January 15, 2008  

Top 10 Linux FUD Patterns, Part 1

The following is my Top 10 list of themes used by anti-Linux FUD campaigns. This list is based on observations made over my years of following the Linux market. The ranking loosely correlates to frequency of usage and is somewhat subjective at best. Understanding each pattern will help you recognize a nicely-prepared piece of FUD when you encounter it. Each will be covered in more depth in subsequent posts (links in the list).

  1. Linux has a steep learning curve.
  2. Linux is not “officially” supported.
  3. With Linux, you cannot access old files or share new files with others.
  4. There are no good software titles for Linux.
  5. Linux is not secure.
  6. Linux is low-quality software.
  7. Linux software is always behind the curve.
  8. Linux will void your warranty.
  9. Microsoft will sue you if you use Linux.
  10. The total cost of ownership for Linux is too high.

More to come!
-Brandon

  Go To Part 2>>
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20 responses to “Top 10 Linux FUD Patterns, Part 1”

  1. Tom says :

    When is this going to be continued? By the way, installing Linux on a windows machine can void your warranty. Usually only for software though. For hardware it normally doesn’t matter. Though there are cases where a company has said that the hardware failure was due to the person ‘tampering’ with the computer. But fighting it seemed to have worked.

    Reply
  2. brinkleybw says :

    Tom,

    Actually, I hope to finish this series very soon. I’ve had several events in my personal life preclude me from spending the time to do it right. The last items are also very touchy ones, bordering on legal advice, so I must write with caution (and disclaimers)! I will do my best to expedite this.

    Thanks for the input!
    -Brandon

    Reply
  3. Tom says :

    Me again. Voided warranty confirmed. I emailed HP to ask if they had Linux drivers for a certain laptop I am thinking of getting. Here’s the answer:

    “The HP Pavilion dv9925nr (FE695UA#ABA) is warranted as configured and any change to that configuration may void the warranty. The only drivers that are available for the HP Pavilion dv9925nr are for the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system.”

    I do notice the use of the word ‘may’. Still something to think about if you rely on warranties though. One should also note that Linux itself is not the cause of the voided warranty. The actual cause is “…any change to that configuration…”. So I guess technically, installing FireFox could void your warranty. Sneaky bastards.

    Reply
  4. Rahul says :

    Wonderfull article. Nice to see great sharing.

    Reply
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