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Newest Mandrake Linux Delayed
Jens Lönn writes: "Linux seller MandrakeSoft has had to delay shipment of its newest version of Linux because of problems in moving manufacturing to the United States. Mandrake Linux 8.1 is available as a download, but the first CDs of the product were supposed to ship by the end of September. "Getting 8.1 production up and running in North America has been a slow and expensive process," the company said in a e-mail message to those who have ordered the CD." Since Mandrake makes certains things so easy (smooth installation), I hope they soon get their newest release again on Walmart shelves across the U.S.
Well obviously I was exaggerating the whole thing for effect, but my point of view hardly differs from yours: /. has a subsection for stories about Linux, and there will be some die hard Linux geeks who want to read this story (which really is of little interest to most geeks who could just download anyway). However, my (unclear) point was that it is hardly front page material. The /. front page should cover stories of interest for geeks, not stories of interest to a minority of geeks interested in *any* Linux story, no matter how trite.
/. is 'news for nerds, stuff that matters' a general discussion board, but restricted to the (not exactly small) field of geekery. As you said, such a general board should ignore this story. However,
A little opinionated, I realise...
I agree. I've used Mandrake since 7 and it has gotten better and better. Right now the usability is on par with win98 (or better). Last night I had 3d graphics working and was doing some serious development (3d wise). Totally cool! It's also fast. The biggest difference that I notice between Linux and Windows, is the time to load the programs. Once they are loaded they seem as fast or faster then their windows counterparts. (I develop using Kylix on Linux and Delphi on windows and they two products are very close to each other).
That guy is a complete idiot and should not be allowed to use a compute. "Why isn't there IE of linux and MS Office for linux?" He is actually blaming linux and not MS here! I'm sorry but some people are too stupid.
"Where is the any key?"
Certainly his facts are incorrect, and I myself had to stiffle a giggle at the Internet Explorer comments, but is it really productive to blame a new user for being a new user? "New users to Open Source are stupid about Open Source." Well, no kidding: that's why they're new users.
Does it really help the Open Source Community to call inexperienced users "idiots" rather than explaining to them how things work; for example, why there's no Internet Explorer for Linux? Now that most distros are shipping with either no manual (just a "quick install sheet"), a 12-page manual covering just the installation, or a 2000-page manual that'll never be opened, there's no way for new users to know these things -- they have to be told.
Do you really think most users who are frustrated by their first Linux installation experience (which is a perfectly normal situation for the new user to be in if he isn't a geek guru like us) and are told that they're "useless idiots" because of it are going to make a SECOND attempt?
I don't.
I read through the Adequacy website very thoroughly, and although I must admit that the site perplexes me, I see nothing that indicates the site isn't totally serious. I read through the mission statement, the FAQ, the meta page, and so forth, and I didn't see the word "Satire" anywhere. I even went so far as to e-mail one of the editors asking what was going on with the site, and once asked on their IRC channel, and every time I was told the site was completely serious.
It's a scary thought, but the site seems to be legit, unless you can document otherwise.