The problem of Linux not supporting a wide variety of hardware was real
at one time. When I first started using Linux (on Dells) about 1997, I
could guarantee that the current version of Linux would not support the
video card that came with my new Dell. So I kept an older video card
around, swapped the new one out and defined the new one as the new old
one. Then in a year or so when I would buy the next computer, the new
old one would be supported, and so on.
Many of the talking points used by the anti-Linux crowd are based on
problems that were real at one time, but which are much ameliorated
now. These include lack of support for hardware, difficulty of
installation, lack of documentation, etc. Not only are these problems
less severe now than they were, they will be much less severe in the
future, if current trends continue. In fact, there has been a
remarkable degree of improvement in all aspects of Linux in just the
last two years. The movement is really awesome.
Nowadays the hardware support situation is much, much better on Linux,
although I gather from the troll posts that Linux still does not
support some of the latest hardware to emerge, which sometimes Windows
does support. (You can be sure they will jump on it if they can find
such a situation.) One thing I don't understand however---maybe
someone can explain it to me---why is it that even when Windows does
support some piece of hardware, you have to go find a driver and
download it, while when Linux supports it, it just works out of the
box? This is my experience.
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