Windows vs. Linux Rant

[secure_lockdown]

Windows vs. Linux Rant

I work in an atmosphere that is predominately occupied by *nix guys. Because of that, I am privy to a lot of Microsoft bashing. Microsoft does this bad. Microsoft does that bad. Microsoft did me wrong. Microsoft did my mother wrong. Blah… blah… blah..

Sure, I can see the benefits and stability of using an open source OS (I haven’t had a reboot/crash/shutdown since I made the switch to a Linux OS), but I also know that if Linux becomes as popular as the Linux crowd want it to, the days of the relative piece of mind of not having to worry much about getting a virus or malware just because you are using Linux are going to be over.

But let me lay it down on the table. I got into IT relatively late. Just around the DOS/Windows for Workgroups days. And I don’t know the whole history of what happened with IBM and Microsoft and the other companies back in those days.

But I do remember the days before the personal computer became a household gadget and a permanent business tool all over the world. And I also remember what crappy job options we used to have before IT jobs came along. You either got a good desk job or you broke your back lifting or shoveling stuff.

So here’s my question. Lets just say that the *nix guys got their dream to come true. Lets say that Microsoft Corp. never happened.

Would the computer ever have gotten out for the “untouchable and impossible to understand mystery machine” that it used to be thought of if the *nix guys had it their way?

Would IT jobs only be attainable by a select group of elitist *nix guys if they had their way?

Would the internet as we experience it today ever have happened if *nix guys got their way?

Microsoft doesn’t produce perfect products, and they do keep releasing products that crash a lot, but they do keep me employed. If it wasn't for Microsoft, I might have had to do a very difficult, physically challenging and back breaking job, but instead, I get to sit on my ass behind a flat screen monitor.

[nihil]

Hmmm,

An interesting slant on a much overworked topic..........

I would suggest that you take a look at "Linspire" (it used to be called "Lindows") I guess that is the direction that things might have taken?

I am a bit before you cut my first code in 1970......... we had an IBM 360, and used FORTRAN4 and Algol60.........hey there were no screens back then..........80 column punched cards........men were men (and sheep were nervous )

It is all down to marketing and big (blue) business. The apple was a far better lump of kit, so was the Acorn (RISC OS) but the IBM guys had the marketing power, so we have the PC....

just my nostalgia

[secure_lockdown]

i should have titled the thread *nix guy rant.

all i say is, if it wasn't for bad software, bad hardware, and n00b users, i would have nothing to do. i would not have a job. there is only so much tweaking one can do of a perfect system.

here's an example. there used to be 4 guys in our support dept. we used to have the network go down a lot. hub's freeze. reset. crash. that generated work. 4 guys were employed.

over the years, we invested in better cabling. better switches. no more network infrastructure problems. no more need to have 4 guys. the dept. is down to 2 guys. once we fully go into directory services land and have the same vendor products communicating with one another (windows on the clients/windows of the back end!) we are going to remove a lot of the problems we have now and probably there will only need to be 1 guy in the dept.

[gore]

Originally posted here by secure_lockdown

Would IT jobs only be attainable by a select group of elitist *nix guys if they had their way?

Would the internet as we experience it today ever have happened if *nix guys got their way?

I would still be able too get a job, and if it wasn't for UNIX, the internet wouldn't have been at all.

UNIX is the reason there is an Internet, and UNIX is the reason we type http://

Instead of http:\\

[(V)/\><]

UNIX is the reason there is an Internet, and UNIX is the reason we type http://

Instead of http:\\

i was under the impression that the windows convention was to use \ for local and / for remote, whereas *nix used / regardless.

[Und3ertak3r]

To answer the original Question... No Misrocoft and windblows..
we would all be useing a MAC.. and we would be Apple BAshing
The Rants would be Apple vs *Nix
There would be a mass of Job's jokes.
and we would have cheep macs

just a thought..