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It's surprising and sad how much drama people are willing to put up with rather than switch to GNU/Linux. (edit: some) People are willing to get unlicensed copi

It's surprising and sad how much drama people are willing to put up with rather than switch to GNU/Linux. (edit: some) People are willing to get unlicensed copies, exposing themselves to legal consequences and malware, rather than use a free (as in freedom and price) operating system.

maouida 10y ago
I tried many times to use Ubuntu as my main machine but I always go back to Windows. Why? more than 4 times when I run a system Upgrade it fails and I end up with a broken system. The other thing that holds me back is the UI. Hundreds of Themes available but I always see them as "cartoonish" themes that are not well though of.
- TeMPOraL 10y ago
  I'm dual-booting between Windows and Ubuntu. I keep Windows for games that require it; most of my daily use is on Linux, but there I spend most of the time in the shell, Emacs and in Chrome. So I tolerate various UX annoyances. But I'm not going to recommend Ubuntu (or for that matter, any other Linux system I've used so far, and I've used a few) to normal people looking for a normal desktop - there's just too many glitches, too many UX annoyances, too many bugs in GUI-dependent software. For all its issues, Windows has a quite polished desktop ecosystem.
- JustSomeNobody 10y ago
  Windows brakes on updates also[0]. It's all about knowing the system well enough to fix it when it does. [0] Heck, Windows breaks on reboots! Sometimes when I reboot, it either forgets my bluetooth or my wireless. And by forgets, I mean it doesn't think the hardware even exists. Multiple machines, multiple vendors, so it's not just one odd computer.
  - ctrl-j 10y ago
    Well, anecdotal evidence is anecdotal. Rough count, I've worked with 30+ different windows machines over the last few decades. I have never seen the problem you are describing. I'm not saying you're not having it, I'm just saying it's not necessarily a common event. Maybe you live/work somewhere with a lot of EM interference?
    - floopidydoopidy 10y ago
      Yes his anecdotal evidence is countering parents anecdotal evidence. It's a worthless chain of comments, really.
    - JustSomeNobody 10y ago
      No, not just my machines either. Work machines across the country out in the field have issues with Windows forgetting hardware[0] (network, wifi, bluetooth). I think people just get used to Windows' issues and don't recall how many times they have to deal with them. [0] At least once per week out of several hundred machines.
      - ctrl-j 10y ago
        > I think people just get used to Windows' issues and don't recall how many times they have to deal with them. I can recall a lot of issues that I've had with windows. I can tell you with certainty that I've never had a device go missing from the device manager. I've had printers have trouble being discovered after they are unplugged. I've had driver updates cause hardware to stop working. I've even had windows updates completely mess up my windows installation. But I've never had the issue you are describing. > [0] At least once per week out of several hundred machines. You're saying you have a greater than 1% occurrence rate per year? Google doesn't show the issue in the first three pages for me with the query "Windows forgets network hardware." Have you opened a Microsoft support ticket? I mean, if you're losing device drivers every week, that's man hours your burning! I would want to get that fixed ASAP!
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
- Shorel 10y ago
  I'm far more wary of Windows updates than Ubuntu updates. I have the same install since 14.04, I have updated to each version up to 16.04 and it still works fine. OTOH, I reverted the Win10 free update and went back to Win8.1 because Win10 did not work with my bluetooth devices, the tablet functionality was inferior to Win8.1 and it was actually unpolished compared with the Win8.1 experience. Your second point is simply opinion, and while I can't argue against it, my own experience using Ubunty with multiple monitors and virtual desktops makes Windows feel limited in comparison and therefore much less professional.
  - ChoGGi 10y ago
    My Windows 7 install has been doing fine since 2012 (not going to say anything about 10).
TeMPOraL 10y ago
A polished desktop experience and the abilty to run almost all video games are two big reasons people will jump through hoops to get a Windows copy.
- jmnicolas 10y ago
  Exactly this. When I use a Linux desktop I notice some micro-lag when using applications. Windows desktop feels much smoother.
  - sammoth 10y ago
    Have you tried disabling any compositor?
    - jmnicolas 10y ago
      Honestly I know enough to install and update Linux but after that I'm lost. I don't even know what a compositor is.
- urlwolf 10y ago
  To anyone with these problems: try Solus. It's far better than ubuntu (benchmarked), has almost no papercuts, and it runs games quite ok.
falcolas 10y ago
There are too many things I can't do yet in Linux. I can't play the games I actually want to play. There are graphics tablets and modeling/animation/drawing tools that I want to use without having to spend as much time fussing with emulation layers or finding the right binary drivers. So yes, it is simply easier to just use Windows and turn off as much as you can. It's a pain, but the relative pain to using Linux is lower.
- floopidydoopidy 10y ago
  You're financially supporting the wrong people. So those are the people who can afford to implement the tools you want. Financially support the right people, and you'll find your tools follow the money.
  - falcolas 10y ago
    > You're financially supporting the wrong people. I support Blizzard because they make good games which are fun to play. Who is this other person I should be supporting instead? What graphics tablet maker that provides first party Linux drivers should I support? As good as Gimp and Blender are, they still can't compete with the Photoshops, Illustrators, Mayas, and Fusions of the world. The "right people" don't exist; not yet. And I can't afford to support someone on the off chance they sill someday produce an equivalent product.
  - Dylan16807 10y ago
    The problem there is that it really restricts your hardware choices if you want to not support Microsoft. And installing Linux doesn't financially support anything.
  - detaro 10y ago
    Outside of random crowdfunding events with specific targets or tiny details that I could bug-bounty myself there is no way to give money to "the right people" while being reasonably sure to actually get what I want, so the argument seems pointless. Donating to open-source is great, but not a replacement for buying tools that do what's needed now.
pdimitar 10y ago
There are games, there are professional software toolkits only running on Windows and/or macOS (like architectural designs, photo editing, drawing hardware + software combos, and a lot more) and newsflash, people need them for their paycheck. Oh, and there are also polished, consistent and non-glitchy interfaces and system updates to be found in Windows 10 and macOS. You know, these things only the "sheep" require. /sarcasm off Get a grip and please go trumpet your own "freedom" somewhere else. HackerNews is a place for objectivity, not bandwagon hating.

