LINUX good or bad ??

[Darcar]

I changed to Apple about 5 years ago, it’s simple to use, and all my devices are automatically sinc’ed ! I’m not very computer literate, but fine Apple does what I need.
If I take pictures with my iPhone then they are on my laptop before I get home! I use a iPad in the van it does everything my laptop does.

They are far too expensive though.
Darren

 

[wildebus]

TBH, If I was interested enough to invest the time and energy into Linux, then I am sure it would be good. But I know Windows (I used it from Windows 2.0 sometime in the late 80's) and generally know how to sort things. Whereas my Unix knowlege stopped around 1993 (I think?) when Windows for Workgroups (WfW) 3.11 arrived, which had enough features to make it worth abandoning AT&T Unix System V (which I think the Apple OS is based on?), and was also an MS MCP on Win NT3.1. But that was over 25 years ago!
My last PC was a self build Media Centre based around Windows MCE Edition with 4 TV Cards and was pretty advanced when I built in in 2008 (and still using it now but just as a standard PC) but nowadays I really just want to USE a computer rather then fiddle around with them and tweak and tune them. Hence again my dislike of constant upgrades and 'improvements' - they kind of remind me of the ceaseless Java Updates and Adobe Reader updates that used to plague us - who needs a PDF reader to get updated every week?!?

 

[Admin]

My opinion:

I use Linux every day, I have three web servers that all run Ubuntu which is a version of Linux. There is no other operating system that I would run on the servers as it is super duper.

My main computer is a MacBook Pro which runs OSX. OSX is at heart another Linux (BSD, Debian) type of operating system. Which is great for me as I can use the same command line interface on my Mac as I do to talk to my servers.

But Linux as a desktop operating system on a PC...

I do have a fair amount of experience running Ubuntu desktop on lots of PC's. The user experience is good and for general generic use (web browsing, email, music, video) is ok, even good. But it does not have the level of developer support that the PC does.

I suppose it is because as a software company you are going to produce your software for the widest audience first:

These figures are from July 2018 and indicate market share

• Windows = 82.88%
• Mac OSX = 12.52%
• Linux = 1.71%

So software houses are not very quick to release software for Linux.

Now the positive for Linux!

Because mainstream software is not as easy to find there are lots of computer gurus feverishly typing away producing open source software for Linux.

In conclusion

Even with my working knowledge of Linux, I would not run it as a desktop operating system. The software that I use every day is not available, so I would not be able to use my time effectively.

 

[trevskoda]

I disagree phil,as for home use ie web email face book ebay picture storage etc i find lite or mint top dollar,most folk dont want to do what you use a pc for and are only wanting to do the above,linux is free easy to use and no spyware never mind being fast using little power or space on most home units.
As for usage figures ,linux/android is 80% win 15% ND MAC 5% total market according to any mags i read.

 

[Admin]

I disagree phil,as for home use ie web email face book ebay picture storage etc i find lite or mint top dollar,most folk dont want to do what you use a pc for and are only wanting to do the above,linux is free easy to use and no spyware never mind being fast using little power or space on most home units.
As for usage figures ,linux/android is 80% win 15% ND MAC 5% total market according to any mags i read.

I think you misunderstood my post, I said for general use it was good. I said it was not a good choice for me as a desktop OS.

The figures you have there cannot be for desktop PC they maybe for mobile devices or all devices, where Android has a 78% share. Android has a modified version of the Linux Kernel the same as IOS on Apple devices do but neither of them is Linux.

As I said in my post I use Linux everyday and think it is great.

 

[trevskoda]

Sorry phil to early in morning for me,truth is you know much much more than i do though im very happy with linux and from i changed over many years back from xp which gave me endless probs i have never looked back,i have changed a few folk on your forums to linux and one sent me a message saying how good and refreshing it was,think it was mint with cinnamon desk top.
As i said once it would be good on one of the forums to run a linux blog so as to help those wishing to switch to free software,maybe something to think about in future as a lot of folk dont seem to get on with win esp 10.

 

[Millie Master]

As i said once it would be good on one of the forums to run a linux blog so as to help those wishing to switch to free software,maybe something to think about in future as a lot of folk dont seem to get on with win esp 10.

