This is mainly due to security concerns and secondarily for ease of maintenance of network/systems.
Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
1–10 of 29 posts
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#2Doesn't the answer depend on what your employees do for work, what applications they use, etc.?
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#3Maybe, maybe not.
Under who's authority do you seek to act. Who are the stakeholders who oppose the notion? How many people already use Windows? How many applications that are in use require it?
Before anyone can answer with authority I feel we need to know a lot more about your situation.
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#4I don't think you've given enough information.
It's reasonable to limit what OS people can use for maintenance and security reasons. There are tons of windows only shops.
If not having it is getting in the way of your work, you should talk to your company about it and discuss how it would help you. (Edit: or if it's you doing the banning, have the same conversation and make sure it's not harming anyone's work)
It reminds me of the old atheism discussions: all companies limit the number of OSs they support, yours just limits one more.
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#5Seems like a pretty slippery slope, to me. Not only would you turn away potential employees (and risk angering some current hires), you'd have to try defending MacOS and Linux with the same arguments. Unless you're deploying to an XServe, you're setting yourself up with a double standard that seems pretty indefensible. I say that as someone who hates Windows with a passion, and hasn't used it in years.
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#6We have a Windows free office. It's not hard when nobody needs to use Windows. If you don't have anyone using Windows right now, it seems like you have a similar situation.
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#7There's no reason you can't have both where the need arises.
Personally, I think Windows is not a great OS. On the other hand, some developers of commercial software only have limited knowledge and produce apps that can only run on Windows.
I don't know if the principle has been changed or not, but several decades ago the sequence was:
Analyse the task.
Get software to perform that task.
Get the operating system that will run that software.
Get the hardware that will allow that operating system and app to run.
Quite often, people will reverse the project and buy the hardware first. Then try to match up the rest. It doesn't always work optimally.
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#8Seems like you really thought hard about the subject and provided us with the information we needed to asses the situation in your threat environment. Based on the information you provided it's a clear "How the hell should we know?"
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#9Do you have an "IT guy" who knows how to manage systems? Perhaps I'm assuming a lot from your one sentence but it sounds to me like you are a bunch of techies who decided they can do their own IT and now realise you cant.
I work at a large corporation, my email (outlook, which we also use to book resources and rooms), password management, desk phone, software updates, identify and privileges are all tied together with a Microsoft stack (I don't pretend to know how it works). Do you need this? If so, is there a Linux equivalent to this holistic management? Do you need full MS Office (eg macros)? Are you happy with the variable compatibility that LibreOffice/online suites offer?
Re: Ask HN: Is it reasonable to ban Windows OS from our workplace?
#10Based upon your expressed concerns, it appears that you are currently operating a Windows-free environment. I presume from your question that you have a (potential) new hire who wants to bring their Windows laptop and connect it into your environment.
If these assumptions are correct, then in the interests of maintaining your secured environment and avoiding support issues you have a valid reason to ban such Windows laptops from your workplace. The new hire should be issued with a correctly configured PC.
If the issue has arisen during negotiations with a new hire, then it's up to them to walk if they are so attached to their Windows devices. Is it some new manager or sales person? If they can't handle working in your environment then they will be more trouble than they are worth.