5 things Best Buy employees must know about Linux.

5 things Best Buy employees must know about Linux.: "

Microsoft, the Redmond giant and vendor of the world's most troublesome OS, has now taken a different route to publicize its upcoming Windows 7 in October. It is now using deliberate disinformation about Linux to hoodwink unsuspecting employees of Best Buy to sell its new OS. In order to be fair to those being fed with the disinformation in these slides, I am assuming they do not know anything about Linux. The following five points should help clarify issues for them.

Lie no 1- Linux updates require time

This is a lie, and a very weak one at that given the fact that it's coming from a giant like MS. In the slide, Ubuntu is used as an example to show how updating and upgrading Linux is hard and takes time. If anything at all, updating and upgrading are the easiest things you can do in Linux. One update, and everything on your system is automatically updated. No need to individually select apps to update or upgrade, no need to scour the internet downloading apps from various vendors. Linux updates can take as low as one minute to update depending on the size of update. Updates in Linux are also consistent and very timely. There is not a single bit of consistency in Windows updates whatsoever. Windows updates, because they are very infrequent, make your system very vulnerable to security threats. When you update in Windows, you only update the OS and nothing else. So what is MS talking about? Oh I forgot, it's just lies! I could go on and on and on.

Lie no 2- Windows offers choice and compatibility

Microsoft claims because you can attach your Ipod and camera to your Windows box, that means they offer you choice and compatibility. Pure hogwash! The last time I checked, I could attach my Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones to my Ubuntu box without any so called PC suite, I can use my Ipod with Banshee music player or Rhythm box , attaching my digicam is a snap, I do not need any driver to get my SD card to be read by my Ubuntu system. Not a single one of these can be done on a Windows box without the help of third party drivers and bridges. Yet MS claims Linux is not compatible and does not offer you choice. Oh I forgot, I can video conference with my blog partners half a world away with Skype. I do not need Windows Live because I am running Linux. Games? I will reserve my words.

Lie no 3- Windows works with a lot of softwares

Of course Windows works with a lot of softwares since MS has the clout to get more ISVs to develop for the Windows platform. But, Linux has thousands of software available for free download and easy to install. It's just a matter of knowing what you want to do and searching for the app. Windows? Well, pray to get lucky enough not to get infected with a virus scouring the net for an app. Yes an app can bear the Windwos logo, but it will cost you good money.

Lie no 4 Linux is difficult to learn

Well, maybe it's only in the world of windows without gates that a distro like Ubuntu of Fedora is difficult to learn. What MS is not telling you is that even Windows has a learning curve, so if Linux has it, does that make Linux difficult to learn? If an alien should land from Jupiter today, would he automatically know how to use Windows? Every OS out there has a learning curve and neither Windows nor Linux is an exemption. MS talks about support or a step-by-step tutorial. Well, I guess this site answers that assertion.

Lie no 5- Security

This is the biggest, blatant lie of all the propaganda MS has ever come up with. It sometimes takes just hours for a patch to be pushed out to users when a vulnerability is discovered in Linux.You are never alone in terms of security when it comes to Linux. There is a constant look out for security threats in Linux and patches are never far away. Windows updates are pushed out when MS wants and not when it must. Windows is in itself an insecure OS without third party guards like antivirus and antispyware. MS talks about parental control, in what context is it referring to?

I will end my submission here. You can take a look at the slides here and draw your own conclusion. Let me know what you think when you draw those conclusions.

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