If there is one aspect of my day to day computing habits I would like to change it would be my choice of operating systems. For a long time now I have yearned to move over to Ubuntu (having tried other Linux distributions I am simply not comfortable enough yet.) Yet I have never made the full transition to Linux, I always keep my main computer Windows.
Now I am not talking about dual booting here either, I mean full on leave Windows behind. There is a list of reasons why I want to do this. Firstly I believe truly believe I will come out a better programmer by having a more in depth knowledge of Linux, I whole heartily believe that. I also know that personally I learn by working with a product day and day out. I also want to increase my general knowledge of computers. Troubleshooting a problem in SUSE I learnt more than days' worth of trouble shooting on a Windows machine. The reason really comes down to Windows generally being a more polished system in my eyes (That is a personal opinion and it may be wrong, however I strongly feel that is the reason.)
I like the idea behind the flexibility and freedom that Linux offers; do I have a requirement for that freedom? No. Do I have a requirement to develop on mobile devises? No, but I always insist on getting developer focused products. In my mind to be a better programmer and developer I need to immerse myself in as much language and day to day running's of programs as possible.
I have no hatred for Microsoft or their products. I have tried out the developer preview of Windows 8 and it is simply amazing. I love what they are doing and fully support what they want to achieve. Looks how Android is merging tablets and phones. Now think about all devices, mobiles, tablets, computers and consoles that is what Microsoft wants to achieve. Complete synchronicity between all electronic devices. I believe that to be a beautiful dream.
I am a .NET developer and normally find myself working on IIS. That said I can still do all of that from a Linux machine. Turning your computer into a localhost server? Just as easy on Linux as Microsoft, so what is really stopping me?
To be extremely blunt and simple, fear. I fear what I could miss; I fear I could lose out and become stubborn in my ways. What if I am required to use a product and I can't on Linux? Prime example Visual Studio, realistically speaking you should always develop on the OS you are developing for, simply because it makes fucking sense. Which ties me into my greatest fear, becoming a Linux/PHP only developer, why should I dual boot to work on .NET for Windows? Why not just use Windows then? I do not enjoy dual booting, having multiple machines, having multi copies in different locations. I am an extremely tidy person when it comes to my virtual storage and use. Different browsers have set uses and locations, everything is in place. Why should I go and do that twice, one for each OS on the machine.
Programs and games, games not so much, however sometimes it is not good enough to simply get an "Alternative" prime example, Photoshop and GIMP, how people even compare the two amazes me. I am sure you can do the same quick jobs in both but the ease and pleasure will always for me sit in Photoshop. The point I am making is sometimes the best programs and tools for the job are simply not on Linux (That said it does happen the other way around however that rarely impacts me.)
Maybe I should move away from Windows and .NET but then my skill base will shrink. Linux and PHP developers seem to be popping up all over the place with dirt cheap rates. The only way I can compete is by going into .NET with my past experience. The jobs for .NET seem to pay more and offer more longevity whereas the PHP based roles seem more expendable.
One day I hope to move to Linux and truly gain a grasp of computing and at more core level. However until then I guess I will stick to getting my head around networking or some other code.
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