Why Linux; from my average joe point of view

I think it's time to be serious with Linux based operating system. My first experience with Linux started since early 2000 where Mandriva was still known as Mandrake. I learned one or two things and able to compile Mandrake kernel to suit my PC hardware.

Then, due to study and work constrain, there was a very long pause before I installed Ubuntu Hardy Heron in my PC. And then another several months pause LoL.

I think the causes of these pause are, I found that I am more productive in Windows environment. Be it office work, graphics or programming, tools and SDKs available for Windows environment are more polish, comprehensive and complete. Some more, these applications could be downloaded (for free, thanks to bittorent technology) or purchased at some "kedai cd lanun" for cheaply. USD2 for Microsoft Office 2007 anyone?

When Microsoft released Windows 7 as their flagship operating system, this 'comfort zone' problem become more serious. No thanks to Vista that forced me (and other user) to upgrade my PC's hardware just to overcome Vista poor performance (AMD Phenom II 955BE @ 3.6 GHz, 4GB of DDR3 1333 low latency RAM, AMD Radeon 4850 and terabyts of hard disks), transition from Vista to 7 is silky smooth. In fact, with 7, I feel my computer is more responsive, faster and slicker. Not to mention, prettier GUI.

So, when people keep praising Linux for this and that, I always ask myself; Do I really need Linux operating system? What advantages could I gain from Linux? Cost? Freedom? Become a 1337? Or become a GEEK?

Cost? Nah... I get most of my Windows based stuffs for free or at minimal fee.

Freedom? Hmm...In normal user point of view, this advantage is almost non-exist.
Become a 1337? No need

Become a GEEK? No Thank You!

Virus problems? Yeah, occasionally this is a real threat. But once or twice a year. My AV is good enough to tackle this problem for me.

Security? I believe Linux is less secure compare to 7 in normal pc user's hand. We don't know what to open, what to close at the very first place.

Better GUI? I love Aero honestly. But I do admit that some Linux distro also has very good GUI.

Complete control? Uh... you mean those command lines right. Duh...it takes time to master it. A normal user prefer to click here and there. LoL. Being spoiled with Microsoft GUI approach already.

Games? No offense but gaming in Linux is like hosting a critical database server in Windows 95. Wine is not the answer. Rather than play in emulated environment, why not play the games in Windows. Games that come with Linux also, OKish at best. Furthermore, how many titles that natively support Linux?

Drivers optimization? I am Creative x-fi user. I appreciate the sound produced by this card. Too bad that Creative drivers for Linux is soooo average.

So many reasons to avoid Linux right. Please note that these opinions are come from average PC user who prefer speed and productivity with minimal fuss. And I believe, there are a lot more PC users (average Joe) who are in the same ship as mine. Perhaps, that is the reason why Microsoft OS still dominate 90% of PC market.

However, recently (thanks to 2 days Linux workshop that I attend), I start to see Linux in a bit different perspective. It's not that what I can't accomplish with this operating system with 1 or 2 clicks but it is more to what I can achieve with this open source operating system with some dedication and passion. Things that I can't to do with pre-compiled and close source operating system.

Some more, nobody restrict me from using Windows 7 if I use Linux. I still can switch to Windows 7 for multimedia and gaming stuffs right. But if I only know how to use Windows and basically blind in Linux world, it's like using every computer applications without knowing how to code (I love C++, PHP, Java and venturing in ASP.net).

To make it short, the real reason that motivates me to be serious in Linux and actively posting in this blog is POWER of KNOWLEDGE. Furthermore, Linux is almost synonymous with server world. Having Linux know how could be a huge advantage in my future career and pay check as well :)

So, I create this blog as my personal journal to log my findings and experiences with Linux XD