I have recently read several commentaries which predict the
demise of Linux as a result of the release of Mac OS X. I
disagree. I believe the popularity of Mac OS X gives Linux a
renewed life.
The pundits seem to believe that since OS X is a well-designed,
easy to use consumer GUI for a Unix OS, Linux has been made
irrelevant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead of
threatening Linux, OS X enhances it.
Linux, like Unix, is a command-line OS. In its "pure" form, all
control is done from a command prompt. No mouse, no pretty
graphics, no windows (the kind with a capital "W" or otherwise) -
just character-based, incredibly stable computing power. Almost
since Linus Torvalds put the finishing touches on the first
incarnation of the Linux operating system, others have been
attempting to fashion a user-friendly front-end for Linux. Two of
the most popular are KDE and Gnome. They give Linux a graphical
interface similar to the Macintosh or Windows.
Both Gnome and KDE have made great strides in making Linux
available to the average user. However, one of the problems with
these GUI's has been the fact that they can be confusing. Certain
commands are not available from the GUI, some are not where the
user would expect them to be, and others are in multiple
locations.
These perceived shortcomings are not due to lack of programming
skill. Some of the most talented programmers in the world have put
their touches on Gnome and KDE. I believe the problem is that these
programmers are so much more advanced that the average user that
they have difficulty discerning what a typical user needs or
wants.
Mac OS X was designed by a team of engineers skilled and
experienced in dealing with a consumer OS, and, more importantly,
consumers. Some of these engineers have been working at Apple for
over 20 years. In OS X, or more particularly the Aqua
interface, they have put forth an incredibly elegant Unix GUI. The
Linux community can pick up a few pointers from the Apple
engineers.
Aqua can serve as a roadmap for both Gnome and KDE. I have been
using OS X as my primary OS for over six months. I have yet to
find any commands which I considered essential and which are not
available from the GUI. For instance, changing my network settings
is a straightforward, simple process. However, I have thus far been
unable to figure out how to change my IP address from fixed to DHCP
in Linux.
In our household, we have four Macs and one PC. And the PC runs
Caldera Linux. I am a fan of Linux. It is amazing to me that an OS
which was developed largely by volunteers (and which is essentially
free) can run with unprecedented stability on the same hodgepodge
of PC hardware on which another company has spent billions of
dollars in R & D costs and is still unable to produce a product
which can run for more than a few days without crashing - and it
costs hundreds of dollars.
Linux and OS X also know how to play well together. Despite
claims that Windows 2000 included native support for networking
with Macs (and clearly installing the correct network protocols), I
was unable to get a Windows 2000 PC to see any Macs (OS X or
9) on the network or vice-versa. On the other hand, our Linux PC
just showed up as available file servers in OS X with no
extraordinary measures on our part. All I have to do is install
AppleTalk and Mac name space support, and the NetWare server shows
up in the Chooser! But not Windows.
One of the advantages of Linux is that it runs on relatively
inexpensive PC hardware and runs well. While there is a fair amount
of software available for the platform (Corel WordPerfect Office
and Netscape Communicator alone make the platform viable for use on
an everyday basis), there needs to be more. While we Mac users like
to complain about the lack of software for our platform, anyone who
has visited one of the Apple retail stores knows that there is a
tremendous selection of Mac software available.
I wish Linux success. I hope the predictions of its demise are
premature.
I use Apple computers because I believe the Mac is the most
stable, reliable, and easy-to-use platform. When I am working on a
deadline, I don't have time to stop and reboot my computer or try
to recover from the latest OS crash.
Linux holds the potential for bringing this same stability and
reliability to the PC platform.
