After using Ubuntu 8.10 for 3 months, I've decided I do not like it. Here are the reasons why:
- I miss Photoshop - 'nuff said, really. I've been using Gimp a lot, and it is powerful I suppose, but it's no Photoshop. Granted, I've yet to get WINE to work with my version of Photoshop (CS3), which unfortunately GIMP does not support well (slaps forehead). Not being able to run Photoshop is a good enough reason to avoid Linux to my mind. Photoshop, see, is more than just an 'image editing software'. It is a religion. The ability to quickly and efficiently edit and create images for use on web or print automatically puts you on a higher level in the web publishing world, and anything else is (I've realized now) is a step back. For the past 3 months using Gimp, everytime I need to create or edit an image I've felt myself pining for Photoshop, and the feeling has not waned since.
- I miss shortcut keys - In Windows you can assign shortcut keys to frequently used applications by right - clicking the icon on the Desktop then Properties > Shortcut Tab > Shortcut Key. In Linux, not so much. I found this howto but met only limited success with it. Shortcut keys is a wonderful performance enhancer and I navigate my way quickly around Windows by memorizing the shortcuts. Same with Windows apps, I have tattooed in my brain shortcut keys for everything from Photoshop to WinAmp.
- I miss Homesite - Homesite is an ancient 'power editor' aka 'text editor' aka 'html editor'. I've been using it since forever and I've yet to find anything remotely as easy to use and powerful for either making simple blogposts to writing php or editing css, to creating whole sites. Apparently Macromedia thought so too because they bought it's original manufacturer and promptly discontinued it, or at least, buried it. Granted, they may have adapted its features to Dreamweaver although I wouldn't know since I've never tried it as I never understood the need to make it so big and complex. So anyway, on Ubuntu to date, I have tried Kompozer, Quanta, Screem, Amaya and Bluefish which I'm using to write this. Only Bluefish comes remotely close to how happy I am using Homesite, but it's still far off. And I need to be happy when editing php / html and making blogposts. The life of my blogs depend on it - and yes I realize I sound over dramatic but if you think about it this is what I do so its really that important.)
- Inexplicably Slows Down, Affects Video - Every few minutes in an hour the whole PC seems to freeze midstream into what it's doing. The whole desktop 'grays out' (indicating it's busy), and starts up again a few seconds later, carrying out the commands you gave it in the interim (scrolling windows, clicking this and that). The issue is worst when watching videos, which I unfortunately enjoy doing quite often. I wrote about it on the ubuntuforums to no avail. I suspect I have to reinstall the OS and do it properly next time (I think I may have allocated too little swap space), so I'm not completely sure I know what I'm doing here.
- It's just.. Ugly - Whoever said that light brownish / grapefruit - like default color Ubuntu comes with should be shot. As far as I'm concerned brown is the color of poo, and I can't imagine ever mentioning the color brown in any artsy or appreciate sort of way. The dizzying number of themes try to help and I'm sure there's a nice one in there, but the thing I hated most was the inability to make things smaller. I can get up to 1440 x 900 resolution well enough, it's just the default Windows and fonts were still so annoyingly big and I couldn't find a way to make them smaller so as to make best use of my 19" monitor. I think this is one of the most frustrating issues I had to deal with, since I always have several windows open at the same time and often alt-tab my way through. Having less monitor real estate due to large windows annoyed me most. (and yes I know it's open source and I can change all that, but the fact you have to be bothered to do so is still another annoyance).
- I want to try Windows Live Writer - I've been on a constant lookout for a good offline blog editor to use and to recommend to the other editors of the Exchange sites. While on Ubuntu, I tried BlogTK and a few other things, of which Drivel held the most promise. Unfortunately not even that was good enough as it strangely could not, for example, post to more than one category and other simple things like that. For the most part the blogging client world in Linux is still very immature, and at the end of the day did not provide a suitable alternative to just logging into your blog and writing there (aka the old method) instead. This situation has surprisingly turned out to be the opening Microsoft needed to make themselves a player in the blogging world, by offering it's absolutely excellent Windows Live Writer, which I've used for only a day so far but am absolutely loving (a more thorough review later).
What's kept me from moving?
- Security, not one of Windows' strong points - As a Windows user, you know what I mean when after months of use, your machine keeps getting slower and slower? Or how about when the network activity lights blink continuously even when you're not doing anything? To me, these are straight up indicators that uninvited application(s) have squirmed themselves into your system doing God - knows - what. And that is frankly, unacceptable. Using Windows, every time it slows down when booting or shutting down, every time I see constant network activity inspite of the fact that no application (not even a screensaver) is running, I wonder if my data is being transferred somewhere. In contrast, in the last 3 months Ubuntu has run absolutely the same as when I first installed it, regardless of the fact I've installed / uninstalled tens of applications. At no time did I ever need to reboot (except once I think for a kernel upgrade), and at no time did I ever get that creepy feeling that my data is being stowed away somewhere. For the first time in a long time I worked ftp and ssh securely plus use PayPal and perform banking transactions feeling completely secure about it. Frankly, that by itself is reason enough alone to ditch Windows.
- Gnome's Workspaces - The ability to switch from one workspace to another is the virtual equivalent of having another desk beside you when things get too cluttered. I often listen to the excellent Virgin Radio Classic Rock UK via internet radio using Rhythmbox and keep it away from sight on another desktop. At this point I should probably mention Gnome's rather amazing visual effects via Compiz, but sadly after the initial oohs and aahs I've turned it off and kept it at normal settings after the novelty wore off.
- Constant Updates - It reminds me of code.google.com's mantra 'release early, release often', and it's in full effect here. Gives a nice 'we got your back' feeling, which is the stark contrast of Windows - plus as mentioned before, I never needed to reboot.
- SCP and SSH - I have two other Ubuntu installations, one on my laptop and the other an ancient P3 desktop I use for staging projects and rtorrent. Sharing files amongst the three is a breeze using the wonders of SCP, plus SSH allows me to completely control any of them from any workstation completely and securely. As I write this and contemplate how easy it is, I begin to wonder if moving back to Windows is worth it. It's that much of a deal breaker.
- Windows means Games - If I were to compute how much time I've
spent wasted playing Company of Heroes, WarCraft, StarCraft, GTA, Sims, NFS, NBA Live, etc. etc. on my PC, I'd probably have either finished a 2nd degree, learned a different language, or finished writing the novel I've always wanted to by now. Ok fine, I'm exaggerating, but it feels that way, and I've spent twice as much time mulling over how I wished I'd have spent the time more productively. Let's face it, if your career does not involve playing these games, then your time really is better spent doing something else, such as oh maybe, working. Then again, it can always be argued that your life wouldn't be as much fun. Hmmm..
When I started this post I was still using Ubuntu, but by the time I am finishing this now, I am again back to Windows XP. I've just finished installing my applications and have decided that this is the right thing to do, considering I've gotten some work done already.
While I regret I've had to shift back, I do not regret the experience of using Ubuntu for that long a period. Although I admit I only tried just Ubuntu, assuming it is at least amongst the most developed Desktop distros out there it has given me a firm grasp as to what the level of development Linux on the desktop is, something only a first hand, prolonged experience can provide. It really, still has a long way to go, and considering much / all of it is volunteered effort the result is quite astonishing. It lacks polish though, and I get the feeling that maybe a mass, concerted effort such as how a single company can provide, is the answer. If so, Mark Shuttleworth's Canonical is on the right track then, and I really am hopeful they will well and truly kick Windows (at least even XP's) ass some day.
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