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Why Linux is better

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zridling:
Here's one argument, and an honest one to boot (see the bottom of the page for reasons to stick with and/or dual-boot Windows).

Eóin:
Ok I actually like Linux as an OS so this is not some pro-Microsoft propaganda but that is not an honest site. Yes sure they throw in some token arguments for the other side at the end but their pro-Linux points either simply ignore equivalent software and functionality for windows or completely out and out lie.

Gothi[c]:
Funny, it's ironic how that site reminds me of how Microsoft markets its software.

Of course, OS arguments are silly, everyone just uses what they like best and that's the end of that discussion. It's good to have diversity and choice.

I use GNU/Linux mainly, 99% of the time, FreeBSD on the server, but I do have windows on a separate partition for making windows builds of my software, and play a game here and there.

I like the diversity. Of course it would be great to have more hardware support for Linux, and more of the mainstream games ported (and both go hand in hand with having a larger user base); but at the same time I don't want to have the Windows `culture` and user-base 'ported' along with it.

The reason why me and many other people use *nix is because of the choices and power it offers, along with a certain way of thinking. If tomorrow all windows users would be GNU/Linux users, that way of thinking would cease to drive GNU/Linux development, and it would quickly be replaced by monetary interest (which is already the case to a certain degree).

Eóin:
Hi Gothi[c] I quite like you're last point, the opensource attitude really encourages others to join in. Back when I was a young vb hobbyist programmer I was endlessly frustrated by how many modules required you to pay for them. I look back now after having since learned the Win32 API and am almost disgusted by how trivial many of the modules were that someone would actually try to charge you.

These days it feels like there is much less of that, all the time you see people releasing very complex libraries under very liberal (think BSD or MIT style) licences. I just hope that as Linux grows this culture among its developers doesn't get diluted to the extent that it starts to die out.

zridling:
Eóin, I'm curious, which parts of the page were dishonest? I'm sure Windows users won't agree with every point (like 'check the weather'). But it reads a lot like the Apple ads against Microsoft (er, 'the pc') — typical anti-Microsoft cliches, but for the most part, they aren't straw men.

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