In a nutshell, it's because I'm on Linux. CentOS4, to be precise. For those of you who are out of the loop, Linux is an type of operating system, like Windows. However, Linux differs from Windows in three major areas:
1. It's free. You can download it. I've done this with various flavours of Linux - you just download some files, burn them to CD, and then you have your installation disks! Who makes it? It depends on the flavour of Linux you're getting, but in general - nerds of the world, who believe that (at least some) software should be free.
2. It's open source. This means that you don't just get the binary files to install it, you also get the code behind it all. So, if you find a problem or an opportunity for improvement or customization (and if you happen to be a raging nerd), you can fix it your own damn self. It's an empowering feeling.
3. It's bloody hard to use. There have been great leaps and bounds in making Linux a more user-friendly operating system, like Windows, but it still has a long way to go. For example, installing a printer on Windows: plug it in - if Windows doesn't automatically recognize it, you may have to put in a CD and click Next for a minute or two. Done! I installed a printer on my Linux machine, and it took me (a fairly competent computer nerd) the better part of a weekend. However, to be fair, once it's installed on Linux, you'll have way fewer problems with it than you would on Windows.
Anyway, it's #3 that's causing me grief right now. I have a microphone that I'm trying to get working, and for whatever reason, it's just not working. It's not even a complicated one. No power, no nothing. Just a sound card plug at one end, and a speak-into thingy at the other. I suspect it'll be another weekend or two of heavy research and unintelligible command line work before I can actually use it to record my voice. Which is exactly what I'm looking for in a computer experience, but that's just me. :)
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