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Linux Users Are Spoiled
Dozix007 writes "NewsForge carries an interesting
article
on how spoiled Linux users are. It sites examples such as the
availability of wide ranging software packages that Microsoft can't hope to provide.
Microsoft has to be careful about what kind of application software it
ships with Windows. Microsoft reps sometimes point to Linux
distributions and ask why they can get away with shipping stacks and
stacks of applications without getting in trouble. The answer to that
one, of course, is that the Linux distributions give you a choice. You
aren't locked into one particular application. Most Linux distributions
include several choices for most program classifications; even
single-CD distros usually include several Web browsers and email
clients."
The bit you leave out is "they can ship dual boot systems, but then microsoft charges them full price for windows, while continuing to give their competitors discounts. Their choice. Totally."
Well microsoft really did forbid its OEMS from shipping linux till the trial. They now are forbidden from including such things in their contacts, but they still do pull a lot of muscle around trying to convense OEMS not to ship anything but standard windows. But even dell is starting to ship linux system, though not dual boot systems, but I'd be willing to bet that is more of the support headache rather than anything.
Dell made an agreement with Sun a while back to ship the Sun Java Runtime Enviroment with their computers, so I'm pretty sure that they'd be free to bundle other items such as Firefox if they wanted to.
Not to be a perfectionist, but -U (capitalized) is not recommended, because it forces upgrades only (which might sound good, but a number of things get into portage, just to be downgraded later because of bugs/security concerns) emerge -uD world is what you should do, and yes some things that you have that might be unstable (~x86) will want to be downgraded, but that's why you need to read man portage, and learn how to use /etc/portage/package.keywords :P
Setec Astronomy
The difference is not only in the amount of software bundled and the choices offered within each category of software, but that Microsoft software is also designed to stifle choice in subtle, seemingly trivial ways and lead the user back to using their software. A few weeks ago I ran into an example of this when trying to switch my parents to Firefox--with their consent--because of all the popups that appeared and the spyware toolbars that kept getting installed when using Internet Explorer.
I set up Firefox, made it the default browser, changed IE's settings so that it wouldn't check that it was the default browser and wrestle back control if accidentally opened, and went as far as disabling access to IE in "Set Program Access and Defaults". The following weekend, I was back on on my parents PC to discuss what they thought of Firefox, but they complained that they were still getting popups. And when I opened IE, I noticed there was yet another toolbar installed.
I checked the browser history and realised they hadn't used Firefox at all--they'd been using IE the whole time. How could that be? I had them show me how they were opening their browser. They opened MSN Messenger, and clicked on the "you have e-mail" link to check their Hotmail messages. Guess what opened? IE. It turns out that this method is how they've been opening their web browser since day one.
And here's the problem--it is hardcoded to open Internet Explorer. It refuses to recognise your default browser setting, and you can't select an alternative in either Windows Messenger or MSN Messenger. This means that, when I'm not watching, they're always going to gravitate back to IE because of that silly little e-mail link.
So the task of switching them to Firefox becomes one of also switching them to some alternative instant messenging program, and perhaps a different e-mail service as well. The latter two are much more difficult. They consented to my changing the browser because of all the popups and spyware, but didn't want me to change the instant messenging program they enjoyed using and become attached to.
It may seem trivial to us enthusiasts, but it's surprisingly difficult to change ingrained behaviours in people who use but don't understand and aren't really interested in technology. Those who say "just tell them to stop clicking the e-mail link" have no idea. But those who have, say, preached the virtues of letterboxed widescreen movies, only to find that the oldies inevitably press the zoom button on the DVD remote to make the image fill the screen, will understand.
Give me a reason why MS shouldnt be able to charge an OEM full price for the operating system?
Umm, anti-trust law?
Its the terms that the OEM signed up for in order to stay in competition with other manufacturers.
Which is exactly the problem. If you don't do as Microsoft tells you, you will be unable to compete.
One thing I think a lot of people forget is that OEM prices are a reward, not a god given right.
Actually, they are Gates-given rewards for being an obedient Microsoft lackey.
