The Revolution Will Not Be [KERNEL PANIC]

I went back to Windows recently and the most shocking thing? I missed it. I missed being able to install things with just a double click. I missed making full use of the hardware on my machine. I really missed access to all those mods...

But most of all, I missed being able to just turn on my computer and do stuff. That's the one cardinal rule of software design that developers like to pretend doesn't exist. See, having to worry about those hessian end users gets in the way of all their posturing - in that it requires them to follow through on their claims of superiority. In five years of IT work, I've known all of one developer who had the discipline of a proper craftsman and she was perpetually worn down by having to carry the whole project...

I'm getting off on a different rant here. Point is, I used Ubuntu for years and, having returned to the Microsoft Kool-Aide, don't miss that open source stuff in the slightest.

This started in 2008 because I didn't want to switch to Vista and I couldn't afford a Mac if I wanted to. So I gave the whole Linux thing a whirl, burning a live CD of Ubuntu 8.10 and installing it on my 2003 laptop. It ran a bit slow in places but overall it did what I wanted without ever getting in the way. I got familiar with UNIX commands, tooled around with Python despite no programming experience, I embraced the whole open source revolution! What did I need to shell out a couple hundred bucks for a GUI just to use the hardware I already paid for anyway? And so what if it took some not-at-all intuitive process just to install anything?

That was my attitude until about a month ago, when I made the change from 9.04.3 to the latest version...

First install - Woops, looks like my system isn't 64-bit compatible. Should've assumed that...

Second install - Well that worked. Eew, is that the desktop? It looks like an iPad beta. Ah well, at least it's running smoother than that first try. Now to get back all my files and... Hey, why is everything read only? Why can't I save anything? Why can't I delete anything!?

What the frak is "/" and why are you checking for it!?

Third install - Piece a' crap, losing all my MST3K... Can't even keep up, runs slower than my 2003 machine... And now everything's turned read only again!

Fourth install - Aww hell no!

I can take a lot of abuse. I was raised by an Irish Catholic. But deprive me of Mike and the Bots? That shit will not fly.

So I went out and bought a new machine that was on sale. Pre-loaded with Windows 8. The "start menu" is obnoxious - trying way too hard to out Apple the Apple interface - but at least the damned thing works.

And just so it's perfectly clear, I did this entirely because of Ubuntu 13. I've got no complaints about 8.10 and 9.04 - go give 'em a whirl yourself. The best thing I can say about them is I never noticed a difference. For a brief period, Ubuntu really lived up to the dream of an open source OS that just plain worked, without expecting every user to be one of those Asperger's casualties who think everyone should know how to program in the command line. For moral reasons. Seriously, it's like Calvinists expecting everyone to submit to their own dull obsession...

"Use Linux because Micro$oft is teh evuls! No I won't tell you how - RTFM!"

And now, Ubuntu is trying to be the poor man's Mac. That's worse than suicide.

***Update: 10:31 am***

"You'll never miss Windows!" say the glassy-eyed cultists.

This is so much more interesting than that boring ol' BSOD...