Microsoft Training: Windows 7 Better than Linux

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]kato128[/nom]@Randomizer: Yeah I see your point there. It looks like it's a tricky use of context. So while nothing is completely untrue it's not completely honest either and taking it as a global truth could be very misleading. Basically this kind of thing highlights the old adage "buyer beware".[/citation]
Microsoft is a corporation. You have to expect their marketing team to do this as that's what they're paid to do - persuade the buyer in any way possible.

 

[neosoul]

I love Linux for work, it's ultra fast and very flexible in the right hands. My work desktop is as customizable as any, shinier and prettier than Win7 with tons of usability and all my options are always available to me.

But, let's face it. For usability, the popular OS wins (unfortunately), and I run Vista at home for my laptop and desktop. The reasons are getting less and less to do so, and I'm sure people can get me alternatives on some level for all of the apps I use.

Yes, Linux works great for older hardware and at work where you use standardized workstation platforms (we use Dell Precisions) but newer proprietary ones like laptops? It sucks, seriously. This has more to do with the manufacturer for not providing good drivers or open sourcing the ones they have but it still sucks to deal with.

For my desktop, my only real excuse is gaming. With modern games these days flakey out of the box, do I want to wrap it into Wine? No. Sure given enough time, I can tweak a majority of my games to work - but that's it, time. At work, it's my job to tweak things, make it work, utilize the stability of Linux for uptime etc. But at home? Is your time that cheap?

Don't get me wrong, I still use it for my home NAS, and I dual boot it on my desktop. But driver issues, game and application compatibility is holding it back.

I agree with one commenter that manufacturers are very slow or simply not updating drivers for their older devices. I personally had two that had to go - my HP Laserjet 1000 and surprisingly my microsft webcam

 

[radguy]

Cant be any worse than the bull sh** the apple guy in the BestBuy store was trying to convince me of. A couple weeks ago looking at laptops and he came over and tried to convince me to buy a mac. Bad idea I'll try to make this quick.
He wanted me to buy a 13inch macbook pro over a dell studio 14z 700bucks.
I told him if i went online i could get the dell studio 14z better spected with a higher resolution what I think is really important for under a grand. He moved on about the superiority of OSX. I told him the win 7 rc was running pretty good and I really thought the gui was a little better cause its pretty much stolen and modded from OSX anyway. Somewhere allong the way he went on to say that the CPU on windows ran at 20%-40% at idle and on OSX it ran at 0%.
Moving on to desktops cause I was like I cant build my own pc he was saying that an E8200 in the imac was better than an E8200 in a windows machine. The cpu was built different and therefore better ie faster than a pc with the same E8200. He also tried to convince me that having 2 gb of DDR3 would beat 4gb of ddr2 hands down. I have nothing against apple just that their computers aren't right for me personally and I might not big on their advertising. I could go on with this guy.
Anyway I don't think anything microsoft over linux has done can top apples umm I am the best thing in world and will say anything to convice you of that tactic.

 

[t85us]

what a joke this artikle is LOL
don't believe it at all.
no mp3 support ? my butt. anything portable i connected, it worked perfect, even my cell phone carrier's usb modem that NEEDED drivers for windows.
no camera support ? my 4ss. every camera is supported i connected till this day (sony, fuji, canon, nikon, ... )
no printers ? i guess how many printer drivers are natively in windows. for everything you need to search the net... even for video drivers. what a shame. with ubuntu a single click, and jockey will install it without an extra click or whatever.
software compatibility. what is the goal of linux use ? use of windows software ? that's not. if so, use MICROSOFT, not linux based OS.
windows live messenger ? then what is emesene ? install with a single click, it's on ubuntu's multiverse, or get ubuntu tweak, and a single click will install it. don't need to search the net for it.
games. linux isn't for games, but if your a game fan, then wine, cedega, crossover will do the trick for most games (wow works with cedega VERY GOOD)
authorized support for what ? there are a lot of forums where you can get help, a lot better than microsoft help for free.
video chat ? most of webcamera drivers are already installed in the 2.6 kernels, get a linux based chat protocoll and you get webcam.

i think THIS artikle is a propaganda, M$ paind tom$hardware to advertise M$

 

