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proscons.php
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<?php
require_once('template.php');
page_header('Linux Pros & Cons');
echo <<<END
<div id="content1">
<DIV ALIGN="CENTER">
<H3>
<STRONG>Linux advantages</STRONG>
</H3>
</DIV>
<P>
<STRONG><EM>It's almost free to relatively inexpensive.</EM></STRONG>.
Linux can be downloaded off the internet, which makes it free or close
to it. Or you can purchase CD-ROMs for $2 or so from Linux vendors.
Unfortunately, these include no manuals or
support. Or you can purchase a boxed distribution (with manuals and support)
from a variety of companies for anywhere from
$40 to $150.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Source code is included</EM></STRONG>. While this may not
seem like an advantage if you aren't a programmer, the fact that
the source code is available to anyone means that it would be very
difficult for someone to charge you hundreds or
thousands of dollars for a copy of Linux. If everyone has the source
code, then you can go get the same thing somewhere else
for less. In addition, if Linux didn't support some operation or
piece of equipment you needed, you or someone else
could always change the source code to do what you wanted.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Bugs are fixed quickly</EM></STRONG>. Development in Linux
is worldwide. Programmers from all over the world participate
in making Linux a better and more stable product. When bugs are found,
people in the Linux world don't try to explain
them away or tell you to wait six months. With thousands of programmers
across the globe involved, bugs are often fixed in
a matter of hours or days. And when was the last time you talked
to or emailed the programmer who wrote your
program? On Linux, this can happen.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Linux is more stable than other modern
operating systems</EM></STRONG>. "Uptimes" in the Linux world
are on the order of months and years, not days. Usually when a Linux
machine is brought down, it is to upgrade the machine or the
software. While no operating system is "crash proof",
in general it is extremely difficult to "crash" a Linux machine.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Linux is truly multi-user and
multi-tasking</EM></STRONG>. From the beginning, Linux was programmed
with multiple users
and the ability to do many things at once in mind. This came from its
<EM>Unix</EM> roots. Today, twenty years later, that capability
is mature and stable.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Help is readily available</EM></STRONG>. With programmers
and users spread across the world, help is as close as the internet.
You can get help via email, or directly from the various Linux vendors.
No more sitting on hold for hours and then talking
to someone who has no idea how to fix your problem. There are also
vendors who charge for Linux support, if you want to go that way.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Linux comes with commercial-grade applications that make
office work simple</EM></STRONG>. Many vendors are taking an interest
in the Linux phenomenon. KOffice is a full-featured office suite
that reads and writes Microsoft Office files. There is also the GNU Office
suite, containing the Abiword word processor, Gnumeric spreadsheet, and
other programs.
IBM is working on a port of
<STRONG>Lotus Notes</STRONG>for Linux. <STRONG>Sybase</STRONG>,
<STRONG>Informix</STRONG>, <STRONG>Oracle</STRONG>and <STRONG>
IBM</STRONG>now have working versions of their database products
for Linux. And Linux has its own set of vendors creating new
productivity applications for Linux. Sun has
<STRONG>StarOffice</STRONG>, an office suite similar to Microsoft
Office, which reads and writes Microsoft Office files. <STRONG>
Open Office</STRONG> is a free version of this product for Linux and Windows.
Even game makers like Id Software are
releasing games like
<STRONG>Doom</STRONG>and <STRONG>Quake</STRONG>for Linux.
<STRONG>Civilization</STRONG>, one of the most popular games in
the Windows world, is now in stores for Linux.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Linux has internet connectivity built in</EM></STRONG>.
Internet connectivity is part of Linux's
<EM>Unix</EM> heritage. Every major distribution of Linux comes with tools
that can immediately get you up and running on the internet.
Most even include Mozilla or Firefox as their browser of choice.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Linux runs on equipment that other operating systems consider too
underpowered</EM></STRONG>. Linux was originally created on
a 386 computer, and it still supports small systems like this.
A minimum Linux installation is a 386 processor with 4
megs of memory and about a hundred megabytes of hard disk storage
(though it can work with less hard disk space). In
this configuration, it works well as a departmental, print or web server.
But Linux also runs on high powered Alpha
machines, Macintoshes, and machines with multiple processors, including
mainframe computers.
<P>
Linux has superior security. This is partly because the source code is freely
available. There are thousands of eyes which look over Linux all the time,
so it would be hard to slip in code to purposely open security holes on your machine.
In addition, you normally run as an <EM>unprivileged</EM> user on your
Linux machine, meaning it's hard for a cracker or rogue program to
do significant damage to your machine. Linux comes with a built-in
firewall which can be tweaked to close your machine off completely from
potential attackers. And Linux and its programs are continually being
revised and improved. Other popular operating systems don't allow you to
see their source code, and only occasionally release security fixes,
sometimes long after security holes have been found.
<p>
</div>
<DIV ID="content2">
<H3>
<STRONG>Linux disadvantages</STRONG>
</H3>
<P>
<STRONG><EM>My ______ program won't run on Linux</EM></STRONG>.
Sadly, some vendors, including Microsoft, have been reluctant to port
their software to Linux. And some may never do so. However,
substitute programs often exist. Adobe Photoshop does
not currently exist on Linux, but <STRONG>The Gimp</STRONG>,
a program with similar capabilities, does. And it is also an open source
program. Quicken does not exist on Linux, but a program called
<STRONG>CBB</STRONG>does run on Linux and is similar to it. Microsoft Word
does not run on Linux, but as mentioned before StarOffice's word
processor and others will read Microsoft Word files.
Spreadsheets exist on Linux, some of which will read Lotus and Excel files.
There is also an emulation suite called <STRONG>Wine</STRONG> which
emulates Windows and can run many popular Windows applications.
<STRONG>Crossover Office</STRONG> is a commercial enhanced version of
Wine.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Isn't as popular as Windows</EM></STRONG>. On the desktop,
this is true. But the fact that Chryslers aren't as popular as
Fords doesn't keep people from buying them. And the fact is that much
of the internet runs on Linux machines. In fact, corporate CIOs are
often surprised to find how many machines in their own companies are
running on Linux.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>No one commercial company is responsible for Linux</EM></STRONG>.
Although this is true, there are drawbacks to having
one company responsible for all your software needs. Support can be a
nightmare. Upgrades can take too long to come out
and cost too much, in additional to causing their own problems.
Bugs can be redefined as "features" or
never admitted in order to limit corporate liability. But Linux
has thousands of programmers and millions of users all over the world
who are jointly responsible for it. The Linux
community is strong on support and quick with upgrades and remedies
for security and software glitches.
<P>
<STRONG><EM>Linux is hard to install, learn and use</EM></STRONG>.
This actually <EM>isn't</EM> true. Going from one operating system
to another (PC to MacOS, MacOS to OS/2, OS/2 to Pick) can always
be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. With the X-Window
Linux GUI, programs are available to do most of the things you're
likely to want to do on your computer, in a GUI
environment similar to Microsoft Windows. And documentation is available
online with almost all Linux distributions, if you
need help. Installation, manuals and system administration tools
are generally designed by the vendor you buy Linux from.
And some vendors do these things better than others. Knoppix is a
CD-based Linux distribution which does not alter your hard drive, yet
runs a full version of Linux.
And SuSE's manuals are some of the best in the Linux world.
</div>
END;
page_footer();
?>