So here I am with a great new job and for once I’m becoming satisfied with where I am and what I’m doing.  I’ve more or less been thrown into the flames when it comes to working in a Unix environment.  As someone who has been doing Web development for a few years as both a hobby and a career, I’m surprised it has taken this long.  I thought I’d take a minute to write about my experiences as a hardcore PC user who is quickly changing sides.

First of all, I have to say that my job is only the catalyst for the changeover.  I’ve since started developing my own site on a Ubuntu machine and love the one-on-one computer interaction over SSH.  While it is possible to transfer files via SSH on a Windows machine,  you will need programs like Putty and WinSCP to play nice with Unix.  As most Web servers are currently running on some sort of Linux OS, I was really missing out on a lot of capabilities and a general understanding of what was happening on those servers I pay for every month.   By running Windows and working purely with FTP clients, I was working with a fraction of the power I now have over SSH.

The other big pull for me was the freedom that is associated with Linux.  Linux and many of the programs available to the OS are free of charge, regardless of whether or not the machine is used for business.  Since these projects are open source, there is constant development and progress and the programs are often more intuitive and ground-breaking.  I also appreciate knowing what is going on under the hood.  I do not have a computer science degree, but as someone who was raised on a Windows machine, I appreciate being able to get my hands dirty if I need to.  Like I said, its all about the freedom.

If it were up to me, I would completely switch over to Linux and I don’t think I would look back.  My primary trade as a designer limits me on OS choice, and I still can’t give up PC games.  You’re probably thinking that I need to get a Mac.  Apple computers have a Unix OS and support all the design software in the world.  And you’d be right.  I’m coming around slowly.

I will probably have a Windows machine for the forseeable future.  I will miss gaming too much (even though that is becoming less of a pull as time flies out the window) and I will need a testing platform for various Web sites and applications.  Honestly though?  Thats about all I need it for.  I suspect I’ll be purely Unix in a few years.