Is MS Windows the Best OS for You?

win_linux

I write this blog after I received  in my recent blog a comment from a reader saying that the general opinion in his country is that Microsoft (MS) Windows is the best operating system (OS). He further asked what to do in order for their citizens to consider GNU/Linux as an alternative. I replied affirmatively on his observation but I said that, maybe, majority of the people who said MS Windows is the best OS for them are using pirated or cracked software.

Why did I say that people using pirated Windows OS will definitely consider it as the best OS for them? Consider this, if those people paid for their software and then learned that there is GNU/Linux which can do the same for free, would they not feel cheated? Linux distributions (also called distros) nowadays come in various flavors and I am sure there is one that could fit your needs except playing online and network games exclusively ported to Windows. By the way, there are also Linux games which are similar to the ones you are playing on Windows.

Some Linux distros serve specific applications like Edubuntu for education and Zencafe for café business. However, there are many flavors available for personal and commercial use whose installers are packaged with Open Office for productivity purpose and many other applications which you have to buy if you use MS Windows. There are also distros which are so light in resources even a very old Pentium II unit can run it. All these are freely available on their respective download sites. Some distros in CD form are shipped free to users who request for them while others are charged for the cost of CD burning and shipment only.

Regarding the question of what to do to call the user’s attention to the availability of free and equally useful Linux distros, I say, if the country is a signatory of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Convention and it has a law to implement the IPR of a copywright holder, ask the authorities to do their job of cracking down on software piracy. If done, those who use pirated Windows software will have to look for alternative and they will find Linux. I am sure they will not regret using it and say MS Windows is not the best OS there is.

NOTE: Your response is welcome here but you may wish to proceed to Café Forum for your comment

(Visited 160 time, 1 visit today)
Share