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Should Being Competitive With Windows Matter For Linux?
An anonymous reader writes "Is Linux being held back by distributions bent on competing with Microsoft Windows? This article argues that it's a real possibility. Quoting: '... what was apparent early on during my Linux adoption was my motivation for making the switch in the first place — no longer wanting to use Windows. This is where I think the confusion begins for most new Linux adopters. As we make the switch, we must fight the inherent urge to automatically begin comparing the new desktop experience to our previous experiences with Windows. It's a completely different set of circumstances, folks. ... The fact that one platform can support a specific device while the other platform cannot (and so on) doesn't really solve the problem of getting said device working. You can see where this dysfunction of thought can become a big problem, fast."
"Besides, it's a bunch of settings that is completely unorganized, does not exist as a single file anywhere on the hard drive, and is essentially hidden from normal users. It should be hated on principle."
Obviously you are one of the wannabe power users that hates the registry because quite frankly you don't understand what your doing.
1) it is actually a highly organised structure of settings that if you took the time to understand it actually makes finding stuff very easy.
2) it most definitely DOES exist on the harddrive as a file.
3) all settings files SHOULD be hidden from normal users, be it the registry files, config files or whatever other settings files, if a NORMAL user has need of these to be exposed then the developers have FAILED.
Bullshit. I'm sorry, but you are totally spreading bullshit. OSX and Windows has CLI? BWA HA HA HA HA HA! And powershell? did you not see me say we are talking about desktop operating systems and NOT server? Why do Linux guys insist on bringing fricking servers into EVERY conversation? Oh yeah, because that is the ONLY place they've made inroads. Here is a little fact for you: I service on average around 100+ desktops per month, from all walks of life, from Sally home maker to SMBs. Now how many powershell installs have I seen in the wild? ZERO. That's right, none. Zip, zero, zilch, nada. Tell you what, walk up to someone using their laptop at an average coffee house, hell walk up to a dozen of them, and ask them to launch their CLI. be prepared for the blank stares because they won't have a fucking clue what you are talking about because in Windows and OSX you NEVER need them!
And I'm sorry, but your Linux GUIs are an afterthought at best and piles of crap at worst. I don't know how many times I have seen GUIs that don't stick between reboots, don't save their settings, or just plain don't work. The networking ones in Ubuntu and other Gnome based distros are a good example. And you are yet again falling into the logical fallacy that just because there is a possible way to access a CLI means everyone uses it like YOU do. Fraid not friend. Hell most machines I've seen don't even have run in the start menu and I've NEVER had a user even notice.
But hey, numbers don't lie. It has taken FIFTEEN YEARS for Linux to get desktop numbers that both OSX and Windows put up in a week. Do you think that is GOOD performance? do you think you will EVER gain share with that rate of growth? The CLI nerds have had 15 years and Linux desktops have gone exactly nowhere. Accept it, don't, doesn't matter to me or my customers. But please don't delude yourself into thinking the world will come around to doing things YOUR way, or that "free as in freedom" makes a diddly damn to them. See iOS for proof they just don't care. Give them simple or lose any chance at the desktop, your choice. A final fact: MSFT sold over 100 million copies of Vista and everyone HATED that OS, yours is free and didn't even gain squat against a completely HATED MSFT OS.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.