The differences between windows and linux are many. In general if you
are an "advanced" user. By this I mean have a reasonable knowledge
about how computers work Windows is the wrong choice. Conversely, if
you have no knowledge of computer operation then it is a great choice.
Linux and Unix encourage continuous improvement in your work habits. Each
year I have used Unix I have more macros/scripts/ etc and work more
efficiently.
With windows you pretty much hit the wall after a couple of months.
Windows
Designed for the lowest common denominator
Relatively easy (when it works) impossible to fix (when it breaks)
Style rather than function orientation
bloated and growing fast 3.1~35meg-->98~200meg
bloated and slow software (Word after version 5.0)
multiple entry points to configuration, each with its own problems
Total lack of scripting tools, except VB for applications
Linux
Designed for literate computer users
Relatively difficult to setup, but not much more difficult to fix
Function orientation
code reasonably efficient and size is relatively stable
As to word processors, I personally don't use the god awful things (I use
emacs and LaTeX). But, if you insist on a wordprocessor Star Office is
suppose to be a pretty close rip off of Microsoft office, see earlier
posting about Star Office. As to the CAD argument, I am not sure what
part of the CAD world you are in but AutoCAD if far from the "ONLY"
acceptable CAD package. Many of the high end CAD packages are available
only on Unix, which is part of the reason AutoCAD is not fighting for that
niche. Algor, Ansys, Microstation are a few from companies that are
pretty large for not selling any products in the "real" world. Note,
these companies don't support Linux either.
About the only "standards" I believe Microsoft has set is the Office
Suite. Far and away most offices have standardized on this set of tools.
Was this a good decision, not in my opinion, but everyone is bent on
"compatibility" with Office.
Linux has several significant advantages
1. Generally computer literate users. Linux Journal kind of reminds
me of the early DOS/Windows days with Byte Magazine. Now we have
Win98 and you can't get a technical question answered straight.
2. Tools, grep, awk, perl, sed, find all essential, not part of
the standard WinDoze world.
3. Reasonable rate of growth. A good machine for running Linux
has not changed much in the last five years. With Windows
you would have probably upgraded twice.
> well now lets be fair. while windows is a peace of crap, linux is lacking
> in many areas. Alot of the Wordprocessors are not *that* great... i
> havent tried the newest wp8 i have the pre release, but if its anything
> like wp7, im sticking with ms office. in the CAD area linux has absolutly
> nothing... well thats not true there is veriCAD and linuxCAD, however the
> only accepted format in the real world is AutoCAD by AutoDesk, who stoped
> supporting *nix on version 13 (they are now on 14) hopefully they will
> change thier minds on 15. but to say that windows has *no* merrits what
> so ever is a little too far to go.
>
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>
>
> On Tue, 22 Dec 1998, Peter Bailey wrote:
>
> bailey>
> bailey>
> bailey> On Tue, 22 Dec 1998, Simon Cousins wrote:
> bailey>
> bailey> > No more MS Windows, free at last, free at last, free at last!
> bailey> >
> bailey> > Merry Christmas and a Happy (and for me, Microsoftless) New Year.
> bailey>
> bailey> Is a great feeling though isn't it? It's hard for me to go back to a
> bailey> windows system now. I don't understand why people put up with that crap.
> bailey> Whatever, I guess if you have the cash to market something, it doesn't
> bailey> matter what it is. Could be dog poop in a pretty box with two attractive
> bailey> models smiling on TV every five minutes and it would take hold in this
> bailey> society like Coke or Nike.
> bailey>
> bailey>
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