Slashdot Mirror
What's Really Broken with Windows Update - Trust
Be Cool writes "According to ZDNet, Microsoft has steered itself into a real trust tarpit with Windows Update: 'See, here's the problem. To feel comfortable with having an open channel that allows your OS to be updated at the whim of a third party (even/especially* Microsoft ... * delete as applicable) requires that the user trusts the third party not to screw around with the system in question. This means no fiddling on the sly, being clear about what the updates do and trying not to release updates that hose systems. While any and all updates have the potential to hose a system, there's no excuse for hiding the true nature of updates and absolutely no excuse for pushing sneaky updates down the tubes. Over the months vigilant Windows users have caught Microsoft betraying user trust on several separate occasions and this behavior is eroding customer confidence in the entire update mechanism.'"
I have to ask. This is about the 5th time in 20 minutes that I have heard someone refer to an American as a USian. Is this the new hip version of American that is spoken by the leet "in crown" or are we just too lazy to spell American? I mean, it is only three more letters. Four if you count the capital A as two because you need to use the shift key. And using the proper term doesn't make you look like high school rejects living in mom's basement writing articles for Wikipedia.
but anyway's, Is this some popular movement I'm not aware of? Or are there just more living in mom's basement that put the games and the bong down for some reasons?
Not sure why you got modded flamebait. Fanbois, I guess. I think you are pretty much right, except I'd make one correction:
/.) know why media doesn't work out of the box, and that it's not really Linux' fault. But that doesn't matter to end users. It either works or it doesn't. Lack of media support is bad for home use, but arguably good for business use.
'This excludes Linux from "serious" office work.'
Actually, Linux seems to be more for the office than home. I wonder why (other than legacy apps) businesses use Windows, actually. Well, I don't wonder, actually -- in most cases I am pretty sure it's good old inertia.
There are two things about Linux that make it less than desirable for the *average* user at home while at the same time make it ideal for business. Disclaimer, on my main machine at home I have a dual boot with ubuntu and XP. I actually prefer ubuntu and would use it exclusively were it not for some windows-only software I need to use and keeping my wife sane by giving her what she is familiar with (who is NOT a geek).
1) lack of media support. Now, before someone flames me as to why linux doesn't play DVDs, MP3s, etc, out of the box, don't waste your time. And a boot to the head for the first person who mentions OGG. Who gives a CRAP about ogg? We (here on
2) ease of installing software. Riddle me this: how do most people install software in Windows? I'd bet my bottom dollar that most people pop in a CD and autorun takes over, or they download a program to their desktop and double click it. Hell, that's how I do it. Why? Because it's easy. Now, I do like synaptic and apt-get. But they are not easier than double clicking an icon on your desktop. Most users know how to search the web for software, so that's not a problem. So, while synaptic saves you this step, I'd argue that's irrelevant. It's easier to search the web than some program that suffers from what I like to call "yellow pages syndrome", where stuff is placed into arbitrary categories. This forces you to use the sub-par search feature and wade through heaps of unintelligible results. Synaptic's search is no google; and installing stuff on Linux is not as easy as on Windows. And that's OK. I don't want anyone installing comet cursor or Bonzi-buddy on my computers anyhow.
In a business setting, Ubuntu offers what you need: a secure, lean, cheap, and easy to administer platform. It has a good office suite (Office is good, OOo is good enough). It has a superior web browser in Firefox. It has a good eMail program in Evolution. Did I mention it's secure? If I started a small business, I'd at least try going 100% linux.
blah blah blah