It Just Works

I'm a software engineer. I make stuff work, it's my job. I get paid for it too, which is nice.

When I get home, I don't want to muck about with my laptop or most of the other systems on my network. I want them to "just work". I don't want to fix them every few months. They need to be reliable, simple, and low-maintenance.

That's why I use Ubuntu (among other linuxes). Simple, easy to use, low-maintenance.

My Windows machines rarely remain stable or responsive for more than 9 months, I find. My most recent installation is no exception - I installed it around August, and it's now showing its age. About half the time, it hangs somewhere in the boot process and never gets to a Windows login screen.

All of my hardware is a couple years old, cuz I've got more important things to pay for. I've got a Debian box that runs a 1ghz Celeron with 256mb of RAM. My Windows box has 1.7gb of RAM and a 2.4ghz hyperthreading Pentium IV. When Windows successfully boots, my Debian box consistently reaches its login screen a couple minutes sooner than my Windows box does.

After logging in, my Windows box takes (at best) 3.5 minutes to let me actually start any applications. When I try to start an application, it often doesn't ever render a window - its process appears to be running in Task Manager, but it's not listed in the Applications tab, and it's nonexistent in any other form. After two or three tries starting it, it eventually comes up... but only because I'm a persistent little prick.

Linux hasn't ever done that to me without an error message of some kind. No mysteries with Linux. It's reliable, it does what I want and need it to do, and usually without complaining. When it does complain, it's an easy fix - install this update, move this file - et voila.

That's why I use it, and that's why my work is to build Linux-based systems to serve the simpler desktop needs of the common user - email, web, media, productivity - all free, easy, and reliable.

Amen.