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Review: Lindows 2.0 Dissected
Bob the Knob writes "Extremetech has done an in-depth review of Lindows. The guy who wrote it didn't think too much of Lindows before looking at it but he seemed to like it after doing a hands-on."
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I think the most impressive thing I saw in the review is that Lindows installed in about 7 minutes. My old Windows computer used to take about a third of that to boot up...
but lets see someone pull off a 7 minute install and get a fully working hardware set on a Compaq or god forbid a Gateway...who knows what crap hardware much of Lindows' potential market has.
In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
Although they appear to be saying that the whole "runs windows apps" was a load of crap. Perhaps there's a list somewhere of what windows apps it runs, if any?
I think the click-and-run feature is a bigger deal than these guys seem to think. They're targeting a market of people who are used to Windows, and many end users don't even understand "shortcuts" let alone icons. Click and Run may sell more copies for Lindows than any other service/review.
Also, running as root may not be ideal for Linux people, but end-users would just get irritated if they had to enter the root password everytime they wanted to change the system configuration or mount the cd-rom...
I agree on the firewall, tho. In the interests of protecting everyone, there should be some sort of default "safe" firewall that people can disable...
just my $.02 (a review of a review, what comes next?)
hmmmm?
Although the Click-N-Run Warehouse for Lindows is a great idea in theory, real-world users will run smack into the many ragged edges of open-source software. None of the Click-N-Run applications have been developed by Lindows.com, the creator of the Lindows operating system; the company is merely gathering open-source software from elsewhere on the Web and putting it one place for easy access by LindowsOS users.
I downloaded several Click-N-Run applications, using my cable modem connected to the Microtel PC through my home network. The downloads were fast and the installation always unfolded smoothly.
But the applications themselves were a decidedly mixed bag.
I first tried out GIMP, a photo-editing program that strives to match the popular Adobe Photoshop. GIMP did indeed have many Photoshop features, and even copied the look of many Photoshop icons, but the onscreen instruction manual was spotty. Instead of feature descriptions, many pages only said: "Our apologies. Sorry, but the help page for this item is not yet written.''
I then installed OpenOffice, the Linux response to Microsoft Office. Again, the look and feel of OpenOffice closely resembled its better known cousin, and the program did succeed in opening Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents. But OpenOffice didn't include the same fonts as my documents, forcing the program to select alternate fonts that messed up the spacing between words. When I fixed the spacing and re-opened the documents in Word and PowerPoint, the spacing was now messed up by the return to the original font.
I also tried instant messaging. The first program listed in the instant messaging category of the Click-N-Run Warehouse was Kinkatta Instant Messenger, which claimed compatibility with the very popular America Online Instant Messenger, also known as AIM. But Kinkatta didn't work with my AIM account and I only discovered why in exploring Kinkatta's Web site: a technical change by AOL in February is blocking Kinkatta from communicating with AIM.
So I had to download the second instant messaging program on the Click-N-Run list, called GAIM, to make the AIM connection.
"This must be a Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays."
I've been lurking in the Linux community for a while, occasionally getting the wherewithal to try a linux install. I've had some success, my main problem has been the monitor configurations. Apparently, Lindows is making "Linux for Newbs" wich is a great thing. I would hate to throw a stumbling block in their way. Here's the question. Being a linux distro, and therefore under the GPL, doesnt Lindows have a contractual obligation to release their OS as a free download? Is free downloading of distros legally required or is it just customary? Again, hats off to lindows for what they are trying....but what of the GPL?
Really, every thing I've read of the GPL says that you only need to distribute the source to those people you've distributed the binary to. If those people redistribute the binary then they have to make the source available - not people further up the chain.
I have been using linux for over 5 years and I admin linux clusters for a living but on my desktop I now use only lindows 2.0 . I do tweek mine to run as a user vs root and I remove the click and run garbage. What is left is a very souped up and productive debian environment. If you need software you will be pleased to find that apt-get is available for your use. Do yourselves a favor and test drive it I think you will come to love it.
Got Code?
I think a more important point is that it asks that "Lindows Insiders" don't redistribute Lindows as it was given(sold?) to them exclusively. Sounds like a GPL violation to me.
But AOL Losers are computer impaired.
Not all AOL members use America Online service because they have a problem with computers. Some just don't have the $200,000 needed to move to a town where AOL isn't the only dial-up Internet access option, or where Time Warner Cable doesn't have a monopoly on cable Internet access.
Will I retire or break 10K?
Further investigation dredged up this:
Does Lindows Comply With Open Source Agreements? and The Lindows License Agreement. The latter points out that the GPL allows the charging of a fee for the transfer of source code, but omits the fact that such a fee must cover only the actual cost of distributing said source code.
I still don't know what to make of it. I looked for info on the "evaluation version" I heard rumored, but all I can find are mentions of a general release sometime down the road.
You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!
My parets were thinking of getting one of those $199 Lindows machines to replace their 7 year old Windows 95 box. The only problem is that the click and run is $99 a year and subject to go up. If they're so cheap that they still have a pentium 120 with Windows 95, I don't think they'll pay $99-$129 a year for software, especially since most of the software they still use came with the computer or was downloaded for free. While they may eventually figure out how to download stuff for free and install, I don't want them t rely on this sometimes shaky method.
There best bet would probably be apt-get, and it's not all that hard, but it still may be out of their league. The article mentioned a program called Synaptic, and said it was a GUI front-end to apt-get. While I don't expect it to be as refined as click-n-run, how easily could it be used by rather computer illiterate people(assuming I installed it and set it up for them)?
On another note, I just checked buy.com, and they have winXP Home Upgrade for only $96--that is CHEAPER than this. So, why would any run-of-the-mill user (the target audience) buy this software when good old M$FT has cheaper stuff?
This link was shown when I signed-in and paid $99 to become a 'Lindows Insider'. (I'm so happy. Actually I see this as a $99 fighting fund contribution. Go Michael, Go!!)
Sig for sale or rent. One previous user. Inquire within.
double-haiku
/double-haiku
Lindows/GPL
license text debated like
dueling bum fighters...
since when do we need
to become lawyers for this?
Don't buy the distro!
This space for rent.
If "cheaper" is your only criterion, go with Win XP.
The pack you mention also includes the requirement to register with Microsoft. You also give up control over your OS because the EULA gives MS the right to update your OS at any time, thus possibly breaking any software you may have. Google to find more goodies.
Now who^Wwhat is cheap?
I think you're right.
From http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html, Section 2b:
It seems to me that this means that you have to give your work to anyone who wants it if you incorporate GPL'ed code.
On another note, I just checked buy.com, and they have winXP Home Upgrade for only $96--that is CHEAPER than this. So, why would any run-of-the-mill user (the target audience) buy this software when good old M$FT has cheaper stuff?
LOL... and what happens to this $3 cost advantage when you upgrade WinXP on a whole roomful of computers? You can install Lindows on as many machines as you wish...It's LINUX.
I doubt that they would let you use click-n-run on all of them, though. Such a service is a good example of a business model that could produce some actual profit in the land of GPL.
It seems that Lindows has the right idea WRT ease of use and the end user. It should be as simple and foolproof as possible to own and use a computer.
I disagree with the portion of the review that says who gives a crap about Winows apps, though. People want to be able to run their windows apps, and they will not make the switch until they can. Everybody has some special piece of software that they need. It is not just M$ Office. It's the 3D landscape software or SimCity or Quicken that they have been using forever and see no reason to switch. Geeks like to learn new things; most users do not. Lindows seems to understand this implicitly and is making tremendous strides in this arena.
Send lawyers, guns, and money. Dad, get me out of this.