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Linux and Windows	by: Professor Todd
I am glad to see that others are coming forward with relatively unbiased comments about the pros and cons of both systems. Like many tech-heads, I have been interested in computers since the early 80's, when prices for home computers dropped enough to allow an average tech-head to buy one. Over the last 25 years I have made my living either working on computer equipment, programming computer equipment, or teaching computer equipment. I cut my computer teeth on the cp/m command line, and later, MSDOS. But it is not the command line that brings me to Linux, nor is it disgust for Microsoft. Philosophically, it is with the certain knowledge that competition brings about the best from the competitors, and in this case, makes the end users the winners. On a personal level, it is my curiosity and respect for the efforts of fellow tech-heads that brings me into the world of Linux. First, let me say that I do not agree with those on either side of the OS fence that bash the other out of hand. I have read plenty of commentary from immature users in both camps. I do not think that it is a matter of one OS being better than the other; they are different. Making a comparison is somewhat like comparing an airplane with a boat. They are both vehicles, but they operated in different environments in the beginning, and both bring a large amount of that heritage to the end user. But let us get back to the pros and cons from the perspective of a new Linux user. I have played with Knoppix a bit, I have installed 3 versions of Red Hat, and most recently, I have settled on SuSE 9.2 Pro as the model I want to test-drive to the limits. It is from that platform, on a new ShuttleX, AMD-based computer that I type this comment. My choice was simple, SuSE loaded itself with very little input from me, and it recognized all my hardware without a hiccup, the pro version is a free download from SuSE, and like most distros, it comes with all the candy. I admit the choice is somewhat arbitrary because I am sure the same can be said for other distros. That brings up my first con - for someone new to Linux, trying to choose which flavor of Linux will be the most suitable for general usage is a daunting task. It is not the lack of information, but the tidal wave of it that makes it harder to sort through in order to make a choice. Like it or not, it is a Windows world, so with the exception of those coming straight from the I-hate-Microsoft group, the rest of us are used to the world of point and click to get routine tasks with the OS done. So after exploring the KDE user interface and seeing that I have a good word processor and spreadsheet, and that I can create and move folders around, I am ready for the next step, loading some software development programs. Borland makes a great IDE for Java that runs on both Windows and Linux, and best of all, it is free. However, I have been unsucessful at getting it installed. I have managed to get it unpacked from the original package, but I cannot seem to find the correct combination of commands to actuate the install. No doubt a command line wizard could do it in two shakes, but I find YaST disappointing in its lack of intuitiveness. I have run into a similar problem with getting my Linux machine to network with my Windows machine. I can ping it, but YaST seems to be blind to the workgroup itself. No doubt I am not doing a key step somewhere along the way. If I could point out one single need for beginners, it would be the need for a short text on how to do the simple major tasks using the GUI that we take for granted in the Windows world - such things as installing new software packages and how to do simple home networking, all without being buried under pages of text about the command line operations. To be honest, I left the command line behind when I left DOS behind, and I really have no great interest in returning to it. I like the graphical user interface. I like the simplicity of pointing and clicking. Linux has come a long ways in that department, but it still has too many pieces for the non-techy to deal with when it comes to doing tasks beyond word processing and the other related office tasks. Linux has a lot going for it, and my long term plan is to contribute to its growth by encouraging people to try Linux, and perhaps, once I understand how most of the pieces fit together, offer a few pieces of my own that hide some of the complexity that newbies have to face today. In the meantime, my sincere thanks to those hearty souls who are braving that complexity and making the Linux world better for all of us.

Re: Linux and Windows	by: Bob Robertson
I agree, Linux and Windows are different worlds. But I disagree with your characterization. Linux has been a viable platform since at least 1995 when I started using it. You're confusing "Linux" with the applications you're running. Do you consider WordPerfect to be "Windows"? WinZip? Then why is KDE "Linux"? Why isn't GNOME "Linux"? The GUIs written for Linux are entirely independent projects. I note that KDE runs just fine on BSD, as does OpenOffice. Have you considered trying the BSD environment? I'm surprised you are asking for text instructions for doing standard operations. There are hundreds of them, called "HOWTOs", take a look on this very site under "Documentation". I don't know about SuSE, but Debian includes a complete set of the HOWTOs within their standard distribution. So you left the command line behind with DOS. Ok, then maybe sticking with the Mac or Windows style environment is what you should be doing, since their GUIs are intimately wedded to their kernels and written by the same people, thus your experience in Windows feels more "integrated". I note that lots of the HOWTOs specify command line functions, so maybe you did know about them but consider them not what you were looking for. It's good to know that you will be contributing your skills and efforts toward making applications more of what you want them to be. That is what Free and Open Source software is all about. There are also vast communities of interested individuals who will gladly give advice, such as which steps you're missing in the installation of that Java environment. Just ask. Or perhaps there is a HOWTO? Bob-

My Own Experience	by: Joshu
I was forced to migrate to Linux when my computer stopped working with Windows. For a long time I had a problem with it randomly rebooting. When I upgraded my computer to try to solve the problem, windows stopped working alltogether. I had been migrating to Linux already, but that was the major push I needed. I have never had any problems like that with Linux. Personally, I belive that Linux is a better OS overall than Windows. It has been much more stable, and I haven't had to fight with the OS in order to get something done (IE: Write a report without worrying about the system crashing.) The lack of support from a very large number of companies is one of the biggest downside for Linux. Many companies that make versions of their software for Linux don't have support services if you have problems. However, as more users migrate to Linux, companies will more than likely begin to support the OS alot better. As for now, there are MANY Open Source alternatives. Many of which work just as well (or better) than their commercial counterparts. (Firefox/Mozilla is a good example, There has been an enourmous increase in users of Firefox over Internet Explorer.) I am very happy with my switch to Linux. It doesn't come free of bugs, and I have alot to work out with the system. However, It is working better for me now than windows has ever worked. I've tried a few distributions. First I tried Ark Linux, however it was still in Alpha testing. It still worked very well, but it wasn't complete and I needed something better. Redhat is the one that I currently use for my Internet (I have yet to successfully compile a Linmodem Driver so I used an avaliable RPM). Gentoo Linux seems like a good distribution with a very good idea, but not very fitting for Newbes like myself. Mandrake Linux (now Mandriva) is what I want to get running. I'd use Redhat as my failsafe system, but once I get Mandrake online and working I'll use it as my primary OS. I suggest to any Newbes reading this to try out Mandrake (for the love of god get a Full Modem and not a Winmodem). If you need an OS for a coorperation Redhat has everything you would need. It has been alot of work on my part, but having a Linux machine is one of the best things that has happened to me dealing with Computers. Now I just have to learn how to better use this freakin thing... but I have lots of time this summer, and lots of reading to do...