Penguin or Egg: The Linux Dilemma
By: The Designer | 23May2000
If Gary Larson, creator of Far Side cartoons is any judge, the penguin is an inherently humorous fowl. It is also the only bird that can swim but cannot fly. This would seem to be a bizarre conjunction of ability and disability when compared to what is considered the norm for birds, but penguins probably don't care much about the norm. They are very well-suited to their environment.
In the personal computing world, the norm is defined by Microsoft (and to some degree, Apple which makes Macintosh computers). MS has made computing available to the masses who are not required (and mostly don't care) to understand how their PC works. They just want to do useful things with it. As opposed to the earlier "command line interface" like DOS, most users find computing more user-friendly as a result of a "Graphical User Interface" (aka 'GUI') consisting of 'WIMP' -- 'Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointers' or 'Windows, Icons, Mouse, Pull-down menus'. Since the point of computing is theoretically to accomplish a task, rather than just to play with a computer, WIMP is suitable to most users' computing needs. Microsoft Windows is easy -- which is all that most users care about.
Penguins are great swimmers...The penguin is the mascot for the open source operating system called Linux -- a version of UNIX that was designed to run on Intel x86 platforms -- the PC. Other common variations of UNIX are SunOS, BSD (Berkeley System Distribution) NetBSD and FreeBSD. Like the penguin, Linux has certain abilities and disabilities when compared to the norm of mainstream personal computer operating systems. (Most of these disabilities are artificially imposed, as I'll explain in a bit.)Since Linux (like its mother, UNIX) is primarily a server OS, it has capabilities that aren't necessarily needed by most PC users. For example, servers are designed from the ground up to be secure, reliable and working as close to 100% of the time as possible. A personal computer can be all that too, but -- being personal -- the primary focus is ease of use for non-technical people.
Parenthetically: UNIX in one form or another has been around since the early 1970s, and the vast majority of networks -- including the Internet -- is hosted on UNIX-type operating systems. This is a good thing, since Windows NT -- Microsoft's server OS -- doesn't have a good track-record of uptime when compared to UNIX. Many NT servers are preemptively rebooted once a day, when traffic is slow, to offset the possibility that they will crash during busy times. Months ago, I installed Linux on my primary home computer. I did this for a number of reasons, including:
Linux is distributed by various organizations like Red Hat, SuSE and Corel in what is known as 'distributions', i.e., the OS kernel, utilities, GUIs and other useful programs. It can be downloaded for free or purchased on CD with books and tech support. Most distributions are also available for very little cost on CD from third party sites like CheapBytes. (You're on your own for technical support, of course.) During the past year or so, while experimenting with it, I have paid retail for two distributions of Linux and picked up nearly all the other major distributions from Cheapbytes for a couple or three dollars a CD. Although Linux is a command line interface OS, 'X' -- a windowing system developed for UNIX -- can run on top of it. A free version of X, 'XFree86' is included with most Linux distributions. This gives Linux (FreeBSD, etc.) the point-n-click GUI interface that most people from the MS and Mac universe are comfortable with. XFree86 can be basic, or it can be overlaid with a desktop environment like GNOME or KDE -- both of which are also open source, configurable and free. With Linux, I've had a couple minor mishaps to fix, which gave me the opportunity to learn something new. I'm not a particularly advanced user yet (about the level of most Windows users, I imagine). The graphics software GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is free, comes with most distributions, and is as powerful as any Windows-based imaging program. WordPerfect for Linux wasn't very expensive and I prefer it over MS Word anyway. While the Melissa and ILOVEYOU viruses were bothering users of MS Outlook (user-friendly... especially for virus writers), I wondered how bad it would have to get before Microsoft would finally agree to patch their major security holes in Outlook.
...but they don't fly -- yet!In general and so far, I'm happy with Linux -- much more than I've ever liked Windows. (I first started using PCs in the dark ages of when DOS was replacing CP/M.) So, why do I keep Microsoft Windows on my second computer?In spite of all the reasons I listed above and my eagerness to rid my home office of the stench of Microsoft, there are a few reasons why I still occasionally must use Windows. I fully expect them to be resolved in the near future as companies in the computer peripheral and software application world wake up and smell the opportunity (and the herring). Few people are asking for a Ford Explorer that would be suitable for driving conditions on Mars -- but I would bet a sawbuck that Ford Motor Company has at least a few engineers looking into what would be required. On the other hand, there are thousands more converts to Linux every week who -- to a large degree -- are being ignored by companies that could sell products to them. People get disgusted when (for example) Microsoft's flawed philosophy about email security allows viruses to attack their computers. Some of these people discover Linux' inherent worthiness and potential as a desktop OS. Since Linux doesn't require a user's agreement / license / shackles to use it, it is impossible to know how many people are really using it, part- or full-time. Each distribution -- or just the kernel -- can be downloaded for free, legally copied, or purchased at the mall. Undoubtedly, many of those who acquire Linux play around with it for awhile and then decide they prefer Windows after all. Some set it up on the '486 resurrected from the closet to network their home systems together and don't need it for anything else. Some of us go whole hawg and try to do everything in a Linux environment. There is no way to know how many Linux users there are, but judging from recent IPOs, Slashdot and the obvious interest around the world in open source, our number may already exceed the number of dedicated Mac-heads.
