Ubuntu’s newest version will be released at the end of October! That will also mark my 6 month of being almost entirely Windows free!
I’ve decided to do my part in helping promote Ubuntu by posting their countdown on the blog here.
I’m also posting a list of some of my favorite posts related to Ubuntu and Linux.
What I want to emphasize is that the excitement about Ubuntu/Linux should not be limited to tech geeks. Ubuntu is beneficial in ways that the average non-tech-geek should care about.
- My first Ubuntu post discussing some of the main benefits of Ubuntu.
- Why Universities Should Switch to Open Source Software
- Linux in Our High Schools
- More Thoughts On the Ubuntu Switch
- Assortment of Fun News for Linux Lovers
- How Linux Can Help Reduce Poverty
- Ubuntu Philosophy Desktop Wallpapers
The end of October is a great time to consider making the switch. You can easily partition your hard drive with the Ubuntu installer so that you don’t have to quit Windows or Mac cold-turkey.
I’ve actually become increasingly disappointed with Ubuntu. I use Ubuntu Hardy Heron at work, and Mac OS X at home/on the move. I do lots of programming and I use the command line even for mundane actions, so Windows is out. The *only* attraction of Ubuntu over OS X for me is the lower cost. It is less stable than OS X, and Gnome and KDE are more memory-hogging than OS X’s GUI (I’ve tried Xubuntu, but it’s too minimalistic for me). OS X crashes about 10x less often than Ubuntu and has fewer hardware compatibility issues. I also have less issues with software installations in OS X.
Going for an Ubuntu laptop after my Macbook dies would save me a few hundred dollars in terms of the purchase price, but I’m not sure it’d be worth the extra hours dealing with the weaknesses outlined above.
All the same, Ubuntu is still *a lot* better than Windows, so those of you who are still on Windows and want to try out a free alternative should go for it.
Hi Ponder,
Thanks for the comments. I agree that the choice between Ubuntu and Windows is much easier than the choice between Ubuntu and Mac.
I for one would pick Mac over Windows – even though I’ve been pretty much a Windows guy my entire life.
I also agree that if someone’s primary concern in picking an operating system is stability that, perhaps, Mac is a better pick than Ubuntu.
However, I do have other reasons to be excited about Ubuntu. A large part of the attraction to Ubuntu for me has to do with the spirit of the open source software mission.
Regarding stability –
(a) there are other reasons to favor Ubuntu even if you thought it was less stable (e.g., supporting the open source mission etc..) – in my own experience the stability issues have been relatively minor – so it’s not clear to me that the slight improvement in stability is worth the cost of Macs or the cost of not supporting the open source mission.
(b) I suspect stability will improve in Ubuntu (it seems to keep getting better and better), and it seems worth those labor pains if the end result is a free open-source and stable edition.
(c) The only time I’ve encountered stability issues has to do with hardware. Something goes screwy when Ubuntu tries to communicate with hardware (usually hardware with proprietary drivers). Isn’t a large part this hardware issue because hardware makers/driver creators are seldom thinking about Linux-users when they make their hardware/drivers? This is related to point (b) above – we can expect better hardware support, the more Ubuntu users there are so it becomes profitable to develop Ubuntu compatible hardware.
So it seems if Ubuntu is stable enough to not be a complete and utter annoyance all the time, then one might still have good reason to stick with it.
That said – you’re right the case for Ubuntu is much better when it’s Ubuntu vs. Windows and not Ubuntu vs. Mac
I hope you’re right about (b). I have to say that I didn’t see an improvement in stability between Dapper and Hardy though.
As for (a) and (c), yes, I think the social case for greater Ubuntu usage is good. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m the only Mac user who would go for proprietary stuff that is more convenient to use (and offers the same capabilities) over open source stuff that requires more effort to maintain. Ultimately the problem is that open source software is what economists would call a public good — there are positive externalities to my using Ubuntu, but since one more person switching completely to Ubuntu isn’t going to spur hardware makers to improve hardware compatibility, on a private level I still gain most by supporting Steve Jobs…