Linked by Phil Hall on Thu 5th Dec 2002 00:35 UTC
I'm a long-time Windows user, but for years I've been searching for an intelligent alternative. Macs are actually a great choice, but have you priced them lately? I don't have two grand to spend for another system. I had been reading all the hoopla surrounding Xandros Desktop for a number of months and decided to take the plunge. I had been burned two times previously trying to install other Linux distributions. Their tech support was non-existent. I'm essentially working in a vacuum. When something has gone wrong in the past, I've found that I was on my own. 
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I haven't done a count of all the software available for Windows in the world and compared it to a count of all the software available for Linux
)
Really? I would've never guessed
but I dare say that there is infinitely more software legally available to Linux users than there is available to Windows users. Why? Most Windows users don't have the money to spend on licenses for products like:
- Microsoft Office
- Macromedia Studio
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- SQL Serverallude
- VisualStudio .NET
ad nauseam.
And of course, you go and list the most expensive apps you can find. Let's say I create (for a living) Flash intros for websites using a pirated version of Macromedia Studio. So, what am I supposed to do? Drop Windows and switch to Linux? Then what? Simply use the Linux version of Macromedia Studio? Oh wait, I forgot .. there IS no Linux version!! By making the switch, what exactly have I accomplished? Freedom from the Great Satan? *pffffft*
Therefore, for most people the choice is to a) run Windows with what whatever stock programs came with their machine (Minesweeper, yay!), b) engage in illegal piracy of software, or c) Run Linux; amongst some other sundary choices.
Ok, why do you assume that a) Every single commercial Win32 app is $400+ and b) All Windows software must be used illegally?
I'm just wondering if you understand that there is literally tons of software available for Linux, and also that the amount of software available for Windows is largely irrelevant if it is not legally available to the user.
Not legally available? My friend, simply go to your nearest CompUSA, walk down the software isles, and you will see just how much software is 'legally available' to the user. Most of it is just crap to you and me, but Joe User really loves this stuff!
I have a friend for whom I recently replaced a hard drive for, and she had like 20-30 of these programs, and NONE of them were more than $50, and I'd guess there were Linux equivalents for maybe 5-6 of them. (If you can find a Linux version of "Pooh's Print Studio", then you are most certainly a better man than I
Sure, Linux has tons of stuff available, but how easily obtainable is it to the average (most illiterate) Windows user? Click and run is great and all, but outside of that and it's RPM -i whatever, hehe .. uh uh.