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The Most Annoying Software Out There
superglaze writes "ZDNet UK has a very entertaining round-up of the most annoying software out there, and everything from RealPlayer and Adobe Reader to Java and Norton Antivirus gets a kicking. 'The internet has brought us many joys. It's rewritten the rules of business and pleasure. And pain. For it allows what may have seemed like bright ideas at the time ('let's use it to make sure our customers have the latest software', for example) to turn into a stinking pit of misery — usually, but by no means always, after marketing gets its fangs in.'"
The only reason Linux has a unified update source (unless you add more repos) is because so few companies write software for Linux that the distros have to provide similar software themselves. If Linux ever does achieve desktop popularity, you'll be in for a rude awakening.
I assume you're not honestly serious. Or that you've never used any of the programs in question and didn't bother to RTFA.
Outlook -- You didn't read the part about "fast searching" and "threaded conversations" did you?
Flash -- TFA makes the same comment as you.
Use Linux -- some of us like to play games besides Nethack, Tux Racer, and Quake 3...and might even use Word from time to time. That and the learning curve. Oh. And we need to build our own computers and/or reinstall the OS so we don't have pre installed software bundles. All so I can use firefox to surf the web, cause honestly, that's the only EXCELLENT desktop application Linux has. Otherwise, it's like using Sam's club brand everything. Like Tide? Then you'll love Tibe! Like Photoshop? Limp with the Gimp!
(Typed from FireFox 3 Rc1 on Redhat;))
-- Political fascism requires a Fuhrer.
Signed.
Also, the repositories in Linux take longer to update than the Sun has spent on the main sequence. It's really aggravating to be a year or more behind on software updates via the repository. The alternative is to search a message board and follow some arcane spellbook of instructions where you have to type the exact right thing into the console in order to uninstall the current version, then install the updated version from its rpm. Then, find out that the method isn't working because it's for an older version of the OS. Oh, and while we're at it you have to install these dependencies because the package manager also doesn't have them available.
Oh, and please follow these arcane instructions so that you can add my personal server to your package manager. First, generate an SSH key. Then connect to my server using the key. Then use one of the numerous freely available programs to construct a right triangle in a hyperbolic geometry. When you're finished, be sure to sacrifice a goat to the new moon so that the package installs correctly, otherwise you have to start over again.
If all you're using Linux for is some web browsing and checking of the email, then it's great. But if you want to do anything cool like play games in wine, then be prepared to navigate through the unholy maze of updates, compiling, and make scripts. I liked it up until I realised that I would waste literally hours at a time trying to figure out how to install some package. Then I switched back to windows and had my whole system up and running in the amount of time it took me to install one non-standard program in Linux.
SRSLY.