Courtesy of OSWeekly.com

3. Linux Users Break Laws. Yes, I realize I'm about to start calling containers, codecs and formats. So forgive me now, as I do this for the greater purpose of getting attention from those who had no idea that AVI was a container.

Many people out there honestly believe that you cannot create, watch or participate in video/audio formats without using Microsoft's protected format and other options like MP3. This is simply not the case. The fact is that there are open formats that use extensions like .OGG which support quality sound and video. Unfortunately, the bulk of the content producers in the market are using restricted formats, which certainly hinders any real traction with open source alternatives. Basically, you would be looking at OGG Vorbis for audio and OGG Theora, which is why .OGG is considered to be a wrapper much like we might see with .AVI.

Anyway, I digress. The point about most Linux users breaking the law with the use of protected/restricted media formats is true depending on where you live. You see law is a fluid thing that varies from country to country, so in many, many countries, the idea of patent rights does not exist.

What's Wrong With Windows Subscription

4. Linux Users Dislike Windows. Definitely not true, at least not with non-extremist users that is. I happily use their mobile platform, but do not care for their desktop platform. I even subscribe to a MS Exchange server instead of one of the open source alternatives. Why? Because in my case, it meets my needs without compromises. Therefore, if others feel the same way about Windows on the desktop, fine, more power to them.

5. Most Windows Users Who Try Linux Come Back to Windows. This is one of the worst myths, since there are so many distributions of Linux in the market. Back in 2004, when I was at Linuxfest Northwest giving a presentation on Linux and using a distro called Xandros, I was still a split user between the two OS worlds. Today, and for roughly a year now, I'm a full time Linux user.

I'm hardcore now in the sense that this is the computer platform for me, but I still look at things from a Windows user perspective, which drives my other Linux using friends nuts sometimes. I'm an example of a Windows power user who has managed to switch completely without compromises. It's not easy, in some cases it means relearning what you thought you already knew, but in the end, you will find that knowing both platforms gives you a serious competitive advantage.

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