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Why Has a Free Operating System not Eliminated Windows? Part III

June 28, 2010

Linux is still behind Windows in number of PCs infected installed in the public space. First, in Part I, we generalized the debate, and then went on to find more lurking under the surface. In Part II, we learned that the belief that Windows costs more to use as a server platform is actually a myth; it will likely cost more to run Linux in that capacity. But, we decided that we would leave at as tie and meet half-way. This is why there is even a Part III; if this was simple, cut and dry, we wouldn’t need more than a few sentences. Here we go on to look at more reasons Linux is a bit rare compared to Windows.

Getting straight to the point here, Windows is easier to use than Linux. That one is plain and simple. Most people who use computers grew up with Windows as it was ubiquitous in schools and universities. Odd though it is to hear, most of the people using computers today have never had to use DOS. They know the Start menu. We use the Taskbar and know how to get to Windows Explorer. Launching an application is second nature – so much so that you start to see mirrors of this process everywhere. Even if you have had little experience on a computer in your life, Windows is much more intuitive and can be learned quickly by anyone. It is just an easier operating system (OS).

Linux has come a long way in this department; this cannot be ignored. Some Linux flavors, like Ubuntu, even look astonishingly like Windows. However, simply sit someone who has never worked on a computer in front of a Linux system and they might take weeks to learn it. In addition, much of the more important features of Linux are done in a command-line interface, and there are many tools to learn by their input name and modifiers which need to be applied to them. Who out there knows how to compile a kernel? If you do, congratulations, you have likely worked in Linux. If not, you probably never will – or, at least not that you will know, as your most likely chance of encountering Linux is not on a computer, but on an embedded platform (cable box menu, DVR menu, etc.).

Compatibility is the name of this argument. How many applications do you see advertised with a Linux compatibility logo? How often to you hear that a printer is certified to work on Linux? The answer to those questions will undoubtedly be ‘never’. This is a big problem for the Linux OS in the real world. Also, one of the biggest software markets out there would have to be the game industry. Have you yet seen a Linux-compatible release advertised in your local sales ads? That is actually the most often heard complaint about why more people do not adopt Linux on their own PC. The software available to install in Windows far exceeds anything available for Linux. That’s not to mention that the software which has been designed for Windows is generally much higher in quality and reliability.

Another example which comes up many times is the office software suite. With Linux, you can use something known as OpenOffice (you can even use it in Windows) to handle many of the same tasks you for which you would normally use Microsoft Office. OpenOffice is very useful and is the most popular of its kind in the Linux world, but it is comparatively less feature rich when put up against MS Office. For writing, have fun inserting a picture into a document with OpenOffice; it is tough to get it straight and in the correct position. And, drawing tables, editing documents, and reviewing large documents are all much faster and better-executed in MS Office, but OpenOffice struggles here. The other aspects of OpenOffice are even more limited. Microsoft has worked very hard for many years to get their office suite of software to be the best in the industry, and it does show. Of course, they also expect you to pay for it, but it is worth the expense in so many ways.

Linux does have what are called Windows emulators which can run Windows software. However, it is a virtual system inside of Linux and you cannot do much within the emulator other than run the Windows applications. That is not very convenient and can be extremely frustrating at times.

Simply looking at some basic differences between the two different computer operating systems is enough to make anyone think twice about adopting a Linux computer for their own use. If you do, you will be very limited in the software you can use, and thus what can be done with the system. True, Linux is much more customizable, but at the expense of ease of use. That will not appeal to many people, so it will remain the realm of the people who relentlessly study the Linux OS. This is not the end yet; we still have other areas to look into in the search to discover why Linux is not as popular as Windows on the computers of the world.

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Tags: linux, ms office, openoffice, software, software suite, ubuntu, windows, windows 7