This article is a rebuttal to Michael Gartenberg’s Opinion: Linux on the desktop: Still not happening over at Computerworld Operating Systems. Executive Summary: Michael Gartenberg is wrong.
I am seriously annoyed by the constant disingenuous articles that state GNU/Linux is not ready for the average user’s desktop PC as the primary, or only, operating system. What a dump truck load of manure! The majority of the people making such spurious claims are usually ignorant end-users, clueless “reporters”, Microsoft fanatics or Apple worshippers. I am not sure which of these categories may contain Mr. Gartenberg. But I suspect it is one or more of the above. If not, then someone point out to me just exactly where Mr. Gartenberg stands in the operating systems wars. Yes, these are wars. If you do not believe that, fine. You can be wrong if you want to.
Edit: the following paragraph is not an ad hominem directed at Mr. Gartenberg. It is written to illustrate Mr. Gartenberg’s logic used in the article URL above.
First off, I am already tired of typing “Mr. Gartenberg” so I will just call him MG. Not that I want to disrespect him or anything like that. It is just that the last name Gartenberg is just not ready for my company technical web log. It is too long and cumbersome to type. It takes too much effort. Also, Richard M. Stallman doesn’t use Gartenberg in a sentence every day. We all know that what Richard M. Stallman does is What We Should All Do. I mean, MG holds up RMS as The Guy that proves Linux just ain’t ready for the average user.
ARGH! Do you see how ignorant and disingenuous is MG’s premise? Okay, his puff of effluvia aside I will state what I as a small business owner use GNU/Linux for on my desktop system. You can decide for yourself which things I do that are too arcane for an average user with average intelligence.
My PC stays up and running for days and weeks on end. So, I rarely have to wait for it to boot when I need to get some work done. I do occasionally log out of my X session (Graphical desktop, for those of you who have no experience with GNU/Linux desktops). Mainly I do this when I get an update that requires me to log out of X for it to apply. These are rare though, and they never require me to reboot. Is this something that is important to an average desktop end user? Probably not. But it is a nice feature of GNU/Linux none the less.
I use Firefox and Opera web browsers every day. I watch Flash videos on YouTube, play a few Flash games, read news and opinion on several different web sites, check the weather using www.accuweather.com or just by looking at the Forecastfox AccuWeather plugin. I use Firefox to write articles on this company web log. I also use Firefox to login to our web host to manage our web sites. These last two may or may not be something an average user would do. But many businesses large to small surely would be doing some things similar on their desktop PCs. These solutions are definitely ready for the desktop end-user on GNU/Linux.
I use GnuCash to manage my personal and business finances. It has a straightforward interface and is as easy to use as any personal finance management software I have ever used. I can use the small business features of GnuCash to keep up with accounts payable and accounts receivable. I can input clients and create and print invoices for same. There is not just GnuCash, there are other financial management software packages available for GNU/Linux. Surely desktop based financial management is something the average user does and could do on a GNU/Linux desktop. Yup, that is ready.
In my role as a small business owner I also use OpenOffice.org writer often. I use it to create proposal documents, quote documents and client labor document forms. I also use OpenOffice.org Calc spreadsheets to calculate costs for quotes. The “Export Directly as PDF” feature is one I use frequently for preparing documents to send in e-mail. Certainly these are things done by many desktop system users using costly and proprietary software. For those people, the GNU/Linux desktop is ready. A friend of mine asserts that she is convinced the OpenOffice.org suite is the “killer application” for GNU/Linux systems, Apple systems, Microsoft systems or anywhere else it may be ported. I agree with her. What about Microsoft Office you say? What about it? I certainly do not need it, nor do probably 99% of desktop PC users.
I receive and send e-mail using Kmail with Kontact on my GNU/Linux desktop PC every day. It works and it works very well. I also use Akregator RSS feed reader with Kontact on my GNU/Linux desktop PC every day. That also works and works very well. I use the Calendar in Kontact regularly to schedule appointments and keep up with recurring events. Works great. Of these the one most average end-users would be doing is probably e-mail. There are several excellent e-mail applications for the GNU/Linux desktop. All work as expected. Definitely e-mail on the GNU/Linux desktop is ready for the average end-user.
There is more, much more that I do that is not at all like an average end-user. For example I occasionally play some FPS 3D games. Most average end-users are not playing FPS 3D games, that would be hard core gamers. Hard core gamers are a breed unto themselves. However, there is no need to go into most of these other things since most end-users are not going to think they have to emulate me or Richard M. Stallman to use a GNU/Linux desktop. That would just be silly.
