Some musings...
Although I am comparing certain Linux apps to more famous proprietary alternatives, I am not making a very important point. While I am focussing on very niche functions which few other people consider important, I have to do this as its to replace a workflow / operation that I am used to performing in windows. Old habits die hard so I want very focussed things to still work. I bitch and moan when it doesn't and tend to harp on that a lot. What I have failed to do so far is highlight the following.
In most cases, the Linux App FAR exceeds the alternative in terms of other functionality. Example. Most linux file managers support browsing of shares via SMB or using FTP, like the alternative but also include fish, scp, ssh, etc. Considering that these technologies are more unix/linux specific doesn't matter as we live in a multiplatform world. Don't get me started on Amarok or Banshee vs iTunes. The best music management app I've seen on Windows anyway by a long shot would have to be MediaMonkey anyway.
Another thing. I don't hate Windows or OSX. In fact I am at the point of buying a laptop for my daughter and am seriously contemplating getting a Windows machine PURELY so that I can get Encarta and the Sims 2 working on it. My wife has a windows laptop that she uses to do her email and manage her cellphone and ipod. I'd love to get her to convert, but unless I can find her seamless replacements that enable her to do the above, I won't bother.
Regarding iTunes, for managing iPods, its hard to beat. If you buy music on the online store (not me), its your only option and frankly, there are far worse players out there. iTunes is free and does what it does relatively efficiently.
Whenever I want to bash Windows I always think of a project I ran in 2003. We deployed a clustered Windows 2k3 solution for about 2000 users. This system is still in production 5 years later and has had close to zero downtime. I still inquire about the system and last I heard the servers were out of warranty and out of support and were being replaced.
SO while this blog is pro linux, I am trying to be balanced about it and realistic. What I will say about proprietary software is that I am tired of being forced to pay for the same software on each machine I have and then having stupid restrictions on what I can do with my media on my home network.
Hope that clarifies things a bit.
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