Opinion: why Linux sucks at being user friendly

By Davey Winder
Thursday, 06 November 2008 19:39

Open Source

Forget the OS wars, Apple and Microsoft do not need to wield any weapons today. Linux seems to be doing a good enough job of shooting itself in the foot when it comes to appealing to your average PC user.

First things first. I have machines here running Windows and machines here running Linux, I even have a Mac and one old warhorse running AmigaOS. I have criticised all of them, at various times for varying reasons: I do not have a particular axe to grind.

According to recent figures, it costs around USD $10 billion to produce a single Linux distro. Yet there is some evidence, even in the Linux dominated netbook market, that Windows is winning the OS war.

Could this be, at least partly, because Linux simply sucks at being user friendly? Here are my reasons, in no particular order, exploring why that could well be the case:

1. Linux is a developer's OS

it is something for those 'who know better' to play with, to tweak, to continue to show how clever they are. What it isn't is a desktop OS for people who just want to use it, and continue using it, without the continual worry about what is going to break come the next update and what is going to change for the sake of it.

2. Linux developers are blinded by love

Unfortunately, they do not love end users and this relates directly to a particular frame of mind which says that the Linux OS, and Linux Kernel, comes above all else. Including the needs of the user.

By way of example, much is made of how difficult it is for a virus to run as root and trash the OS while all but ignoring the ability for malware to run under a user account and trash personal data. Protect the core is a fine concept, but protecting the user is all too often overlooked as a result of Linux zealotry.

Read the three remaining reasons why Linux sucks elephants through a straw from the user friendliness perspective, along with my suicidal 'shoot me' conclusion, on page 2...

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