For years I have worked in tech support. I started fixing computers, then managing the purchase of hardware for a department in a large company and finally managing large consolidating hardware projects for the same company. We used Microsoft products exclusively, and that translated into my personal life.
I spent hours building my own personal Windows boxes. I saved my pretty pennies for the newest version of Windows to install. I even devoutly defended Windows Vista to my friends and work associates. I still think Vista got a bad rap, but that is a digression for another post.
To me, other OSes were too extreme. Apple's OSX left little to no room for personal control. And those who bought Apple computers seemed to want a status symbol, more than a tool. Admittedly, Macs are easy to use, especially for those who know little about computers and prefer to know little about them.
On the further side of the spectrum, there was Linux. Ouch. Not easy to work with, if you were not willing to spend a lot of time learning. Kernels. DE's. "sudo." What? Linux is "free" (technically, Open Source) and it allows a lot of freedom for customization. But, whoa. Just starting from zero was difficult - while it looked similar to Windows XP on the outside, there was plenty to learn just to get the programs I wanted installed and printers running.
As a result, I relied on Microsoft to provide me with tools that would allow me to customize, but kept things pretty simple and familiar. What cause me to turn my back on that?
My displeasure with Microsoft began as I reviewed Windows 8 during development. It was simplified, but frustrating to use for an experienced user. For sysadmins, there were no easy paths to administrative tools. There was no start menu. There was no program list. Just cards telling me what Microsoft thought I might want to know.
Suddenly, my freedom was taken away. I could not use the OS the way I had grown used to using it. From Windows 3.5 to Windows 7, the basic functionality had not changed. Now it felt as though everything was different. I had hoped for changes between the Beta release and RTM (Release to Manufacturing), but very little was different. As my associates began to play with Win8, they also found the lack of support for expert users distasteful. In effect, I was learning how to get around an entirely new operating system.
And, as the Xbox One was being developed, I followed with fading interest. I really enjoyed my Xbox 360 and had made great use of it as a media center extender and a gaming box. But as I learned more about Xbox One, I began to feel more uncomfortable. You had to buy it with Kinect (a debatably useful accessory). While I had tried Kinect, I did not find it terribly comfortable. And I am fairly fit. I literally could not play Kinect Star Wars for more than 20 minutes without being exhausted. Compared to countless lost hours on Halo, this was a real change, and not a very inviting one. I had to find space for the Kinect, and the interactions were not always natural, even though they were intended to be.
As Xbox One approached its release date, many Xbox users became wary of the direction Microsoft was taking. Always-on internet. Always-on Kinect (it was watching you and listening, even when "powered-off"). A dedicated cable box (STB) that passed though to your existing cable box. Redundant much? Overbearing DRM that essentially required you to buy the same software multiple times, if you had multiple Xboxes (I can currently just carry a disc from Xbox to Xbox). And let's not mention the price of the console - more than $100 more than its closest competitor.
If you are considering watching TV through your Xbox, Xbox One requires you to have an operating set-top-box already, which you must connect to your Xbox. And you must have a broadband internet connection. These are the requirements from Microsoft:
- A cable or satellite set-top box with HDMI output
- A connection to Xbox live for channel line-up download
- An Xbox Live Gold subscription ($60 retail, for a year)
Think about it. To watch TV through your Xbox One, you have to subscribe to your cable/satellite provider (for whatever that costs, montly), rent your STB (for whatever that costs, monthly) and then subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for a year, to accomplish what? Avoid using an additional HDMI port on your TV or surround-sound system? Heaven forbid you have a value-priced TV with only one HDMI port. Then you're FORCED to do this if you want to buy an Xbox that invades your privacy. Why are you trying to sell this to me, Microsoft? Oh, I know. You are just trying to take my money.
When I turn my 360 off, it is off. It's not listening for me to say "on", or watching me with a Kinect. It is not requiring me to have broadband internet to play a game or download portions or all of a game, or channel line-ups I can already get through my set-top-box. You are literally paying three times for a single service. I might as well just bend over and hand Microsoft a broomstick.
With the 360, it rankled me that I had to pay for a Gold subscription to watch Netflix. On a Roku or my laptop, I didn't have to pay for anything more than an internet connection and a Netflix subscription. Now I had to pay Microsoft as well.
But for a hobbled Media Center functionality that used to come free with Windows and Xbox 360? No, I am not paying Microsoft for that. When customers complained about always-on internet service (requiring broadband for any Xbox One to operate properly), a Microsoft developer actually tweeted "get over it." Really, Microsoft? So who actually matters to you? Because it does not sound like you care about your customers very much. You appear to be too big to care.
That really turned the page for me. I already had a number of Xbox 360s, and nothing about the Xbox One sounded attractive to me. High cost, creepy cameras and microphones, onerous subscription services, and no games that made me want a new Xbox. They could not even get a Halo game out for launch. What Microsoft produced was a failed launch for Titanfall - only available for online play. Then there was Windows 8, requiring me to learn a whole new way of doing things. I had had enough.
Ok, Microsoft, here's my solution.
If I need to learn a new OS, I'll do it for free. Thank you to Canonical for Ubuntu, a Linux operating system that makes learning and set-up easy. There are no software suites I absolutely need on Windows for which I can't find a reasonable correlate on Linux. If you use Adobe products, or cannot function without MS Office, then stay with Windows.
But for those of you now needing to switch from Windows XP, I encourage you to consider Linux. Windows 8 is unlikely to support your XP software any more than Linux will, and it is actually more likely that Linux will have a driver for that 10 year-old printer you hate to get rid of.
If you are considering switching from Windows XP to Windows 8, be ready to relearn your operating system. If you're going to do do that anyway, why not get Ubuntu for free and install it on your current computer? Even if it is 5 years old (or even more) Ubuntu is likely to work well and it will not cost you any money. You are going to have to learn a new OS anyway.
Or you could get a Mac. But be prepared to dig deep. The last time I checked, the lowest-priced Macbook cost twice as much as the lowest-priced new Windows laptop. And you will still need to learn a new operating system.
Honestly, I am happy to move to open source software at this point in my life. It tends to be more secure, it is free and it has an excellent support system. Ubuntu in particular has an extensive peer support community willing to help you learn, provided you are willing to do a little foot-work yourself.
Leaving the Microsoft ecosystem would not have been something I would have considered a few years ago, but they have truly forced my hand. I do not delude myself into thinking that open source has all the answers, or that it is any more perfect than any other operating system choice. But it is a great choice if you are concerned about cost, freedom of choice, and security.
After reading this, I hope you will at least consider joining me on this next adventure.
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