Just Say No to Microsoft:
How to Ditch Microsoft and Why It's Not as Hard as You Think
Back to Nick's Reviews
A friend of mine looked at the cover and thought this was some sort of biography of an ex-Microsoftie (someone who used to work at Microsoft). No, this is much different - a reasoned plea to ditch Microsoft to keep your system, your data, and your identity as safe as possible. You've heard this stuff for years: Keep yourself safe by dumping Microsoft. Make your life easier by dumping Microsoft. Let your system run faster by dumping Microsoft. What's here isn't necessarily new, but it is presented in a cogent, clear, organized manner. Not only what you should do, but why you should do it, and how you should do it. Tony Bove presents, in a case-by-case basis, a methodology for replacing Microsoft products - everything up to and including the operating system - with non-Microsoft products. He talks about viruses, spam, crashes, speed, and cost. He presents both the Macintosh and Linux alternatives (you Mac people will think he's spent too much time on Linux, and you Linux people will know he's spent too much time on the Mac). He gives technical, safety, even moral reasons why you should dump Microsoft stuff. But what's really nice about this book is that he doesn't insist you completely abandon Microsoft. While he clearly would prefer that you did, he leaves that choice up to you. From your email program to your antivirus software, he presents alternatives, giving you enough information to make your own decision as to which choice is good for you. All in all, I really liked this book. I have to admit that he's a bit disingenuous - on the one hand, he berates Microsoft for the FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) that they spread, and then he uses the same FUD to try to get you to switch. That tiny quibble aside, this is an excellent book, and a good read.
Just Say No to Microsoft:
How to Ditch Microsoft and Why It's Not as Hard as You Think
by Tony Bove
No Starch Press
Back to Nick's Reviews