Convert to Linux, you will not be disappointed

I have been living away from Windows in the wild country that is Linux for a couple of years now. Windows still infests my day job (in a good way) but Windows has been banished from home PCs for a long while.

This week saw the release of Ubuntu 9.10 and I am already running it. One of the things I love most about Linux is its ability to partition almost everything in clever ways Windows just has not caught up with. This time when I installed my system I setup my home drive on a separate partition. Installed Ubuntu and it pulled in all my settings as if nothing had happened, even my background wallpapers were integrated into the new ones.

In the scheme of things its only a minor thing, but it just makes going from version to version almost effortless.

Blue Screen Of “That’s how we roll”

I have to admit I have never had a real issue with Windows. I use it for my day job and I would not have a roof over my head if it were not for Microsoft and Windows letting me program. I will have a stand-up fight with anyone who says Microsoft makes crap software tools.. the simple fact of the matter is they don’t. C# and .Net is amazing development environments that I love using.

That is not to say I don’t have my fair share of problems with the OS. My new laptop came with Vista, and I thought I would go with it for a few weeks, just to see if things were as bad as I remember.

When it started Blue Screening after every update as a means of forcing me to reboot I decided I’d had enough. Linux rarely makes me reboot even after major component upgrades and that alone is enough to make me want to have it.

Windows 7 is available

I have had some time with Windows 7, and I will continue to play with it. But it is nothing more than a face lift, and a bug fix for Vista. The internals are the same a Vista and there are only minor new features. The claims about speed and performance were not evident when I played with it. It might run better on netbooks, but I think that is just because they have realised that is a growing market and they can’t afford to over look it.

Some things you can’t live without

But what the penguin gives with one flipper, he takes with another. There are some applications (only a few outside of development) that I have to have in order to make my life complete. They all come from adobe now and they are Lightroom and Fireworks.

I am an avid photographer and Lightroom is by far the best photo management software there is. Though there are a number of alternatives but nothing comes close to a 10% of what Lightroom does for me. So that I have to have.

Fireworks is my go to graphics application. Any problem can be solved in that application with pixel accuracy and fantastic compression software it can not be touched.

The solution is provided to me by Sun. Virtual Box. Allowing me to happily run Windows XP without affecting Linux in anyway. I could of course dual boot, but I would rather vitalize if I can. Its a little clunky as a way of doing it but as there are so few tools I want it works well for me.

The future soon

The future is bright for Ubuntu and Linux. This version (9.10) delivers some great additions and a good look. Boot time is way down, speed is up, and core features are working well.

The speed difference between Vista and Ubuntu is simply amazing. Even the live CD is noticeably faster (at least on this machine) than Vista natively installed on it. When an OS running from a CD is faster than the one on the hard drive, you know you have a problem.

If you have never tried Linux, you must give it a go. The Live CD means you can try it out without touching your current install so whats to worry about. Or you can even install it inside Windows as an application now so you can have a play before you commit to anything.

But I can assure you, once you have tried it you will not want to go back.

The future of the desktop?

This week Google finally entered the operating system market. It has been much talked about for a long time. In many ways it is a logical step for them, they run everything from Linux based machines, and with that amount of know-how and the availability of excellent distributions like Ubuntu, why not release their own?

There are very few companies with the power to taken on Microsoft, even fewer still who would have the inclination or a reason to do it. But Google are one of them. With their world famous reputation and massive pots of money to back them up, I think we might finally see something that can topple Microsoft’s grip on the desktop.

Is that a good thing? In my mind yes… but it has a price.

Breaking the grip

Nearly every desktop computer in the world runs Windows in one form or another. That was no bad thing. It meant everyone could focus on write code for one platform and not have to worry about the difficulties multiple platforms bring.

But that is a hang over from the early days of computing. Today’s landscape is very different and requires a new way of thinking. With runtime environments running over the platforms (I.E. Java, .Net, Flash, Silverlight, even JavaScript) you don’t need to worry so much about what’s underneath.

We now live in a world where the internet is the norm. If you can’t do the work locally for what ever reason, have the cloud do the work. In fact why even have applications on your machine at all? There will always be some people who need applications on the desktop, but the vast majority don’t

Now’s the time

So the world is ripe for a new way to think about how you use computers, and Goggle are just the company to show they way. With a history of giving away really useful web based software for free, who better to offer to the average user a new operating system that costs nothing?

I have met many people (usually non IT type people, but not always) who are sceptical of software they don’t pay for. If they don’t pay for it there must be something wrong with it. Or they just take what they are given becuase they are unsure of unaware of the alternatives.

But if they were buying a computer and the option came up to pay for Windows for £100, or Goggle OS for £0. I am fairly sure most would go for Goggle and not really be able to tell the difference. As long as it went on the net, let them do word processing, and play solitaire. Most would not care one jot, and if that happened to be faster, and more secure as well.. even better

Beware of the dark side

But this comes at a price. Google are a private company in the US, renowed for their secrecy. Their entire business model is based on collecting information on you and using that to make more money.

What better way to gather the most amount of information on you than to be with you all the time, not just when you are surfing the net. There is only one way to do that, run the computer.

I can see the next step will be allowing you to use the cloud as the file system. Don’t store the files on your computer, only you can use them then. Store them in the cloud and access them from anywhere. Secretly keeping copies of all your documents for unknown purposes and lengths of time.

Pinch of salt

Will this it bring about a revolution in the way we use computers, no doubt. If not right now then soon. Microsoft have no option but to keep up. That means they must become more competitive and more innovative. Never a bad thing.

But I personally find the idea of a massive multinational silently watching my computer quiet a frightening prospect, and I worry the general populous will walk blindly into the threat not knowing what they are signing up for, or even signing away. Seduced by the shiny interface, and other cool gadgets they never knew they wanted.