Armchair Theorist

Inspired by a discussion on my previous post between myself and my good friend (and Linux advocate) Stephan Wissel, here is a analogy I like to use when describing when someone switches from using Windows to using Linux:

Switching from Windows to Linux is like switching from driving a car to riding a bicycle.

Yes, it should still get you from point A to point B, but you will likely take a longer time.

Yes, the big bicycle companies [RedHat, Novell and Ubunthu] will almost certainly emphasize the bicycle’s negligible cost [open source] and conveniences such as the fact that you don’t need to worry as much about traffic jams [lack of viruses on Linux].

Initially, you may even enjoy these benefits.

However, after riding a bike for a while, you realize that driving is actually what you really want to do. Mostly because riding a bicycle is actually a lot more difficult and stressful than driving [Linux has a steeper learning curve and may not be as user friendly].

It’s also harder to travel over the vast areas of rough terrain in the world [support the vast number of hardware devices in the world] because a bicycle just doesn’t have as good of a suspension compared to a car [hardware driver support compared to Windows]. Yes, there are professional off-road bikers [kernel and driver hackers] who can navigate through the rough terrain with ease, but for most people, it’s impossible on a bicycle.

Not to mention, because there are so many different flavors of bicycles [Linux distributions], when your bicycle breaks, it’s difficult to find a cheap bicycle shop that can help you fix it [more difficult to get support].

You also really miss the ability to play CDs on your car’s stereo surround system [running Photoshop in Windows], even though the guy who sold you the bicycle [Linux advocates] insists that you can install an FM radio and duct tape it to your handlebars [running GIMP] and it *should* be indistinguishable from your car’s high-end stereo system.

Finally, the new GPS navigation system that you just bought [Grand Theft Auto IV] just can’t be mounted on your bicycle, no matter how hard you try. Sure, you can try to use it while holding it in one hand while you ride [running it in a Windows VM]. But you will have to ride at one-fifth the speed [slow performance], and more likely than not you will end up wiping out [system crash].

Stephan instead offers up the following analogy:

Switching to Linux is like switching your car from brand X to brand Y with a change from fuel A to fuel B.

It will still drive you from one to the other location and you might or might not notice a difference. The more you push it to the limits, the more different the behavior becomes (where it is subject to religious debates what fringe behavior is “better”).

And it boils down to knowing all your levers (look for the parking break in a Merc: it is a pedal not a handle *and* it does its job as a parking break well).

Another realistic comparison might be between a sedan and a rugged off-road vehicle. While the sedan might promise more creature comfort, the off-roader will support you in any situation and break much less.

What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree?

Any other Linux analogies to share?

Oh, and thanks to this story for starting off this whole mess.