The “Windows Just Works” BIG fallacy

[Diogo Campos (gmail)]

Hi. Yes, again.

In this e-mail I just want to share a tiny bit of my personal 
experience with people and computers and operating systems. It applies 
to Windows XP and, especially, Windows 7. I don't know about Windows 8; 
haven't used; Nor OS X.

FIRST THINGS FIRST:

Normal people don't know how to install Windows. Period. Unless there 
is hardware coming with Fedora pre-installed, don't even dream about 
“compete with” or “compare” a pre-installed Windows with a 
Fedora that you have do download(!), boot(!) and install.

Otherwise, the best you can try is to create a DAMN EASY installer and 
pray. And by “damn easy” I'm talking about a screen to select the 
language (or detect it automatically, somehow, and skip this step) and 
another screen with two big buttons saying “Erase everything and 
Install Fedora ” and “Install Fedora alongside existing OS and 
data”. No partitioning, ever (or, at least, let it hidden behind a 
tiny something); choose a filesystem, choose a layout, and make it work 
(great) on every workstation's disk scenarios out there. Prefer to 
expose the other needed steps (initial setup) after the system is 
already on the disk, so the “adventurer”, if scared, can't give up 
anymore.

In another words: “Install Fedora” should be compared to “Install 
Windows”; “Pre-installed Windows” should be compared to 
“Pre-installed Fedora”.

Also, really important, is to perceive that “someone installed 
Windows/Fedora on my computer” is way more common that “I installed 
Windows/Fedora on my computer”.

THE FALLACY:

Respecting the previous reasoning, never compare “customized 
Windows” with “stock Fedora”. So, below, I will compare “stock 
Windows” with “stock Fedora” (by “stock” I mean freshly 
installed from a official media; by “customized” I mean “stock” 
plus additional external work from someone - be individual, company, 
vendor, etc).

# Codecs = MP3, AAC, H.264, H.265, Vorbis, Opus, VP8, VP9.

Windows: Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, No, No, No, No.
Fedora: No, No, No, No, Yes, Yes, Yes,Yes.

Conclusion: analyzing the 8 (4 audio, 4 video) current big codecs on 
the market, we have a tie! Is also worth noting that installing 
additional codecs on Windows is of a equivalent pain that on Fedora.

# Office Stuff = xls(x), doc(x), ppt(x), ods, odt, odp.

Windows: No, No, No, No, No, No.
Fedora: Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes.

Conclusion: in (Microsoft) Windows, even to open files from another 
Microsoft product (Office), you can't without additional work from you 
(or someone else).

# Miscellaneous = PDF, torrent, common archives.

Windows: No(!), No, No.
Fedora: Yes, Yes(?), Yes (except RAR, for no reason).

Conclusion: WTF Windows? No PDF?!

# Graphic Cards = Intel, AMD, Nvidia.

Windows: No, No, No.
Fedora: Yes, Yes, Yes.

Conclusion: Oh, boy! Windows without video drivers is pure garbage! You 
have to, at minimum, select to install the driver on Windows Update to 
have 2D (and 3D) acceleration! Sometimes even to have the correct 
resolution! On other hand, Fedora comes with all these preinstalled! 
Yay!

# Other Hardware (drivers).

Windows: maybe.
Fedora: maybe.

Conclusion: have luck, or have fun looking for drivers. On both systems.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Fedora isn't the perfect OS. But Windows also isn't. A bunch of reasons 
in favor of Windows aren't technical merits. Maybe commercial, or 
social; but not technical.

Fedora can do better, sure. And it will. Especially if it doesn't fall 
in such misconceptions.

This also highlight the importance of the “pre-installed” (or 
“just works”) concept. Be OSes, apps, codecs, drivers, or whatever. 
As I showed to you, Windows without the “pre-installed” concept, 
simply doesn't shine at all. So, Fedora have to keep this always in 
mind: normal people don't know how to “install” things.

I don't expect this to be agreed or disagreed. I just wanted to share a 
bit of my experience on the role of “IT guy” that I do to some 
normal people. Hope it helps, somewhat. Thanks.
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