There have been a lot of hypes over Linux-based operating system since Google
adopted the open-source Linux core into making the famous Android mobile OS.
People are aware of popular Linux-based operating systems like Ubuntu, Red Hat or
openSUSE but many regular computer users tend to brush off this free operating
system because of many reasons that work against it.
Primarily, we tend to take it as a more advanced operating system that’s not
meant for regular users but rather for programmers and hackers. But many of the
Linux distributions aren’t specifically aimed only for advanced users but rather
for regular users as well. So what makes Linux draw the short straw, and if the
people working on Linux distributions are putting so much effort into it, then
why is it not getting adapted by users?
The main question here would be that people prefer to pay a hefty US$200 for
Windows and yet they squirm away from a free-of-cost Operating System.
I think the main reason for this would be that people want software that’s been
refined and looks good as well. The main flaw in Ubuntu would be that it lacks
that refinement that Windows or Macs offer. People are so used to the Graphical
User Interface that command line instructions, and anything to do with punching
commands onto the computer is an instant turnoff for regular users, and Linux,
for the point it starts to the point it shuts down, will throw some form of
command line text at the users.
Although, many Linux distributions have now started bundling some form of an
Application Store or an Installer, there are still many things that need to be
installed through the command line; for example, when a user first installs
Linux, the system is incapable for playing many popular media formats, and to
insure that it does, a set of codecs need to be installed, most preferably
through the command line. This is a hassle for the regular user because something
that can be done easily on Windows or Macs needs extra effort on the Linux.
Support also seems to be another reason that Linux seems be dragging behind.
Major software companies like Adobe or Microsoft don’t support Linux systems
officially, and because of this, users on the Linux platform have to make do with
applications that may lack the refinement that users experience on Windows or Mac
computers. For example, for the lack of the vital Photoshop that so many
designers and photographers use, Linux has GIMP that may be able to work as well
as Photoshop but still lacks that user-friendly interface and the robustness of
an Adobe product. Just like Microsoft’s Office that is famous not only on Windows
devices but on Apple’s Macs as well isn’t supported on the Linux, and users have
to make do with inferior software.
Although many Linux distributions like Ubuntu have grown through the ages and now
offer user-interfaces that rival Windows or Macs, they still lack software that
look just as nice. Ubuntu is an example of a very user-friendly interface and yet
it isn’t beautiful to look at.
But no matter how beautiful the operating system might look, the main purpose is
to run applications on it, and the applications fail to appreciate the beauty of
the Ubuntu UI. With icons that look like they have been ripped out of Windows XP,
applications on the Linux are far from those on Windows or Mac.
To take the music player, for example, Windows comes bundled with a decent
looking and performing Windows Media Player, and Macs have the brilliant iTunes
to offer. But on the Linux, there are various players that come bundled with
different distributions and none of these players can compete with what their
competitors have to offer. Until and unless developers take an interest in Linux
and start churning out well-designed applications, regular users would have no
reason to stop using their Windows PCs.
These may be some of the reasons that scare regular users when it comes to the
adoption of Linux; and even though many adopters have Linux on their computer,
it’s usually installed along with Windows.
Linux comes in different flavors. If you want to install Linux, there are plenty
of options to choose from because many different companies are developing Linux-
based distributions and adding their own flairs to the operating system. This may
be another reason for the lack of mass adoption because people want things made
easier for them. Many users don’t have time to look up the many different
versions of Linux on the Internet and choose one that is ideal. Many people don’t
want to make that effort of searching for an OS, and this is where the plethora
of Linux distributions works against itself by providing many different options
that disorient the potential user.
Linux is an amazing operating system that’s lighter and more robust than Windows
or maybe even Macs. But what is lacks is refinement. Computer users today are
used to working with icons and pictures, and moving back to a text-based
interaction with the system would be difficult. Linux asks more from its users
that it offers, it asks users to stop using industry-leading software while
offering software that lack in design and performance.
Linux is growing but it still needs to hammer down its dents to be able to appeal to a wider audience.
PRAJESH SJB RANA, the writer of this post is República The Week’s much loved tech guru.
