Look, nobody's saying Linux is perfect for every consumer (or even most), but Microsoft's "training material" for Best Buy employees casts the open source operating system in a bit of a bad light -- and isn't exactly accurate. A few of the humorous tidbits in the Linux comparison guide include mentioning
World of Warcraft as incompatible with Linux (despite great support for it under WINE), calling Linux's safety reputation a "myth," and describing Linux updates and upgrades as difficult and time consuming. The availability of Windows Live Essentials as a "free download" is also quite laughable -- Linux has endless free alternatives to Microsoft's Live Essentials, and many of them are better than what Microsoft offers. Not to say there hasn't been the odd consumer that was burned by purchasing a Linux-running netbook, but we'd say there are enough tangible benefits to Windows for Microsoft to avoid misinformation when talking down the open source competition.
[Via
technabob]
posted September 8th 2009 11:36AM
stay classy Microsoft
Thank you for your entertaining and somewhat informative/regurgitative post,
1. For your information, just about every modern OS has HAL. When AMD64 instructions first came out, do you know which kernel was first ported to it? hint: not Windows. It took MS quite a bit longer than others.
2. You are including a lot of _should_ and _should_not_. Most things don't really work as they _should_. You can compile specific drivers into the kernel, but you can also load them as modules, in which case you don't need to recompile.
3. Actual hardware RAM support (not Virtual) in Windows is 16 Gb for Home, and 128Gb for others. You most likely won't need more than 16 Gb, let alone 128 Gb to play your latest game, but, yes, there definitely are needs for >16Gb and >128Gb RAM. And, you should seriously stop drinking whatever it is you are drinking, it's not just some parameter you can change and recompile and voila!
4. You don't think memory access has anything to do with the kernel? seriously? seriously seriously?
5. MinWin etc... really, stop drinking the cool-aid. You _can_ in fact remove things you don't need from the kernel yourself. It's done quite frequently, by many different companies/organisations/persons. You think the Linux kernel in TiVo requires printer drivers? If you want a small kernel with specific and limited functionality, just leave out the other crap when you compile the kernel. That's it. And yes, MinWin really worked wonders in Vista! really made Vista into a speed demon!
A cut-down GUI-less HTTP-server MinWin requires 25mb diskspace. (http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=842)
On the other hand, this (http://www.picotux.com/indexe.html) runs on 2mb of diskspace and 8 mb of RAM.
6. perhaps you know a thing or two about Windows kernel, at least what it says on paper, but you seriously lack knowledge about Linux kernel.
Who cares for you average consumer that just wants email and web surfing who have the average ability to use their Linux-OS derived phone, Linux is just fine. I don't get what the whole broo haha haha is. The chart is true but only on points where Windows wins. They forgot to add some points that consumers hear about in the media all the time; like: Is my operating system safe? Will phishing attacks work? And is my data vulnerable?
M$: Blue screen of death. checked.
Ok this is seriously bad. I thought Microsoft could do better than this. And as many pointed out, Linux is great for servers (definitely better than Windows servers as far as price is concerned). They don't need to waste time on such campaigns for home users.
@John Bailey. I totally agree to what you're saying here. Some people take the route and these are folks like you and me we like to try new things and learn new ways. but not the general public.
I use OS X on my PC, linux on my MacBook and well Windows 7 on my PC as well. It's great to know the different ways of how operating systems perform and work.
shocked and appalled.
what a load of crap:
Linux has authorized support; at a price though.
Linux can play world of warcraft via WINE.
Linux is compatible with MSN and all other instant messengers.
Linux has a large array of printer & scanner drivers
Windows also supports Monster Cables
Obviously this marketing is intended at the sort of people who play WoW...
Most Linux distros don't need trashing by Microsoft. Use them for a couple of days exclusively, they trash themselves.
no different than apple fan boys lying about the apple computers ...yes also in best buy.....we're apple we never have any problems.....
M$ needs to compare Windows and Mac to see what they see,
also C# and Java
Anyone selling Linux to a noob deserves to have to support them.
