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Rickford Grant Interview
An anonymous reader writes "An interview was recently conducted with Rickford Grant, the author of "Linux for Non-Geeks" and the new "Linux Made Easy". Grant is outspoken in his opinions and offers a number of unique views on topics as diverse as Windows Vista, desktop Linux, GNOME vs. KDE, and lots more. Part of the interview is spent talking about his new book but the bulk of the interview is a discussion of his views on pertinent topics and news. The author is a strong supporter of desktop Linux and has been getting quite a bit of attention for his views on the subject."
"topics as diverse as Windows Vista, desktop Linux, GNOME vs. KDE"
i can think of things that are WAY more diverse
Whenever he asks a technical question, he reminds me, "Simplify, but don't over-simplify."
I think he's paraphrasing Einstein: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
No, I don't think it needed Microsoft or the PC.
When the Mac was storming ahead in the 1980s, if the PC had faded into obscurity, there were many other architectures that could have quite easily become what the PC eventually did. Capable computers like the Acorn Archimedes running RiscOS, the Amiga, Atari - any one of those could have easily burgeoned had the IBM PC failed.
Oolite: Elite-like game. For Mac, Linux and Windows
So what you mean is motherboard RAID under Linux isn't a problem as long as you don't use it and use Linux software RAID instead. For those who already have data on motherboard RAID partitions, they might as well give up.
It's attitudes like this to certain pretty common features that stop Linux being 'ready' for the desktop. There isn't one installer out there that properly supports motherboard RAID.
Another is the insistance of many Linux distros of leaving out proprietary content like functionality to play MP3s and DVD movies. The average user doesn't care about the reasons, and just wants to put a disc in the machine and have it work. Forcing them to jump through hoops and type a bunch of stuff at the command line just to download the required codecs is a sure way to put them off Linux for good.
For some people, Linux is one of their "better things to do." You're right, noboby should try to convince you of anything, especially if you're already convinced otherwise. But, if you have an idea in which implementing Linux could save you or your customers a bundle of money, Googling for help with the OS is not a waste of time.
The bulk of your bulletpoints can be summed up in one phrase:
"it's gotta be DOS compatable"
This is why we're not complaining about the Apple hegemony despite the fact that their product is vastly superior (to windows) and has been for over 20 years.
Whether or not KDE & GNOME have eclipsed windows doesn't really enter into it. DOS and Win3x both demonstrated this rather well.
A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
I also felt that I was more productive on Linux just for programming, but this was by 1999 - 2000. It is only a matter of getting used to the new system, and discover what tools are usefull*. By that time, I used Windows a lot of times, and rebooted my machine very often.
Now I my feelings are the oposite, I hate working on Windows. I assume that this is both because of getting used to another way of doing things and because of the huge degradation that Windows interface suffered from that time to now.
*And a matter of the tool existing. There where a lot of gaps by 1999 - 2000.
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