Analogy: Ubuntu is to WordPress as openSUSE is to Movable Type

I was having a conversation the other day about Linux and blogging software when I was struck by certain parallels in some of the software I use. It helps explain why I chose the Linux distribution I did and the blogging software I use on this blog.

The analogy is: Ubuntu is to WordPress as openSUSE is to Movable Type.

Currently, the Ubuntu Linux distribution and the WordPress blogging software are more popular than openSUSE Linux and Movable Type. But the real difference between these two sets of software is that Ubuntu/WordPress are community developed and openSUSE/Movable Type have corporations behind them. openSUSE has Novell as its sponsor, and Movable Type has Six Apart.

The Ubuntu/WordPress crowd are big into community. Both are much rougher though than the high degree of polish applied to openSUSE/Movable Type. I’ve used all four, and I find openSUSE and Movable Type to be much more professional, stable software. If you’re a power-user you’ll want the features these offer. Ubuntu and WordPress are much less polished, but they’re a bit more lovable. Their respective communities are a strong point if you need support, although openSUSE and Movable Type have communities as well.

I’ve investigated fully Ubuntu and WordPress, and for the time being I use neither. Movable Type recently came out with the new much-enhanced version 4.0, and openSUSE has 10.3 due in a month. I do check out other software from time to time, but in the end I find what I have works and works well. openSUSE I have used since December 2005, and Movable Type I’ve used since February 2003. They’re both state of the art and are fine choices for Linux and blogging.