8 June 2009

Linux experiment has ended so soon

After just a few days of attempting to use only Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) I have already returned to Windows XP.  Here follows the list of restrictions that I experienced in order of when they came to light...

Negatives

  • No 'Save for Web' option in Gimp
  • gFTP does not support folders with spaces in the name
  • FileZilla does not support 32 bit Linux systems
  • Video editing programmes are ALL sub standard (worst than the early version of iMovie circa 2002)
  • My DVD drive will read CD-ROMS but not DVD-ROM (no solution available on the web)
  • Quanta code colouring not good and environment not as visually pleasant as Dreamweaver (it really does become a headache after just an hour of usage)
  • No multiple file transfer feature in gFTP
  • No 'Site Manager' feature in gFTP
  • No separate adjustment layers in GIMP (only direct irreversible application to a layer)
  • Flash/Vector animation is non existent
  • Local host php development is made hard by Linux system security.  (to develop on a live server you must be constantly logged in as root user, unlike windows where you just work on the files like any other document)

Notice I have not taken into account restrictions felt due to the inherent difficulties of changing environments.  I do not feel it would be fair to judge a system on what is a basic human inevitability that one will take a while to adjust to a foreign environment.

There are many advantages to Linux Ubuntu system but here are the ones that specifically pleased me.

Positives

  • File navigation is excellent to use, better than windows.  Browse through a folder with many sub-folders, enter a folder and then click back and the window remembers what point you were scrolled to.  Incredibly helpful for going through a well organised MP3 collection building a play list.
  • Media playing is effortless
  • Network set up is effortless and automatic
  • Application adding/removing is brilliant
  • System monitoring is very good
  • Multiple desktops is very useful
  • Spell checking web browser is a fantastic feature

Having learned all these positives and negatives I am not abandoning Linux completely, I will simply run a duel boot machine.  I will alert the Linux developers of my experience so they can choose to fix or leave.  I will also seek out plugins for Firefox and other applications to try and mimick the convenient features that I experienced in Ubuntu 9.04.  And yes people!  There is a spell check feature in Firefox in Windows XP you just have to install the Firefox British Spell Check Dictionary?