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Is There a Real Alternative to Windows?

 
sgtdjones 2019-02-16 10:55:35 

Only Windows is Windows. There are alternatives, but whether they're right for you depends on you.

Windows alternatives

There is no exact replacement for Microsoft Windows. Whether any alternative will work for you depends on that alternative’s characteristics as compared to your needs.

The most commonly considered alternatives include Apple’s OS X on Macs, Linux, and the Google Chrome operating system. They each have significant pitfalls, depending on what you expect.

OS X runs (legally1) only on Apple hardware, so switching means getting a new computer. It also means learning the nuances of OS X’s interface (just as you learned the nuances of Windows). It also means replacing all the software you use, as OS X does not run Windows applications. You’ll need to get versions of the same software available on the Mac, like Microsoft Office, for example, or alternative applications that serve the same need, such as LibreOffice or Open Office.

Linux is free and runs on almost any PC, even an old one collecting dust in a closet. There are a confusing number of distributions to choose from, with Ubuntu and Mint being the most popular for Windows expats. Like OS X, Linux does not run Windows applications2, so you’ll be looking for alternatives. Unfortunately, true Linux versions of Windows applications are very rare. You’ll need to find alternative applications that serve the same needs to your satisfaction.

Google Chrome OS is available only on “Chromebooks” — laptops specifically designed to run the Chrome OS — so you’ll be getting a new machine to go this route. Once again, Chrome OS does not run Windows software, so you’ll be looking for alternatives. The good news here is that many Chromebooks can also run Android applications, where there often are official versions of Windows applications. These versions are often stripped-down equivalents to those you might find on Windows, but again, depending on your needs, they may be enough.


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Priapus 2019-02-16 11:06:05 

In reply to sgtdjones

I have been running a dual boot of Windows 7 and Ubuntu Linux on my personal PC for years now. At work it is RHEL for our enterprise applications.

 
sgtdjones 2019-02-16 11:32:45 

In reply to Priapus

What are you gonna do when Microsoft stop
supporting Windows 7 ?

 
culpepperboy 2019-02-16 12:50:38 

In reply to sgtdjones

What are you gonna do when Microsoft stop
supporting Windows 7?

Get rid of my antivirus software

 
Priapus 2019-02-16 13:10:34 

In reply to sgtdjones

Grudgingly move to Windows 10? Hopefully more bugs would have been fixed by then.

 
Fantom 2019-02-16 18:33:59 

In reply to sgtdjones

Most regular consumers could survive without losing sleep and not use Windows. In fact, with a little effort, many would sleep better.

 
steveo 2019-02-16 19:59:17 

Try Deepin

Have not tried it, but if I was trying, it would be the first on my list.

 
Norm 2019-02-16 21:19:19 

Depends on what you want to do. Linux is king for servers, but Windows rules the desktop.

Generally speaking, Windows will do everything on the desktop, but Linux could be adequate too, with some exceptions, including CAD and C# GUI programming.

Most small specialized Windows programs will now run well on Linux (and Macs, I heard) using Wine. Many large ones, like MS Office, will run too, but with some flaws.

These days you will find software for most things on Linux but Windows remains best with graphics and efficient output files. Draftsight (free AutoCAD clone) will run on both Windows and Linux, but at a higher screen resolution on Windows in most cases.

LibreOffice (MS Office replacement) will run on Windows and Linux, but will open Word files more slowly and saved files are more bulky. In addition, on-screen rendering could be different, though not by much in general.

The biggest difference between Windows and its competition though is in available documentation. You will find plenty of books and websites about software for Windows, but hardly anything for the competition. For large companies, the availability of adequate documentation is essential, which is probably why Linux has not made much progress on the desktop.

Windows is weakest only when it comes to viruses and other malware. Even then, Windows 10 isn't too bad, even with Microsoft's own free anti-malware software.

These days one can purchase decent used Windows hardware online for very little (< US$100), complete with legal copies of Windows 7, or even Windows 10. Upgrading from Win 7 to 10 legally is not terribly expensive either.

So, Windows is king of the desktop, and will remain so for a while, for all but the most adventurous of computer users.

 
nick2020 2019-02-17 09:17:46 

In reply to steveo

That control center looks lovely.

 
nick2020 2019-02-17 09:22:15 

In reply to Norm

I think it depends on what kind of user.

Google came up with Chrome because they understood that 99% of the population uses a PC for a handful of tasks. I think what they overlook is what people want and need are not always in sync.

I once made the Ubuntu plunge and it was good. Unfortunately I missed Photoshop too much. But I think I will build a pc and try out Deepin.

