Curious as to what keeps people running Windows instead of switching to a different OS. #2 in the poll should read "driver" not drive. Could a moderator edit this to fix it?
Most reason 4 me now is that there is not an Incredimail version for Linux, or, in Ubuntu, a similar client email ( Thunderbird is not so customizable !! ). The OS is not an ideological question for me.
Printers, scanners, most applications are easy to install on Windows systems. It is true Ubuntu has basically all it needs, but IMO the real reason for choosing Windows is by and large due to the fact that computers are sold with Windows already installed. I've always wondered why the European Union made such fuss about Windows supplying its own player and browser, but they say nothing about computers being sold with Windows installed (there should be a choice for Operating Systems as well).
I've never tried Ubuntu, and it's not because I have a predetermined view about Windows contra Ubuntu. The only explanation I can give is, that I have had and used windows for so many years, on work and as private, that I feel that I know every corner og my OS. And it makes me confident, when and if problems arise. And to be honest, I do not feel that I currently have the energy to put my mind into Ubuntu . I also have many astrological programs/and foto software, that I often use, which I'm not sure if it is compatible with Ubuntu....(but there are probably also a solution to that problem) Best Regards
I've wondered this myself. It irritates me that I have to pay money to Windows just to buy a computer--even when I'm not going to use the Windows OS.
Are there any real benefits to using a unix based OS for most home users? If one were to invest X number of hours understanding a linux distro, could one invest those same hours understanding a windows version and get some basic understanding which could greatly alleviate the "unsecure" nature of windows? Sul.
I am definitely going to look into Linux (probably Ubuntu) more sometime this year when I have more time.
Probably the main reason for running windows for me is the latest games can only be played when you have windows installed
Ubuntu has too many bugs. I have tried it many times, but I am no willing to spend houres just to get all problems fixed. Windows just works out of box, it is worth the price.
I personally like PCLinuxOS or Mint better than Ubuntu. It is amazing that Ubuntu has almost become synonymous with Linux.
That is one of the problems of Linux, that there is not single one, but "millions" of them. That results in less users per a distro, less support, less compatibility, more problems. EDIT: I am looking forward to Google OS based on Linux core, it is said, that Windows aplications will work just fine as well as games, we will see.
That is exactly why I like Linux. If distro A does not work then distro B might. Also a lot of distros have a narrow focus for what they are doing. With Windows if something doesn't work there isn't a whole lot you can do.
I've tried many different Linux distros but don't see a reason to switch (i.e., the positives of switching to Linux are far less than the negatives of continuing to use Windows).
I was thinking the same thing. This Windows vs. Ubuntu poll thread quickly turned into a Linux discussion. So, OK... I've been working with Linux since the 90's - as a hobby and in the enterprise. I had high hopes for both Knoppix and Ubuntu. The former has ended up in the dust bowl of history. The latter is now swimming in an ocean of distros (4000+ and counting) with a multitude of releases depending on which consonant replaces the U. Talk about burn-out. As of a couple of years ago, Ubuntu still couldn't use a USB scanner and listed a bunch of supported ancient serial port (serial ports!) models. If that's changed in the meantime, well, you know, I just don't give a rat's derriere anymore.
I don't know how to vote in this poll? I dual-boot, so it's as if I'm living two lives with two wives! I prefer Windows only for streaming media to my Xbox, running SportTracks, SlingPlayer, FeedDemon, Windows Live Writer, BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and Yawcam. If I took the time to set these up in Ubuntu (using Wine or something?) and/or found alternatives, I'd never boot back into Window 7 again! Accept maybe to use Photoshop; unless I got used to Gimp. I'm pretty sure I can do all the aforementioned on Ubuntu, but I'll just select "programs I need only run on Windows" and vote.
SplinterCell, I would say it depends on which OS you "default to." Which OS do you have as the default boot in Grub? If it's Windows, then answer the poll based on why you don't have Ubuntu as the default boot.
I love linux. Used a mandrake version about 8-9 years ago and was really impressed. just wish the apps i use for business were in a linux flavor!
+1 Yes. Using Ubuntu as an example: You don't need to opt-out of running as root/admin. It'll encrypt your Home directory with a single click (and keystrokes for your password) during install. Many other security benefits. Smarter file systems. You can easily get away with never defragging. Doesn't even ship with one. Smarter program additions, removals, updates - at least in my book. 99% of the software, including the OS, is free. And open-source, but that could also be a negative to some. Helpful, knowledgeable community. Ugly, but consistent (and not garish) GUI. No holdover icons from the 90's. Etc. More modern, more advanced approaches to more things. Smarter. My opinion anyway. Other benefits. Don't get me wrong, there are negatives, but also very real benefits to a lot of home users. I agree. Its "fragmentation" has done it more harm than good, certainly in home market. Windows programs and games won't work on Chrome, not as a rule, not from what I understand. Some maybe. It's a very smart little new netbook OS that "sacrifices" backwards compatibility, etc to focus on simplicity, security and dependability. That said, it's from Google. Pass.
The design and performance of Linux as an OS (as expressed in Ubuntu) is impressive. IMHO, it is far superior than any version of Windows thus far. What Windows has over Ubuntu is better driver support (because companies design drivers around Windows from the start), wide choice of programs and near perfect compatibility (because companies design the programs for Windows from the start), and entrenched product placement accomplished from shrewd (perhaps even illegal) business strategy. I think if Ubuntu had the above support from companies and came preinstalled on computers with more frequency, people's preferred OS would be more determined by "I just like this OS better than that one," than anything else. After having used Ubuntu, I often find myself wishing Windows shared attributes found in Ubuntu. (My work environment only runs Windows).
I'm not running Windows at all; as a matter of fact I'm running "Linux Mint", a flavor variant of Ubuntu. The only contact I have with Windows is through my VM, that is it. Thanks.
I'm not a fan of M$, but I must agree. The couple hundred $ for an XP Pro license is negligible compared to the thousands of $ I have invested in software that run only on Windows. Therefore, I voted "programs I need only run on Windows". (We all like to beat up on Redmond, and I / we may hate to admit it, but XP really is a decent, relatively stable, and universally accepted OS.)
