Why I Don’t Switch To Linux Just Yet

Written By: On: March 18, 2009 @ 9:19 AM Tags: , , 3 Comments »

Even though I prefer my web servers to run Linux, I just can’t seem to switch my personal computer to Linux just yet. From an end-user standpoint, Linux is still very rough around the edges, here’s my personal checklist (in no particular order) that I’d like to see fulfilled.

  • The ability to install a piece of software without having to invoke a CLI.
  • A full-featured development environment (that’s not Eclipse) that rivals Visual Studio in C++ development.
  • A non-Unix-like file system.
  • Better manual when you buy a distribution (SUSE manual: case and point).
  • Better IHV driver support.
  • Better native ISV software support without having to run Wine.
  • And the coup de grâce: An OpenGL specification that can compete with Direct3D.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Linux itself, in fact much of my development time goes into LAMP related work. But for the desktop it just seems like a CLI-ridden nightmare at the moment.