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Story: Linux: Lost in the trough of disillusionment?

OK read this.

If you are trying to bolster the troops then yes Linux has room for improvment and we'd better get over whether or not it's "like" Windows and make it better. time saved is what matters. The thing is, we are doing that at a feverish pace. It's not lacking any major Windows benefits today!

Make no mistake, if you utilize Free Open Source Software (now proved free in it's shared and better way) then you will have some work ahead of you! Yet, LESS THAN WITH WINDOWS!

The work is mainly where you need it to "just work" in the manner that you do. You no longer need to slave over the inerworkings. It's better than Windows.

That's kinda the point. It's still a computer system that can piss you off, but much less than Windows today.

It's not alltogether inacurate (none the less) to state that a distribution of GNU/Linux is 100% secure compared to Linux. Now, nothing is really 100% but comapred to Windows, what everyyone seems to be missing is it's about 99% pefect with security. This base on actual, spreadable malware. There is none. Did I say take security prcatices for granted. Hell no. I'm saying Windows is unsecure at ANY given moment and almost 100% due to design (by standard defaults) linux is secure.

Today a time saving distribution like Mepis is trully overall better. Sure everything has it's pro's and con's. You might actually miss something if you leave Windows alltogether. Many have left Windows altogether and find computer life MUCH less complex. Get this. You'll be missing much more if you don't grab a free copy of Linux (distribution based on GNU and Linux).

You don't have to delete Windows to stop sending in your money and/or buying systems with Windows. You can dual boot if you are concerned. You don't have to delete Window when you load Linux.

Multi use desktop computers are complex, Linux will not stop this but offers the best manner to deal with it. The upgrade system alone is worth it. It's only your (free) future.

Freedom. Use it or lose it.

Now a word about the complex issue of hardware. You see many of these point do not have a cut and dry propaganda view.

For example. Mepis may actually work with more differing combination of "PC's" and with less overall trouble than Windows XP.

First off, XP and the 98 series use different drivers and the new "Vista" (criuser) 64 bit new driver sets altogether. So Win98 may have the best record but it undesireable compared to XP overall. AKA, you give up too much by staying with 98.

I'm saying all this because some products/devices/systems have come in under the (monopolistic uncompetitive) radar and WERE PURPOSELY DESIGNED TO WORK WITH WINDOWS ONLY. I'm talking about closed(if you will) devices that have NO good reason to exclude other operating sytems.

Guess what, Linux developer have engineered around many of these win-devices anyway! Still some remain and are usually not popular or so new that the Linux workaround will be here next week.

The good news is many of these cheap devices can be replaced for under $20 and that's just what you should do (or consider slightly more expensive "ethernet" versions, like a "dual PC Modem" if your stuck with dial up OR for broad band, a "Client Bridge" enabled 802.11 "ethernet" NIC.) Make sure your cheaper internal card is support by simply cheacking with your preferred Linux distribution first. DO NOT get all bent out of shape becuse it only works on Windows (usually 98) and therefore it should be theoretically possible to force it to work on Linux. You do NOT have to deal with that.

So you see Linux has excellent harware compatibility with hardware that isn't part of the Windows only universe plan. bottom line is MEPIS works for most people automagically. So if it doesn't, chances are you now know why and what to do about it.

The more I deal with Dell hardware (to name one), the more I see they and Microsoft have a legacy of systems meant to exclude the easy adopt

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