And In This Corner, Jason Perlow

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Last night on Craig Crossman’s Computer America, America’s longest-running nationally syndicated radio talk show about computers, Craig and crew interviewed Jason Perlow (rhymes with Merlot) about all things Linux. You may recognize Jason from his long-running stint as a regular columnist for Linux Magazine, his popular food blog site offthebroiler.com, or his now famous (or infamous) blog.

His relaxed, unassuming style drew me in from his first introduction to his sign-off. His non-evangelical demeanor was also refreshing. In spite of many long commercial breaks and news bits scattered throughout the two-hour broadcast, Jason’s interview was spot on.

In it, he mentioned the Ubuntu distribution and how he perceives its Desktop version as the “one to beat Windows.” This single statement intrigued me, in light of recent news and my posts about how Novell and RedHat are shying away from creating a contending Desktop version, to the point that I sought out my own interview with him.

I briefly spoke to Jason this morning about his take on the Desktop Dilemma facing computers users around the globe. After pointing him to my blog posts on the subject, we discussed how Linux could become the Desktop OS of choice. Here is that part of the interview:

KH: You mentioned last night on the radio show that you see the Ubuntu Desktop as the one to unseat Windows; do you really think that’s possible?

JP: Yes, the new Hardy Heron production release will be available tomorrow and it’s impressive. Gnome, Firefox, and other new and updated Desktop apps.

KH: What about it makes you think that it has a chance of replacing Windows?

JP: Speed, security, and an intuitive Desktop loaded with free software.

KH: Do you think this version is the one to do it?

JP: It’s really very good but I think that it may take two, possibly even three, more releases to fully replace Windows.

KH: Even with all the problems surrounding Vista?

JP: Yes.

KH: Boxers or briefs?

JP: Boxers.

Dani AI

Generated

This thread (Apr 23, 2008) — 's recap of his interview with Jason Perlow — captures the optimism that surrounded desktop-focused Linux distributions at the time. Perlow’s practical, non‑evangelical view is useful, but the original post skips a few of the deeper adoption factors and practical steps someone testing or planning a migration should know. The notes below fill those gaps and give an evergreen checklist for evaluating a Linux desktop.

Main gaps the interview didn’t dig into: real-world hardware and driver support (Wi‑Fi, GPUs, printers, suspend/resume), application coverage for specific workflows (business, creative, scientific, games), OEM and enterprise adoption (preinstalls and management tools), and migration friction (mail stores, document round trips, specialized Windows-only apps). A polished UI matters, but ecosystem, vendor buy‑in, and migration tooling decide whether a distro can scale beyond enthusiasts.

Practical checklist for evaluating or moving to a Linux desktop:

  • Create a bootable live USB and test it on the actual machine: check networking, audio, suspend/resume, printing, and any proprietary devices.
  • Try the distro in a virtual machine to verify day‑to‑day apps and workflows without touching disks.
  • Backup all data and export mail/calendars before any install; test document round‑trips with your collaborators.
  • If uncertain, use dual‑boot or keep a virtualized Windows for niche apps rather than a hard cutover.
  • Prefer long‑term support (LTS) channels for production use and verify availability of proprietary drivers/firmware.
  • Plan incremental rollouts and basic user training; list blockers and escalate vendor/hardware support where needed.

Short note: recorded a moment when desktop polish and momentum were converging, but real replacement requires more than a single release. For anyone reading later, run the checklist on whatever current release you’re evaluating, document any hardware or app blockers, and treat migration as a project with backups, fallback plans, and staged deployment.

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