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Brigantia’s founder and director Iain Shaw writes about other alternatives to Windows in this opinion piece, and how customers need to gain more knowledge about them…
The question really is: what do most people want from their next computer? The answer usually is that they want a faster version of everything that they already have, presented in a way that they understand, plus with some extra new bits of plastic and an even bigger monitor. Will upgrading to Windows 10 provide this?
I don’t think so; I believe it will provide a lot of frustration and confusion for your average computer user as almost everything is accessed in a different way from Windows 7.
Some of those who upgraded to Windows 8 are still in meltdown mode and have developed a deep resentment for using their PCs.
Mostly these users are too early in the refresh cycle to be considering changing to Windows 10 and even when they are faced with the free upgrade option, they may be thinking; “better the devil you know”.
The sensible thing may be to look at the operating system Linux. The operating system is fast, it is also free, but most of all the application software is free. Linux doesn’t get viruses, user control can be locked down, plus it’s reliable and is secure.
The list goes on and on, and we haven’t even looked at the variety of different kinds of operating systems available yet.
Linux Mint Mate, which was developed about three years ago, is an operating system that I think of as a very sensible choice.
For example, it is easy to use, it behaves in a way that people who are used to using Windows 7 or XP can easily adjust to, and it is a solid choice for most users.
Robolinux, another operating system from Linux, is the one I think users should be watching at the moment though.
Users can even import their old Windows programs and data directly into it so they lose absolutely nothing.
The Gnome desktop version can also be made to look stunning too, so users shouldn’t think that choosing Linux will make things ugly or clunky, as this is not the case.
In conclusion, Windows adding a Start button, which the company axed two years ago, and multiple desktops (a long established Linux feature) will not make the transition and subsequent day-to-day usage much less frustrating than the Windows 8 experience.
However, one of the main downsides about the Linux operating system is that by being free, this means that there is no huge marketing budget to get the message out.
Iain Shaw is the founder and director of Brigantia.
