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Posted on 05/29/2015 4:40:55 AM PDT by ShadowAce
I might be wrong, but I get the impression that my Windows friends which would be most of the people I see on a daily basis think of Linux as this incredibly geeky system from another planet. I think most of them dont understand why I use it and why I dont just stay in the known world which to them would be Windows. Paradoxically, however, they do get why some folks use Macs.
Quite simply, most of us use desktop Linux because its superior to all other brands, including Windows and OS X even including Unix and the BSDs. This is a fact, not an opinion. There are reasons why Linux runs a majority of the worlds servers and powers most big enterprises, and in an example of where the trickle down theory actually works, those reasons trickle down (or up depending on your viewpoint) to the desktop.
Of course, just sticking your nose in the air and claiming superiority isnt enough to convince most people, so heres my list of five reasons to use Linux:
Well, Im not a coder either, and never will be. But this is still near the top of the list of the software freedoms that I cherish. Why? Because each and every day, people are modifying Linux for one reason or another, usually to meet their own needs, and sometimes those changes find their way upstream and get incorporated into mainstream Linux, improving everyones user experience.
To sum up the notion of software freedom in a nutshell: Free softwre such as Linux is yours to do with as you like, with no restrictions placed on you by any licensing agreement. The only thing youre not free to do? Restrict the freedom of others.
The days are long gone when you had to be a computer expert to sit behind the wheel and run Linux even though computer knowledge comes in handy no matter what operating system youre using.
As for security, any Linux distribution, take your pick, is more secure out-of-the-box than either Windows or OS X, even without running antivirus software. Its not completely free of security issues no operating system is but security holes in Linux are usually not as severe and get fixed quicker than in the name brands.
Plus, Linux users get most of their software pre-vetted through software repositories and dont have to put their trust in some download site operated by who knows whom.
Whats so special about FOSS? Well, its free, easy to use, usually stable, and secure and versatile the same things that make Linux special.
The Windows desktop is pretty much a one-size-fits-all proposition. Not true with Linux, where there are many desktops from which to choose. And these arent merely skins or themes, offering a different look but with exactly the same functionality.
Linux desktops are all completely different from one another, each offering its own user experience. Working with a old machine with a slow processor and not much memory? Theres are desktops for that. Do you have a modern computer with plenty of resources? There are desktops for that. Do you like a lot of whistles and bells and want a computer where absolutely everything can be configured to your liking? There are desktops for that as well. The list goes on.
This is just my list, and its nowhere near complete. Maybe you think Ive left off something important I probably have. What would you add to this list? Feel free to comment below.
I recently loaded Ubuntu on an old XP machine using a flash drive.
It runs great.
I hope that's true. I'm going to soon buy a new PC with no OS and load Linux on it...a latest distro...as my main PC. I hope it all works together. I don't want to go through the old Win98 install headaches.
My favorite reason is masochism.
However, Linux can make a pretty good rescue disk.
I have one of these that I like to wear:
My wife won't let me wear it to family functions. Sadly, family members are some of my best repeat "customers".
I'm gonna get one of these and I WILL wear it to family functions to fry their small brains;
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