Proving once again that writers are never above peeking into the next stall, Writer/BoingBoing co-editor Cory Doctorow recently published a geeky introspective about the software/hardware tools he uses, and I hope his sizable audience takes note.
Doctorow showers Ubuntu Linux with abject fanboy love, and frankly, I had to agree.
Ubuntu Just Works. I recently had cause to install Windows XP on an old ThinkPad and found that it was about a hundred times more complicated than getting Ubuntu running. When I transitioned to Ubuntu from the MacOS, I had a week or two’s worth of disorientation, similar to what happened after we renovated the kitchen and changed where we kept everything. Then the OS just disappeared, and it has stayed disappeared, breaking in ways that are neither more severe nor more frequent than any other OS I’ve ever used.
Two years ago I ran an Ubuntu Linux “trial” installation on an ailing PC notebook. I’ve never looked back.
All three of my machines run Ubuntu, and my business is now entirely Linux powered.
And doing just fine.
Doctorow neatly parrots what I tell those willing to listen: The operating system just disappears.
Work happens. And then disappears down the pipe with a minimum of wasted (and irritating) clicks.
That wasn’t the case with Windows Vista – the operating system that was so burdened by fluff, maddening dialog boxes and a mother-in-law interface it essentially drove me from the platform after years of… well… tolerating it.
Productivity Really Is The New Black
Remodeling my career – from a writer of mostly print projects to an online copywriter (and now online marketing consultant) – has pushed me into tools which do their job, but otherwise stay the hell out of the way.
It’s a recurring theme among my little pack of writer friends; simpler (and faster and easier and directer) is fast becoming the new black.
That’s why this is being written in a programmer’s editor (a tarted-up version of the very simple Gedit), stored in a text file (where any other editor can reach it), and why I rarely touch a “real” word processor any more.
I could rave on about Ubuntu and its collection of open source applications which have streamlined my workflow (actually improving my productivity in the process), but the larger picture intrudes.
As the cloud grows, its apps become increasingly powerful at aggregating content – especially disparate kinds of content.
What’s left is the relatively simple job of creating that content, which may happen faster on Linux than on a smothering Windows platform (the Mac seems to have an edge in video creation).
Keep writing (and paring away the useless bits), Tom Chandler
When I started my “Is Linux Ready for Word Workers?” series, I thought I’d squeeze a pair of posts from my Ubuntu Linux installation, erase it, and dive right back into Windows Vista.
So much for expectations.
No, I didn’t much like Vista (I’m not alone: a recent Infoworld survey suggests a startling 35% of its readers (corporate IT types) ‘de-upgraded’ their current model PCs from Vista to Windows XP).
I found Vista cloying and cluttered – a tarted-up version of XP that demanded more RAM and CPU power to run acceptably, yet managed to get in my way more than even XP.
My overall impression of Vista was of an operating system collapsing under its own weight.
But Linux was too hard, right? Too arcane? Too hard to install?
Not exactly.
Four long posts later – and despite one rough patch involving an internal modem and some media player issues – I’ve been running my business atop Ubuntu Linux for more than 60 days.
The bottom line? Ubuntu Linux is fast. It’s reliable. The interface is clean (if not a little spare). And plenty of Open Source software is freely available.
Simply put, I like it.
Is Ubuntu Linux better than XP or Vista?
That’s impossible to say; your preferences will depend on your definition of “better.”
If you live and breathe Microsoft Word – or use any of the other “industry standard” software packages – then Linux could print money and it wouldn’t be “better.”
To those of us living on a steady diet of OpenOffice, text editors, image editors, podcasts, a browser and a few utilities, it’s a compelling option.
In truth, the decision to use an open source system like Ubuntu Linux is more a philosophical question than a “logical” one.
More software is available for Windows, and it’s a safer choice.
On the other hand, no Linux operating system will ever download – largely without your knowledge – a “validator” designed to check and see if your OS is pirated.
There’s also a question of flexibility.
Don’t like your current flavor of Linux? Want to try a stripped version on an old laptop?
Feel free.
(See? That philosophical thing again.)
Real World Questions – and Answers
I think Ubuntu Linux is simply more productive (for me).
Is it better than XP? Being as Microsoft is no longer developing Windows XP (or selling licenses), then yes – it is.
Is it better than Vista?
That depends. Vista is smoother than XP. It’s also far more cluttered and dense than Linux.
A lot of the animosity directed at Vista came because users tried to upgrade XP machines. And ran into problems, often with hardware drivers.
Not surprisingly, those same issues dog Linux.
