Windows Nearly Ready For Desktop Use

wallykeyster writes "NewsForge (ed: a Slashdot sister site) has an interesting review of Windows XP Home, written from the perspective of a longtime Linux user (ed: Editor roblimo). The article clearly is intended to be somewhat humorous while making a point to the 'Linux isn't ready for the desktop' crowd. The reviewer does a fair job of pointing out the strengths of Windows along with the weaknesses that would be apparent to someone trying to make the switch from Linux." From the article: "Windows XP can't be considered consumer-ready until it has driver support for common LCD monitors during its installation and bootup procedure, especially if those monitors are easily and routinely recognized by popular Linux distributions. It's possible that the monitor manufacturers aren't willing to give Microsoft and other proprietary operating system companies the information they need to create appropriate drivers and that the manufacturers, not Microsoft, deserve the blame for this problem."

Comments

amusing but...

[Transient0]

large parts of it read as a critique not of windows per se but rather of the whole money-for-software framework.

examples:
Base Cost (as compared to Linux)
CD-Key
Expense of Additional Applications

oh, and another thing before XP's ready

[yagu]

Great article! On more than one level:

• it's cute
• it's genuinely funny
• and most importantly (in my opinion), it's rock solid in its logic... Setting aside for a moment its humorous side, the article makes a honest, clear, and I think compelling case for linux! Right on and congratulations!

On the other hand, I'd like to make my own contribution as to one of the most ongoing and glaring "needs fixing" of XP....

I think one thing that will eventually make Windows XP for HOME (or PRO) ready for the desktop is fixing the START button. I'm still trying to explain to some of the people I have to support "LOGOFF" and "TURN OFF COMPUTER" are accessed by clicking the START button. It's hard to explain to them why when even I don't get it.

Microsoft replies

[lecithin]

Microsoft:

Linux nearly ready for server use.

Re:Hmmmm

[RealAlaskan]

Parody is funny when it's based on the truth. As much as a piece of garbage that XP Home is, arguing (tongue in cheek or otherwise) that it's not ready for the desk top is a bit silly.

I wonder if that was the point? By the standards that the ``Linux isn't ready for the desktop'' crowd apply to Linux, Windows isn't ready for the desktop, either.

I haven't tried to install OSX, so I can say that no OS that I am familiar with is ``ready for the desktop'' by those standards.

Roblimo just took the standard ``Linux isn't ready for the desktop'' article, replaced Linux with Windows and visa versa, and threw in a couple of very accurate slams at Windows weak points.

Good parody, based on truth. That's why it was funny.

Ironic, and still serious

[Husgaard]

I got a great laugh by reading the article. But when looking at it again, I see that is based on facts. The Linux desktop(s) really have outdone the Microsoft desktop now. This used to be a problem for the adoption of Linux on the desktop but no longer, I think. Although I primarily use Linux and MS-Windows Home Edition only occasionally, I have to agree that (while there may still be other problems with Linux) the desktop is at least as good as the desktop produced by Microsoft.

And I don't want to start another flamewar about what the best desktop for Linux is...

monitor driver

[Sebastopol]

Why the ferk does a monitor even need a driver?

It bugs me when mundane devices need drivers.

Like keyboards and monitors.

What's next, my power supply will need a driver?

Re:Longtooth will solve these problems...

[acidrain]

And I wish we'd stop deluding oursleves into believeing that somehow the cool, geeky-tweeky OSs are the same ones that users want to buy and, subsequently, actually use.

Funny thing is, so called "power users" influence the buying habits of the masses. It is just like the perfume companies that market to the trendy 30 year olds with power suits because other women imitate them. People consult any nerds they know before making the big step of buying a computer hoping for some inside tips.

The people who make purchasing descisions for large companies are also computer nerds. You can see this in the slow adoption of desktop linux in large corps and government.

Really though, you just need to take a pill, the guy was just posting some grade A nerd humor.