[t85us]

what a joke this artikle is LOL
don't believe it at all.
no mp3 support ? my butt. anything portable i connected, it worked perfect, even my cell phone carrier's usb modem that NEEDED drivers for windows.
no camera support ? my 4ss. every camera is supported i connected till this day (sony, fuji, canon, nikon, ... )
no printers ? i guess how many printer drivers are natively in windows. for everything you need to search the net... even for video drivers. what a shame. with ubuntu a single click, and jockey will install it without an extra click or whatever.
software compatibility. what is the goal of linux use ? use of windows software ? that's not. if so, use MICROSOFT, not linux based OS.
windows live messenger ? then what is emesene ? install with a single click, it's on ubuntu's multiverse, or get ubuntu tweak, and a single click will install it. don't need to search the net for it.
games. linux isn't for games, but if your a game fan, then wine, cedega, crossover will do the trick for most games (wow works with cedega VERY GOOD)
authorized support for what ? there are a lot of forums where you can get help, a lot better than microsoft help for free.
video chat ? most of webcamera drivers are already installed in the 2.6 kernels, get a linux based chat protocoll and you get webcam.

i think THIS artikle is a propaganda, M$ paind tom$hardware to advertise M$

 

[WheelsOfConfusion]

This is mainly just a marketing campaign, except it's not targeted at customers but at middle-men like Best Buy employees.
The "security" thing gave me a laugh, and they also claimed it wasn't clear whether Linux updated critical vulnerabilities quickly or not, or that it was harder to install programs and updates. I have a hard time believing that even the marketing peeps at MS have never heard of a package manager, so that much is just straight up bullshit.

I skipped Vista in favor of Ubuntu, back when Vista was having its toothing problems. I'll probably get Windows 7 and dual-boot for my next desktop build.
Though if my current Ubuntut/XP laptop is any indication even Windows 7 might not get much love.

 

[enforcer22]

[citation][nom]randomizer[/nom]Linux does not have a lack of support for games, the games have a lack of support for Linux. The problem is the reverse of what the slide says. citation]

Actualy its both.. Linux isnt a single OS linux isnt unified. linux can support things from one distro and not support things from another. On the other hand. Why even attempt to make a game for a platform that has 1 in probly 10,000 people using it. Ill even bet its a smaller number then that but still. Why make a game period for OPENGL Now dont get me wrong i preffer opengl from the old days over directx. but hell they cant even get any good options in that api anymore. bring it up to speed.

I totaly agree if linux wasnt free it would have likely been forgotten. The coperate deplyment argument is irrelavent. they use all kinds of os's no ones even heard of let alone suitable for the end user.

Im not anti linux im just anti bullshit. Want native run games on linux? get all these open source freeware idiots off thier ass's and standardise thier software. and do something to get support other then "we are the tree hugging hippy retards that make better things for the consumer because we arent greedy corperate money mongering capitalists." people dont care about that hippy shit. the only way they will get the support is to push for it not expect people to give a damn about them cuz they are "open source" or "better".

 

[Guest]

"First the ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

- Gandhi

With respect to GNU/Linux, I guess Microsoft has just reached stage 3.

 

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]t85us[/nom]i think THIS artikle is a propaganda, M$ paind tom$hardware to advertise M$[/citation]
This article isn't even promoting what Microsoft said, it's just reporting on it. You fail at reading comprehension, just as you fail at spelling.

[citation][nom]EnFoRceR22[/nom]Linux isnt a single OS linux isnt unified.[/citation]
Linux is a single, frequently updated kernel. There is only one Linux, but newer and older versions of it.

[citation][nom]EnFoRceR22[/nom]linux can support things from one distro and not support things from another.[/citation]
Anything that can be compiled into the kernel, whether by the user, the distribution maintainers or the kernel developers can be supported in all distributions. There is no such thing as one distribution supporting more than another because at the core they are all the same.

[citation][nom]EnFoRceR22[/nom]Why even attempt to make a game for a platform that has 1 in probly 10,000 people using it. Ill even bet its a smaller number then that but still.[/citation]Very fair point, and I totally agree. It isn't financially viable to do so. This is not a flaw in Linux however, nor is it a superior "feature" of Windows.

[citation][nom]EnFoRceR22[/nom]they use all kinds of os's no ones even heard of let alone suitable for the end user.[/citation]
That depends on what computers you're talking about. Desktop workstations mostly run Windows 2000/XP, while the servers mostly run UNIX-like flavours such as Linux and *BSD.

