[NTLUG:Discuss] What makes Linux great?

[Kipton Moravec]

At 10:06 PM 12/20/03, you wrote:
Neil Aggarwal wrote:

But I don't think it's a technical matter.  I really don't
care how much better or worse Windows is.   Given that's
the case, why on earth should I help him understand what
MS needs to do to take OUR market share.

Think about this.  If we give him detailed technical
reasons why Linux users don't use Windows - and if MS
then goes and implements those things - then less people
will use Linux and more will use Microsoft.

Does ANYONE here truly want that to happen?

If not - then why help him?
-------------------------------------------

There are a bunch of reasons Technical and otherwise.

For me the reasons are:

MS Products are prone to virus attacks.
MS Products crash the computer too much.
You have to reboot the computer too often, especially when loading SW or 
changing a system parameter.
MS Products are bloated and slow.
MS Operating system is a difficult platform to write software on.  The 
tools to help code, make the code more bloated and slower.
MS Products are too expensive. ($50 for the OS and $100 for the Office 
Suite is reasonable.)
MS OS Upgrades are confusing and sometimes short lived.  Windows 98, 
Windows ME. Windows 2000, NT 4, NT 2000, XP, XP Professional.
MS Upgrades require faster computers with more memory than the previous 
versions to operate at the same speed.
MS Applications like Word document files are not compatible with previous 
versions.
MS does not follow standards. They add to standards so they are not 
compatible. (i.e. Java, Front Page Extensions, etc.)

That is a start.

I truly believe MS can not fix these problems.  They have an environment 
that prevents it from happening.  They know these are problems. They have 
either chosen not to fix them or can not fix them.

There is nothing we can tell them that they do not already know.

Kip