Linux is Ready for Prime-Time

Is Linux ready to replace Microsoft Windows? You have almost certainly heard the question and you have probably wondered about it. You might even have tried Linux yourself and given some serious thought to switching.

Most people avoid switching, though, not because they particularly care about the operating system but because switching would force them to abandon familiar programs and change comfortable workflows. And face it, changing operating systems is high risk and a lot of work.

There is a whole class of users for whom Linux is a natural choice, however. People who are not yet Windows or Mac users, people who are choosing their “first” computer, can as easily select Linux as any other operating system.

My step-mother wanted a computer for four tasks:

1. Email.
2. Writing letters. (For those of you too young to know what this is, a “letter” is kind of like an email printed on a piece of paper.)
3. Looking at some web sites.
4. Solitaire.

Sound familiar? Except for the order of the tasks, Lorraine’s needs are pretty typical. Broken town into technical requirements, we have:

1. Web browser
2. Word processor
3. Printer
4. Solitaire

Sounds even more familiar, doesn’t it? These requirements lists give absolutely no reason to prefer one operating system over another.

One more step. As a real world consumer, Lorraine has two more requirements, in no particular order:

• Price
• Reliability

These last two finally provide some guidance toward choosing between Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Of the three, Windows is clearly the least reliable; only an idiot would run Windows without good virus scanning software installed and regularly updated. OS X is better than Windows but not perfect. At the recent CanSecWest security conference, Ubuntu Linux proved to be unhackable while both Vista and OS X laptops were successfully hacked. When it comes to price, both Windows and OS X are more expensive than Linux, which is free.

Linux comes out the winner, given these requirements. It does what she wants. The price is right. And it is at least as reliable, probably more so, than the other two operating systems. The only question remaining is: Can Lorraine use it easily and effectively?

I chose an Asus Eee PC 2G Surf for her. Out of the box, the computer includes the software she needs (Firefox web browser, OpenOffice.org word processor, and a solitaire game). I turned it on, entered her name and the city she lives near (so it would “know” which timezone she lives in), entered the password for her Wi-Fi wireless network, and Lorraine was up and running. Total set-up time was well under five minutes.

I chose an inexpensive HP DeskJet printer for her because HP does a great job with Linux compatibility and the printer was on sale at the local office supply store. I plugged it into her computer, clicked the “Add printer” button, and in less than a minute, Lorraine was printing her first letter.

Lorraine has been using her new computer for a week and I think that I can pronounce the experiment an unequivocal success. Her computer does exactly what she needs with no fuss and no bother.

Her only complaints have been related to the small screen and keyboard on the Eee PC and her unfamiliarity with using a touch pad instead of a mouse; the Eee PC may not have been the best form factor for her but the small size fits her lifestyle so the jury is still out. She has had some questions about her software such as how to add a new email address to her address book and how to turn off auto-completion within OpenOffice.org. Other than those issues, and learning how to use a modern computer (her last real computer was ten years ago and since then she has only used a WebTV), the new machine “just works.”

None of these issues have anything to do with Linux nor would they have failed to come up had we chosen a different operating system. As an aside, my cousin Sam picked up the computer and without a single question or comment quickly checked his stock transactions. Though I did not confirm with him, it was not obvious that he even realized he was using Linux.

Lorraine’s openness to trying something new certainly contributed greatly to her success with Linux. She came to the table with no preconceived notions of what any particular dialog box “should” look like or what specific buttons she “should” push to make something italic in the word processor. These comfort factors can be significant barriers to people with extensive history with one set of software. On the other hand, those willing to experiment a bit may find that a Linux computer offers cost savings and improved security vs. Windows and Mac OS X computers. How much cost savings? As an example, here is the total for everything we purchased for her computer:

Asus Eee PC mini-laptop computer: $299
OpenOffice.org word processor: $0
Virus scanner: $0
All other software: $0

TOTAL: $299

The question of if Linux is ready for prime time is moot. The question now is only whether Linux is right for you.