What is special about Linux that makes you guys blindly interested in it? Personally, I can see many advantages over Windows XP: 1) Its GUIs (GNOME, KDE, ...) are very very slow 2) Flickering too much 3) Many many many useless free programs 4) No professional software (like Lightwave, Adobe, Macromedia, 3DS, ...) 5) No drivers 6) No Games 7) No support 8) Not fast Disadvantages: 1) Very themeable (Millions tons of themes) 2) You can use UNIX script/command shell 3) Gives u the feeling of old DOS days or the professional UNIX 4) Good place to escape from Microsoft technology and live in the punched cards era. Summary: It's not a multimedia system. It's good for free learning (school kids)

one thing i can't stand about windows every time i get suckered into booting it is when you get an IM from someone (in messenger or gaim) the start bar just doesn't stop flashing. it's very annoying if you're trying to do something and then that flashing thing is making you look at it. i know when someone has said something to me and i'll respond when i choose. yeah, it's really annoying. it's supposed to only flash once but it never does.. so that's the reason why i choose linux.

also i shouldn't have to mention the whole free aspect.. sure it may be less user friendly, but who cares.. user is the word poeple who know about computeres use for poeple who know nothing about computers (or something).

the only bad thing is lack of games (although there are some games like ut2k3/4, doom3 and wineX was pretty ok last time i tried it, even got to play morrowind). i've never had problems with the other "advantages" you list, or just managed to avoid them.

I persoanlly am not blindly interesting in linux.

I have two boxes on my desk, each with its own set of peripherals, ones is a xp pro box, the other is a fedoracore2 box.

I use the fc2 box mostly for work for my graphics and systems classes, and soemtimes to surf the net when the xp box is busy doing other things.

I use my xp box to do any work I need in C#, game playing, most of my internet and email activities occur there.

Ive never had a lack of drivers problem for my *nix boxes, in fact I just put new nvidia drivers in the other day. Downloaded from the nvidia site, came with some nice little instructions. Had the new drivers popped in and the proper files altered in < 5min.

Now im no linux guru or fanatic, but it doesnt take long for me to figure out how to do soemthing on it - and if i dont know how, google does.

Never experienced this "flickering" you speak of.

No games == higher productivity for me (though i just end up playing the silly games that come with it)

No support? How often do you call microsoft for help with your xp install? Sheesh. You use google, just like everybody else. Same for *nix.

Not fast? my (nix box is only a 900, compared to my xp's amd xp2400+ but it boots just as fast and does what it needs to just as fast imho.

1) Its GUIs (GNOME, KDE, ...) are very very slow
2) Flickering too much
3) Many many many useless free programs
4) No professional software (like Lightwave, Adobe, Macromedia, 3DS, ...)
5) No drivers
6) No Games
7) No support
8) Not fast

Wrong wrong wrong.

Gnome and kde are slow, but when windows xp was released, they were no slower than the windows gui is (probably faster), and I'm fairly sure that when longhorn gets released it'll be slower

Many many many useless free programs (though they are no doubt useful to other people), but many many many useful free programs too

I have a CD with over 500 free linux games, and there are some commerical games available, but it's a chicken and egg problem

No drivers/no support/not fast - don't even justify a response

1.) Nope, try KDE 3.3, it is not slow anymore.
2.) Do you mean refresh rate flickering? That would be a missconfiguration and not Linux's fault.
3.) You could say the same for Windows aswell.
4.) Wrong. Maya and Lightwave are available. And indeed Shrek was made on RedHat Linux boxes.
5.) Wrong. I have drivers for every hardware in my new box, including very fast OpenGL support. (GeForce 6800, Audigy 2, etc.)
6.) I'm a developer, right? Btw. D3 and UT 2004 are available on Linux and many others aswell.
7.) I don't need support.
8.) Wrong. It's even faster on MS own file transfer protocol as a server.

I use Windows as my primary system, but your arguments are all FUD.

OK, this is the "Everything UN*X" board, but still... I don't see too much value in the OP,neither do I see any reason for any of the points "made". If this had been the usual flaming "ATI Linux drivers are teh sukc" thread, I'd be cool with it. But this is nothing but a Rating-1.

Quote: Original post by WISMAK
What is special about Linux that makes you guys blindly interested in it?

To me personally: nothing. I've worked with many OSs and found no perfect one. Still I can list a few thigs things that I like about Linux (though it's nothing special, same applies to *BSD and to some extend to BeOS; I just plain don't like Solaris as a desktop OS[wink]):
- it's fee
- it's very scalable (from smartphone to mainframe)
- I can (easily, but that's subjetive) adjust the whole OS to meet my needs (not only the desktop environment)
- there are 'Live' media available to test and toy around with
- it is now easy to install and most distributions offer a very complete range of drivers nowadays
- it's very versatile (from inet box to file server)
- it's free
- I'm not forced to use a specific desktop environment (neither does windows, lots of replacement shells available)
- it has great remote access facilities for free

Quote:
Summary:

It's not a multimedia system.

True to some extend. Keep in mind that Linux was not meant to be one in the first place. BeOS was but it's mostly dead now.
Also remember that a lot of effort has been put into overcoming this lack and in the near future we will see more professional and high quality free mm software arrive.

Quote:
It's good for free learning (school kids)

Yes it is. It is also a professional working environment - and not only for programmers.

Just some random thoughts,
Pat.

I like using *nix systems. It helps me to escape this ms world. I use win xp only for playing games. The more I work with linux the more I like it. Unix has been around for about 40 years now. The same cannot be said about win. To my knowledge, even ms proclaimed that they're using unix servers...

Now I can see the flame.

Defend Linux, the GNU thing.

Actually I have both Windows XP and Linux Fedora 1 installed on my P2 400 MHZ machine. It sucks, yeh?

I use Linux primarily for learning UNIX like systems; for example to be prepared for switching to Mac OS X.
Can you find an equivalent to DirectX? Do not tell me SDL, or any others, they all wrap X Windows, and poor sound drivers.

I love linux, but it's not suitable for Desktop. It's a server or even a workstation base. It's kernel can be used to tailor someone's need. It can be used for net hacking freaks. But will never catch up with MS technology.
What's about COM and ActiveX?
By the way, font rendering is horrible.

Your turn.

Quote: What is special about Linux that makes you guys blindly interested in it?
Personally, I can see many advantages over Windows XP:

Since when were GNOME and KDE available for Windows? ... and Windows has lots of professional software, lots of driver support (although they tend to not work), lots of games. You're right about it not being fast, though.

Oh, perhaps you meant, "I can see many disadvantages to Linux," to which I reply, I can see by reading your posts how you might reach those conclusions.

Summary: Use English.