Is GNU/Linux happening on the desktop? On my PC desktop it is. On the PC desktops of some of my non-geek friends and acquaintances it is. On the PCs of many businesses world wide it is. Desktop GNU/Linux is making small inroads in other businesses that are still undecided about moving to Windows 7. Is GNU/Linux happening on your desktop? If not, it should be … unless you have a serious reason that prevents it. Such as proprietary software that does not yet have a good equivalent on the GNU/Linux desktop. If so, you fall into that 1% of people who are not ready for GNU/Linux.
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A user calling himself Cheesejaguar on Reddit had this to say:
‘How long did it take you to install ATI/Nvidia drivers on a fresh install of linux? How long will it take your grand-mother in law?
“Average user” = your grand-mother in law.’
That is a fallacious argument. If either of my grand-mothers in-law were still living and while doing so installing ANY operating system then she would be no average user. Further, installing the nVidia 3D driver (I only use nVidia here) is easy-peasy these days using a modern GNU/Linux distribution that includes Dell’s (yes, I typed “Dell’s” there) DKMS. All the distributions I know of use this.
All, while deleting a lot of SPAM comments I also accidentally deleted several good comments instead of approving them. I was not noticing I was clicking the wrong option. Unfortunately with WordPress there is no “undo” for that. To those of you who I lost your comments, I apologize. If you want to post another comment, please do. I will make sure I approve them this time.
Edit: Ah ha! I forgot that all comments are e-mailed to an account at my company. I am in the process of recovering the deleted comments now.
Reality is which one uses Linux. Nearly no one. Which one will continue to use Linux if Linux is sold at the same price than Windows or AppleOS… Even less.
I am a Linux user for long now. Not only ATI, but also NVIDIA and Intel have presented so much problems, so bugs, so 3D deficiencies (problem still current), so failed hibernation… and so on. I ignore the rest, the rest is even more erratic.
Is it possible to use Linux as a desktop OS: of course! The real question is what to you do with it, how much peripherals you have to buy to gain decent support, how much peripheral you accept not to use, how much you accept to restrict your choice taking into account the limited number of softwares… and so on…
I use Desktop (and server) GNU/Linux nearly exclusively, save the few times I need a Windows XP virtual machine for some odd VPN connection at work.
I used to encourage my friends to run it also, but I’ve held back on that recently. If they want to run it (dual boot, usually), I will help them. But the constant ‘why aren’t you running this?’ wasn’t getting me anywhere
It doesn’t help them that they ‘know computers’ but really they only know where a single menu option is.
It also irks me that “MSWindows and MSOffice are fine, but Linux sucks because App X is different!” Well, so the app is different, that doesn’t make the app suck and its not the definition of GNU/Linux anyways ? its a single app!
(Recovered Comment)
GNU/Linux (Ubuntu) powers both my desktop and laptop computers. A computer in my future might be an Apple Mac or another PC with the pre-installed Windows quickly replaced with GNU/Linux as were my current machines.
Having said that I must also admit that I am a geek. On both machines I had to tinker with the video, audio and wireless before they worked correctly. Pulse Audio still does not work correctly \out of the box\ with the latest Ubuntu release (9.10) because of a missing component. I installed Ubuntu on a neighbor’s machine that has an Nvidia graphics card. It took me hours to get the video working right.
Yes, an \average\ person can easily use Linux as their desktop, but the ease of installing it will vary greatly with the equipment.
(Recovered Comment)
I agree with this article 100%. I have been a regular GNU/Linux user for the last 5 years and not once has it stopped me from doing \average\ user daily tasks. I use Thunderbird for my email, I use Firefox for web browsing, I use Open Office for my doc’s and spreadsheets, I use Scribus for my DTP needs and along with Inkscape and Gimp for any graphics that I need to do for DTP. I have Wine installed to use for WoW gamming and for QuickBooks (I know GnuCash is available, but I couldn’t be bothered to learn another financial package, my bad sorry). I use BBC’s iPlayer with no hassles, use Amarok for my MP3′s and I burn ISO and CD’s/DVD’s with Brassero.
My Daughter for the last 2 years has used Pardus on her PC for school work and not once has she said she is unable to get her work done. My father-in-law and father both have GNU/Linux PCs built by me and they too have never once said that they are unable to achieve anything because they use GNU/Linux. Heck my Dad went and bought himself a nice HP and installed it himself, and I quote here, I just plugged it in and after a few seconds I was printing!
