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CBC Recommends Linux To Average User
rustalot42684 writes "The CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation] has posted an article on its website promoting the use of Ubuntu Linux to the 'average computer user'. 'With the exception of gaming, which is limited, almost all of the average person's basic computing needs are well looked after with this package. I've used the last three versions of Ubuntu on my main portable web-surfing computer for years just to avoid viruses and spyware (as the vast majority of these nasty programs are written for Windows), and I have yet to be disappointed.' The author seems to have made some sweeping generalizations about the development of GNU/Linux, but that aside, will mainstream media coverage help more people switch?"
That stuff *is* true, if you're talking about randomly chosen hardware rather than stuff selected for linux functionality. Plug and play for "arbitrary devices" is still pretty weak in GNU/linux at this point. It's not surprising: the gadgets have been built with the intention that they work right out of the box with Windows. Maybe they work in linux, but you have to read on a forum somewhere about how to set them up. Even for totally generic devices, there's less plug-and-play freedom than in Windows. If I yank the CD-drive from my laptop while running GNU/linux, it locks completely. I can't plug in ethernet after having turned the computer on, rather I have to boot with it plugged in. Maybe I shouldn't do the first, but if you're giving the computer to your mom, you'd rather she be able to. Maybe there's something I can do about the second, but if so, why wasn't it enabled by default in Ubuntu Edgy? As for proprietary 3d drivers, it's true that even ATI, the worst GPU manufacturer when it comes to OSS support, has pretty decent drivers for recent cards. Slightly older cards, like my Mobility Radeon 9000, are supported only by open-source community-built drivers with lousy 3d performance. I'm willing to accept this in return for greater control over my desktop, but you can't say that I've got perfectly good performance. 1st person shooters are totally out of the question, whereas in Windows I could play stuff as modern as FarCry, albeit on the lowest settings. So: hardware might "generally work," but it's a pain to configure compared to Windows (where you probably just have to plug it in. At worst, you might have to pop in a cd and use a wizard to install drivers), and even when properly configured it may not give the user as much freedom. As for graphics cards, the proprietary 3d drivers are fine for the newer cards, but older cards are capable of much more under Windows.