Preface
Let me preface this blog entry by saying that it is being written on a laptop that I purchased in 2006 for $350 that is running the latest Ubuntu Linux 10, and running it as fast as my late model Core i7 laptop that runs Windows. I've recently come to the realization that I spend about 80% of my non-work day computing time on a Linux based platform, either on this laptop or on my Archos 101 Internet Tablet.
One of the things that drives me crazy reading blogs is the negativity out there for all kinds of cool technology. Everything “sucks” these days. It reminds me of this video by Louis CK:
"Windows Sucks"
One of the most frequent targets of “you suck” blog posts is Microsoft Windows. While Windows isn't perfect, to say it sucks is ridiculous. One of the things Windows has historically been criticized for is the amount of rebooting required when installing or updating software. In recent iterations Windows has gotten better, but this still happens. But guess what...it happens in other OS's too. I just updated this Ubuntu laptop today and guess what I was greeted with:
"Ubuntu Sucks?", "Linux Sucks?"
So does this mean that "Ubuntu Sucks" or that "Linux Sucks?" Of course not. It means that OS's are invariably complex beasts, package management is a tough, unrewarding area of software development. If you don't believe me try it, I've had projects where building a reliable, automatically updating installation methodology took longer than building the software itself. This is true on Windows and Linux alike.
So let's stop wasting our time bashing cool technology. Linux is pretty amazing as is Windows. Both of these, along with OSX which I don't personally care for too much have pushed OS development and the software field in general forward and should be commended for doing so rather than torn down.
Please let me know what you think by using the comments section below!