Ultra X Linux

As important as it is, the operating system is really just a stage that serves as the basis for the main actors, which are applications. Although much to discuss about the differences between Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and the advantages of each one, ultimately the most effective arguments for or against a particular platform focus on applications for it. Without applications, the operating system is just one set of drivers and libraries, without any use. Nobody would use Linux if there were no good programs available for it. Installing new software in Linux is not as complicated as it may seem at first sight. Rather, it is often even simpler than in Windows, because you rarely need to spend time buying and registering the program, removing banner ads, disabling spyware and the like. On Linux, we have a predominance of open-source applications, while in Windows we have a predominance of proprietary programs. The fact that a program has open source does not necessarily mean that it is free, but most are. The only cost related to using the Gimp, for example, is the “cost” to download or copy the program.

In general, programs tend to be better owners in niche and specialized areas, an example is AutoCAD, which until now has not opened up to a competitor. This is because these niche programs are used by a small slice of users (AutoCAD is used only by engineers and so on), which just is not enough to pique the interest of a large enough group of developers. On the other hand, for general purpose programs have an opposite scenario. The user base is very large and so the projects thrive, often surpassing the quality of business applications. Consider x Internet Explorer Firefox, for example. Another point in favor of open applications is the reuse of code. A developer can start from where a previous project stopped working directly on the features you want to add, rather than having to start from scratch. In the proprietary world everything is more complicated, involving licensing of components and so on.

The wide range of applications open ends up being a big advantage of Linux, because the distributions come with a large number of pre-installed programs and you can install other free of charge. On Windows, things work quite differently: the system includes only some basic applications and then installing it, you need to purchase third-party software to perform more elaborate tasks. The chance of the next version of Windows ever to come with Photoshop and CorelDraw, for example, is very remote.
This causes many users (probably most) end up resorting to piracy, which ends up creating other problems. Even leaving all the legal and moral side, download and install pirated software also has its challenges, since it is necessary to find a crack, remove viruses and trojans before you install and so on. For Linux, the installation ends up being simpler, since you only need to open the package manager and install the desired application.

The difficulty is not in the facility itself, but the difficulty in finding software to replace those you use on a daily basis. As you become familiar with a system, you build a mental basis of knowledge, applications and solutions to problems. When you want to edit images you use the application X, when you want to download a file via bittorrent application uses the Y, when you have a problem with the sound you make Z and so on. When you decide to switch to another platform, much of this mental library is lost, because the tips no longer apply to the other system. This makes the change turns out to be much more painful than a simple change of interface, since you need to replace each of the applications used on another platform and deal with a different set of problems. This applies not only to migrate from Windows to Linux (or vice versa), but also, though to a lesser degree, when migrating from one Linux distribution to another.  A good indication is that, in general, users who find less difficulty in migrating from Windows to Linux are precisely the most starters, that use less system functions (often just the browser and media player) and that therefore have no difficulty in replacing them. At the other extreme we have the most experienced users, which, strange as it may seem, are precisely those that are more difficult because, by having a “mental library” major, end up having to find replacements for a lot more functions.

This process is important to change the mentality a bit, look for programs not “equal” to those used in Windows, but think about the tasks you want to accomplish and look for programs that offer a feature set as close as possible to what you need. The Office can be replaced by OpenOffice, Gimp for Photoshop, Corel by Inkscape, IE by Firefox, MSN through Pidgin or Kopete, Outlook for Evolution, by Totem Media Player, VLC, MPlayer or Kaffeine, Nero by K3B, Amarok by iTunes and so on. It is important to emphasize that in the Linux world there are also commercial applications and proprietary applications. Examples include VMware, Acrobat Reader, Cedega, Skype, and games like Quake 4 and Doom 3, that have Linux version. It is also possible to run some Windows applications through Wine, but often with several minor flaws or limitations. Another option is to use a virtual machine using VirtualBox or VMware to run a full copy of Windows, installing the applications you want on it. Much is said about the advancement of virtualization systems and web applications. Two good examples are the webmail, which almost entirely eliminated the use of readers dedicated e-mail, and the frightening growth in the use of virtualization in servers, especially for cloud computing (cloud computing).

He is nothing more than the combination of two old ideas: the use of clusters (several computers networked together, working as if they were one) and the use of virtualization, so that this “super-server” to run multiple virtual machines, each a running like a separate server. These virtual servers store information and do all the processing, enabling applications to run within the browser, such as Gmail and many other web apps. These two technologies may eliminate the problem of the differences between platforms, since you can run any software on any computer within the browser or in a virtual machine. However, this is a change that will still take a while to occur, so that local applications are still in vogue.