When manufacturers ship a PC with Vista or Linux already installed, those issues simply disappear. But there, of course, lies the hell of it.
Very few manufacturers ship computers with Linux installed (Dell will, but only a few models). So almost every Linux installation goes on unknown hardware.
If more manufacturers offered Linux as an option – and passed along the savings – much of the Linux reputation for difficulty would simply fade away.
And yes – market share would almost certainly grow beyond the current 2%-3% (desktops – Linux server market share is an order of magnitude higher).
The Good. And the Bad.
Here’s a story with a happy ending: I was going to re-format the hard drive on my old XP-based desktop, then give it away (I never liked that machine under XP).
On a whim, I installed Ubuntu instead of XP (again, without a hitch).
Surprise.
It runs faster. More reliably. And avoids all the machine’s formerly-quirky hardware issues.
No twice-a-day re-boots needed. No slowdowns after I opened and closed a bunch of applications. No browser lockups. No disappearing CD drives.
Suddenly, it’s a brand-new desktop.
Are all endings in Ubuntu Linux this happy?
Sadly, no. It suffers some video issues. Install it from the CD, and you need to download a special library to play commercial DVDs, and its streaming video performance can be spotty.
Drivers for a lot of hardware aren’t available for Linux, though I haven’t had any real problems.
More importantly, all those issues would go away on a PC shipped with Linux installed, and they weren’t too hard to solve anyway (though I got the impression the Linux world wants to pretend they don’t exist).
My final word?
Ubuntu Linux is everything Linux is supposed to be – except really, really hard to install or use.
The basic interface is simple, and anyone with Mac or Windows experience would find their way around pretty quickly.
It runs into trouble with some video and audio formats, and suffers from a dearth of software choices in odd areas (contact management is a little thin, as is the choice of blog editors).
That said, it also runs like a pickup truck, updates automatically (nicer than Windows), and features a “package” management system that makes installing and uninstalling software a far easier job than in XP or Vista.
It’s running on all three of my PCs (Vista is still bootable on my laptop), and I have no plans to remove it.
Test-flying Ubuntu is easy; it even installs as software within your Windows system (dual-boot), and uninstalls quickly if you don’t like it.
My clients couldn’t care less what’s running on my end. And – dare I suggest it – Microsoft Vista’s huge stumble out of the gate has given computer users a great, big, resource-hogging reason to look at alternatives.
One of them is the Mac (most are surprised to learn OSX is built atop Linux Unix). I haven’t touched on it because it’s tied to specific hardware, though Mac and Linux users might represent opposite ends of the non-Windows-using universe.
Still, the Mac is gaining market share at Microsoft’s expense, and – given my very positive experience with Ubuntu Linux – believe we could see the same thing occur on the PC side of the fence.
Can I squeeze another post out Ubuntu Linux? Maybe.
I’m developing some new work habits – and how writers get words on paper has always fascinated me – so look for a “What Linux has done to my writing process” post in a couple weeks.
Keep writing, Tom Chandler
So far, my Ubuntu Linux experience has been amazingly trouble free. Installation was easy. DVDs are playing.
And – most importantly – the work is getting done.
I even like the new software. But lately, I’ve grounded on some shoals.
Deal breakers? Not yet. But not encouraging either. What’s going wrong?
Few Blog Editor Choices
I’ve lamented the lack of powerful Linux blog editors before (most won’t even upload images for you). I’m using Scribefire, the recent versions of which have suffered image-related bugs.
End of the world? Not exactly.
Scribefire will get it together, or a more powerful editor will be written, but until then, the lack of choices is daunting.
USB Microphone Issues
Despite a little tinkering, I can’t get my m-audio USB microphone setup to work. That means – until I figure it out (if I figure it out) – no podcasts.
Modem Nightmare
This is fast becoming a big issue. Next week I’m heading to a remote part of Maine, and dialup is my only connection option. I need it.
Sadly, Ubuntu doesn’t configure built-in modems at installation. And despite mucking around for an hour, Ubuntu doesn’t want to recognize my laptop’s built-in modem.
I downloaded and ran a modem detection tool. Watched it fail. Re-booted in Vista, and discovered I’ve got the dreaded Conexant modem.
I then pored through pages of documents. And was even sent to a page on Dell’s Web site that no longer exists.
And I still can’t get Linux to recognize the thing.
I’m frustrated, so I’m stopping for now.
I was planning to use Linux through my vacation. But may have to end the Ubuntu Project early.
Which is a shame. I like the clean interface, zippy response, and all the other cool little tools.
Stay tuned. There’s more Ubuntu to come.
Keep writing, Tom Chandler.