maouida 10y ago

I tried many times to use Ubuntu as my main machine but I always go back to Windows. Why? more than 4 times when I run a system Upgrade it fails and I end up with a broken system. The other thing that holds me back is the UI. Hundreds of Themes available but I always see them as "cartoonish" themes that are not well though of.

TeMPOraL 10y ago
I'm dual-booting between Windows and Ubuntu. I keep Windows for games that require it; most of my daily use is on Linux, but there I spend most of the time in the shell, Emacs and in Chrome. So I tolerate various UX annoyances. But I'm not going to recommend Ubuntu (or for that matter, any other Linux system I've used so far, and I've used a few) to normal people looking for a normal desktop - there's just too many glitches, too many UX annoyances, too many bugs in GUI-dependent software. For all its issues, Windows has a quite polished desktop ecosystem.
JustSomeNobody 10y ago
Windows brakes on updates also[0]. It's all about knowing the system well enough to fix it when it does. [0] Heck, Windows breaks on reboots! Sometimes when I reboot, it either forgets my bluetooth or my wireless. And by forgets, I mean it doesn't think the hardware even exists. Multiple machines, multiple vendors, so it's not just one odd computer.
- ctrl-j 10y ago
  Well, anecdotal evidence is anecdotal. Rough count, I've worked with 30+ different windows machines over the last few decades. I have never seen the problem you are describing. I'm not saying you're not having it, I'm just saying it's not necessarily a common event. Maybe you live/work somewhere with a lot of EM interference?
  - floopidydoopidy 10y ago
    Yes his anecdotal evidence is countering parents anecdotal evidence. It's a worthless chain of comments, really.
  - JustSomeNobody 10y ago
    No, not just my machines either. Work machines across the country out in the field have issues with Windows forgetting hardware[0] (network, wifi, bluetooth). I think people just get used to Windows' issues and don't recall how many times they have to deal with them. [0] At least once per week out of several hundred machines.
    - ctrl-j 10y ago
      > I think people just get used to Windows' issues and don't recall how many times they have to deal with them. I can recall a lot of issues that I've had with windows. I can tell you with certainty that I've never had a device go missing from the device manager. I've had printers have trouble being discovered after they are unplugged. I've had driver updates cause hardware to stop working. I've even had windows updates completely mess up my windows installation. But I've never had the issue you are describing. > [0] At least once per week out of several hundred machines. You're saying you have a greater than 1% occurrence rate per year? Google doesn't show the issue in the first three pages for me with the query "Windows forgets network hardware." Have you opened a Microsoft support ticket? I mean, if you're losing device drivers every week, that's man hours your burning! I would want to get that fixed ASAP!
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
Shorel 10y ago
I'm far more wary of Windows updates than Ubuntu updates. I have the same install since 14.04, I have updated to each version up to 16.04 and it still works fine. OTOH, I reverted the Win10 free update and went back to Win8.1 because Win10 did not work with my bluetooth devices, the tablet functionality was inferior to Win8.1 and it was actually unpolished compared with the Win8.1 experience. Your second point is simply opinion, and while I can't argue against it, my own experience using Ubunty with multiple monitors and virtual desktops makes Windows feel limited in comparison and therefore much less professional.
- ChoGGi 10y ago
  My Windows 7 install has been doing fine since 2012 (not going to say anything about 10).

