Vista…Nail…Coffin?
For me the “Windows Question” has long since been decided. I don’t like it. I don’t want it. I use it only because I have to. Others feel differently, and that’s fine. In fact, a good friend of mine, who is likely reading this post via an RSS feed :), really likes Windows and makes a good living writing Windows software, for which I applaud him, but I’m digressing. Personally, I prefer a Unix or Unix-like operating system, especially on the server, though I’ve also enjoyed using Linux on the desktop as well. For me, then, there’s really nothing to debate, but for many, there is, which makes this article extremely interesting. Does not sound good at all.
Stupid Windows
I just had to reboot my computer to rename a directory. Even after closing every application, Windows was still telling me that access was denied. How messed up is that?
When Will We Learn?
I will never understand why people still install Windows. Home users have a little more sympathy from me, but I have zero sympathy for corporations that still use Windows. I don’t want to come across as an anything-but-microsoft guy, because I’m not, necessarily. I am, however, a big believer in the best tool for the job, and, for most things, Microsoft is not the best of breed.
Need an office suite? Many will tell you that Microsoft has reached ne plus ultra, but I think they’re confusing perfection with familiarity. There are several good alternatives available. Most are even cross–platform. OpenOffice.org is probably my favorite (due to familiarity 😉 as it is cross-platform, and reads MS Office formats reasonably well.
How about a web browser? Many use and swear by IE, but I’d be willing to wager they use it because it comes installed on every machine they buy. My problem with IE is its inherent insecurity and its poor support for web standards. If you’re into ad-supported/commercial browsers, there’s Opera. My personal favorite is Mozilla. It has a fast, secure, standards-compliant browser, and a virus-free email program with great junk mail controls.
Need a database server? You can have your pick.
Email servers? Plenty to choose from.
Web server? While there are many choices, the stand out best is Apache.
How about the operating system? Lots of choices here too.
And for those alternative operating systems, need a virus checker? You can find them…well…maybe over here…nope. You don’t need them! These OSes are not prone to viral infections. That’s not to say that it can’t or won’t happen, but it is orders of magnitude more difficult to write a virus for these systems due to their inherent, multi-user, segregated role model of operation.
Would a migration to Microsoft alternatives be easy? That depends on the sophistication of the user and, for companies, the size of the organization. Is it worth it? Ask Ernie Ball.