Introduction to Linux
I know this has been stated before, but this system is something that should be used in libraries. It is free, so it would cut down on costs. The system is also not difficult to learn to use. Yes, it is not Windows and what everyone is used to, but I believe it is easier to use then Windows. Things are easier to find and use in the Linux system. But the main reason this system should be used in the library is that it is free. It runs in the background, updates on its own, and would not cost the library anything to run. If this is the cheaper system to run, then why are we not using it in libraries now?
Mac OS X
To combine comments on both the Mac OS X articles, I would like to say first that I am a Mac user and have always been a Mac user. I know how to do things on the Windows interface, but I like coming home to my Mac. In my opinion, Mac’s last longer. I have owned my current Mac for five years, where as my mom has been through two PC laptops in that same time period. I agree that Mac’s are not cheap, but in the long run, they are worth their price for their longevity.
The system is easier to use for programmers and are harder for hackers to get in. According to a friend of mine who uses a PC for his personal computer but a Mac for work, using the Mac/Linux system for everyday things is pointless. It is easier to use a Windows interface for those things. I can agree with him on this point to a certain point. I do not program anything or create viruses, and I would spend my money on another Mac in a heartbeat then on a PC. The things that Windows advertises, such as the drop down screens (like when you click File and a thing comes down), the ability to switch between programs with a simple keystroke (ALT-TAB), or the quit programs without clicking a mouse (ALT + F4) are all things that have been created on Mac’s. Some things are uniquely Windows, but other things they have gotten from Mac’s. So, why not use the system that created these things instead of the system that copied them?
Great point about Linux. I think a lot of people don't give much thought to software licensing fees, as if they're a necessity. All kinds of businesses have made the switch to Linux to save money, you would think with the budget issues libraries are having they would be among the first to make the switch.
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