Why Linux? Why not Microsoft?

[James_Smith]

I am new to Linux and I like it (despite some newbie issues, that I've been resolving as I go), but I wonder why you (yes, you) went away from Microsoft products and embraced Linux?

For me, Linux looks cleaner, and doesn't seem as clunky as MS Windows.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Mac

[JeremyB]

I can't stand Win 8 as it looks like something made for a smartphone and not a PC. I still have a few laptops that are dual boot with win 7/Ubuntu 14.04 or Linux Mint 17 or Ubuntu 14.10 and even one with LM 13. There are some downsides as Windows will always have better hardware support just because of the market share

[richyrich]

I've been the IT industry for many years, and finally became very tired of constantly cleaning windows (pun intended!), and tired of the constant maintenance, and tired of the lack of security. I just got tired! Now I feel I constantly have a clean house, with minimal maintenance, and have no need to worry about security !

regards,
richy

[James_Smith]

I can't stand Win 8 as it looks like something made for a smartphone and not a PC. I still have a few laptops that are dual boot with win 7/Ubuntu 14.04 or Linux Mint 17 or Ubuntu 14.10 and even one with LM 13. There are some downsides as Windows will always have better hardware support just because of the market share

+1, Jeremy. I've been thinking about going Linux for awhile now—even before Windows 8 came out. When I installed 8, I thought it was terrible. No start button and I couldn't even figure out how to turn the thing off without pressing and holding the power button. To my mind, as a user, 8.1 was only a marginal improvement. A few months ago, I read an article in a computer magazine in which the author talked about his recent experiences with Windows 10 Beta. He said that Microsoft claims that Windows 10 will be such an improvement that they're skipping right past 9, but, in his estimation, Windows 10 shoud properly be called Windows 8.2, Yes, the Start button makes a return appearance, but other than that, it's a clunky, ugly piece of junk. That's when I started investigating Linux (first Ubuntu and then Mint).

[jimallyn]

I hated Microsoft clear back in the DOS days. Being an engineer, I had some idea about what quality software was, and Microsoft wasn't it. Then I learned about Microsoft's illegal and immoral business practices, and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. I gritted my teeth and used Microsoft stuff for a number of years, until 2002 when I learned about Linux. I tried it and was hooked. You may find it interesting that I know two pastors who use Linux, and one of the reasons is that they don't feel comfortable giving money to a company with business practices like Microsoft's.

[Pierre]

I've been the IT industry for many years, and finally became very tired of constantly cleaning windows (pun intended!), and tired of the constant maintenance, and tired of the lack of security. I just got tired! Now I feel I constantly have a clean house, with minimal maintenance, and have no need to worry about security !

regards,
richy

+1.

Being the Friends & Family Guru Guy:

- it;s the nagware
- it's the crapware
- it's those horrid Toolbars
- it's those Javapop-up ( yes - you get them on Linux O/Ss too )
- it's always having to clean out the system crap.
- it's way too expensive.
and it's a near Monopoly
- try buying a PC that hasn't got the Worlds Most Popular Virus on it

[fraxinus_63]

It's nice that I don't have to pay a licence fee

... but there are more important reasons why I use Linux - security, supreme ease of maintenance once you are used to it, and a feeling of control over one's working life. For example, if I power down a Linux laptop in a cafe, when I am about to run and catch a bus, I can be confident that my screen will not suddenly display an order from the OS telling me that I must NOT switch my computer off for several minutes while it installs updates!

Now into my twelfth year of running Linux every day and still loving it.

[Pjotr]

Linux, because:

- much better security;
- much less maintenance;
- better configureable;
- more choice all around;
- more fun.

Pretty cool stuff, Linux.

[Pilosopong Tasyo]

...but I wonder why you (yes, you) went away from Microsoft products and embraced Linux?

Because I can do things (and more) in Linux what I used to do in Windows. (Not to mention the *perks* that comes with FLOSS.)

[Reorx]

...I wonder why you (yes, you) went away from Microsoft products and embraced Linux?

1) Privacy issues
2) Licensing issues
3) Security issues
4) Crapware (malware, nagware, bloatware).

[Flemur]

but I wonder why you (yes, you) went away from Microsoft products and embraced Linux?

Windows was just a step between Unix and Linux. A step in a mud puddle.

[Paladin2019]

but I wonder why you (yes, you) went away from Microsoft products and embraced Linux?

