3 Linux Apps That Make Me Hate Windows
by Lee Mathews Aug 8th 2008 at 11:00AM
For starters, there's the APT and the Synaptic Package Manager. Microsoft has been promising updates and installs without reboots for years, yet Windows Vista still can't seem to deliver the goods. The Linux Mint beta I installed on my laptop recently, however, located well over a hundred updates to various packages upon completion and quietly downloaded and installed them while I finished tweaking Firefox and tooled around on some websites.
And unlike Windows' Automatic Updates, APT actually handles all the software on your machine, not just updates to the OS. What I wouldn't give for a Windows app that did this - and I know there are various apps that try, like Sumo, but none of them really work all that well. Rebooting to complete updates is crap. Get that trash off my PC.
When it comes to GUI eye candy, what can Windows offer that compares to Compiz Fusion? Nothing. Its Open GL based effects are stunning, and they render well even on underpowered hardware (like my Thinkpad Z60t's pitiful Intel 915 graphics). If you haven't seen what it does, take a look.
What's more, Compiz supports plugins and (like most Linux apps) has a very active development community. No, I don't think it makes my computer perform any better, but it just looks so damn sweet! Windows has had the same visual effects (basically) since 95. Thanks for the transparency and spiffy win + tab thing, Vista, but Compiz kicks your ass all over the place.
Finally, there's Amarok, which easily gets my vote as best music player. Not only does Amarok sport a boatload of excellent features, it also has an incredibly intuitive and easy-to-use interface. The main player's interface tabs provide a ton of information about your current artist and song including lyrics, related artists, suggested songs, Wikipedia's artist info, and the band's other albums.
For those that prefer DIY management of your library, the tree-style collection view is a welcome addition, and provides an extremely easy way.Amarok supports syncing to just about any MP3 player, even iPods (including podcasts, but not video, of course). Streaming radio integration is excellent, and it'll keep your Last.Fm profile up to date with the tracks you're currently playing.
Though the default skin is attractive, Amarok is fully skinnable and the community has contributed a number of beautiful skins. As if all this weren't enough, it's extensible via scripts, and there are a huge number of interesting and useful ones available in the Wiki.
I'm honestly not sure how much longer I'll put up with XP. More next time, when Linux makes me find even more things to hate about Windows.
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They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Todd said 11:20AM on 8-08-2008
Don't forget the VLC Media player / server
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
Great for watching the obscere sports that never get broadcast.
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Lee Mathews said 11:24AM on 8-08-2008
'cept that VLC runs on Windows as well?
Irregular Shed said 11:52AM on 8-08-2008
Ah, but VLC is cross-platform, whereas Synaptic, Compiz Fusion and Amarok aren't. (Well, with a lot of effort you can get Amarok running, you might be able to get Synaptic compiled but it won't download anything, and Compiz Fusion wouldn't achieve anything on a Windows box.)
chrisaroz said 11:52AM on 8-08-2008
Is Compiz what comes with Hardy Heron and the Advanced or Extra display effects? If so, where do you get those plug ins? I liked the minimize and window select effect.
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Chris said 10:18AM on 8-09-2008
Both of those effects are built-in. Open the CompizConfig Settings Manager ("System > Preferences > Advanced Desktop Effects Settings" or simply "ccsm" in a terminal), go to the "Animations" preferences, and edit the close animation by clicking on the existing one, clicking "Edit", and choosing "Magic Lamp" as the close effect. To change the window focus effect, go to the "Focus Animation" tab, click on the existing setting, click "Edit", and choose "Dodge" as the focus effect. Done :)
Andy Jones said 12:02PM on 8-08-2008
"And unlike Windows' Automatic Updates, APT actually handles all the software on your machine, not just updates to the OS"
Er.. I think you need to go and do some of your research again. Specifically take a look at the difference between Windows Update and Microsoft Update...
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Anonymous said 12:22PM on 8-08-2008
Microsoft update only updates Microsoft products... the fact that there are 2 separate updaters at all proves the point. On windows a lot of programs update by coming out with a new version where the old version has to be uninstalled and the new one installed. On Linux, it just fixes and updates what it needs to, hence no crazy registry issues that require restarting.
I've been running Hardy Heron on my laptop since it came out and have not missed a single aspect of windows yet. I have winxp installed in vmware for gaming, but it's just a barebones xp install purely for games.
Lee Mathews said 12:35PM on 8-08-2008
Oh crap, you're right - they are two different things!
And yet, they're both equally horrible when compared to apt and Synaptic. Next issue!
Ant Bryan said 1:08PM on 8-08-2008
Try out Appupdater! It's the closest thing to Synaptic on Windows.
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Spencer said 12:44PM on 8-08-2008
Am i the only one that doesn't want one organization handling my updates? If Microsoft offered this service they'd be trounced for it, with good reason.
As for the music player, no UPnP / DLNA support no use. Sorry, i've got a media server for a reason, and it's not so i can hack a way to access it's windows shares and force-mount them on boot every time.
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DJuniah said 1:43PM on 8-08-2008
It's not all handled by one organization. You can add various software sources to synaptic and apt. Most of the time, the sources you add are managed directly by the software developers themselves. Thus completely negating that "one company" issue you mentioned.
Dom said 5:32PM on 9-12-2008
No, I'm pretty sure you're not the only one not wanting one organization handling your updates, but you either don't understand what APT is if you have used Linux or you haven't used Linux at all.
With APT *you* are the only one who controls the installations, uninstallations and updates. APT is *so* much more than just easy way of updating your whole system.
And I believe in case of Microsoft ever achieving something like APT system - although I doubt it since as I said in another comment, Microsoft would have to do some serious redesigning of their system - I believe you'd get exactly that 'one company controlling all your updates' situation.
And Microsoft is the last company I'd give the control of my system - not that I believe they would do something bad to my system (although that's debatable) but I'm sure they'd do things behind my back, as if it's their system... yeah, right!
iampriteshdesai said 12:47PM on 8-08-2008
Linux Rocks!!!
It still has its issues, but I guess most if not all will be ironed out in the next 2 ys.
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dukemang said 10:13PM on 8-08-2008
Windows app developers act like theirs is the only app you run. Each one installs a damned update service that sit there and eats up resources. I wish MS would just build an open, easy to use updater that all apps can hook into
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edward said 3:59PM on 8-08-2008
I agree with everything but the last one, I'm quite happy with songbird TYVM.
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Skapig said 4:20PM on 8-08-2008
Vista's updater is actually a big improvement over the one in XP. Restarts are only pushed when necessary for the particular update.
In Vista, getting non-Windows updates is just a checkbox away. It's disabled by default to placate govs and misc complainers.
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Lee Mathews said 3:19PM on 8-08-2008
Only pushed, yes...but still required. I'm looking for M$ to make good with the no-reboot promise, not "delayed reboots".
Quikboy said 7:34AM on 8-09-2008
@Lee Mathews : "I'm looking for M$ to make good with the no-reboot promise..."
Hey, I can understand hating Windows and all, but I never expected editors to resort to childish name-calling. $?
You act as if Microsoft's the only company out there making profit on computer software.
Lee Mathews said 7:38AM on 8-09-2008
It's just shorthand, QB. I crushed my finger in a ladder and it hurts to type. See what I did there? ;-)
Chris said 10:22AM on 8-09-2008
Still, Skapig, you can only get updates for Windows and Office, at most. Synaptic, on the other hand, gets you updates for *all* programs that have been installed through it.