So far, Win7 has only impressed other Windows users
If you’re using some of the flashier Linux distros like Mint or openSUSE and have also tested one or more Win7 builds to date, you feel sad for Microsoft users. Truly you do.
Note also that no Mac OS users are bragging about their Win7 impressions.
However, if you are a current vista or xp user, I’ll grant that Win7 beats the crap out of those versions of Windows, and that you’d like Win7 better in a short time.
But in the case that you are a current vista or xp user, do yourself a favor — for once, it will be worth it — and load a top Linux distro on your machine. Suddenly you’ll wonder why the fuck Microsoft is wanting $100-$300 to merely upgrade to Win7. It’s a nice little service pack that should be free for Vista suckers like me.
I’ve only seen Windows 7 briefly and in “candidate release” form (at a local systems shop), but offhand I’d say that it doesn’t even take a “top” or “flashier” Linux distro to top it for most users.
I work full time on the Internet, and Puppy Linux meets my needs (and demands little enough in resource terms that I’m able to keep my technically obsolete box instead of upgrading).
Fact is that most users do most of what they do on the web — “in the cloud,” if you will — these days. What they need from an operating system is:
a) a reliable mechanism for connecting to the Internet; and
b) a reliable browser.
Some users might want a non-web media player, email client or light word processor. Just about any Linux distro either comes with, or supports installation of, those things.
Good points, Thomas. Linux has long been ready for the cloud with its various distros that can be — or already are — tailored to cloud computing.