Monday, December 17, 2007

Digital Freedom - Open Source Vs. Closed Source

The open source revolution is here to stay and the software corporations are fighting it. Microsoft is trying to illegally stop the propagation of the Linux operating system by claiming that Linux violates over 100 software patents held by Microsoft. It is both illegal and immoral for Microsoft to use its monopoly power to force their bug-ridden products on the industry. Vista is buggy by all means and it runs slow. It also uses a substantial amount of system resources to run, using 2 GB of memory to run efficiently and 1 GB to run at all. Linux only uses about 700 MB of memory with Compiz running. Linux with Compiz does everything Vista does and more. In particular, the Ubuntu distribution of Linux is easy to install and run, running "out of the box". Linux usually takes up less space on the hard drive. It is a better, more efficient operating system.

One of the problems in the computer industry is that hardware manufacturers are slow to provide support for Linux. This gives Windows an unfair advantage in the market. Also, Windows is often the only choice when a new machine is bought, but comanies like Dell is offering Ubuntu as an option for an installed OS.

Another problem with Vista is that it "phones home". It is secret what information Vista sends back to the Microsoft servers but I don't trust it for one minute. It reminds me of spyware. Another problem is that it encourages DRM or digital rights management. DRM limits a user's freedom to use a particular software, video or music product as the user sees fit. I don't like DRM. It is defective by design and I will not buy music from online music stores - I will get the CD at a record store.

My laptop came with Vista installed and it took me fifteen minutes to figure out how to reset the computer so it would boot off the Ubuntu CD. I called it the "Windows that would not take no for an answer." Needless to say, Vista only lasted that fifteen minutes, then it got erased, with Ubuntu getting installed over it after a reformat of the hard drive.

>Jesus|Freak

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