BBC News: To upgrade or not to upgrade [and whether to choose Linux or WinXP]

Aug 14, 2001, 16:33 (73 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Ivan Noble)

[ Thanks to Mark for this link. ]

This article is centered around the question of whether or not it's time to upgrade a PC's OS. It gives Linux and WindowsXP generally equal billing as options, mentions the BSD's briefly, and comes down on the Linux question:

"Linux users face the opposite problem, with several different word processors, spreadsheets, e-mail and drawing tools thrown in.

The problem is finding out which ones will work with on files created by colleagues still using Windows.

Linux does not run familiar Windows programs by itself, though it is possible to run them via an emulator, or to use programs like StarOffice that read Word or Excel files.

Despite all the improvements, installing Linux still takes a little technical courage, though the benefits in terms of learning how your machine works can be substantial."

Complete Story

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• SystemLogic.net: WindowsXP vs. Linux Mandrake: Some Aesthetic Observations (and a gratuitous Ballmer-monkey-dance link) (Aug 07, 2001)
• I, Cringely: The Death of TCP/IP(Aug 03, 2001)
• ZDNet: Seventeen years old and state of the art (Jul 24, 2001)
• Steve Gibson: more on Windows XP, raw socket support, and security(Jul 03, 2001)
• BBC: Microsoft experiments with XP, could drive users to Linux(Apr 20, 2001)