On Sat, 28 Feb 1998, George W. Parmenter wrote:

> Hello to the List,
> Is there another operating system than Windows that offers a competitive
>
> functionality with more stability and less or no more size. Is
> Windows95 or Windows3.1 the only choices for a PC. I know Unix exists
> but isn't that system more limited in terms of user interface and harder
>
> to learn?
> George Parmenter

The most important advice has already been given: decide what applications
and functions are essential to you, and choose platform accordingly.

Question #3: Unix/Linux is harder to learn, and applications typically
don't have GUIs that are as big and many-featured as Windows.  However,
learning Unix pays rich dividends in my opinion, as it is very extensible.
Once you master the basics, you can do a lot with a little.  Win95 and NT
make many decisions for you on how the pieces are put together; Unix &
Linux leave these decisions up to you.  I would add that a Unix/Linux
shell like bash or the Korn shell are far less limited than any GUI I've
seen, but they aren't graphical, so they don't seem as easy to master.

Further, most applications under Unix & Linux use text-based configuration
files, typically with many comments interspersed among the settings, so
that they are self-documenting in a way that no registry-based app can be.

In my opinion, the more complete GUIs like NT & Win95 (Mac to a lesser
degree) are deceptive in that they hide many choices from you, either by
burying them in an undocumented registry setting or deep within in an
obscure menu option.  Nonetheless, there is no question that a less
experienced user can do more more quickly with Win95 or Mac or NT than
with Unix or Linux.

I compare Win95 & Linux to a motorboat and a sail-boat.  As long as the
engine of a motorboat is running well, you don't need to worry about the
internals.  If it breaks down, or if you want to tune it for certain kinds
of performance, you do need a mastery of mechanics.  You can learn to
drive a motorboat competently without a great deal of training or
experience, although both help.  A sailboat doesn't give you this option.
To sail competently, you need to know the rigging, the sails, the masts,
the structure of the boat, and how to use the winds.  All of these
elements require constant attention, but they offer many choices in how
they are deployed.  Once you master the basics of system administration,
you learn to keep an eye on these things without them consuming your whole
attention.  Your semi-conscious involvement with the machine & OS gives
you a "feel" for them that one might not as easily get with NT/95.

Question #2: in addition to the options mentioned by others, I would add
(have already added?) Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD (free Unix work-alikes),
and Solaris x86, BSDi, SCO Unix (commercial Unices for the x86 platform).

Question #1: I find Linux more stable than NT or 95.  It doesn't require a
reboot for most configuration changes like both Windows do.  It doesn't
hang the way 95 can. Stopping and starting network services is much
quicker for Linux than NT in my experience.  You won't find as much office
software for it as for WinNT/95, but there are a couple of packages worth
considering (StarOffice and ApplixWare).

I recommend loading both Win<whatever> and Linux if you have the hard
drive space, and investing some time in learning Linux.  It's cheap!

Chuck Bearden
Network Services Librarian
Houston Public Library
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]