While you can make fun of such ads there is still the question of support for *NIX projects that could/will eventually die. And also remember that Linux distros are not always free for enterprise user as there are things (like support) that companies still have to pay for.
While I'm a user of all three major operating systems (OSX, Win, NIX) I still go back to Windows most of the time due to the fact that it's still THE most popular OS on the world, not because Microsoft came up with some scheme, but because we, the users, made it so. And the truth is that the PC is still the most widely spread entertainment platform and somehow Linux managed to give the least (quality) entertainment. Why? Ask the developers..
MS isn't telling a flat out lie, but they are being misleading--which irritates me, personally. Yeah, Windows Live isn't available, but there's better alternatives. I use Linux on my computer and I like it way better than windows. It's faster, there's no crashing, and there isn't a million different things trying to update from a million different sources.
However, if you go into Best Buy and the sales rep there is the extent of your research into Linux, then Linux probably isn't for you. It takes a lot of getting to know your computer to use it as your only operating system and quite a bit of tweaking if you're using Ubuntu as your only operating system. Yeah, it'll run better once you get it tweaked, but it takes tweaking.
Not everyone is into that. And there's nothing wrong with that.
That's highlarious that I just saw this post because I was literally just taking that quiz and thinking the same thing, even better I actually work at Best Buy......
I think windows should be fined for presenting such fictitious and false advertisements.
Ah, good ol' FUD. Unfortunately, it's likely to be FUD that works because everyone knows Windows and the unknown is indeed kinda scary. I'm not going to dispute Microsoft's chart because I do believe that it is pretty much accurate but it does make numerous assumptions that favour Microsoft (you might as well have a category "Microsoft logo on computer") and no doubt the Linux community could make another chart with exactly the reverse results. For example, it is entirely true that "fewer software applications and devices work with Linux machines" but it is heck of a stretch to suggest that because of this a customer's experiences "will be negatively impacted". Personally, I use a Mac and this should have the same issue but oddly I do no find my experience negatively impacted because I have access to wonderful software applications that are not available for Windows and I am quite sure the same exists for Linux. The idea that Windows is the bastion of all that is wonderful is, frankly, complete and utter bunk but then I don't expect Microsoft to advertise this.
All I can suggest, as usual, is that the Linux community gets off its backside and fights fire with fire rather than relying on word-of-mouth. In this regard I wish them the very best of luck.
What kind of crack/LSD mix they smokin' down at BB Central HQ?
Gay you forgot to put viruses as many under winblowz and who the fuck uses linux still use snow leopard it's faster then both put together
Uhmmm... no. My desktop is a Dual Core iMac running Snow Leopard. My laptop is an old single core 1 GHz, and is running Ubuntu. The Mac takes slightly longer to boot, and most of my equivalent applications start more promptly on the laptop. Firefox is almost equal, but OpenOffice is faster, Gnote isn't available (and the only free alternative I've found that actually runs on my Mac is a bit cumbersome for the average end user), and MonoDevelop not only starts faster, but also has more features available for my use. So my 1GHz laptop runs, to me, about comparably to my 2.4GHz Dual-core iMac.
Ubuntu did require more configuration work than my Mac, as the default vdeo settings were rather messed up, but beyond that, I've yet to have any trouble with Ubuntu 9.04. Missing codecs? Ubuntu finds them more easily than Mac/QT, since QT only looks at the Apple site for codecs.
My desktop will always be a Mac -- I love the UI and the cleanliness available for the workspace and how much more I feel I am in control of how I see my screen. But as of now, the only reasons I see to use Windows, and this is despite all the good I've heard about Windows 7 from non-savvy users, is for compatibility testing (websites and programs), games, and... to me, that's about it. My next laptop, which I will buy new, will run Ubuntu and Win7 -- but Win7 will only be there to be run as I feel it's needed. And possibly through a VM.
lol
actually its good for linux, you see, if a mom is going to buy a computer for his son and his son plays about... 7-8 hous of WOW daily, then she looks at that sign she would say "ÖH MY GOOD!!! finally a way to get my son outta of the house to play with real friends", THEN she buys the linux one
"Steve said it best. Consumers with the technology savviness/adeptness generally know more than the average computer-hawking Best Buy employee. Call me crazy, but it almost seems ethical for BB to push the more user-friendly solution (aka Windows boxes) to the average consumer (aka noobs)."
