My nail in the lid of the coffin of Windows
Hello, dear members of the club anonymous windsocks. My name is Jan and I have been wind dependent since 2000. Today I will tell you how I got into this trap and how I got out of it.
In 2000, I was presented with a brand new computer with installed Windows Millenium.
As a good uncle dealer, several times treats a future drug addict with foolishness to addicted, my friend set everything up and explained how to use it. I am not one of those who study the instruction manual before using any device. Everything that was not intuitively clear was found out by a spear method. Therefore, my system rarely lasted more than 2 weeks without reinstalling. About the beauty of the interface and usability in those days, few people thought. And among them there was definitely no Uncle Bill. And we used what was.
Then there was XP:
')
What she seemed modern and stable! Worked without reinstalling sometimes up to a year or more. Truth and actions of laying between the computer and a chair became a little more conscious. And what an interface! A revolution occurred in my head, and I realized that the OS could also be beautiful.
But what did Microsoft actually do? They took all the same old core and just hung a beautiful pelt on it. And now on my 256 mb RAM the piggy did not hurry anywhere. It was then, somewhere deep inside my mind, the thought began to emerge: “ Why doesn't Microsoft develop its main brainchild? Really, back in 95, they were clairvoyants and immediately created an ideal OS ?” It is hard to believe in it. Moreover, everything in our world is booming. And what was relevant 19 years ago can hardly qualify for it today.
The next stage of my involution is Windows 7.
Well, what is not another topic for the old core? Only this time it was installed on my new laptop with 2 gb of RAM. And, as you probably already guessed, not in a hurry. Why do I need this obsolete G in a beautiful new wrapper and, moreover, devouring the resources of my computer with such an appetite?
This was a turning point - I decided that I would not wait for windows 8. And, as it turned out, for good reason. After all, now it is difficult to find a person who does not want to throw tomatoes at the creators of this miracle.
Why it happens? I believe that due to the lack of competition. Mac OS is not a direct competitor to Windows, because the first one has a fundamentally different way of distribution - pre-installation on all of its computers and binding to the Macintosh architecture. On other Windows computers, out of competition. And in an environment without competition, any product quickly acquires a smell.
The same, in my opinion, is now happening with Google. What to go far - let's take 2 posts from Habr for the last week: about Yandex and about Google . The first one is developing with all its might, otherwise Google will swallow it and will not notice it. For the second, Yandex is not a competitor. How can he make extra gestures and improve. Instead, it is better to hold the grip and squeeze more juice out of the market.
Approximately the same picture in the OS market with Windows. Mac OS is not a competitor, Linux is not a threat.
And what are the alternatives for us - end users? As I said, there are only two of them: Mac OS and Linux. The first can be called an alternative with a stretch, because you just can’t move it to Windows - you need to buy a new Apple computer. Which, by the way, is not cheap. I do not consider hackintosh-type assemblies due to the fact that their average PC user cannot install itself. The second, Linux, is a promising OS, whose adherents believe in the inevitable death of Windows and world peace. Everybody believes and believes since the 90s. A red bar on the graph with the statistics of the use of the OS shows just enviable stability. But "Stability is not always a sign of well-being, sometimes it is a sign of constipation." Stas Yankovsky.
Since I decided to abandon Windows, it was necessary to determine the new OS. From Linux-based operating systems, I considered 2 options: Linux Mint and Ubuntu. The first is clearly designed for those who are accustomed to Windows and do not want to feel strong discomfort during the transition. I, on the contrary, wanted to arrange a stress test for myself and dive headlong into a new unknown world. That's why I stopped my choice on Ununtu.
Before burning bridges, I made a list of programs that I could not do without. Googled (oh my god, I'm a googlogik, I urgently need to go to Yandex :)) to make sure that all this is possible to install on Linux. In the course of this mini-study, I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive community. Both English and Russian. This gave me even more enthusiasm, because I realized that I would not be alone in trouble. In addition, I learned that Windows is not necessary to demolish, you can install Linux in parallel, without risking anything.
So I decided to do it, leaving the Windows for the reserve. I read several manuals, but I still had to tinker with the installation. It took even longer to set up. At first I had a breakdown and restructuring of the mind blinded by Windows. But overall, I am very satisfied and even now I notice that I’m used to Ubuntu - my laptop, which still has Windows, I’m not comfortable using.
The first thing that surprised me was that my 3G modem started working right away without installing drivers, and it took about 30 seconds to set up the Internet connection, considering that I had constant problems with this device on Windows. All devices on the computer earned without my participation, flash drives also work without drivers. In a word, support for devices out of the box in Ubuntu is broader than Windows.
