Linux is an excellent free operating system. But is it suitable for the desktop of an average computer user? I doubt it. Yes, I personally have Ubuntu Linux installed on my desktop PC, but again, I’m NOT the average user, I’m software developer and a power user. And even I find some little things here and there very annoying from the usability standpoint.
It seems to me, that Linux is bound to stay in a perpetual “almost ready for the masses” state. I think I’m being realistic here. Really, for many years the Linux community has been saying: “This year will be the year of Linux on the desktop”. And you know what? This still doesn’t happen, and, to be honest, I don’t believe that mass migration to Linux will occur anytime soon. It seems that it always misses something seemingly tiny, but nevertheless important to an average user. In large part, IMHO, it tries to imitate Mac OS X and Windows (it is seen quite often). For now it has almost came up to current version of Mac OS X (“Tiger”) in terms of features, but soon “Leopard” will be released, and I’m sure it will pack a whole lot of new nice features (Steve Jobs will talk about them today at WWDC, I’m sure there will be surprises). Linux is and will be lagging behind in the nearest future, when it comes to desktop computing.
To me, Apple is now THE innovator in the IT world. Even Microsoft didn’t hesitate to copy its features to Vista (and, to be honest, this copies are worse than the original – for example, compare Mac’s very usable Expose vs nice looking but totally useless Flip3D in Vista – it’s been discussed in blogs a thousand times already). This is nicely demonstrated (in a funny way, using irony) in the video below (from YouTube):
Don’t get me wrong. I admire Linux. But still, even Ubuntu is not as polished and feature-complete as hyped to be. I want my desktop computing experience to be hassle-free. I want my computer to “just work”. So, no offense to Linux community, but Mac OS X seems to be superior desktop OS. Read Apple HIG (human-interface guidelines) – they really care about user interfaces and usability of software! And most devices work without problems. I have a printer that’s supported by Windows and Mac OS X, but there’s no driver for Linux. Yes, you can say that it’s not Linux’s fault, it’s the manufacturer than hasn’t released the driver for Linux. But should the user care? C’est la vie…
I mean, I currently have (K)Ubuntu Linux 6.06 LTS installed, and I like it. But my next computer will be a Mac, and I think I’ll stick with Mac OS X in the nearest future, because of its elegance, polish and superior usability… Anyway, it’s my personal choice, and I think that today both Linux and Mac OS X are more usable than Windows. To me, Windows Vista contains almost nothing significantly new. But that’s another story…
So… Now I’m eagerly awaiting what Steve Jobs will say about “Leopard” and new iMac models at the WWDC today!
PS: Well, I can’t see too far in the future. Who knows, maybe even sooner than I think, Linux will hit the mainstream. It’s quite possible actually, given the very fast pace of development in the OSS camp, and the constant rise in its quality. Maybe very soon we’ll face the time when Linux will be the main source of new ideas for the IT world. I’ll be glad if this happens!
Your last point is really significant. That is, the development in FOSS is much faster than in the proprietary world, and I don’t think it will be long before we are miles ahead in almost all areas. But seriously.. Apple!? Oh man, is there a more controlling company than Apple?
I don’t mean to sound like a cliché but I like my freedom, so I would never consider Apple, with all their “This will only work with this hardware”—blahblahblah.
Well, I like my freedom too. But, as I see it, it’s not as simple as black and white. The world is a complex place. Let’s see…
I don’t think Apple is limiting my freedom. I don’t mind that their OS runs only on their hardware – I can understand that, since historically Mac is a single hardware and software platform. Also, their hardware, by the way, is so attractive (to me) that I want to buy it instead of any PC!
I can, in fact, install both Linux and Windows, on the Intel Mac (ever heard of Bootcamp?) This fact alone makes these machines the most versatile machines on the planet.
Their Mac OS X has an open-source core, called Darwin (based on FreeBSD and Mach). Source code is available for free download here: http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/
They use mostly open standards these days. There are plenty of high quality open source software (including ported from Linux) for Mac OS X: VLC, OpenOffice, Azureus… When I buy a Mac, I will use mostly FOSS.
And I will probably dual-boot (or virtualize) Ubuntu Linux on my Mac to keep an eye on Linux development. Macbooks, for example, have Intel GMA950 integrated video, which has opensource drivers for Linux, and is sufficient to run Compiz/Beryl 3D desktop. (I don’t play games, so I don’t need nothing more)
And about a more controlling company.. I think we both would agree that Microsoft is much more dangerous to our freedoms than Apple. Think about their latest Linux patent threats, for example…
And Apple? It was the first company to offer DRM-free music online! Now I admire that!
So, after all, IMHO Apple is not so black as it is painted…