[citation][nom]EnFoRceR22[/nom]Want native run games on linux? get all these open source freeware idiots off thier ass's and standardise thier software. and do something to get support other then "we are the tree hugging hippy retards that make better things for the consumer because we arent greedy corperate money mongering capitalists."[/citation]
You don't understand the concept of open source. Linux is not about free beer, it is free as in freedom (yes, very overused phrase I know but that's what it is). The lack of cost is a bonus. But the point of open source is to remove the need for lock-in propriety stuff, DRM and lack of community involvement. Open source is all about the community and freedom. You can change the software in any way you like to suit you, not wait until the development company thinks it knows what suits you. If there's a bug in the program, YOU can fix it, not wait for 6 months until a patch comes out. Of course most people can't compile their own programs, let alone fix up bugs in source code, but that's not the point. When you use open source software you acknowledge the fact that the developers don't owe you anything and don't have to provide support (they may, although it is usually community-based support). Microsoft owes you support because you paid for it.

With regards to standardisation, that would destroy the point of having multiple distributions. They exist because many are based on certain philosophies with regards to propriety software. If you want out of the box support for DVDs for example, you wouldn't pick Debian because that's against their philosophy. Linux Mint on the other hand supports it. It's your responsibility to do research into what software suits your needs. If you need CUDA support you don't buy an ATI card. If you need propriety media codecs out of the box you don't get Debian or Ubuntu. Of course these can all be installed on any distribution.

Remember the most important thing. Linux is not Windows. If you need to run Windows software then don't complain when it doesn't work on Linux because you're missing the point. No Apple user complains when iWork doesn't run on Windows. If you need Windows, use Windows. Also, you can't ever expect Linux to behave like Windows because, again, it is not Windows. Don't like it? Don't use it.

The argument that Linux will never be mainstream is quite a pointless one. Linux doesn't need to be mainstream, nor is it trying to be mainstream. The Kernel developers have no need to gain market share, that is what Apple and Microsoft are doing.

 

[jamesedgeuk2000]

World of Warcraft has native support for linux (it has D3D7/8/9 and OpenGL options) you only need WINE if you want to run it in D3D mode

I dont mind MS twisting the truth, all companies do that, but flat out lying? i hate linux but these tactics sadden me

 

[palladin9479]

The reason there isn't much gaming on Linux is a licensing / standardization one. Basically most game developers are on a VERY tight schedule to produce a product. For them time = money and there is precious little of either available. Windows which is used in the upper 90% of home systems supports DirectX right outside the box. For a game to even have a chance at being successful (and thus making money for its investors) it MUST support Windows (which usually means DirectX). To date there is NO native Linux binaries for Direct X, no library's or source code to recompile. This means a gaming company would have to support the dated OpenGL language. And by dated I mean the working group can't settle their own minds and release a standardized version, so we must all keep using extensions and OpenGL 2.1.

For gaming companies it's just not financially viable to spend time/money creating / testing / supporting their product on a platform with such a wide configuration base as linux has. Coupled with having to build the GFX engine for OpenGL along with DirectX and that cause's even more issues.

And before the linux-nazi's jump in, please realize that I'm a systems engineer and do most of my work on Solaris. I even have a maxed out SunBlade 2000 (although its a bit old now) at the house that I use for various projects. But my biggest $$$ expenditure is my gaming rig, which currently runs WinXP x64 (won't touch Vista x64 with a 10 foot pole), and thus is what really matters for my free time.

 

[amnotanoobie]

Dunno why they are taking a stab at something free. They should compare it to other pay-for software.

 

[Ciuy]

You forgot one thing to add to that graph : Linux is FREE !!!!

useless article again ...

 

[cryogenic]

[citation][nom]amnotanoobie[/nom]Dunno why they are taking a stab at something free. They should compare it to other pay-for software.[/citation]

Because that free thing is their competition on netbooks ... They are not taking a stab, it's not a cheap shot at Linux, the facts are actually true for the vast majority of users (except those tech savvy, those that are able to make WoW run in Wine).

 

[cucu]

they doo this because they are afraid, more and more users are coming to linux, and all of that is just lays windows users did you ever see compiz or kwin?

 

[backbydemand]

[citation][nom]Ciuy[/nom]You forgot one thing to add to that graph : Linux is FREE !!!!useless article again ...[/citation]

Dog shit is free too, but you don't see millions of people rushing to get their hands on it.

 

[anamaniac]

Interesting...

 

[Andraxxus]

In the small picture if you look at what is written it looks like this:
Windows Linux
Money Free

 

[backbydemand]

Also, statement that games don't run on Linux is perfectly valid.