 
Norm 2019-02-17 14:20:50 

In reply to nick2020

I will build a pc and try out Deepin.

Deepin has a lot of eye candy, alright, but I find that the "pretty faces" are only skin deep. The dialog boxes, menus, and other interface elements tend to be the same plain style as just about any other distribution based on Debian.

The true beauty of the Linux world is KDE, which is beautiful to the core, and very functional. The down side is plenty of bloat, requiring rather powerful hardware.

Personally, I am happy with plain Gnome on Ubuntu - sleek, decent-looking, powerful and very functional. I tried Linux Mint Cinnamon, but the thing kept crashing ever so often and caused me to lose a lot of work. That reminded me of my short interaction with Macs. They crashed ("bombed", in Mac lingo - they even invented a special word for it!) so often that I gave up and ran back to my PC!

 
steveo 2019-02-17 19:57:26 

In reply to nick2020

That control center looks lovely.


I think that is the real qualification of the linux desktop.

If you are a power user, you will still need windows, it just runs too much stuff. CS and all that jive.

If all you need is a web browser, a linux laptop loaded with deepin should be for u.

I have used Ubuntu for a "utility" laptop, not my work one, and it worked great considering it was a only ubuntu(12). Wifi, automatic usb mounting etc worked.

I use linux servers daily, all command line, and they can never be beaten for their reliability and flexibility. But thats their niche.

Windows advantage is time, it has been around so long and everything works on it. Eventually Linux will usurp its position, but not yet.

 
nick2020 2019-02-17 20:16:20 

In reply to steveo

Eventually Linux will usurp its position, but not yet.


I doubt. If MS wasn't such an incompetent company they would have unified the platforms - Xbox/PC/Mobile - and took over the world.

But even so I don't see Linux usurping Windows.

 
steveo 2019-02-17 20:23:46 

In reply to nick2020


But even so I don't see Linux usurping Windows.


Ever heard of android?

 
Dan_De_Lyan 2019-02-17 20:48:04 

Have u fellas consider

Slate 2.0

 
nick2020 2019-02-19 04:45:24 

In reply to steveo

Ever heard of android?


I wasn't including that in the discussion but point taken.
As an OS on a personal computer (laptop/desktop) in the office and home environment Windows will be here for a while. But I guess that device is shrinking.

I will probably go back to Linux.

 
Norm 2019-02-19 08:28:17 

Operating systems are becoming less relevant with time, as web apps take over. Microsoft has given up on both Internet Explorer and Edge and has moved to the open source Chromium browser. This is to get its products to the largest possible audience - Android users.

The convergence of operating systems to a single open source system is not inconceivable, and Linux would be the best candidate for that.

 
Larr Pullo 2019-02-19 08:44:33 

You egg heads know that you can install a Linux subsystem on Windows 10? Or that you can run Linux containers on Windows? Yes, there is convergence.

Run this powershell to get started:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

 
nick2020 2019-02-19 09:14:07 

In reply to Norm

Operating systems are becoming less relevant with time, as web apps take over.


Following your line of reasoning then it will eventually become irrelevant? Then what runs on the device to run the webapp?

There are apps that are well suited for the web like productivity apps - email, docs, spreadsheets. I do imagine 90% of that lightweight stuff will migrate to the cloud (multimedia). But CPU and GPU intensive applications I think will stay home.

 
steveo 2019-02-19 09:16:52 

In reply to Larr Pullo

You egg heads know that you can install a Linux subsystem on Windows 10? Or that you can run Linux containers on Windows? Yes, there is convergence.


Why would we want to do that?

 
Norm 2019-02-19 09:17:28 

In reply to Larr Pullo

you can install a Linux subsystem on Windows 10

Microsoft is seeing the light, alright. Some super geeks claim to have even loaded the Gnome desktop on the Windows 10 Linux subsystem.

Despite talk that Microsoft included the Linux subsystem just to please sysadmins, the company is serious about it. Visual Studio includes plenty of tools to build (console) software for Linux, using C++ or .Net Core.

It's only a matter of time before the open source community comes up with a viable GUI framework for .Net Core. Microsoft has made that easier by releasing Windows Forms to the open source community.

Nevertheless, Linux will have a tough time bridging the immense gap between its graphical subsystem and DirectX used by Windows, despite the efforts of Steam. Windows will run modern games much better than Linux until that gap is bridged.

Still, there is a lot of signs that Microsoft is now less interested in monopolizing, or even controlling, the operating system market.

