Just my 2c worth here...
I use all three types of OS. Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
I have a HD in this PC dual booted with Windows and Linux, and right next to that, a Mac box.
My OS of choice? OS X. But, seeing as Macs are way too expensive, I am phasing out my Mac experience and concentrating on Linux.
Why, you ask?
For two reasons. One, the price. Easily understood enough. And two, the big one, morality. MSFT has, as was stated in a previous post, gotten a stanglehold on the entire PC industry. MS runs it. Dont beleive me? Think back to every time MS releases an OS. How quick were hardware updates right before and after? They had to keep up. Laying that aside, an even better example is MS & SCO. MS has paid millions upon millions of dollars just to keep SCO around to keep Linux users & backers in court, to spread FUD (Fear, Unceartainty & Doubt).
I used to be a HUGE fan of MSFT, and even wrote my representatives about how unfairly MS was being treated in court. Sure, I still feel that way for the most part. I mean, come on, sure, MS does some shifty things, but think about it - MS has completely revolutionized the computer industry thanks to their OS. In the meantime, while MS was being beat up in court, all the opposition to MS who claimed "MONOPOLY!" were in fact crating a Monopoly of their own. Now, just a few years later, most of the individual comapnies that came against MS are owned by a single corporate entity: AOL. Funny, that. Claiming you are being hurt by MS becuase of a web browser, and therefore MS must be a monopoly, but all the while, you'll make one of your own.
Also, Mr. Gates has just come back from a world wide tour (some call it campaign) to speak out against the "Open Source Menace". Funny, how such a small user base has such a large company with over $70B in the bank fretting. If Linux was so benign and silly, why is the richest and one of the most powerful men in the world leading a crusade (out of his own pocket nonetheless!) against it? He must be scared of something... But I digress...back to point.
The point is, I dont like Windows because its the best. Sure, it was good while it was innovating, growing, coming out with new ideas and ways of doing things. Now, though, they are stagnant, and nothing really new comes out anymore. Just upgrades and newer versions of the same old software. On top of that, its the target for every cracker and phreaker (sorry, wont say hacker...that term is way misused...but thats a different post...) who wants to make a name for themselves. Every day brings about a new virus or worm for IE, Office, or Windows in general. I am tired of having to patch weekly just to make sure I dont receive 500 popup messages an hour, or worry if that new virus is going to slip by my virus scanner that I didnt update fast enough and I'll lose all my information. Nah, Im done.
The only thing Windows is good for nowadays is games...and Linux (heck, even OS X) is catching up on that. I can play most any game I want under Linux now thanks to Cedega. Sure, its a Windows shell, but theres people out there now working on making the games run natively under Linux.
Windows last year held 98% of the worlds computers OS useage. This year? 95%. Sure, small you think, but think about the time frame. MS has been around for how long? 20+ years. In HALF that time, Linux has gobbled up a small piece of Windows user base, and come up with a GUI, and some pretty smooth looking distros, which places them WAY ahead of where MS was on their 10th anniversary.
Would I love to chuck Windows completely? Yeah. Can I yet? No. Not until the apps are a little more refined, and people have started developing native apps for Linux as well as Windows. Until then, I'll be dual booting.
STATS:
MS-DOS user since early 3.x releases all the way through current XP SP2.
Linux user since RedHat 5.2. Using Xandros atm (although trying to decide between Xandros, SuSE, or Linspire).
Mac OS user since 3 or 4.
MS Certified in A+, NET+, and MCSE. Not that these are worth anything anymore. Cant get a job with any of these certifications. Goes to show how common the market has become. When I first got them, people couldnt decide how much to pay me, they wanted me to work for them so much. Now, noone wants to hire me because the market is so saturated. Time to go into a different area, eh?
Again...just my 2c worth. Take with a grain of salt and call me in the morning.
Fact is, windows is easier to use then Linux for the novice, and you have a choice about the OS you use. You say people send you files and FORCE you to use windows to keep you in work? so? if your a computer technician (i'm guessing...so play nice