My ol' reliable gaming PC has always had Vista on it. Need I say more? I'd been putting off an upgrade for years but it got to the point where my version of MS office was so old I couldn't even open job description documents when I applied for a promotion at work. I needed a modern, full-featured OS that would run well on increasingly antiquated hardware and since I had a spare HDD in that machine I felt happy I could try Linux with minimal risk (not to mention minimal expense).

I was hooked immediately. The learning curve was a bit of a shock, but every problem solved was a triumph and I was finally enjoying computer tech for its own sake again. I started with Ubuntu and messed around with a few DE's until I settled on XFCE as my favourite. After some failed experiments and clean reinstalls I finally settled on Mint 17.1 XFCE and couldn't be happier. After years of struggling with Vista The Slug I finally have a fast, secure, user friendly system that I feel in control of and does everything I need.

I'm dual booting with Windows for games, but otherwise I'm a total Linux convert. I'm installing Mint on my gran's PC soon, and my wife wants it on her laptop as well. Spreading the word!

[RacerBG]

1. Free software.
2. Security.
3. Clean system.
4. Very responsive.
5. No viruses.
6. ...

PS: The list can be very long but this are my main points.

[Rich J]

ALL of the above x 2!

In 3 years of exclusive Linux use the only issues I've had have been self-imposed (lack of knowledge/being an idiot etc!). Cinnamon (VERY occasionally) reports it's crashed when coming out of suspend - usually when switching user, for some reason? - but 1 click fires it up again no problem.

Tried a few versions of Ubuntu then settled on Mint 17 Cinnamon. No problems with security, nor with updating. No need for housekeeping. Excellent support from many sources worldwide. And all this on hardware about 10yrs old with 2Gb Ram that would have been in the bin long ago if still running Windows.........

Endless config options/software choice means I can have a system I want and work in the way I want and not be bound by others. All of this should cost a fortune - but doesn't.....

Rock on!! And a huge THANK YOU to everyone who makes this possible

Rich

[iironjade]

I've been the IT industry for many years, and finally became very tired of constantly cleaning windows (pun intended!), and tired of the constant maintenance, and tired of the lack of security. I just got tired! Now I feel I constantly have a clean house, with minimal maintenance, and have no need to worry about security !

regards,
richy

Same here. The never ending anti-malware parade gets old very quickly.

[Destin Faroda]

Reasons for Linux:
- elegant and fast partitioning thanks to gparted (formatting a Windows partition takes hours!)
- easy and fast installation (Windows takes an eternity to install)
- Linux is slim, fast and efficient
- The security concept is excellent
- Linux programmers seem to be more competent than Windows programmers
- Linux' central update policy is excellent
- When Linux detects several pieces of new hardware, it still works
- Linux is free and receives constant updates

[nuagedeboucane]

Main reasons for switching:


1)End of support for W$ XP. I was given some old computers from family members. I have 3 kids, so we're 5 in total at home. We have 1.8 computer for each of us.

2) Financal. So, upgrading each of my compusaurus with that crap of 8.x was out of the question. None of them would have been able to run this ressource hogging disaster. And for financial reason, too. I could not afford to buy 8 licences..... eehh ....8 computers.


With linux, all my old material runs pretty well, and I can continue to live my computing passion without putting me into bankrupcy.

[austin.texas]

My primary reason was the same as nuagedeboucane above. I had 2 kids and their mom - 4 computers to maintain. The licensing for the OS and the associated software was simply out of the question.
The next significant advantange of linux is that you do not normally have to search all over for the programs you need, and download programs that are questionable. Most of what you need is in the repository and tested for your linux version.

[linux-dummie]

Where to begin??
1) = Viruses. I was afflicted with several in one year that made my system totally unusable, even WITH antivirus software--the last one a full paid version which didn't help. Going on 5 years now using Linux, no such problems whatsoever.
2) = Hated calling M$ every time I installed their o.s. just to ask for their permission to "activate" it. I paid my money to them already, and I felt that I didn't need to keep running to them and begging them for the privilege of being allowed to use their software.
3) = Seemed like every new piece of software I installed had dozens of popups wanting me to buy their products.
4) = System slow-downs got worse and worse over time.
4) = On and on and on and on . . .

In fairness, I must admit that XP itself was a stable and high-quality o.s. that worked for me very well. However, my Windos experience was ruined by the parent company's utterly stupid policies.

[tdockery97]

The top reason for me is the Windows updates. A little over 100 megabytes of updates would take an hour or more downloading, installing, rebooting, etc. Linux mint can download and install 400 MB of updates in 5 minutes with a good internet connection.