 
Larr Pullo 2019-02-19 09:23:06 

In reply to steveo


What a question. If you are running a test environment and u want to use Linux as a web server or something? There are so many reasons.

 
Norm 2019-02-19 09:24:30 

In reply to nick2020

what runs on the device to run the webapp?

An operating system, of course, to link software to the hardware.

As ARM chips become more widely used, Microsoft will have to adapt - much better that it did with Windows RT. It may prefer to adopt an existing system that already runs well ARM, such as Linux, instead of trying to modify its Intel-based operating system to run properly on ARM.

At least, that was Microsoft's approach with its web browsers.

 
steveo 2019-02-19 10:55:46 

In reply to Larr Pullo

What a question. If you are running a test environment and u want to use Linux as a web server or something? There are so many reasons.


If you are using that for your test environment, I am sorry for your clients lol lol

Use the real linux, with the exact distro and version in a VM bro

 
steveo 2019-02-19 10:56:58 

In reply to Larr Pullo

What a question. If you are running a test environment and u want to use Linux as a web server or something? There are so many reasons.


If you are using that for your test environment, I am sorry for your clients lol lol

Use the real linux, with the exact distro and version that matches your target environment, in a VM bro

 
eXodus 2019-02-19 12:59:25 

There is no real alternative to Windows.

For desktops for the regular user, Windows is and will probably forever reign supreme. I've had this conversation back and forth for a while now with countless people. For technically inclined people, Linux will work, but you have to be willing to live with some things. Back in the day when Ubuntu used to ship me CDs, I tried an experiment with my mom which failed miserably. lol lol

@nick2020
Microsoft is kinda heading in the direction of a Unified platform with UWP apps which can be ported across platforms. A few years a go I worked on "a revenue generating project regarding ancillaries" [I laugh every time I recall that line] using UWP apps on Surface tablets for a somewhat prominent East Coast Canadian domestic carrier with a blue logo. We did some amazing stuff with bleeding edge tech but it just wasn't there yet. Microsoft and their 3rd party vendors wasn't fully supporting our vision, but we were able to port the app to an Xbox. lol lol

@Larr

That linux subsystem is not fully functional to date. It's a nice to have but still can't beat CYGWIN. Nginix won't even run properly

p.s

check out ReactOS
https://www.reactos.org/

they're doing some interesting stuff... however I fear that they're moving too slowly and technology is swiftly outpacing them


p.p.s

for the really technically curious

http://menuetos.net/


^ i ran across these guys back in the day when we were using locked down PC's in high school which locked down the CD drives, but still had to allow floppy drive access. Shout out to DeepFreeze and FoolProof
lol lol lol

 
doosra 2019-02-19 13:15:29 

In reply to eXodus

There is no real alternative to Windows.


what?

for a 10 years+ Linux (and windows) user that sounds utterly crap big grin

 
nick2020 2019-02-19 14:08:03 

In reply to Norm

An operating system, of course, to link software to the hardware.


So you will always need an OS and in that people will always create their own OS.

Microsoft will have to adapt


I like MS but I do not know why such a rich company did not do a better job creating a unifying OS. They took a wonderful design in Window Phone and tried to apply it to desktop in Windows 10 which was not a good idea.

 
nick2020 2019-02-19 14:10:45 

In reply to eXodus

http://menuetos.net/


Interesting. I wonder where they are looking to go with this?

 
steveo 2019-02-19 14:24:26 

In reply to eXodus

That linux subsystem is not fully functional to date. It's a nice to have but still can't beat CYGWIN. Nginix won't even run properly


Larr works in an MS shop and buys their BS lol lol

 
eXodus 2019-02-19 16:59:00 

In reply to doosra

read the rest nuh big man...

Linux is for the technically inclined [which i'm sure you are lol]. For a run of the mill user doing word processing and who is very particular to which icon is where on their desktop, nothing beats Windows.


@steveo

Larr should know better lol

@nick2020

IIRC Menuet started with the alternative OS wave in the early 00's. A primary goal for them [and what made it really useful for us] was that it could fit on a 1.44mb floppy disk. lol lol. Assembly programs were really lightweight [~100-300kb] and back then you could fit a few decent "tools" on a floppy. Menuet also had a TCP stack so we could technically...you know...do stuff lol

 
Norm 2019-02-20 00:35:58 

In reply to eXodus

It's a nice to have but still can't beat CYGWIN. Nginix won't even run properly

I don't think you could run NginX on Cygwin either.

Would Apache run properly on the Windows 10 Linux subsystem?

 
eXodus 2019-02-20 09:32:28 

In reply to Norm

Here's a list....being constantly updated