When it comes to freeware and open-source software there are plenty of people online, probably at this very second, that are extremely vocal in there support and that are willing to devote many hours of their lives to debating the differences and arguing about which is better. Sadly, it seems that the man on the street is either oblivious to this or simply doesn't give a stuff. As a result of this they're out of pocket, and I'm about to explain why.
In case anyone reading doesn't know, open source software is simply software whose source code (i.e. the part of the code that can be read by humans, as oppose to the machine code which is the binary/hexadecimal) is open (meaning that anyone that has the software can look at it, change it, and then share it- in either its original or modified form). This makes open source software different form freeware (free software) which is closed source (meaning that it cannot be altered).
This has resulted in a curious phenomenon where there are a huge number of perfectly good, free, operating systems available (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint, Debian – and that's just the most common Linux variants) and yet most people are still using paid for operating systems; despite the fact that the free ones are more than suitable for their needs. Now, I don't want this post to turn into a lecture about what's the best operating system or software for a home computer – there are plenty of people that are perfectly happy to pay for what they believe to be a superior user experience, for specialist software with more features, or even just software that comes with a warranty in the event that it all goes tits up. However, what I am going to rant about is the prevalence of paid for software in schools and public buildings.
Its a known fact that when a person opens their first bank account they're likely to stay with that bank for most of their life (this is why student bank accounts come with so many perks – 0% overdrafts and the like). So its really no huge stretch of the imagination to assume that a similar effect exists with operating systems.
With few exceptions most schools in Britain use Windows 7 on the vast majority of computers on their networks, and, if we look at a graph of the most commonly used operating systems we see Windows 7 perched atop all others. (I need hardly remind you that schools are paid for by the taxpayer and are currently undergoing budget cuts).
Some see this matter as trivial and are quick to dismiss it with a 'so what'. Well, give it some thought: computers are becoming an essential part of our day to day life and the children of today are the adults of tomorrow. If they're predisposed to a certain operating system (or group of operating systems) from a young age they will be reluctant to switch; after all, learning to use new software properly always takes time, and an element of trial and error. Essentially our education system is presenting the act of paying for types of software, that could be obtained for free, as simply the 'done thing' which, quite frankly, is akin to brainwashing.
What's equally worrying is the now common practice of selling hardware with a 'free copy' of normally paid for software. Clearly this 'free software' isn't really free at all, it's simply included with the cost of the hardware. If you're attempting to buy a computer with no reinstalled operating system you'll quickly learn that it's either incredibly costly or outright impossible. In fact, for those looking to run a home computer with a freely available operating system you'll probably find it cheaper to simply buy a computer with a paid for operating system, pre-installed for 'free', which you then delete before installing an operating system of your choice. Of course the big problem with this is that you're paying for an operating system that you simply don't want.
So, what's the solution to this obvious problem? Well, I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest. However, the first step towards fixing it is undoubtedly admitting that there's problem in need of fixing. Start by informing less computer-savy friends of the fact that a huge plethora of free software exists, and, when buying a computer ask if you can have it without a paid for operating system pre-installed; the answer will almost certainly be a resounding 'no', but, at least you're demonstrating that there's a demand for the world of open source.
In case anyone reading doesn't know, open source software is simply software whose source code (i.e. the part of the code that can be read by humans, as oppose to the machine code which is the binary/hexadecimal) is open (meaning that anyone that has the software can look at it, change it, and then share it- in either its original or modified form). This makes open source software different form freeware (free software) which is closed source (meaning that it cannot be altered).
This has resulted in a curious phenomenon where there are a huge number of perfectly good, free, operating systems available (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint, Debian – and that's just the most common Linux variants) and yet most people are still using paid for operating systems; despite the fact that the free ones are more than suitable for their needs. Now, I don't want this post to turn into a lecture about what's the best operating system or software for a home computer – there are plenty of people that are perfectly happy to pay for what they believe to be a superior user experience, for specialist software with more features, or even just software that comes with a warranty in the event that it all goes tits up. However, what I am going to rant about is the prevalence of paid for software in schools and public buildings.
Its a known fact that when a person opens their first bank account they're likely to stay with that bank for most of their life (this is why student bank accounts come with so many perks – 0% overdrafts and the like). So its really no huge stretch of the imagination to assume that a similar effect exists with operating systems.
With few exceptions most schools in Britain use Windows 7 on the vast majority of computers on their networks, and, if we look at a graph of the most commonly used operating systems we see Windows 7 perched atop all others. (I need hardly remind you that schools are paid for by the taxpayer and are currently undergoing budget cuts).
Some see this matter as trivial and are quick to dismiss it with a 'so what'. Well, give it some thought: computers are becoming an essential part of our day to day life and the children of today are the adults of tomorrow. If they're predisposed to a certain operating system (or group of operating systems) from a young age they will be reluctant to switch; after all, learning to use new software properly always takes time, and an element of trial and error. Essentially our education system is presenting the act of paying for types of software, that could be obtained for free, as simply the 'done thing' which, quite frankly, is akin to brainwashing.
What's equally worrying is the now common practice of selling hardware with a 'free copy' of normally paid for software. Clearly this 'free software' isn't really free at all, it's simply included with the cost of the hardware. If you're attempting to buy a computer with no reinstalled operating system you'll quickly learn that it's either incredibly costly or outright impossible. In fact, for those looking to run a home computer with a freely available operating system you'll probably find it cheaper to simply buy a computer with a paid for operating system, pre-installed for 'free', which you then delete before installing an operating system of your choice. Of course the big problem with this is that you're paying for an operating system that you simply don't want.
So, what's the solution to this obvious problem? Well, I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest. However, the first step towards fixing it is undoubtedly admitting that there's problem in need of fixing. Start by informing less computer-savy friends of the fact that a huge plethora of free software exists, and, when buying a computer ask if you can have it without a paid for operating system pre-installed; the answer will almost certainly be a resounding 'no', but, at least you're demonstrating that there's a demand for the world of open source.