LindowsOS Will Bundle AOL Client

ealar dlanvuli writes "BuisnessWeek Online is reporting that AOL/TW and Lindows have decided to work together in bundling a version of Netscape 7 with future Lindows products. One wonders if they should instead be supporting OEone and making it scream."

Comments

Misleading Headline

[krmt]

Man, what a piss-poor headline. I was actually excited for a second, hoping that there really would be a client for AOL *the service* bundled with Lindows. But no... it's just Netscape 7, which isn't any more functionally than Mozilla really (less in some areas).

I would have personally loved an AOL client on Linux. My family has used AOL for years, both as a primary ISP and a secondary service. I've had the same email account on AOL for years (yes, it's spam-ridden, but a lot of my friends still use it) and it would be nice to be able to access it via some method other than their (once crappy, now much better) webmail interface.

In addition to that, there's the fact that having AOL for Linux would give it another crucial app for desktop migration. Not that I'd expect it to work nearly as nicely in setting up your internet connection on Linux as it does on Windows or Mac, which is where AOL really shines, but the ability to access their full service would be nice.

But no. We get Netscape, something the whole of Unix has pretty much outgrown with Konqueror, Opera, Mozilla, and its spinoffs. Too bad, back to waiting.

Re:Misleading Headline

[DrXym]

Ho hum. Netscape *does* have more functionality in some areas. For starters it ships with an AIM/ICQ client, has a spellchecker, a radio button and ties into Netscape/AOL sites and all the content that brings, not to mention that it has been tested to within an inch of its life. You wouldn't get equivalent stability from Mozilla unless you stuck with the 1.0.x branch. It certainly doesn't have the DOM inspector, JS debugger or Chatzilla, but then most new users wouldn't care about those anyway.

Now, is links to Netscape/AOL sites functionality? Well not to someone who knows their away around (from using the web already), who knows about Google, DMoz etc. and has no fear. But we're not talking about people like that - this is someone buying a $199 PC from Walmart here! Newbies need guidance, they need form, they need hand holding and services like AOL and Netscape 7.0 provide that. You might not like it but there it is. New users appreciate being immediately able to read news, shop, chat with friends without struggling for hours in frustration to figure it out before giving up. From Lindow's perspective it cuts down on their support calls, and perhaps Walmart will experience fewer returns too. So everyone wins, profit for Lindows & Walmart and a better experience for the user.

It's no different from learning to swim - you can teach someone in the shallow end with water wings and instruction or throw them into the deep end and walk away. Which approach do you think will be more effective, and which will lead to severe trauma and lots of dead bodies?

Re:Linux and AOL

[evilviper]

Everyone has already nailed you with the "Lindows is going after Windows users", but I've got something else to add.

I would say, if someone would write a single control panel-type interface, where the important things could be configured in a centralized locations (e.g. network, software packages, display, keyboard, mouse, etc) and make it blatantly obvious that it should be used (links on the desktop, and in an obviously labeled menu) then I would put Linux up against Windows.

The problem with Linux isn't that there's no tools to configure it... the problem is that the tools often don't quite work, there are a lot of different ones (at least one for each subject) and their interfaces aren't always as easy as windows equivalent (although some do surpass their counterparts). In fact, being able to configure everything in one place, and having it work right the first time, every time, would be a substantial improvement over Windows!

If any distro got to that point, I would distribute it to every non-gamer I know (games are the big hold up, keeping people I know, from switching).

So, in case you got lost in bracket-hell, I'll say it again. With just a LITTLE work, I think Linux would be user-friendly enough to completely replace Windows.

That said, I still think more could be done with OpenBSD than Linux. Since it detects all hardware at startup, and loads drivers for hardware automatically, you would only need a very simple program that parses dmesg, then automatically reconfigures XFree86, and put up any messages, like "A new NIC was found, please type the IP address".

Has anyone actually READ the EULA of OEone?

[Spackler]

OEOne sounded good, so I figured, what the heck. I cranked up the script in lynx, and let it rip.

Well, the EULA that pops up makes Microsoft look tame.

It starts with the usual disclaimer of how they "take no responsibility for the
consequences of running this script."

That seemed pretty standard, although worded a little harsh.

It then goes through some normal install stuff, then comes the fun!

Issue 1. Your bound by the license of any other software they install, even though you don't see them.

Issue 2. Any software, or plugins they OEOne installs can ONLY be used while using OEOne's desktop, and can not be called directly.

Issue 3. Automatic communication. They can do any communication they want to, but you can shut off "MOST" of it in the pref settings. (MOST? Oh, that's nice and gray for a EULA. Stated clearly, it means that you can't shut it _ALL_ off)

Issue 4. DRM. Yup, it's in there, and they can stick in as much as they want.

Fortunately, you can hit cancel, and throw it all away. I looks to me like they are trying to complete directly with Microsoft, with restrictions, and control over my machine. I switched to Linux to get away from that crap! Sure, the screenshots looked nice, but I'll never be seeing this on MY machine.