For example, I cannot play Atari games on Windows, not directly, I have to go through a convoluted process of using an emulator.

Why is this any differant than Linux having to use WINE? Linux doesn't run the game, WINE does.

 

[Guest]

using ubuntu with amsn for videochat over the msn network while listening music from my ipod...
Watched a heavily protected dvd on my 21" screen (my tv is smaller; windows cannot read the dvd).
My scanner is too old to be supported by windows and my videocard overheats in windows when playing Neverwinter Nights.
Neverwinter nights runs on Linux without Wine.
I can read almost any office document with OpenOffice or KOffice and my desktop looks exactly like a fresh Vista install with Aero.

Linux detects when my mouse battery runs flat and gives a warning at 10% remaining. That should work on windows, but it does not.

I have no need of antivirus software and I can open any picture in any email.

the media buttons on my keyboard work out of the box. Windows needs a driver.
I set up my box within 3 hours including software and customization.
Windows took me 3 hours just to get the OS in place and *most* of the drivers... sound still does not work...

But see what I do here: I compare with Ubuntu. very specific.
What they do is compare (specefic) Windows 7 to (not specific) Linux.

They can easily try to compare Slackware or LinuxFromScratch to Windows 7 and win without showing a single sheet.

So I can easily say that Ubuntu 9.04 is waaaay better than Windows 3.0

No shit Sherlock...

 

[backbydemand]

[citation][nom]Chasalin[/nom]Neverwinter nights runs on Linux without Wine.citation]

Would this fall under the category of "games that people actually want to play".

Try some of this list, do any of these games run natively in Linux without WINE, or even with WINE do they run at all?

Battlefield 2
Bioshock
C&C 3 Tiberium Wars
C&C Red Alert 3
Crysis
Crysis Warhead
Call Of Duty 4
Call Of Duty World At War
Counterstrike Source
Dawn Of War
Dead Space
Devil May Cry 4
Fallout 3
GRAW 2
GTA 4
Guild Wars
Half Life 2
Mass Effect 1 & 2
Rainbow 6 Vegas
Spore
Timeshift
Unreal 2004
Unreal Tournament 3

Not being an arse, I actually want an answer to this question! If someone can provide me with compelling evidence, (actual, not anecdotal) I may consider switching.

 

[captaincharisma]

most of those games require directX so since Linux has no way to get DirectX besides WINE then no

 

[randomizer]

And Wine is hit and miss without tweaking. Some versions work almost flawlessly, others are rubbish, and it will be different for every program. As I said before, if you want to run Windows programs alot then use Windows, otherwise consider switching to native Linux software (which means stop playing games) or dual boot. Don't try and make Linux behave like Windows as you will only frustrate yourself and blame Linux when it's a case of PEBKAC.

 

[dmoney_07]

It's funny that a lot of people say that Linux isn't for the average user. Tbh most people I know that i would consider "average users" use the computer as nothing more than a word processor and web browser. Add a few shortcuts on their desktops and they have no problem using a Linux box.

I'm not here to debate the security of window/linux but i'll say this: I get far less headaches from "average users" using a linux machine compared to a windows machine. One may be no more secure than the other but at least when you're using a linux machine you're less of a target. I have to clean friends/families windows machines on a regular basis. The amount of spyware/virus' out there for windows machines is just insane.

 

[backbydemand]

So that pretty much answers my question, for a games enthusiast who doesn't want to be restricted by a console resolutions, (I can push out a healthy 2560 x 1920), I want to put the disk in my machine or download it direct via Steam, and run it. Linux wont do this for me. I have to get an extra piece of software called WINE which doesn't always work, no professional support and seems likely not to do so for the games that most people want to actually play.
QED
Linux is no good for gaming.

Banging on about WINE is the same as a Windows user saying they can play Gauntlet for the Atari, when clearly they can't unless they use an emulator.

The statement about iPod support is again perfectly valid. People have been known to use an iPod on Linux, you will notice on the graphic the slider is set low, not off, so that indicates intermittant support. Maybe it will, maybe it wont. At least with a Windows machine you run iTunes and it works first time every time.

The software support, well, lets get this right, this is a sales training article. Mr & Mrs Joe Public are in Best Buy and they have just decided on that shiny new Linux PC, then Joe moves to the software aisle and asks about MS Office. What exactly is the salesman going to say? "Sure thing, no problems, just load it up and start writing letters"

Bull.