Why Linux

From Linux 101, The beginner's guide to all things Linux.

[edit] Why Linux?

I think a very easy way to compare Linux and Microsoft Windows to one another is to think about children's toys. Linux is the GI Joe, and Windows is the Barbie doll. Go ahead and take a moment to think about this.

A GI Joe and a Barbie accomplish the same task. They both look like the human body. It's just that they do it differently. Barbie is more beautiful to the eye. She sells because she is just so pretty. The tradeoff to beauty, however, is conformity. Nearly all Barbies look alike (they only vary by a "theme") and they don't have as many joints in the arms and legs. (I think you can bend her knees into 1 of 2 positions, and her arms don't bend at all.)

GI Joe's look a little more different from one another than a Barbie. They also have a lot of joints in their appendages, though they're usually a little less aesthetic than Barbies because you can see their metal joints and screws. So, for less beauty and more functionality, you can get a GI Joe.

Now what happens when you want to buy some accessories for the toys, like a building? Barbie has some specific dimensions, so usually you're forced to buy more Barbie-brand toys. So you go out and buy a Barbie house. It comes assembled in the box already. There is little work to be done (perhaps just stickers.)

A GI Joe is more accommodating. I'm sure there's GI Joe brand buildings and stuff, but when I was a kid, I built my buildings out of legos.

So, relating this back to software:

Windows is prettier, easier, and well-received to the masses. At the cost of this however, the masses are stuck to using proprietary accessories.

Linux offers more degrees of freedom, but you have to be willing to take the time to learn how to build and work with them. Usually though when you take the time to work with the features, you see that Linux usually has more.

I think another difference between the two is that Windows will sacrifice security for ease of use, whereas Linux will not.

And consider this: Windows programmers are paid to make Windows. To them, it is a job that they must complete in order to earn a living. This means that not making the perfect operating system ensures job security. For Linux programmers, most do not see monetary benefit from their work. They do it because they love to do it. Also, making buggy software means that they have to go back and take more of their time to fix it. This isn't fun, so they make an earnest effort to write the best code they can.

There is no such thing as a perfect machine. If you come to Linux expecting such, you will be just as disappointed as you were with Windows. The difference is where the two have faults. Windows lacks performance and features. Linux lacks ease of use. But if you become adept at Linux, no computer problem will be unsolvable.