Let us not forget who owns GEEK SQUAD, Best Buy. It would be to there advantage to push an operating system that would need support.
Windows is a better option for the average consumer shopping at Best Buy right now.
FYI The ipod is supported on LINUX just not Apple Software
W.O.W. Works fine on LINUX , used it for a month before I realized
" wow is a redundant money pit" win to get money worth pay more money
to not lose your account, since you paid for it you gotta play and get money worth.
Do people still play it?????
Why are all the Linux Logic statements voted down?
Why did the OSX Hater get voted down?
I trust Community support over MS support.
Put Macs on that list, and both would be negligible.
A detailed debunking of Microsoft's disinformation campaign against Linux:
http://aminorityofone.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/hit-and-ms/
Hey, they forgot a few.
Viruses - Windows = many, Linux = none as far as I know
Trojans - Windows = many, Linux = extremely few
And touting that Windows Live essentials is not Linux compatible is just silly, since it's entirely their own fault. Microsoft makes it, and chose to not make it Linux compatible.
Different distributions offer authorized support, including both RedHat and Ubuntu, so that point is just a blatant lie.
Oh well...wouldn't expect any less of MS. :)
Well I'm using Linux right now and absolutely swimming in software support thanks, including compatibility with some pretty sizeable Windows applications. I've even got a package manager that lets me search through the mass of software I've got and don't need to pay for. Since I switched from Windows a lack of available software has never been on my mind.
Device support? Unbelievable amounts of it. I even bought an unknown brand TV card from Maplins and somebody had already written the drivers for it.
Windows Live Essentials? Um, I've got the equivalent thereof in apps like Thunderbird and Pidgin. I'd never thought to consider Windows Live made killer apps that every PC must have. I can do video chat if I like, and on most, maybe even all, major networks, but that's never really been an important feature for me. Webcams tend to get left unplugged after a while.
Authorised support? Hah, I guess I can only buy unauthorised support then for less than the cost of a copy of Windows. Don't need it anyway, I know what I'm doing.
I'm no fanboy and I like MS technology but that slide is pure bunkum. Kicking Linux with inaccurate claims just makes MS look more desperate than I suspect they actually are, and spreading propaganda just makes anybody look dishonest.
--M
World of Warcraft is not supported on Linux, just check the forums on WorldOfWarcraft.com: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=46970332&sid=1
Yes you can run WoW under WINE, but the technical support at Blizzard explicitly say that they can't help you. So if a random person who knows nothing about computers wanders into Best Buy and wants to buy one to run WoW, warning them against Linux is a smart thing... I know I don't want to be the person helping someone clueless in computers to get their Linux box running WoW, I have enough fun trying to get it running on Vista64 under a non-admin account.
Now if you have an uber hacker who can figure out how get WoW running on their PSP who is also able to get it running on their Linux Box, I doubt they'd be shopping at Best Buy or even worse trying to get technical advice from them...
"and isn't exactly accurate"
Sorry, but it's completely accurate. People who think that Ubuntu is a real contender against Windows are living in fantasy land. You may be able to use Ubuntu to run 4 command line windows at once, and you may be comfortable enabling Medibuntu to crappily support your hardware, but that doesn't mean it's ready for the average user to take home and install on their machines.
It might happen someday, but it sure ain't here now. Stop lying to people about how great Linux is, and they won't abandon it forever in disillusionment when they find out how much it actually sucks for the things they want to use their computers for. That way, if it ever stops sucking, they'll give it a chance instead of just ignoring it.
I want Linux to succeed, but I support Linux by trying to make it better, not by misrepresenting it to people who don't know any better.