Seattle Times Reviews Desktop Linux Distros

prostoalex writes "Seattle Times section on Personal Technology compares Xandros and Lindows as two alternatives to Windows for desktop computing. Their verdict: installation - excellent; OpenOffice - good enough; digital cameras, printers and other peripherals - excellent; CD burning - no problems; video playback - could be better (with more progress bars and support for Apple's formats); digital camcorders - poor; burning audio CDs - poor; Net access and Web browsing - no problems."

Comments

Re:Improving Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

Installation - last year @ 30 minutes versus today @ 5 minutes. I think it was closer to five minutes last year that that, but it is getting harder to remember the days of 45 minute installs. Look at how far we've come!

I use Gentoo, you insensitive clod!

Serial numbers are easy to find

[mgkimsal2]

They're right on the back of the CD jewel case, usually on an orange sticker about 3 inches across.

Re:Serial numbers are easy to find

[TheVidiot]

Not too many, actually, when they got Windows though eDonkey.

Re:Serial numbers are easy to find

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought they were normally written in Magic Marker across the front of the CD, usually with a little warning about "Do not quote this number in any dealing's with Microsoft technical support".

Real good

[piquadratCH]

> The good folks at RealNetworks have an opportunity
> to become a de facto standard but they should run
> right out of the box

I never thought to see "good folks" and RealNetworks so close in one sentence...

Re:Audio CD's

[antic]

Their verdict: installation - excellent; OpenOffice - good enough; digital cameras, printers and other peripherals - excellent; CD burning - no problems; video playback - could be better (with more progress bars and support for Apple's formats); digital camcorders - poor; burning audio CDs - poor; Net access and Web browsing - no problems.

...trying to find a PC for sale that doesn't have Windows on it - problems...

Yeah, but how does it compare for porn?

[oingoboingo]

It's all very well and good to compare Linux to the Mac and Windows for 'common' tasks such as editing a Microsoft Word document, connecting a digital camera, or installing a printer. But what about a task that many (if not all) Slashdot readers use their computers for on a daily basis: downloading, archiving, sorting, viewing, and ejaculating to gigabytes and gigabytes of internet pornography.

Let's face it...if a desktop operating system doesn't come with a great thumbnailing preview app, excellent support for streaming media formats, and the ability to survive having the keyboard and mouse suddenly being disconnected to have semen cleaned out, then it really isn't up to scratch. In future, I'd propose to reviewers evaluating desktop Linux systems a few extra categories:

Disabled accessibility: Many operating systems have features designed to make them easier to use for the blind, deaf, or just plain stupid. But can the interface be easily manipulated using one hand only? Can the video player be precisely controlled with only a few fingers, while the other hand is wrapped around the user's own few inches?

Web brower pop-up enabling and tracking: While most users claim to clamour for browsers which block annoying pop-up ads, in reality they crave what these pop-ups are offering: free porn. Does the desktop OS under review offer a browser platform which makes following these pop-up nuggets of jizz-candy easy to follow and track? Can the browser in fact follow its own trail of pop-ups, closing those containing circular links, and launching the download manager when a rare find of actual porn is found?

I'm sure the Slashdot community will have plenty of other ideas to contribute. I look forward to hearing the community's response!

Not good business

[Maskirovka]

Seattle Times Reviews Desktop Linux Distros

And 10,000 Microsoft employees cancel their subscriptions in protest to their communist tendancies the next day.

It's a joke. Laugh.

Yeah..

[DarcSeed]

I was like, burning some audio cds from my mp3s.. and it was like BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP, and I was like, what happened? And it went BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP again and the next thing I knew, my mp3s were gone. They were some really good mp3s.

Re:Audio CD's

[the_mad_poster]

Imagine if the fire department acted like that.

"No, sir. We see no possible way that your house could be on fire at this time. I'm quite sure that if you wait a few more moments, you will see that there is no problem at all."

I'M STANDING IN THE FRONT YARD WATCHING MY BURNING ROOF FALL IN YOU IDIOTS!

"Sir, are you on drugs?"