Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Rickford Grant Interview

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the geek-to-non-geek-translation dept.

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."

7 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. by whos book? by myspys · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "topics as diverse as Windows Vista, desktop Linux, GNOME vs. KDE"

    i can think of things that are WAY more diverse

  2. Re:Technical Subjects by mblase · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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."

  3. Re:Yin and Yang by Alioth · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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
  4. Re:More importantly by ruben.gutierrez · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.

  5. Re:Why? by jedidiah · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.
  6. Re:More importantly by hungrygrue · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Quick Example: In Firefox on Linux, the OK and Cancel buttons are reversed... why?
    I'm not sure exactly what you mean by that. If you mean that they are the reverse of other applications, then I guess I just have never noticed. If you mean "in the opposite order from Windows", then who really cares? Developers better things to do than check with their Windows user neighbor to see which button Windows puts on the left and which it puts on the right.
  7. Re:More importantly by marcosdumay · · Score: 2, Interesting

    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.

    --
    Rethinking email