"I was asked this question in response to a piece I
wrote last week under the title Making Linux look harder than it is
, about why new Linux users should start with the simplest possible
GUI tools and learn to use the command line only after they have a
system up and running and get a little experience with it. That
article drew more than 300 emails, mostly along the lines of,
"Preach it, Brother!" but some raised interesting questions,
including the one that gave this column its title.
I started using Linux because it cost less than Windows. I was
not interested in the power of the command line, even though I
learned to enter rudimentary text commands right from the start;
back in 1998, that was a necessary part of getting Linux installed
and using it as a day-to-day operating system. But I was not
looking for flexibility or to control every each of my computer's
internal functions one by one. All I wanted to do was write and
edit text (because that's what I do for a living), alter a few
graphics (mostly photos) now and then, browse Web sites, and send
and receive email. I also wanted to keep some simple personal and
business records, including contact information for various friends
and associates.
These are not complicated computer chores, but they were all I
really needed (as opposed to wanted) from my computer. I could have
done all of this with Windows quite easily."