The first thing that catches your eye when meeting Ubuntu's interface is the application bar moved to the left. Nowadays, the main program on the computer is a browser. When using a widescreen monitor, the browser almost always has a vertical scroll bar and very rarely a horizontal one. It turns out that the user lacks exactly the vertical space, some of which are occupied by the same application panel. The width is just the opposite - most sites have empty areas around the edges. This place could be used to good use. This is especially true for laptops and other devices with a resolution of the similarity of 1366x768, where the vertical space is sometimes not enough just catastrophically. Moving the "dashboard" to the left, we kill two birds with one stone - we free up the vertical space and occupy part of the unused horizontal. This is obvious, but my brain, which was atrophied by Windows, did not even reach that point in several years of using this “miracle of developer thought” on a widescreen monitor.
Separate mentioning deserve virtual desktops and cube.
This is not only beautiful and spectacular, but also very convenient. I open different programs on separate desktops and switch between them by turning the cube or simply clicking on the icon of the desired program on the panel, in this case the cube itself turns to the right side.
Of course, the same can be done in Windows, but that's not the point. There are a lot of such nice little things in Ubuntu and new versions appear in each version. I will not list them here, the article is not about that. For me, this is an indicator that the system is developing and moving forward. But in Windows, I did not notice such progress.
Other important benefits of Linux for me are:
On Linux I began to feel safe and this is good news.
At this point, my story ends and I can proudly call myself a former winddogger. I am convinced that I will not return back, at least without good reason.
Dear Vindogoliki ! I hope my story will push on the same step and any of you. It depends on us whether Linux has a future. If the percentage of market coverage increases to at least 10%, I am sure that everything will change drastically. Manufacturers of hardware, software and games will seriously take this OS and release versions for Linux. This will eliminate its main drawback and the irreversible process will begin. And, perhaps, one day, the day will come when Windows will remain just a bad memory.
Dear linuksoidy ! Let's take an active position. According to Ubuntu Counter, more than 35 million people use this OS today. For Linux as a whole, I didn’t find statistics, so I’ll give you an example of Ubuntu. If each of these users donates $ 1, for Canonical this will be a significant incentive to develop their offspring. A more realistic option - if 10% of users donate $ 10. If you are a programmer, you can become a contributor and make no less important assistance than financial assistance.
In 2000, I was presented with a brand new computer with installed Windows Millenium.
As a good uncle dealer, several times treats a future drug addict with foolishness to addicted, my friend set everything up and explained how to use it. I am not one of those who study the instruction manual before using any device. Everything that was not intuitively clear was found out by a spear method. Therefore, my system rarely lasted more than 2 weeks without reinstalling. About the beauty of the interface and usability in those days, few people thought. And among them there was definitely no Uncle Bill. And we used what was.
Then there was XP:
')
What she seemed modern and stable! Worked without reinstalling sometimes up to a year or more. Truth and actions of laying between the computer and a chair became a little more conscious. And what an interface! A revolution occurred in my head, and I realized that the OS could also be beautiful.
But what did Microsoft actually do? They took all the same old core and just hung a beautiful pelt on it. And now on my 256 mb RAM the piggy did not hurry anywhere. It was then, somewhere deep inside my mind, the thought began to emerge: “ Why doesn't Microsoft develop its main brainchild? Really, back in 95, they were clairvoyants and immediately created an ideal OS ?” It is hard to believe in it. Moreover, everything in our world is booming. And what was relevant 19 years ago can hardly qualify for it today.
The next stage of my involution is Windows 7.
Well, what is not another topic for the old core? Only this time it was installed on my new laptop with 2 gb of RAM. And, as you probably already guessed, not in a hurry. Why do I need this obsolete G in a beautiful new wrapper and, moreover, devouring the resources of my computer with such an appetite?
This was a turning point - I decided that I would not wait for windows 8. And, as it turned out, for good reason. After all, now it is difficult to find a person who does not want to throw tomatoes at the creators of this miracle.
Why it happens? I believe that due to the lack of competition. Mac OS is not a direct competitor to Windows, because the first one has a fundamentally different way of distribution - pre-installation on all of its computers and binding to the Macintosh architecture. On other Windows computers, out of competition. And in an environment without competition, any product quickly acquires a smell.
The same, in my opinion, is now happening with Google. What to go far - let's take 2 posts from Habr for the last week: about Yandex and about Google . The first one is developing with all its might, otherwise Google will swallow it and will not notice it. For the second, Yandex is not a competitor. How can he make extra gestures and improve. Instead, it is better to hold the grip and squeeze more juice out of the market.
Approximately the same picture in the OS market with Windows. Mac OS is not a competitor, Linux is not a threat.
