that an OS should not require its users to rely on the command line or understand the underlying architecture. An OS should be visually intuitive, drag-and-drop friendly, and appear like a polished product.


To use a web analogy: you wouldn't build a website with poor navigation, bland design, and a steep learning curve in its functionality. Or... maybe you would, but you wouldn't get much repeat business from clients. The same concepts apply to software design and specifically OS design.


If a talented bunch of people were to get together and make an open source OS that could really rival OS X I would probably ditch Apple. I don't realistically think that will happen though. One reason is that since Linux is not a product its users are not customers. In other words, their voices are not backed by dollars, and so when a user complains about usability issues there is still little reason for the developers to rethink their approach. To phrase it another way: developers of free software can afford to stubbornly ignore user feedback.


OK, perhaps I'm being too harsh on Linux and its devs. But seriously guys, the OS is FREE! Don't you think that if you put a little more care, finesse, and attention to detail into your software and treated it like a product that you could achieve world domination!?


How can we change this? Ideas, anyone?


(Yes, I realize that open source developers are thinking I'm an unappreciative bastard and commercial software developers are thinking I'm a commie bastard. I suppose that's life.) ^_^


0 Votes
Share Your Comments

If you are a member, to have your comment attributed to you. If you are not yet a member, Join OStatic and help the Open Source community by sharing your thoughts, answering user questions and providing reviews and alternatives for projects.