11-02-2007, 07:42 AM
Hahaha! 
Linux is for cheap bastards who don't want to pay. Of course there will always be ways to obtain Leopard and Vista for free, but Linux is free from the start to the end, upgrades in between included.
Ideally, Linux and free software in general break the status quo between the two giants. Ideally, they shake up any lack of innovation by providing people with an alternative should they wish to not buy a license from Microsoft or Apple. However, since MS and Apple have more visibility and both have systems that are arguably easier to learn, many will never know alternatives exist.
When you've used any flavor of Linux you'll start to notice how both proprietary systems attempt to copy features from them. Mac OSs are Unix based (the foundation of Linux) though, so whatever basic functionalities and security measures they have, Linux systems most probably already have also. It's in Vista that it's more apparent, like the presence of a root account, or the prompts that ask you if you're the administrator of the system. In Linux it's typing your password everytime you begin an administrative action. It's actually pretty funny how people bash Vista for that, but when it's Linux doing it they dismiss it as "part of the security!". But I digress.
Linux does provide legitimate competition to both parties, as Microsoft and Apple often watch the open-source community for updates and attempt to incorporate whatever technical framework they deem as useful into their own products.
Linux is for cheap bastards who don't want to pay. Of course there will always be ways to obtain Leopard and Vista for free, but Linux is free from the start to the end, upgrades in between included.Ideally, Linux and free software in general break the status quo between the two giants. Ideally, they shake up any lack of innovation by providing people with an alternative should they wish to not buy a license from Microsoft or Apple. However, since MS and Apple have more visibility and both have systems that are arguably easier to learn, many will never know alternatives exist.
When you've used any flavor of Linux you'll start to notice how both proprietary systems attempt to copy features from them. Mac OSs are Unix based (the foundation of Linux) though, so whatever basic functionalities and security measures they have, Linux systems most probably already have also. It's in Vista that it's more apparent, like the presence of a root account, or the prompts that ask you if you're the administrator of the system. In Linux it's typing your password everytime you begin an administrative action. It's actually pretty funny how people bash Vista for that, but when it's Linux doing it they dismiss it as "part of the security!". But I digress.
Linux does provide legitimate competition to both parties, as Microsoft and Apple often watch the open-source community for updates and attempt to incorporate whatever technical framework they deem as useful into their own products.
"Let's fight... like gentlemen." - Dudley, SF3