TeMPOraL 10y ago

A polished desktop experience and the abilty to run almost all video games are two big reasons people will jump through hoops to get a Windows copy.

jmnicolas 10y ago
Exactly this. When I use a Linux desktop I notice some micro-lag when using applications. Windows desktop feels much smoother.
- sammoth 10y ago
  Have you tried disabling any compositor?
  - jmnicolas 10y ago
    Honestly I know enough to install and update Linux but after that I'm lost. I don't even know what a compositor is.
urlwolf 10y ago
To anyone with these problems: try Solus. It's far better than ubuntu (benchmarked), has almost no papercuts, and it runs games quite ok.

falcolas 10y ago

There are too many things I can't do yet in Linux. I can't play the games I actually want to play. There are graphics tablets and modeling/animation/drawing tools that I want to use without having to spend as much time fussing with emulation layers or finding the right binary drivers. So yes, it is simply easier to just use Windows and turn off as much as you can. It's a pain, but the relative pain to using Linux is lower.

floopidydoopidy 10y ago
You're financially supporting the wrong people. So those are the people who can afford to implement the tools you want. Financially support the right people, and you'll find your tools follow the money.
- falcolas 10y ago
  > You're financially supporting the wrong people. I support Blizzard because they make good games which are fun to play. Who is this other person I should be supporting instead? What graphics tablet maker that provides first party Linux drivers should I support? As good as Gimp and Blender are, they still can't compete with the Photoshops, Illustrators, Mayas, and Fusions of the world. The "right people" don't exist; not yet. And I can't afford to support someone on the off chance they sill someday produce an equivalent product.
- Dylan16807 10y ago
  The problem there is that it really restricts your hardware choices if you want to not support Microsoft. And installing Linux doesn't financially support anything.
- detaro 10y ago
  Outside of random crowdfunding events with specific targets or tiny details that I could bug-bounty myself there is no way to give money to "the right people" while being reasonably sure to actually get what I want, so the argument seems pointless. Donating to open-source is great, but not a replacement for buying tools that do what's needed now.

pdimitar 10y ago

There are games, there are professional software toolkits only running on Windows and/or macOS (like architectural designs, photo editing, drawing hardware + software combos, and a lot more) and newsflash, people need them for their paycheck. Oh, and there are also polished, consistent and non-glitchy interfaces and system updates to be found in Windows 10 and macOS. You know, these things only the "sheep" require. /sarcasm off Get a grip and please go trumpet your own "freedom" somewhere else. HackerNews is a place for objectivity, not bandwagon hating.