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I installed a new Videocard. Windows detected it and I installed the drivers. Worked great. I then booted Linux. Linux detected the card and I installed the drivers. Linux couldn't figure out what resolution my monitor supported.

My experience has been decidedly the opposite. I've had Windows refuse to boot when I added a new video card, but Linux ran fine. Not long ago, I had a SATA error on my motherboard. Windows refused to boot, Linux (Ubuntu 8.08, to be specific) ran just fine. The fact that it was only Windows that failed kept me from suspecting the hardware, though clearing the CMOS eventually fixed the problem.

Linux does have problems, but the thing is, they aren't being ignored.

I installed a new Videocard. Windows detected it and I installed the drivers. Worked great. I then booted Linux. Linux detected the card and I installed the drivers. Linux couldn't figure out what resolution my monitor supported.

My experience has been decidedly the opposite. I've had Windows refuse to boot when I added a new video card, but Linux ran fine. Not long ago, I had a SATA error on my motherboard. Windows refused to boot, Linux (Ubuntu 8.08, to be specific) ran just fine. The fact that it was only Windows that failed kept me from suspecting the hardware, though clearing the CMOS eventually fixed the problem.

Linux does have problems, but the thing is, they aren't being ignored.

I put OO in my wifes laptop a few months back and was surprised when she said to me this morning "I like this open office. Its better than word"

Sadly, my wife wasn't so impressed with OpenOffice. And she wasn't happy with the way MS Office ran on Linux, even under Crossover. Office was the only sticking point, though. She uses Firefox and Thunderbird, so that was no problem. So we picked up the cheapest possible Dell desktop for her (well, okay, I upped it to 1GB RAM, but other that that it's stock).

Unfortunately, that was before they'd let you 'downgrade' to XP. The thing is slow and apparently getting slower. I'm going to have to wipe it and install XP soon. I wish I could just stick Linux on it, but my wife is hooked on MS Office.

My parents, though... at least they're very happy with Ubuntu. I only have one user I have to do Windows tech support for now, thankfully.

• Aliens versus Predator 2: Runs slow, audio is skippy. 90% of the time fails to launch properly.
• Tron 2.0: Slow, skippy audio. Seems to always launch into the game menu, but firing up a save game crashes the program much more often than not. Vista doesn't crash at this point, but it takes about five minutes for it to recover.
• No One Lives Forever 2: Actually runs okay, much of the time. But about 20% of the time it won't launch a saved game, it instead crashes to the desktop. At least it's faster than Tron 2.0 at crashing, and a relaunch usually (~90% of the time) is successful.
• Freedom Force: "This program is not compatible with Vista."
• Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich: Seems to run as well as NOLF2.
• Half-Life, Half-Life 2: Worked for the limited testing I did. HL2 is quite slow and jittery on this system, though. (Not totally surprising, but still...)

So, really, only two games actually run well enough to bother with: NOLF2 an FFvTTR. (Oh, okay, HL2, Blue Shift, Opposing Force work all right.) Obviously I'm not a huge gamer, and I know this is a low-end machine, but oy. My previous experience was with XP on a dual Athlon MP 2600+ system (2GHz real clock), 1GB RAM, GF5700LE card. A better system (and a lot more expensive when I got it four years ago) but not that much better.

Linux is better for games than vista.

So far, for me, Vista sucks for games. I'm entirely unsurprised. My system is almost identical to the one Phoronix used in these tests.

On the other hand, Linux can be set up so that login/logout is really fast, especially if you use good hardware and a lightweight windowmanager like, oh, say, FVWM, along with a session manager. You won't necessarily get your documents back at the same page and line after a logout/login sequence, but no information will be lost. I've seen Windows take five minutes to "apply the system security policy" or whatever; if Linux or any Unix takes less than 30 seconds to display a usable desktop, something is probably broken, for instance a bogus NFS mount.

The counter-suits, on the other hand, ARE based upon the fact that SCO does NOT control UNIX, does NOT have the right to issue licenses for linux (which is what they had threatened to do), and that, if there was in fact any SCO code in linux (an assertion that they have failed miserably at every time they tried to "prove" it), it's already covered under their gpl-ed release of Linux.

As for the so-called code, code is not patentable, just copyrightable. Since SCO waited too long between the initial writing of the code and filing for a copyright, their maximum damages are set by statute at $150,000.00. But the suit isn't about that. It's a contract dispute with IBM over terminating Project Monterey.

The GPL specifically forbids SCO or anyone else from encumbering gpl-ed software with additional licenses, so SCO does not have the right to issue licenses for the kernel. As for the GPL's validity in court, the courts have decided in its' favor. see bottom of text: MySQL vs NuSphere

Find a LUG, you can learn more listening to experienced admins than from sitting in IRC all day or pouring over tons of lists. Plus its nice to know a group of people locally that can always save your ass in case you do something stupid. IRC and lists are horrible to get _detailed_ help with. You'll spend 60 minutes explaining your problem over IRC and then you'll get a half dozen opinions. Having real people troubleshoot your system and teaching how it all works is the best way to learn. Sure they'll have a half dozen opinions too but at least in person people can show you things they can't over IRC.

Our LUG has regular installfests and it's not uncommon for people to bring their machines in if they want to do something complicated. Plus LUGs are good places to network professionally, trade hardware, and meet new people.

Btw, MDLUG if you're in the Detroit area, stop by our table during Penguicon in May.

Also, see the official MDLUG Tux Jack O'Lantern gallery.

SGI hosted the Metro Detroit LUG for several years, from its inception up until last year. They moved to a new facility in January and we had to find a different place to meet, but they've always been supportive.

We got an Internet connection and space for installfests, etc., etc. I don't remember more than two "sales pitches", and they were at our invitation. (And I was quite impressed with the graphics performance of their Linux boxes.)

They've been good to us and I have no reason whatsoever to doubt their commitment to Linux. The comments from their employees on our mailing lists are good evidence to me.