Did you always support the underdog?

[rossi46]

... I kind of have. Looking back, I had an Atari ST when everybody played on their Amigas, I bought a Sega Master System when the Nes was hot property, got myself a Sega Megadrive when Snes was the thing to have, ditto Sega Saturn when the 'cool' folks were raving on their Sony Psx machines, again I had a Sega Dreamcast when you were regarded as a square if you didn't have a PS2 in the house. I very nearly bought a Mac, but instead opted for once to join the masses and bought a Windows machine. Can you see where this is going?

Now I've migrated to Linux I realise that I'm kind of feeling like my desktop splashpage says: 'welcome home', despite the whole thing feeling very unfamiliar and alien to me. As far as my own circle of friends is concerned, I'm most definately in a minority of one with my choice of OS. and, do you know what?

I wouldn't have it any other way

[Darl]

The word underdog means `the one at a disadvantage' or one that isn't expected to win at some sort of contest.

Fortunately, there is no contest -at least at our end of it. Linux doesn't care if you use it, it's free. Windows cares if you legally use it -they care a lot. Linux isn't about money, so though they compete with us, we don't compete with them per se. And I don't think linux is at a disadvantage against windows.

I think you mean you've always chosen the less popular choice over the more popular choice -which to me is quite different.

[budman7]

Ever since I learned about Linux, I have been using it.
I am with Darlon this one, I don't think Linux is an underdog, as there is no contest.

So, I will answer the question as it does relate to contests.
I am a Detroit sports fan, so I always have to root for the underdog Lions and Tigers.
Kind of weird to call big cats dogs.

[Roxoff]

Dunno about underdog in the computer sense; I've always tried to pick kit that really helped with what I wanted to do.

I had a ZX Spectrum which taught me how to write in it's rudimentary BASIC, and I went on to learn assembly language, forth, and lots of tweaks to make OS calls to do clever dick stuff. I really pitied the guys with the commodore 64's, 'cos they could only play games.

Then I got an Atari ST. OK, I played a few games on it, but in reality it was head and shoulders above the Amiga for what I wanted to do - mostly DTP work and word processing.

Then I got a PC, mostly to play games on and also for work - writing software. I could have got an apple mac (I'd have been more at home coming from the Atari ST...) but there were things I needed to do, like write software for Windows.

And, of course, I've been a Nottingham Forest supporter for 30 years - and for most of that time (through European trophy glory and national league level) they've been the underdog. Now they're in the 3rd division of English football, they're the big boys of their division, and it's all quite strange.

I suppose if I'd purposely backed the underdog in this way, I'd have bought a betamax video 20 yrs ago rather than VHS.

[rossi46]

Guys,

The original post was meant in a light-hearted vein. I was looking retrospectively at the stuff I've been involved with over the years and it turns out I've always chosen the less popular choice when it comes down to it. I wasn't referring to any kind of competition between anything and I certainly wasn't implying that Linux is in any way less of a choice against other more popular OSs. I'm beginning to wonder if I've overstepped some imaginery line in trying to engage in banter with the more hardcore users.(what with me being a newbie and all) If I have, then please accept my appologies.

Paul

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

i would say yes, but whilst my local football team(newcastle united) is doing terribly in the premiership, the underdog would have to be sunderland, who are going back down this season

[Roxoff]

I'm beginning to wonder if I've overstepped some imaginery line in trying to engage in banter with the more hardcore users.(what with me being a newbie and all)

Nahh - I understood what you meant. And in many ways Linux is the underdog, i.e. it has no marketing budget as such, it has no sales department ramming it down anyones throat, it has nobody tying in dealers to sell only this OS and nothing else. In a corporate sales sense, Linux is very much the underdog. And yet despite this, it's doing quite well. It all just goes to prove that Linux just doesn't need these things.

[Dapper Dan]

Paul, no need to apologize, at least to me, as I understood exactly what you meant.

I believe some of us are open minded enough to explore the potential advantages in anything that is an alternative to the status quo. I've always been that way, and I'm sure that had a great deal to do with what led me to investigate Linux in the first place. You show me a person who refuses to use IE or OE in favor of the alternatives and I'll show you someone who is open minded to the idea of using another operating system.

[carlosponti]

how did a simple question of asking whether everyone felt like they were on the fringe because of thier choice of OS turn into a big political statement of linux zealots.

btw yes i have always felt like i am on the fringe by liking linux among even IT people. i am surrounded by microsoft devotees. and i get odd looks from most when i mention that i use linux primarily at home. some of whom dont even know linux exists. i would think that still describes an underdog in its connotative form. that word has taken on more meaning than just its literal meaning.

[Darl]

I suppose if I'd purposely backed the underdog in this way, I'd have bought a betamax video 20 yrs ago rather than VHS.

That's actually a really fantastic analogy. I think it was Sony, owned Betamax and Betamax was the superior techonology to JVC's VHS format -however, Sony retained all the rights to Betamax wheras JVC gave VHS away -like open source. Eventually all (but one IIRC) of Betamax's advantages were matched by VHS developers.

I don't mean to hijack Rossi, but I just thought that was very notable (especially on a linux forum )