Vista (with Aero GUI) requires 1Ghz CPU, 1Gb RAM and 128Mb Graphics Card and will cost hundreds of pounds. Linux Distributions are free and more secure. For older machines, Linux offers more stability and (in the last few years) better functionality than old Windows versions. They are also easier than ever to use and can run live which no Windows versions can.
2006-10-13 12:41:49 · 12 answers · asked by Darrell 4 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
Oh, and in Linux you can use WINE to run Windows applications.
2006-10-13 12:48:33 · update #1
rather then on the OS field, which is a moving and somewhat generic definition, let's look @... Internet browsers: ie VS ff
everybody agrees that ff is faster (generically, not for specific sites or ie specific functions (get to that later...)), safer, more stable, easier to expand (plug-ins) AND.... free :)
why is it ff has only about 20% of the market :-? :-/
in corporations, unless working in a company which has an angle against M$, you hardly ever will see ff.
isn't safety an important aspect for Corp.s too? yes it is, but rather then messing around w/ plug-ins, IT dptmts rather spend $$$$ or even $$$$$ to get some "security expert" come & tell them how to spend even more... to get their system secure.
but on the home desktop? there, surely, you should see ff everywhere, right? wrong again. ie comes installed on any M$ os, anyway and most ppl can't be brought to care about... speed, safety, comfort of use :-o
ppl just want to read their e-mails, pay their bills, see some XXX.... and play games.
(didn't the Romans already say that bread, wine and games was all that was needed, to keep the ppl quiet???)
they don't need nor do they want to spend extra time, setting up a safer, faster, better program;
anyway, everybody uses it, it has to be okay, right?
furthermore, if 12 yrs ago, ie hardly knew how to open an HTML page properly (M$ had to buy the code of Mosaic to get started...), nowadays many sites are coded to open best, and partly solely with ie x( 8-X
you pay for what you get >:)
finally, one aspect which doesn't matter so much for browsers, but is crucial for the os: $$$$$$$$$$$
M$ has billions to make ppl buy their stuff, no matter what the stuff's qualities or shortcomings are.
GPL & All never will have that kind'a money.
2006-10-13 22:04:31 · answer #1 · answered by mr. c 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if it will ever supercede Windows. It would take a lot for Microsoft to go away. I think Linux is getting close to having enough momentum to where hardware vendors will start releasing working drivers for all the latest gadgets, and software companies will start doing more (I think mostly games, because you can get software for just about everything else already). Once these things happen, I think Linux will gain a good bit of the market share, and I believe Microsoft will have to start charging reasonable prices for their products to stay in the game.
2006-10-13 12:49:27 · answer #2 · answered by Ken H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not any time soon. As good as Linux is -- and it is damn good in the data center -- it has a long way to go before it will be able to compete with Windows for the average user as a desktop OS.
Linux is easier to install then ever before, and if you have common hardware in your system it's pretty much an automatic installation. However, if you have any bleeding edge hardware you may be in for some serious trouble getting it to work. Video cards and wireless NICs are particularly problematic. So are RAID controllers and SATA controllers.
Also, once your system is up and running there is no easy way to install new drivers for new hardware. Plug & Play works very well during the OS installation, but sucks beyond imagination once the OS is installed.
WINE is aptly named. Some apps run OK. Slowly but functional. But most will cause lots of "whining" trying to do anything. And PC games are a non-starter with WINE.
Windows CAN run live, however. I've got a copy of Boot PE Builder sitting in my CD drive right now and am writing this from a live session booted directly from the CD.
Neither OS running live does a very good job of storing any configuraion changes even for the current live session and neither will store those changes form one session to the next.
In the data center, with a qualified IT staff, Linux is awesome. But as a desktop OS for "Joe Sixpack" it has a LONG way to go to be competitive with Windows.
2006-10-13 12:58:00 · answer #3 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm surprised not to see one mention of Mac OS X here. I think Mac OS X is in a much better position to supersede Windows than any flavor of Linux. Mac OS X has a great UI, yet it doesn't hog system resources like Aero. Mac OS X is already light years ahead of Windows XP or Vista.
2006-10-13 13:20:39 · answer #4 · answered by UbiquitousGeek 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If linux had better Driver support, and would cut the start up. I red on a ZD Net.com articial that Microsoft MIGHT! go to a open source in the future.
2006-10-13 12:47:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Java - obtain the SDK from Oracle, get the Eclipse progression environment, do the Java tutorials on line. you're superb, VB and C# are MSFT issues that we want could leave.
2016-10-19 08:44:27 · answer #6 · answered by goodknight 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. People don't want or need to spend 4 hours screwing arround with a driver, just to get their printer up and running.
Linux is a great toy for the geek, but it will never become popular with Joe "Six-Pack".
2006-10-13 12:51:00 · answer #7 · answered by jibberjabar 5 · 1⤊ 3⤋
if linux makes it so you can run more windows applications it might
2006-10-13 12:44:03 · answer #8 · answered by D@ve 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
ok
SUSE Linux 10.1
http://www.novell.com/products/suselinux/downloads/suse_linux/index.html
2006-10-13 12:45:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
The answer in this ebook is very good
2006-10-14 02:54:50 · answer #10 · answered by Korea Girl 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