And what are the alternatives for us - end users? As I said, there are only two of them: Mac OS and Linux. The first can be called an alternative with a stretch, because you just can’t move it to Windows - you need to buy a new Apple computer. Which, by the way, is not cheap. I do not consider hackintosh-type assemblies due to the fact that their average PC user cannot install itself. The second, Linux, is a promising OS, whose adherents believe in the inevitable death of Windows and world peace. Everybody believes and believes since the 90s. A red bar on the graph with the statistics of the use of the OS shows just enviable stability. But "Stability is not always a sign of well-being, sometimes it is a sign of constipation." Stas Yankovsky.
Since I decided to abandon Windows, it was necessary to determine the new OS. From Linux-based operating systems, I considered 2 options: Linux Mint and Ubuntu. The first is clearly designed for those who are accustomed to Windows and do not want to feel strong discomfort during the transition. I, on the contrary, wanted to arrange a stress test for myself and dive headlong into a new unknown world. That's why I stopped my choice on Ununtu.
Before burning bridges, I made a list of programs that I could not do without. Googled (oh my god, I'm a googlogik, I urgently need to go to Yandex :)) to make sure that all this is possible to install on Linux. In the course of this mini-study, I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive community. Both English and Russian. This gave me even more enthusiasm, because I realized that I would not be alone in trouble. In addition, I learned that Windows is not necessary to demolish, you can install Linux in parallel, without risking anything.
So I decided to do it, leaving the Windows for the reserve. I read several manuals, but I still had to tinker with the installation. It took even longer to set up. At first I had a breakdown and restructuring of the mind blinded by Windows. But overall, I am very satisfied and even now I notice that I’m used to Ubuntu - my laptop, which still has Windows, I’m not comfortable using.
The first thing that surprised me was that my 3G modem started working right away without installing drivers, and it took about 30 seconds to set up the Internet connection, considering that I had constant problems with this device on Windows. All devices on the computer earned without my participation, flash drives also work without drivers. In a word, support for devices out of the box in Ubuntu is broader than Windows.
The first thing that catches your eye when meeting Ubuntu's interface is the application bar moved to the left. Nowadays, the main program on the computer is a browser. When using a widescreen monitor, the browser almost always has a vertical scroll bar and very rarely a horizontal one. It turns out that the user lacks exactly the vertical space, some of which are occupied by the same application panel. The width is just the opposite - most sites have empty areas around the edges. This place could be used to good use. This is especially true for laptops and other devices with a resolution of the similarity of 1366x768, where the vertical space is sometimes not enough just catastrophically. Moving the "dashboard" to the left, we kill two birds with one stone - we free up the vertical space and occupy part of the unused horizontal. This is obvious, but my brain, which was atrophied by Windows, did not even reach that point in several years of using this “miracle of developer thought” on a widescreen monitor.
Separate mentioning deserve virtual desktops and cube.
This is not only beautiful and spectacular, but also very convenient. I open different programs on separate desktops and switch between them by turning the cube or simply clicking on the icon of the desired program on the panel, in this case the cube itself turns to the right side.
Of course, the same can be done in Windows, but that's not the point. There are a lot of such nice little things in Ubuntu and new versions appear in each version. I will not list them here, the article is not about that. For me, this is an indicator that the system is developing and moving forward. But in Windows, I did not notice such progress.
Other important benefits of Linux for me are:
- No viruses . Once upon a time, a virus encrypted all my business documents and an archive of family photos for 10 years. It was then that I realized the degree of vulnerability of Windows users, and it certainly did not inspire me.
- Very high security . Shortly thereafter, another computer was hacked into a computer and all passwords were stolen. E-wallets were cleared, Skype borrowed money from many contacts, including and me. After this incident, I began to feel completely defenseless.
On Linux I began to feel safe and this is good news.
At this point, my story ends and I can proudly call myself a former winddogger. I am convinced that I will not return back, at least without good reason.
Instead of conclusion
Dear Vindogoliki ! I hope my story will push on the same step and any of you. It depends on us whether Linux has a future. If the percentage of market coverage increases to at least 10%, I am sure that everything will change drastically. Manufacturers of hardware, software and games will seriously take this OS and release versions for Linux. This will eliminate its main drawback and the irreversible process will begin. And, perhaps, one day, the day will come when Windows will remain just a bad memory.
Dear linuksoidy ! Let's take an active position. According to Ubuntu Counter, more than 35 million people use this OS today. For Linux as a whole, I didn’t find statistics, so I’ll give you an example of Ubuntu. If each of these users donates $ 1, for Canonical this will be a significant incentive to develop their offspring. A more realistic option - if 10% of users donate $ 10. If you are a programmer, you can become a contributor and make no less important assistance than financial assistance.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/180123/
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