The joy of Linux

For those of us who using a computer is not just a job. A lot of computer users are just that. Computer users. They only use the computer to do the job at hand and have no inclination or interest in any other aspect of computing. Then there are the power users. Those are the people who have an intellectual curiosity about what makes their computer tick. There are many sites out on the web that are dedicated to power users and how they can tweak their computer to achieve maximum performance. These are much like the car enthusiasts that are out working on their cars every weekend. Tightening this and adjusting that, maybe trying out hotter spark plugs or a new carb. The PC power users are always trying out different programs to tune and clean their PC. Like the car enthusiasts the power PC user will not have the standard default user interface but will have it tricked out with eye candy galore.

Of course ninety percent (but falling) of those users do all of their tweaking in the windows operating system. The reason I put in brackets the term “but falling” is that more and more power users are finding out about the joy of Linux. They are finding an operating system that more than satisfies their intellectual curiosity. Whereas windows is a closed operating system the insides of it, what makes it tick, are closed and in accessable. The power users can not go into the guts of it and really tweak it where it counts. This is the equivalent to a car enthusiast with a welded shut hood. All the power user can do is play around with the accessories. Even the programs they download to tweak windows are closed and only present a flash GUI to the power user.

This of course leaves the power user feeling frustrated and constrained. Nobody wants to feel that way. Then, when they discover Linux, they feel as if a whole new world has opened up. Which in effect a whole new world has opened up for them. For Linux is open to inspection through and through. Any and every single part of the whole operating system can be changed according to the power users desires. There are no constraints to their intellectual curiosity and a world of help and support is instantly available. Even the programmers themselves can be directly contacted and asked why this widget does so and so.

If the power user wants to change their file system they have a choice of many. If the power user wants to have a different window manager they have a choice of many. If the power user wants to modify the window manager they are using there is no reason why they cannot. Everything, absolutely everything can be changed in Linux.

That is why Linux is a joy to install, use, explore and play with. Linux is a Ferrari to window’s Renault. The big difference is, windows has a Ferrari price and Linux costs….well it costs nothing