Dear Computer Industry...Important factoids about Linux users:
...why aren't you scrambling to sell something to us?I own a Kodak Digital Science camera, the DC50. When I purchased it, the DC50 was a reasonably high end camera. The software that came with it was only written for Windows and Macintosh -- but after all, that was three years ago when Linux was still relatively unknown outside the geek community. It's still useful, but still I salivate every time I read the specs for the newest cameras. I will be in the market for another camera shortly. However, I will not buy another camera that ties me to a computer operating system that I detest.Although there is free spreadsheet software available for Linux that can be customized for Quicken-like functions, I've used Quicken for several years because I like it. I will do without before I'll buy any more software from Intuit that I cannot run under Linux. Even though I related above that using Linux has allowed me to put off buying a faster computer, that doesn't mean I'm completely satisfied with my Pentium 233. I would buy a new system today, if what I needed was available at a reasonable price. This is not an unreasonable request. There are good systems available from all the manufacturers with hardware I would consider acceptable for under $1200 -- within my price range. However, these systems are all preloaded with Windows. Our Computer Price Comparisons lists a few companies that offer pre-installed Linux, but most of these are unknown outside the Linux community. These manufacturers may have great quality or they may not. On the other hand, I know that manufacturers like Dell Computers put out good systems. Dell pays lip service to Linux, but when I click the 'Buy a Dell with...Linux' link, I'm back in the Windows world. If there's a way to configure a Dell system with Linux pre-installed via their web site without talking to a sales dork -- and know that the hardware will support it -- I haven't figured it out. Gateway's nod to Linux is a single microserver. Micron Electronics -- which once had a reputation for very powerful quality computers -- has apparently never even heard of Linux, judging from their web site. When I'm truly ready, I'll probably buy from VA Linux. The point is, there aren't a lot of choices. The major players have their noses so far up Bill Gate's arse, they don't care to sell to someone who doesn't. It's the old chicken / egg dilemma, except in this case, the chicken is a penguin, the penguin has hatched, and not everybody who could benefit has noticed. Linux is the OS of choice for a lot of users, but it's just not well supported by the rest of the industry yet. Linux is not going to go away, and it will definitely outlast many of the companies that are ignoring the phenomenon.
Rain and BucketsIf Intuit doesn't hire Linux programmers to port Quicken software to UNIX-related operating systems, someone else will produce something just as functional -- which can read files generated by Quicken -- and get the sales that Intuit doesn't. More likely, it will be released as open source -- free -- and Intuit will miss out on the opportunity. Maybe Dell will get serious about Linux, or maybe Compaq or IBM or another mainstream manufacturer will offer personal computers with Linux preinstalled in all price ranges. The latecomers and me-tooers will get what's left over in sales, months later, after they pull their heads out. Probably, some Linux enthusiast will eventually write software that will allow us to download pictures from various digital cameras into our systems. But from a camera manufacturer's point of view, why should the Linux community do it when they could hire that programmer and a few of his colleagues instead, and a few weeks later, be the first quality digital camera company that specifically supports Linux? Obviously (except to some investors) a lot of the current Linux phenomenon is just hype, a quick way for dot-coms without a solid business plan to raise venture capital. Nevertheless, Linux is a real OS, modeled after old reliable UNIX but designed to run -- if you are using a PC right now -- probably better than your current OS. It has a whole community of serious developers who volunteer their work because they love the righteousness of a good, secure and stable operating system. The number of users is probably in the millions around the world. All those users are potential customers of peripherals, software and new computers. It could be raining sales, but the companies that would benefit the most (especially those who are among the first) are still struggling to understand the principle of the bucket.
Also see... |
I'm not an evangelist. I don't believe that Linux is more suited to every computer user's needs than is Windows. I just know that I much prefer it.
| Be informed when new content is added. | Email a Link to this page. | Email the SOB who publishes this. |