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this article is a joke right? Seriously, this can't be for real. Is it? I mean, Innovation? Really? You're telling me Windows has been more innovative than the Ubuntu team in the last 5 years? Ok. I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm with tjweir... sorta lame-ish...

I am going to vote for this because I see a Linux lovers gang bang happening. It seems that there never anything said about the benefits of Windows.

I also am against any censorship of talking about Windows being better. Sites like Dzone and developer sites for the most part are filled with too many Linux fans that feel the need to suppress anything that does not promote Linux over Windows. Flaming, illogic and bitterness seem to take over any conversation. There never seems to be any honest discussion.

Please explain how voting a story down on a site that's goal is to promote and demote links based on merit is censorship.

Whenever you see a post like this there are hoards of Linux fans swarming over it and putting down. No, real debate just a bunch off harsh words and inuindo. I like the points in the article about innovation in GUIs and MacOS. But no one on the Linux side picks this up and tries to give a counterpoint in the same context. A Mac user would have it easy to list out all the thing Apple has brought to the table. Even an OS2 user might have a little to say about user friendliness. But the linux user comes back with some evasive manouver that no one outside of the linux community understands.

Most arguements of this type usually end up with Linux users coming in with a grab bag flames and no concrete evidence to the contrary. They just drown the conversation out in long postings that don't go the point in question.

Ok, based on the five points mentioned in the article:

Networking

This starts with the assumption that networking is primarily P2P. It's not.
On top of this, I don't think you need any kind of justification that the OS that holds the internet together (Linux) is by any kind of measure lesser than the most insecure and unstable popular OS when it comes to networking. Linux has been a *true* networking system for ages. So, seriously...

Installing software

Has any Windows user ever dreamt of installations using something like apt, the ease of use and flexibility they offer? Over a Network, non the less.

Disk Access and File handling

Connect a USB stick to the 'wrong' port of your Windows box and Windows will ask you to install it, regardless of the fact that you've just been using it on the same box five minutes ago. Defrag? There's no such thing in Linux, because it has proper Disk management. And had it since day one. Mounting remote drives over a network? It's a breeze on Linux, because linux is a true Networking OS. As for file handling, Linux has the simplest, most robust file ownership and permission management system. The guy mentions drag and drop. Come on, this is not even File Handling, this is just a GUI feature.

Support

I don't even know what this is trying to prove... I'm sure you've been to Linux mailing lists and user groups.

Innovation

This clearly only addresses innovation in terms of Graphical User Interfaces, which misses at least 95% of what innovation in computing stands for. Even in this context, check out Xgl (http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_XGL) for innovation a million miles ahead of what Vista will incorporate when it finally gets released.

Finally, don't blame Linux users for flaming this. It's the least you'd expect for posting such a childish article on a tech site.

Networking
Wireless networking is probably the most popular form right now. No stats to support this but a strong gut feeling from the internet talk (an assumption). Wireless networking is at it base peer to peer. So while not the primary form of networking it is the most popular.

Installing software
This goes to the trained habit. Windows is the most popular and so users have been trained to do things the windows way. Linux could provide the same installation scheme and have network installation as an alternative. This is what is done in my favorite Linux distro, Xandros.

Drive and files
The consumer group that buys windows is not very open to all the tech talk. This is why plug and play is so popular. They want plug and play with drag and drop. The other stuff probably does not intrest them.

Support
My guess would be this is that they are talking about the party sydrome. Go to a party and tell someone that the kids gaming PC is on the blink because the OS is acting up. A few red wines later you have it working or at least have a line of volunteers to experiment. Happens a lot with Windows. I have not seen it happen with Linux. But then again I have never seen Linux as a gaming OS either.

Innovation
I have no idea what XGL is and I consider myself up on things. If it is something that a Desktop user can make use of then I guess that's one point for Linux.

For the answer to that last part see this: http://www.hiveminds.co.uk/node/3176

I've voted for it because it seems like it'll generate some fun comments.

I don't understand why there's even an argument at this point... it's all about the applications, and most of the best ones run on Windows. OS X is the only real competitor for a desktop.

For a server, Linux still rules.

I liked posts like this where it's clear that the author wants to provoke well aware it will lead to nothing. People have made their choice whatever that may be and that's not gonna change with posts like this. Good entertainment though. Thumbs up.

Most people have not made their choice. That's the problem. Most people don't have a choice, in fact, they don't even know that there is a choice at all.
Open you eyes... :)

The reason why this kind of headline shocks quite a bit is because Windows is distributed by default by most of the PC/laptops manufacturers. Unfortunately we dont have any choice, and the lack of competition is harming all of us. Unless this person who writes this article is paid by Microsoft, I dont see wat is the motivation.

Clearly he knows nothing about Linux. I have moved to Ubuntu with my HP laptop and I am very pleased because I dont give a damn about OSes (Linux, Mac, or Windows), I dont want to worry about it as long as I can use my applications without hassles. As a Java developer I found in Linux a better alternative than Windows. (btw there is no exe files in ubuntu, apps are selected within an app manager, much better !)

With the flop of Vista promices maybe this is a panic symptom : the few microsoft worshippers will start to bash the Linux community.

This is pretty much what I am talking about. Six complaints without an iota of information on Linux or substancial arguements backed by evidence. If this where a murder trial the defendant would go free because the prosecution would be doing nothing but yelling " He looks like a criminal!" "He has mob connections because of his last name!" "He's black and lives in the ghetto he must be doing something wrong!"

To me this type of attitude is more dangerous than anything Microsoft has done. And here we are again. Totally off the subject.

But at least it was a fun thread.

Most people haven't made their choice, but all of us dzone'ers have. That's what I meant. Most people don't read this article either.