I'll second that...............

Phil

 

[wildebus]

Thing with Stats, they can be easily maniplulated (like the old line ... there are Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics)

This seems to show a fairly realistic view of the numbers and viewable in different ways
(I think all the numbers are for 'end user' products, be they PCs, Tablets, Phones or whatever. I would think the great majority of Servers run on Linux and there are still masses of Embedded Computers that run on Windows CE)

Operating System Market Share Worldwide

Android 37.86%

Windows 36.08%

iOS 13.47%

OS X 5.82%

Unknown 4.21%

Linux 0.82%


Desktop Operating System Market Share Worldwide
('Desktop' includes Laptops)

Windows 76.17%

OS X 12.33%

Unknown 8.46%

Linux 1.69%

Chrome OS 1.35%

FreeBSD 0%


Tablet Operating System Market Share Worldwide

iOS 72.32%

Android 27.34%

Windows 0.19%

Linux 0.08%

Unknown 0.03%

BlackBerry OS 0.03%


Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide

Android 75.16%

iOS 21.98%

KaiOS 1.13%

Unknown 0.46%

Windows 0.33%

Samsung 0.29%

 

[trevskoda]

All above correct and true with stats,one thing springs to mind is that there are folk who are able to work with pc and then there are the ones who just shop buy and except whatever not knowing whats under the skin or caring either,no prob with that exept some times we all need to know when we are being taken for a ride,bit like buying a van blind,most here and on are other forums folk ask and get help do do so which helps to cut out pitfalls,same could work for buying a pc or rebooting to linux.
This has been a good days reading so far apart from my mouth hurting now after dentist stole some of my ivory this morning.

 

[wildebus]

There is this belief also that Windows is full of constant updates (not far off the truth) and Apple Macs just work like a dream.

Well this evening the OHs did the prompted OS update on her Mac Laptop (it has been nagging for ages on the update). Did the update and guess what... yup, crapped out! Prompted for password and when she typed it in it just prompted again (password was right as it tells you if wrong).

I had to look up options to sort and had to do an "internet recovery" and go through the "wrong password" routine even though it was right to get it pass the login loop.
So Apples are foolproof? pah!

 

[trevskoda]

I changed to Apple about 5 years ago, it’s simple to use, and all my devices are automatically sinc’ed ! I’m not very computer literate, but fine Apple does what I need.
If I take pictures with my iPhone then they are on my laptop before I get home! I use a iPad in the van it does everything my laptop does.

They are far too expensive though.
Darren

My lite with firefox does the same,ph tab all sinc,best bit its free and can be installed on most home pc units though more and more linux distros are dropping 32 bit,but not all,peppermint springs to mind.

 

[wildebus]

Things like the auto sync are handy but nowadays that is a super-simple thing to do on any platform.
Any photo I take is sync'ed to Google via my Google Account and also to my Flickr account AND to my Amazon account.

The best solution with computers is to be Platform/Service Agnostic. In other words, don't rely on a service that relies on you sticking to a specific provider - such as iCloud with Apple kit, or an email account from an ISP (e.g. ...@btinternet.com)

 

[trevskoda]

Things like the auto sync are handy but nowadays that is a super-simple thing to do on any platform.
Any photo I take is sync'ed to Google via my Google Account and also to my Flickr account AND to my Amazon account.

The best solution with computers is to be Platform/Service Agnostic. In other words, don't rely on a service that relies on you sticking to a specific provider - such as iCloud with Apple kit, or an email account from an ISP (e.g. ...@btinternet.com)

I would never let google the spy master near any pc i have or mobile,what right have they to harvest my priv biz or look in folders or track me,one reason i switched to linux so i am in control with no tracking.

 

[wildebus]

I would never let google the spy master near any pc i have or mobile,what right have they to harvest my priv biz or look in folders or track me,one reason i switched to linux so i am in control with no tracking.

That's fine. Just leave Google out the picture (I am not that overly paranoid about this myself)

 

[trevskoda]

I use firefox, duck duck go ,arora or opera for web engine all very good and fast,onmy mobile the duck is very fast.