And dont give me any bullshit about MS having to treat everyone correct 'because they are a monopoly'
Locking competitors out of markets by pressuring vendors is unethical in any way. But if you're a monopolist, it's not only unethical but unlawful.
they are still a business first and formost,
Yes, and I'm a man and have a sex drive. This is considered ok, and I'm allowed to have consensual sex with women. But I'm not allowed to rape them. Do you think I should?
and no law in this country says you have to support the sale of a competitors product,
No, but anti-trust law says that if you're a monopolist, you're not allowed to use your power to lock upcoming competitors out of your markets. If you can't compete on the merit (and cost) of your products alone, then you don't deserve your monopoly any longer.
which they are doing by offering low prices to OEMs who use the lure of an MS system and a Linux system dual booting to sell a computer.
It's the other way round. Everyone (vendor of a certain minimum size that is) gets OEM contracts, except those who give MS competitors a chance. It's a tool of punishment, not a reward. But as the die-hard astroturfer you seem to be, you probably don't care.
I love C++
But even dell is starting to ship linux system
The thing you're missing here is that ALL of "Dell Desktops" ship with windows, without exception. Period. You cannot buy a "Desktop" computer from dell w/out windows on it. This is because of the licence agreement with microsoft - Put windows on EVERYTHING you sell, and you can get a discount (say, like, $30/copy rather than $99). But, if you offer any other OS, or no OS, you won't get the discount. So, yeah, it's Dell's choice to spend $70 additional in a market where $30 profit per unit is considered "good"
What dell has done has drawn a VERY distinct line between their servers and their desktops - to the extent that their cases for each look different. If you configure a desktop, it will have Windows on it. If you configure a server, it will have the option for windows, but, notice, it's full price. It also has the option for linux, or no OS.
So, Dell is screwing microsoft's agreement over by splitting their company into two halves (sort of), one making desktops and one servers. Kinda the same way Microsoft screws the DOJ by making two divisions, one for Windows and office, and one for everything else.
~Will
sig?
What I find lacking in Windows is not so much the third-party applications (like work-processers and such), but what really is lacking is a powerful toolset and shell. When I set down at a linux or bsd box (even a barebones minimal install), I will find by default things like grep, awk, sed, zcat, tar, mail, and probably perl (to mention just a few). Add in the power of pipes to glue it all togather and a good scriptable shell (like bash or ksh) and a unix user is superman compared to a windows user. I don't know how many times I've found myself sitting at a Win2k box and wanted to parse and rearange some stupid ascii text report only to have to fire up notepad and start editing line-by-line. A unix box would have let me pipe it through awk or sed and be done with it in seconds.
And if your install doesn't have what you want then grab it from a mirror (apt-get for linux or pkg_add for bsd) and seconds later you are working away productively. Windows doesn't even come close to that kind of power.
I really felt this was quite a badly written article. I have used Linux since around 98 ever since I got sick of my Win95... but now I am using winXP most of the time. I feel that Linux is not yet ready to be full on desktop platform. Yes, Linux dostros do come with a full choice of programs to use, but often they are not exactly the programs you need, so there we go for a search and install routine, especially in slack. Anyways, there are still a number of things the linux desktop cannot do... and that's the main reason I do not use it any longer simply, because there are no decent Audio production apps and no decent vector drawing progs. Most of the installations are still arcane for a simple user... and the amount of time it takes to figure out how to properly .configure and install a program in Linux probably takes as long as finding and installing a app in Windows trythfully, plus most users will know exactly what they need anyhow.
Not to mention the hardware compatibility problems , some of the hardware on my 2 year old notebook is still not easily set up under Linux. X needs severe messing about to get the screen resolution to the way it has to be using an NVIDIA driver as well, most people wouldn't even figure it out. The D-Link wireless card, which at the time was the only type I could find, is still a mess... Firewire does not work and so on.
I really do think the hardware compatibility especially with notebooks the ultimate portable desktops simply are not easy to set up under Linux and the lack of a whole sector of applications is highly annoying.
I still use OpenSource software, but there is only a handful of apps which can be termed as fully functional and well developed... I can only think of Mozilla, Firebird, Thunderbird, OpenOffice and GIMP as truly ready for fulltime use, the other ones still seem quite flimsy. But the main grievance is definitely the initial set up especially all the drivers for all the hardware... Most people who ever tried to set up Linux on a brand new Laptop could testify.
So maybe in a couple of years when there is a decent DAW and Illustrator replacement, and there is no problem using the whole of my computer capabilities I will use Linux fulltime, but as of right now I feel more restricted rather than spoiled.