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Top 5 Reasons You Don’t Need Microsoft
I’ve taken the time here to outline my thoughts and frustrations toward Windows and Microsoft in general for their abundantly clear message that “We’re the answer to all your computer problems.” False. I’m not a know-it-all: I don’t proclaim to know everything there is to know about Msoft or any of the companies mentioned below. I am purely taking a look at my computer-life, as a non-technical consumer and addressing my disdain for what I deal with on a daily basis and why others should more carefully consider what they do with their time and money, regarding (so directly) Microsoft.
Furthermore, there are far more educated people than I that support this same idea and I urge you to read what they have to say because it could save you a lot of money and energy.
5. You’ve been coerced into thinking that Windows is THE operating system, but it’s not. I dare you to tell me that your pc runs smoothly and doesn’t give you problems or need considerate cleaning. Often a defense for Windows vulnerability to spyware and viruses is that it’s targeted because of it’s popularity. This is true - beyond that, however, the platform on which it’s built is less secure than Unix, or at the very least less logically architected. If I say anything more I’ll start receiving hate emails, I’m sure.
4. You don’t need windows. Aside from all the aforementioned crap that comes from running windows, you don’t need all of the “power” it offers its users. Windows is built to be versatile: the operating system for anyone, no matter what you do. As the saying goes: “jack of all trades, master of none” really applies here. My guess is you probably browse the internet, check your email, and perhaps use microsoft word or powerpoint occasionally. There are open source versions of these softwares with robust features and a $0.00 price tag.
3. What am I getting at? Ubuntu is plenty (and actually very expandable) for most computer users. There are plenty of resources out there that can better explain why you should give Ubuntu a try, but in short it is a free operating system built on Linux that offers “normal” people, as well as geekier folk, a free, smooth operating system that will do just about anything you want it to do. Changing operating systems sounds extreme, but windows forces people to do heroic, extreme things.
I’m currently typing this on a ThinkPad, using win7 which I don’t necessarily hate, but I am genuinely convicted that my “computer experience” is actually lower than it is when running Ubuntu on my other machine - you know, the operating system for which I downloaded from the internet for free and installed legally and came with all the fun programs and internet apps I thought I could only run on windows.
2. In this economy, why pay Msoft for more of the same nonsense you’ve come to expect, when they’ve proven so much more unstable than competitors? I’ve never owned a mac or even used one for any extended period of time but I know plenty of people that use them exclusively (and I’m sure you do to, if you don’t own one yourself) and I’ve never heard a negative comment about it. My dad puts it well when he calls Apple and their OS’s more appliance than computer. He’s right - they’re built for a narrower audience on proprietary hardware and with consistent precision computing quality at priority 1.
Think of your toaster and how it is built to toast bread and it does so consistently and correctly. Your toaster was designed to do what it was supposed to do; the designers left no gray area about possible extra uses for the toaster and had no intentions of replacing the other appliances in your kitchen. In this same way, Apple is succesful for setting out to build machines that work properly, are designed for a certain audience (not everyone), and only do so much. It’s true, you probably can’t upgrade your Mac with a bunch of new top-of-the-line graphics cards or run every piece of software known to man on it, but that’s okay! They do what they promise to do almost perfectly, and that should be enough.
1. Your not a web developer or hardcore gamer. Obviously, if you are those things, then that does not apply. In my experience, these 2 walks almost always require a windows-centric machine, and that’s fine. For the rest of you, however, reconsider why it is you put up with abundant freezing, crashing, wild memory-hogging pop-ups, and 10-minute start up times. There are other options out there, even if Steve Ballmer himself denies it.
1.20.10 @ 1:14am
