I was browsing and responding to my threads (on X3100 graphic driver for GMA965 graphics adapter) posted on PCLinuxOS and Granular almost full time for some 15 days. There I came across a thread in the PCLinuxOS forum, “What's keeping you from deleting Windows?” by PiEp.
By the time of posting this blog, this thread was spread across 19 pages and growing. I found this one really very interesting as it posed some practical clues to improve desktop Linux. The forum members (suppose them as regular PCLinuxOS users) give a diverse reasons why they can’t delete Windows from their Desktop/Laptop and make devote totally to PCLinuxOS(or any Linux). Some major reasons were:
1. Lack of industry standard software
2. Lack of support to a variety of devices
3. Lack of good games
4. Some professional and personal constraints
Definitely, there is lack of some industry standard software that run on Linux. This a real hurdle in desktop deployment of Linux in home as well as in office. Pathetically, software makers have no problem in porting their software to Linux, but they don’t do it because porting to multiple types of distributions would cost them more than they can make profit. Hence, this problem is supposed to be there until some great free software comes in. Here is the list of software for which many Linux users still run Windows on their Linux machines.
- Adobe Photoshop CS2
- Davilex Business
- Faststone Image Viewer
- Topstyle Pro 3.12 (CSS editor)
- Adobe Premiere Elements 3
- Corel Draw
- Paint Shop Pro
- Land Designer
- Some Accounting software
- Video Editing software
- Some development software like .Net, VB and Visual Studio
- AutoCAD software
- 3D CAD software
- Movie Editing software
- Web Designing/Authoring software
- Translation software
- OCR software
The next major reason for not deleting Windows from their PCLinuxOS Machines (Note: I call their machines as PCLinuxOS machines, because they do their regular chore mostly on PCLinuxOS, and rarely boot Windows for some specific works) is somewhat personal and somewhat professional. Someone has to make his/her PC dual boot with Windows and Linux, since the spouse and kids love those wonderful windows games. Whereas someone keeps Windows to do some official work at home, and Linux applications are not 100% compatible with the company’s Windows standards.
A very few members told they have not deleted Windows because they have already purchased Windows Copies. And they don’t want their money go waste of non-use. While a few shaky beginners to PCLinuxOS have kept Windows as their second boot OS, as the last resort if something goes wrong with their Linux.
A good many members told that they have to live with Windows as their second OS owing to some gadgets and latest pc/laptop devices and software. They need windows to sync their devices and/or run those device drivers. Here is list of those gadgets and devices:
- PocketPC
- Mobile Phone
- Plug2Surf Internet Card
- Some TV Tuners
- Some Scanners
- Some Cell phones software
- Some latest graphics cards
- Xbox 360
Till then have fun!
4 comments:
there are several other issues in linux that forces user to have windows in one of the hdd partitions, like:
1. unable to copy vcd
2. problem in software installation
3. difficulty in configuration
4. lack of standardization
the other thing is that you can break your desktop environment easily in linux whereas in windows the user can mess up with the default desktop environment.
yeah, linux desktop often breaks as it is not as tightly integrated as windows.
It never breaks like windows breaks. Ever.
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