Recently, I purchased a Mac Mini with Snow Leopard. If someone else tells me how good iTunes is, I shall not be responsible for my actions. Compare it to Amarok, or even Songbird and it is lacking the polish of those two players.
(Recovered Comment)
I completely agree with you. I am system admin for a University here in Nigeria where every single one of our computers run Linux. From the computer labs to workstations used by our administrative staffs and secretaries. Many of our staffs have even asked that I install Linux for them on their personal computers and we are talking about average users. The only reason Linux has not made major in road in the mainstream market is because of lack on marketing. People would naturally go for what there see on TV and billboards. Linux does not just have the same marketing of apple and MS. But when it comes to everyday use Linux is more than ready
If http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gartenberg is correct, then Michael Gartenberg falls under the most lovely of your definitions as a “Microsoft fanatic”.
From wikipedia– —————————
Microsoft “Enthusiast Evangelist”
Gartenberg was hired by Microsoft from February to March 2007 with the job title “Enthusiast Evangelist” to publicize Windows Vista [4][5][6]. Gartenberg stated:
Why Microsoft? There?s a revolution going on. A battle for the hearts and minds of consumers in terms of their digital lives. I firmly believe that Microsoft is the only company that will enable the seamless transition for users to move in and out of the different aspects of their lives. In short, no one else comes close to presenting a complete, unified and integrated view of the digital home of the 21st century.[4]
More recently, in Oct 2007, regarding a potential Microsoft Windows competitor, Linux, he wrote:
Linux Still Doesn’t Make it On Desktop. … For now and the foreseeable future, it’s going to remain a Microsoft world. Linux still isn’t the answer.[7]
In July 2009, Google announced the development of an operating system for netbooks, Chrome OS, due for release in late 2010. Gartenberg opined:
Chrome OS is not a threat to Windows … By creating of lot of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt this morning… they hope to take the attention and luster off of [Microsoft] Windows 7[8] … history doesn’t run in favour of Chrome OS’s principles[9]
—————————————–
Sounds like Michael should change the name of his column to – Words from the view of the Microsoft “Enthusiast Envangelist”
While I don’t agree with Mr Gartenberg’s article, it’s his opinion and he is allowed to have it. Just like you’re allowed your rebuttal.
I do have a really big issue with some parts of your rebuttal(basically the 1st 3 paragraphs) How is calling his article shit helping the cause of Linux? It’s not.
In the latter part of the article you constructively try rebut rather than use bile.
To start off with though you launch what can be seen as a personal attack:
“his puff of effluvia”
“tired of typing ?Mr. Gartenberg?”
“ignorant end-users, clueless ?reporters?, Microsoft fanatics or Apple worshippers”
And, I’m a Linux user, Mint KDE edition. I have 5 computers, all but 1 running Linux. My 1 winxp PC at home is for logging into work (it uses proprietary winxp software to connect to work)
Your comment about an OS war while perhaps valid is just indicating you are a Linux fanatic(ok you probably aren’t but you really are playing into the over fanatics hands).
BTW its Linux not GNU/Linux. GNU/Linux started because Stallman asked Torvalds if he could use that. Linus said yes but due to some arguments he had with RMS, changed his mind and said No, just call it Linux.
bob (comment #9) thank you for reading and for your opinion.
I do agree that people can choose to see what I wrote as an ad hominem attack in some places. That says more about them than about what I wrote.
In my own defense. The “manure” comment is directed at the idea that GNU/Linux is not ready for the average user’s desktop. It is attacking an idea, not a person or a specific article by said person. I thought that was clear, but apparently it is not clear to everyone. The “puff of effluvia” comment is directed at Mr. Gartenberg’s article in specific. If you read that article I do not see how you can disagree that it is basically a poorly researched, noisome, disingenuous, hack job on Linux. To sum it up as a “puff of effluvia” is nicer than it deserves. That phrase does attack the opinion article, but not Mr. Gartenberg. His article is open to critique, is it not? Read all the comments following Mr. Gartenberg’s article and you can see I am not the only one that took sincere umbrage at his less than factual opinion piece. I am just one that took the time to write a rebuttal.
I make no excuses for being a Linux advocate. Am I fanatic? No. I will point out flaws under Linux distributions when I see them. That is not something “fanatics” will do.
Your opinion about GNU/Linux vs just Linux is interesting. I thought about the various arguments and decided RMS was correct in that much of what we have with “Linux” would not be available without the “GNU’ part. I will keep writing GNU/Linux for the time being. I reserve the right to change my mind.