Microsoft comes under heavy criticism regularly, easpecially from Linux buffs. But recent polls on this forum clearly shows that MS is more popular than Linux (atleast for the users on this forum). So why shouldn't Windows users pour some criticism on Linux?. Linux is by no means perfect or even close to perfect. That is why so few people use Linux. I will post a few reasons a to why, I believe, Linux hasn't caught on & why it simply has no chance whatsoever against Windows (atleast for now)
1. Totally unintiutive
I believe this is the main reason. Using Linux makes me feel that the designers just didn't want to make it usable by everyone. Some of the tasks are ridiculously difficult to go about. It sometimes seems that it was al deliberate. Though in recent times a lot has improved, using Linux still involves a lot of command lining, which is unacceptable for a modern computer user. mean who wants to type lousy commands in the command line in this age of the GUI???.
The learning curve that Linux provides is too steep for most people. There is litlle chance you will figure out things in Linux by yourselves. You either have to be trained by someone or read a book to use Linux. Unlike Windows or Macintosh, where you can figure things out by yourself, this is not possible many of a times in Linux.
Just take an example of installing a program in Linux. Many programs in linux come in the form of source code!!!. So you have to know how to compile the whole thing & run it. And again you have to know how to use the command line. If you don't know the specific command required, yo are out of luck. There is little chance of figuring out the command. You either know the command or you don't. And even if you have an RPM file, you still need to use the command prompt. Just take look at the following command-
To install, you need to type the following in the promt-
rpm -i [filename]
You can see that there is absolutely no way of figuring things out in linux. You either know the command or you don't. this is an old & outdated way of computing & that is to say the least.
Now compare that with Windows or the Mac. Both do have their learning curves as well, but they are quite shallow & anyone with the basic knowledge of computers can get by. Installing a program is a very easy process 7 the computer just walks you though the process in a step by step manner. Which is very good. Linux IS moving in this direction. You can just double click the rpm file to install the programs in Linux too, but still it is quite rudamentary & it doens't even tell you where the whole thing was installed. Very outdated way of computing.
Installing programs is one thing, installing drivers is quite another. I still haven't figured out how to do it.
2. Lack of commmercial applications
Most of the programs available for Linux are opensource, freeware & stuff like that. Many of them in beta stage. You mostly have alternatives for Linus & very rarely the original programs. people need the original stuff, not some alternative. For ex. for CD writing I need Nero & not some alternative, for playing music I need Winamp & not some winamp wannabe, etc etc. But Linux is full of wannabes & lookalikes & very rarely the real thing. It would be acceptable to use wannabes occasionally, but having to use them all the time is not acceptable, atleast to me.
And what about things like games?. I don't even need to mention this. Everyone knows where Linux stands in the gaming scene. Its a nobody.
3. Lack of standards
progam development is also hampered by the fact the there is no such thing as THE LINUX. You have Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, etc etc all coming up with their own versions. So a program developed for one may not work on the other without modifications. this leads to so much confusion & chaos. We have enough confusion in computers already & no one wants more.
4. No support
Even if commercial companies develop Linux versions of their software, no one wants to provide technical support for Linux. For example, Real developed a version of its realplayer software for Linux, but doesn't support it. Similarly yahoo developed Yahoo messenger, but the program is so outdated compared to the Windows version. Most of the stuff on linux is commmunity supported, which may not suit everyone's needs.
I will give more points soon.
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