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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.
On MSFT ditching the reg, Citation please? Because I sure as hell can't find anything on Google, and frankly you'd have to be nuts. What are you gonna replace it with, 50 bazillion files spread everywhere? We tried that, they were called .ini files and they sucked! Whether Unix guys like it or not the registry works. It makes it easy to change desktop configs across a wide range of desktops with AD, it is easy to backup and restore, and the one main weakness, the ease at which programs from outside could write to it, are being done away with thanks to the Vista/7 UAC and low rights modes.
As for TFA, the real question should be thus: Do the Linux guys WANT to step up and compete with OSX and Windows or not? If the answer is no, then frankly do it ANY way you want, knock yourself out. If the answer is yes then you MUST accept the fact the world is NOT gonna do things YOUR way period. The world has spoken, and editing configs and CLI is a giant DO NOT WANT. People want simple, they want easy, they want clicky clicky and GUI everything. They want hand holding, in short thinking should NEVER be required for most common tasks. It should simply be intuitive and butt simple for even the clueless to figure out. See how quick Apple has gained share by embracing just those concepts.
But THIS, this simple fact, is what royally pisses off many of the Linux crowd I've seen. The fact that the public do not want to learn Bash commands, or CLI, or how to edit configs, or any of the other nerdy crap that geeks have no problem with. If you want to play in the big leagues and get those users then you have to accept they are NOTHING like you and have no desire whatever to do things your way. You either do it theirs or you walk away. It really is that simple.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
I'm a grad student in Physics in the US, and I do not own a smart phone, or a flat screen tv, or a Tivo.
Don't you just love how anyone who doesn't kiss the groupthink booty gets modded down? here before I respond let me do the usual bow to groupthink: "Gee Biff, isn't Linux swell? It sure is Chip, and RMS grows sacred flowers in his beard!"
Now that we got that out of the way, allow me to retort: If you consider 'competition" to be a lousy 1% market share? Well then I guess Apple and MSFT have NOTHING to worry about from Linux. And let me make it clear, before we get wild crap from server guys: We are NOT talking about embedded, nor server, nor funky things like TiVos, okay? We are talking about desktop operating systems which Linux currently ranks so low it is below the margin for error. Not ONE single big box retailer carries your product, which it IS a product folks, not a religion nor a philosophy, and even the mom&pop shops carry ZERO amounts of your product, even though it would save us money. Why is that? It isn't a conspiracy, or Ballmer backing up a money truck it is the fact that the current way you do things is broken with drivers breaking on upgrades and waay too much "Open up Bash and type" which means they bring it back to ME, so I either get to support it for LIFE for FREE,, because even simple things like updates can break shit all over the place and launching a video with windows open can cause an Xserver crash and take the whole mess down, or i give them their money back.
And as for the other point, allow me to quote you for truth:" If the price for marketshare is to design a system for idiots then I don't want those users. I'm NOT an idiot and a system designed for idiots would slow me down. " and with those simple words you have hit the nail 100% on the head why Linux has NO CHANCE with home users. let me repeat this, just so it is clear: Home users are nothing like you at all and have NO desire whatsoever to learn your ways. And the simple facts are they outnumber you by about 100 million to one, so you either do things THEIR way or go rot in the corner. Does Walmart carry your product? NO. Does Best Buy? NO Does Staples? NO. Will the shops that support Windows and Apple users across the land support you? NO.
So waste your modpoints, I got more karma than God. Stick your head in the sand and go "La la la, Linux is gonna win!" while ignoring the fact that it took you FIFTEEN YEARS to get numbers it took MSFT less than a week to achieve with their latest OS, even though theirs cost $100+ and yours is free. And finally, before I go ahead and put Linux articles to block in prefs because I'm tired of dealing with crazy people, a little food for thought: The ONLY Linux currently gaining ANY traction is Android, and OS that by default has NO CLI and is all GUI and hand holding Coincidence? I think not. you had 15 years to get the world to do things your way, you've failed. With any luck Canonical will just fork the whole thing away from the devs and we'll finally get a Linux based OS for those that aren't CS nerds or IT guys, you know? The other 99.99995% of the population of the planet who are NOT LIKE YOU.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
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.