Spork - We Like It - Better Than Vista

So you're a Windows XP user? You might have noticed that Microsoft have been splurging a lot of cash lately to get you to try their new baby, Windows Vista. So far, a lot of people have been hesitant. Quite sensibly they're happy with XP. Well, what if there was another option that combined the stability and ease of XP with all the shiny newness of Vista? And what if I told you it was free?
It's called Linux. You've might have heard of it already.

The Linux mascot Tux:
He has mad jedi skills

What is Linux?
If it's free, how can it be any good?
Where did it come from?
Why Use Linux?
Would I have to get rid of Windows XP if I install Linux?
Isn't Linux only for experts?
The Big Question: Why should I get Linux instead of Windows Vista?
Beryl vs Aero video

What is Linux?

Linux is a free operating system for your PC. By “free” they mean two things:

It doesn't cost any money
You are free to change, modify and redistribute it

So by “free” they mean that nobody owns it. Which means in a way everybody owns it.

Jump to top

If it's free, how can it be any good?

A Linux user expresses
her gratitude

Because the nerds love Linux dearly. It allows them to tinker, modify and improve it. Plus a lot of very idealistic people work very hard behind the scenes to make it work. Linux gets better all the time. Better still, it's all done to benefit you the user, not the shareholders of some faceless corporation.

Jump to top

Where did it come from?

In the Old Days (ie: the 80s) only supernerds in university electronics labs had computers. They were huge and ran on an operating system called Unix, which belonged to AT&T and cost megabucks. Some of the nerds tried to write their own copycat version called GNU. Another guy called Linus Torvalds wrote a big chunk of code nicknamed Linux. When stuck together they made a complete system called GNU/Linux (or just Linux for short)

No, not that sort of Gnu

Despite breaking all the rules of sensible software development, it worked much better than the original Unix it was inspired by. The geeks loved it, and it now powers a sizeable chunk of the servers that run the internet. Including the one Spork lives on.

For the home desktop market however, Microsoft's marketing juggernaut squished all opposition, and Linux has been left lagging far behind with the Macs ever since.

Jump to top

Why Use Linux?

It's free
You already own the rights to use it, so why not check it out?
It's fast
Installing Linux feels like upgrading your machine. You'll be amazed just how much quicker and smoother it runs.

If you're on a budget, buying an old cheap machine and installing Linux can give you the same performance as a new PC running Windows, for a fraction of the price.
It's secure
Linux isn't vulnerable to viruses, so you don't have to run any antivirus software. Yes, you read that correctly: you do not need antivirus software. Linux is perfectly safe to use with just a lightweight firewall, which comes as standard. Nasties like viruses and spyware are written to exploit flaws in Windows. No virus that can hurt Linux has ever been able to spread in the wild. That makes it even faster, because you don't have bloated security programs running all the time.
The software is great
A lot of the software is better than the Windows equivalents. Amarok is the best music player/organiser i've ever used, and the IM client Pidgin (aka GAIM) lets you log in to all your different IM accounts at the same time. The Linux version of GIMP is much better than Photoshop. Plus you'll be able to bring favourites like Firefox with you. And Beryl has to be seen to be believed.

All up there's over 17,000 pieces of free software available, and there are even ways you can get Windows or Mac software to run under Linux.

Jump to top

Would I have to get rid of Windows XP if I install Linux?

A typical dual-boot setup

Nope. You can install Linux on your XP machine. When you switch on you'll get the choice of which system to boot up into. You can even share all your files between them.

Jump to top

Isn't Linux only for experts?

No. It isn't.

Linux is just as easy to use as Windows or OS X. The reason people think that only geeks can use it is that Linux allows you to tinker with it's insides, so a lot of geeks do just that. If you don't want to fiddle about with it, you don't have to. Installation can involve more steps, (depending what you want to do with it), but once it's up and running it just works.

You do occasionally have to tell it to do stuff by typing commands into a window, but otherwise 99% of your time will be spent in a normal graphical interface like Windows.

Jump to top

The Big Question: Why should I get Linux instead of Windows Vista?

Vista Aero is very pretty...

Windows Vista is supposed to be more secure than XP, and has lots of eye candy with it's fancy new Aero 3D windows engine, right?

Well, Linux is even more secure than Vista, and it can run Beryl. Beryl is a mind-blowing animated 3D engine that makes Aero look like a joke. You can see for yourself in the video of Aero vs Beryl below.

For those of you with 64-bit CPUs, Vista also offers the option of a 64-bit version. The trouble is that 64-bit support for Windows machines is terrible. Most of the hardware and software support either isn't available or doesn't work. Linux has been offering full 64-bit support for years. I run a 64-bit machine with absolutely no problems. You paid for the 64-bit chip, why not use it to its full potential?

...but Beryl does a lot more.

Vista also needs pretty meaty hardware to run smoothly. You'll probably need to upgrade your PC to run it. With Linux you'll be able to get the same performance or better out of the hardware you already have.

So if you want to upgrade from XP to a machine which is fast, secure and does cool-looking things you have two choices:

Fork out loads of dosh for Vista, and probably pay again for new hardware to make it run properly. Fingers crossed and good luck with those hardware and software compatibility problems!

Install Ubuntu Linux with Beryl for free and spend all that money on someone you love. You get a shiny new toy to play with and keep the other half happy. Win-win situation!

Jump to top