The Chronicler's Web (TCW)

by DAN CALLOWAY
Published 12 April 2010

WEAVERVILLE, NC – I’ve made the conscious decision that I’m done with Bill Gates. And, I’m leaving Microsoft Windows forever.

Yes, you heard me right. I’m tired of installing a MS Windows operating system to test it out only to be faced with the abhorrent “Activate Windows Now” warning that keeps popping up every 30 days. Fail to activate the OS within 30 days and it becomes non-functional. Yes, you can rearm Windows Vista and 7 three times and keep it for 120 days before having to take it off your computer, but why bother. I’m just tired of giving Bill Gates my hard-earned money.

My very first computer was an Apple Macintosh (FAT Mac) back in 1984 – 1985 timeframe. This was before the time of Bill Gates and his Windows operating systems. I thoroughly enjoyed that computer although, at the time, I didn’t fully understand it. What I liked about it was it was user-friendly and did exactly what I wanted it to do. My wife liked it better than I did because she could use the MacDraw application that ran on this marvelous machine and easily create the Navy Wives’ Monthly newsletter. Then, a terrible thing happened. Along came Bill Gates and his Windows operating systems.

First, Bill introduced Windows 3.x, which wasn’t really an operating system at all but, instead, was a Windows shell for DOS (Disk Operating System). I think it was version 6.x at the time. Next, came Windows 95. It was okay, but it didn’t come close to my Mac and Apple’s proprietary operating system (not sure what that was) at the time. Following Windows 95 came Windows 3.11, Microsoft’s first attempt at a network operating system. Then, Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows Me (worst desktop operating system in the world), Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and the beat goes on. It scares me and makes me angry at the same time to look in retrospect at the amount of money I’ve spent over the last two decades to purchase MS Windows OSes, upgrades to these OSes, and all the applications that run on them.

Then, a wonderful thing happened. In 1991, Linus Torvalds, a Norwegian programmer, developed the first kernel for his Linux operating system designed after the UNIX mainframe operating system. This OS was opensource (although it wasn’t referred to as opensource at the time) and anyone could contribute to its development…and, many people pitched in to build a very scalable and secure operating system, which was a derivative of the UNIX core.

Today, I use Ubuntu Linux 9.10 for my desktop and laptops, and Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.10 for my Acer Netbook developed by a South African company called Canonical, Ltd. All these operating systems and the applications that run on them are opensource and absolutely FREE! If I had to pay for any of this, I would be shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, because of a Norwegian programmer who had the foresight to create an operating system called Linux, I no longer have to take out a loan to get the latest and greatest operating system or applications.

So, Bill Gates, take your monopoly organization and your Windows operating systems and peddle them to someone who cares. I’m tired of being robbed by you and your company. You’ve earned enough of my money. I don’t do Windows anymore.

If you’re tired of being robbed and want to start using an operating system that is stable, secure, and FREE, then go to the Ubuntu Linux Download site and download the latest desktop or server version of Ubuntu. You’ll thank me later.