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4 Linux Distros Compared To Win XP, Mac OS X

Posted by timothy on from the from-a-certain-point-of-view dept.

Morf writes "The Australian Consumers? Association has evaluated Xandros, Linspire, Mandrake Discovery and SUSE personal and compared them to Mac OS X and Windows XP in its latest Computer CHOICE magazine. The article is very much focused on "mums and dads", and concludes Linux is just about ready for consumers, although installing new software could pose some problems for those who aren't really computer savvy. The report is available free for a short time."

6 of 729 comments (clear)

  1. "Consumers?"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Ah, yes, the great Australian Consumers? Association!

    Brought to you by the Puzzled Slashdot? Readers Group.

    1. Re:"Consumers?"? by 91degrees · · Score: 4, Funny

      It's the Australian accent. They often raise their voices at the end of a phrase so it sounds like a question.

    2. Re:"Consumers?"? by uhlume · · Score: 4, Funny

      More to the point, someone please tell the Australians that the rest of the English speaking world avoids question marks in lieu of apostrophes, as they are not typographically equivalent.

      (Shut up you pedants: I know it's a charset issue, but where's the humor in that?)

      --
      SIERRA TANGO FOXTROT UNIFORM
  2. Not for long... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The report is available ... for a short time

    Okay, which one of you hosers told them we were coming?

  3. Installing software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Linux needs to come a long way before installing software is as easy on Windows. On Windows I just need to plug in the network cable to get Netsky, Klez and a bunch of other software installed automagically. I don't need to click on anything.

    Compare this to Linux, where installing software requires complex things such as clicking or even double-clicking an icon, which in turn requires learning to use a "mouse", a very counter-intuitive device, that you need to move while looking at something completely different, and when you reach the edge of the mouse mat, you need to carefully lift it and move it back to the center, such that the little arrow doesn't move, and then continue moving it where you already moved it once.

  4. Linux commands may as well be in Klingon... by ABeowulfCluster · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... for 'Average Joe' to use. Seriously.. you type 'man' instead of 'help'? Ok mom.. now type ./configure What? DOT SLASH CONFIGURE.. no.. THE OTHER SLASH! GEEEZE!!!! And my document It didn't save? BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T MOUNT the DRIVE AS READ WRITE NTFS CAPTIVE! FOR FSCK'S SAKE GIVE ME THE KEYBOARD! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOve!