October 23, 2009 by alunparry
Don’t Fall For The Windows 7 Hype
It must be great to be Microsoft. You release a really crap operating system like Windows Vista, and within the blink of an eye, you’re releasing its replacement Windows 7 and getting everyone to buy that too.
Then the likes of the BBC give you loads of free advertising to tell everyone all about it. And then everyone goes out and buys yet another version of Windows.
What a cash cow!
But we must have the new version of Windows. We must!! We must!!!
Actually no we don’t. We don’t even need the old version of Windows.
Instead, imagine an operating system that is completely free. That’s right, free! Plus all upgrades are free.
Plus the people making the software have all the code running it on show for all to see and inspect. So if there’s a security hole in there, it gets identified by other geeks and fixed straight away.
You’ve imagined Ubuntu. An operating system that is not only free, but safer and more robust than the expensive Microsoft Windows.
It uses the collective geekery of a global network of coding enthusiasts to build it, and that’s why it works so well, and that’s why it’s so secure.
Those who get constant viruses and malware attacks in Windows will know why that is so attractive.
For instance, did you know that there is a team of hackers who have released dodgy programmes just to prove to Microsoft that the glitches they’ve identified really exist?
As an example, the hacking group at Cult of the Dead Cow released the controversial computer programme Back Orifice to demonstrate the lack of security in Windows 98.
No such problems with Ubuntu. Because the source code is available to download and inspect, such holes are fixed instantly. They don’t have to be campaigned on or proven.
Now you might think “this all sounds great, but how can I switch from Windows, all my programmes run on Windows.”
That concern stopped me giving Microsoft the two fingered salute for a good while.
But think about it. What programmes do you actually use?
For most of us, its things like Microsoft Word. There’s a completely free alternative to that called Open Office. You can even try it first in Windows to prove to yourself it works.
In fact, it’s better because it allows you to turn any document into a PDF file at the touch of a button.
These days you mainly use your web browser, plus the odd programme from the Office suite like Word and Excel. Which is why you don’t need Windows 7 – or Windows Anything!!
Your web browser works just fine in Ubuntu, and Open Office does the same job that the expensive Microsoft Office does.
I switched to Ubuntu about six months ago. It was easy. And it was free. I’ve since had a major upgrade and it was done automatically for me. So that was easy and free too.
Plus there’s a shed load of quality free software for me to add to my computer, all available at the click of a mouse.
I’ve never had a single regret. Plus my PC went from a noisy, whirring box of activity that sounded like it was about to take off, to something that sat calmly and silently on my desktop. Bliss. All because Ubuntu simply works better.
So if you were about to change your operating system anyhow because you’re salivating over the new Windows, install Ubuntu instead.
If you find that you hate it then you can always go out and buy Windows 7 anyhow.
But I bet you won’t.
(Oh and don’t forget, whether you’re changing to Windows 7 or to Ubuntu, back up your important files and documents before you do!)
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