Linux - how few know of it

[miriam_e]

When I meet people and discussion falls to computers, as it often does, I've often been surprised at how few people know of Linux. They generally think that putting up with Microsoft Windows is their only option. When told that Linux is a free operating system that can either replace, or co-exist with Microsoft Windows they tend to be either surprised or skeptical. This astounds me. How did Microsoft manage to so impoverish the computing world? Not only have they retarded computing technology by a decade or more, but they have blinded many people to even the possibility of advancement -- a very sad state of affairs.

Thank heavens it is slowly changing. Years ago Linux was something only computer geeks used. Now I know a broad range (but still a tiny minority) of people who have dropped Microsoft Windows, preferring the safety and lower cost of Linux... and in the case of Puppy Linux, the ease of use, speed, tiny size, and ability to revive old computers making them usable again. I think part of the change is coming simply from word of mouth, but also from live CDs, where people can try Linux before installing it on their machines.

On that last point, I've noticed an annoying number of computers recently that have their BIOS set up to prevent booting from a CD. It is easy to change, but most people don't even know what a BIOS is, let alone how to go into their SETUP to change the boot-device order. [sigh]

A ray of hope: lately Linux users seem to outnumber Apple Mac users on the net. (Thank heavens Apple didn't win the war for the desktop -- computer use would be even further retarded than with Microsoft. Apple are masters of propaganda.)

Comments

[greylock.livejournal.com]

How did Microsoft manage to so impoverish the computing world?

Large advertising budgets?
That, and Linux was almost unusable not so long ago.

I've noticed an annoying number of computers recently that have their BIOS set up to prevent booting from a CD

I have mine set up like that. It's a small thing, but it helps sleep the boot process a smidge.

but most people don't even know what a BIOS is, let alone how to go into their SETUP to change the boot-device order. [sigh]

Most people should never touch their BIOS.

I think part of the change is coming simply from word of mouth, but also from live CDs, where people can try Linux before installing it on their machines.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Large advertising budgets?

I think Apple spends more on advertising than Microsoft does.
It is probably the relative difficulty, until recently, of using Linux and the undeserved reputation of being purely for geeks.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I think Apple spends more on advertising than Microsoft does.

Now perhaps. And maybe over all, but I think a lot of the (mass market) advertising costs are sunk into the frou-frou applications like the iPhone and iPad and iPod. Or into subliminal marketing for their laptops.
Hell, I'm no longer sure what the latest iteration of the Mac OS is - OSX - Leopard? Tiger? Occelot? I've no idea.

It is probably the relative difficulty, until recently, of using Linux and the undeserved reputation of being purely for geeks.

I may have mentioned this before, but I tried to get my partner to at least try a live disc version of Ubuntu late last year and she wouldn't have it since stuff like iTunes (I know) wouldn't work as simply.
She just wanted the same, familiar OS she used at work, and that's that.

It's a losing battle.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Familiarity is an incredibly powerful thing.

I've considered writing a big piece on how we often don't know what we like. We get mixed up easily and confuse some things (familiarity, and other people's likes) with what we actually like. It sounds weird to think that we can believe we like something, when we actually don't, but it does seem to be the case. Anyhow... I'll leave that for another day.