China bans the installation of Windows 8 on government computers

[jamrock]

People are exposed to Windows from an early age. I run Ubuntu on my laptop. From time to time people look at the laptop and ask me if it is a new version of Windows. People tend to stick to the things with which they are familiar. They will usually change when circumstances force them to.

I started using Linux because I could not find an affordable, reliable software to provide internet access for a client's office. Back then everyone was using a product call Wingate. It would not work properly so I had to find an alternative. If Wingate had worked properly, I would still be using Windows on my servers today.

[glenfordwilliams]

This is the hard part... this is where MS is winning. The steep learning curve the familiarity with MS OSes imposes on new Linux users. Its hard to switch, but not impossible for the average user. I switched because i needed to but i still need Windows because of software such as Photoshop and Illustrator

All said and done, it is a very wise decision China has taken to mitigate future security issues. For proof, look at the current situation with ATMs still running on WinXP, an EOL product from MS.

im not so certain if speaking about a learning curve with modern day linux systems is politically correct. i've been using linux fulltime without looking back for the last five or so years and from what i see the desktop environment has changed considerably alot , desktop environments can now be compared to that of windows in terms of usability eg both the mate and cinnamon desktop and even kde somewhat has really matured alot

[gW33Zy]

im not so certain if speaking about a learning curve with modern day linux systems is politically correct. i've been using linux fulltime without looking back for the last five or so years and from what i see the desktop environment has changed considerably alot , desktop environments can now be compared to that of windows in terms of usability eg both the mate and cinnamon desktop and even kde somewhat has really matured alot

How about if we talk about the learning curve with the average Jamaican? I have enough trouble as it is supporting clients who switched from Windows XP to Windows 7 to Windows 8. I can only imagine the drama if it was Windows 7 to Ubuntu

[jamrock]

How about if we talk about the learning curve with the average Jamaican? I have enough trouble as it is supporting clients who switched from Windows XP to Windows 7 to Windows 8. I can only imagine the drama if it was Windows 7 to Ubuntu

You should take some time to look at Linux though. You might be pleasantly surprised at what it can do. I prefer to use it over Windows for a number of tasks. Windows does have its advantages for some activities.

[Satanforce]

Seeing the reach of the NSA/DoD/CIA/FBI when it comes to American produced hardware and software, it is only prudent for a country like China to protect its IT infrastructure from outside access/tampering. Why would they want to use a closed source solution like Win 8? You would think that a likely 'future' security risk would be easy to mitigate from today by building their own UNIX based systems from the kernel up. Using an open source system means you are able to walk through the code, audit every line bit by bit. That's has always been the advantage of an open sourced solutions over a closed ones.
Remember this is China, not a little backwards banana-republic comfortable with running vital government systems on an back-doored copy of Windows.

Exactly. Nobody uses Linux. Unless they have to. The whole Wikileaks/Snowden crisis is causing nation-state actors to move towards nationalization of their information assets. It has reached the point where Iran wants to build their own national Internet - and I think they will succeed.

Personally, I do not think that China will stop with UNIX, and for the love of security, not Linux. I can only imagine the types of Operating Systems that can be made with the force of the Chinese State/Corporate apparatus. Proper Exokernels? Multistage interconnection networks ? Interesting times we are in. Interesting times.

[datdread]

China believes that Windows 8 poses enough of a future security risk that it's banning government agencies from installing the operating system on any of its new computers.

LOL...like Chinese exports are free of security...let alone health risks.