There are some simple and some complex reasons why I think it makes sense to stay away from Microsoft products not only for an individual with basic computer needs but also for business people who want to be practical with the technology budget.
The first 3 reasons are 1) security 2)security 3)security. Microsoft OS's are vulnerable to security breaches and MS Office has them too I think.
The next one is 4)cost saving. Windows is expensive and so is MS Office. Also, the software is so massively memory hungry that hardware upgrades are often required. Linux is free and much, much leaner so older computers with smaller hard drives and less RAM are fine.
Finally, reason 5) is more philosophical. Linux is a community resource that grew up on the internet by contributions from users. It's shareware. The source code is open. So when one needs technical assistance, it can be found free on the net. But when someone needs a techie guy for hands on help, the money goes to a local independent technician rather than to a Microsoft pro and shareholders. The nature of open source is for the technology to remain in the community and on the net rather than waiting for the next big corporate sales event. There will never be a next big Linux sales event because it's always in the public domain and there's no advertising. Yet Linux is bleeding edge technology that holds its own or beats the Windows software for virtually every application because so many developers worldwide are working on Linux without corporate control. Try OpenOffice for example.
It's not actually my aim here to just bash Microsoft. Besides it doesn't matter anyway. Microsoft has a strangle hold on the OS market and I think on office software as well. But what this blog might do is to provide just a little more exposure for the open source community.
Microsoft is the empire and Linux is the resistance. It can't win the war and never will. Even Mac, isn't making any serious inroads into the Microsoft marketshare. Ironically, I no longer want Linux to be mainstream. I like being in a local club.
I know that the latest versions of Windows are better...aren't they....Microsoft says they're great....but haven't they always said that?
Uh maybe I'll get a Mac when I get my inheritance.
I'll leave you with one more little warm and fuzzy note.
Virtually all new computers in the world come with Windows installed as a native operating system. So Microsoft sells a version everytime a computer is sold unless it's a Mac, pretty much. So there's a Windows "tax" built into every computer. One has to pay for this even if one will never use it. This $200 or whatever it is makes computers too expensive for most third world people.....Even a cheap computer with a $200 OS is out of reach for most. But there's a better way! Because Linux is free by nature of its GNU license, it can make computers affordable for poor people worldwide. It's free on the net. This makes it possible for someone earning $200 a month in Africa to own a new $99 computer because he doesn't have to buy Windows. Any old computer will do....just add Linux and boom you're on the net and you're in business! A whole village in Africa can share one computer and each person can have his own private user account. And it's legitimate...no software piracy temptations.
One laptop for every child or destitute senior or small business person is a reality.
Migrating to a new computer environment is not easy and most never do it. But it's pretty nice in here.
Julian.
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