Let's not forget about Kubuntu. I have just tried it and looks impressive. I already have around 100 Ubuntu PCs deployed at work. I'm seriously thinking of Kubuntu as a replacement.
PC vendors are missing a gold opportunity here. They could adopt a GNU/Linux distribution and make it attractive to the masses, just like Apple did with Nextstep. That would really challenge Microsoft and Apple, but require a dedicated software development department, something that many of them don't know how to do or don't want to take the risk at.
Even though it's disappointing, It's not unexpected. They only know how to brand a PC and sell it.
I see your point, and agree. Let me try to explain my point.
It's not about being worried about the masses but being honest with myself and recognize that even though I love my pet and obscure OS, not everybody else does, and understand why.
I can't and wouldn't stop anybody from installing whatever OS he/she likes. Only give advice when asked.
Not even OpenBSD is suitable for my desktop nowadays, I forgot to mention.
My point is that even though I felt comfortable once with OpenBSD and GNU/Linux as a desktop system, I recognize that it's not ready yet for the masses, but it certainly is for the office.
One thing that I've seen missing in every "Is Linux ready for the desktop" story is the good-enough-for-work experience.
I've used OpenBSD as my desktop system for many years. I'm a Mac OS X user now. At home.
I'm not using anything else, unless I'm _working_ on an open source project. Then I'd use OpenBSD or GNU/Linux. Otherwise, GNU/Linux is not suitable for my daily desktop usage.
In the other hand, Ubuntu has proven to be a good choice at my day job. Ubuntu may have its quircks when speaking of multimedia support, games, or specific purpose software, but it's good enough at networking and offimatic software.
We're in the process of moving PCs from Windows XP to Ubuntu at work (2000 PCs aprox.). Not every PC is suitable for OS substitution (because of specific purpose software), but many of them are (we've moved around 100 so far, we're a small team).
The problems we have had so far are printer drivers, wireless connections and in-house developed software. Most of them have been solved: using Windows drivers, changing printers, using cable, and using Terminal Server to access Windows-only in-house developed software.
Ubuntu may not be ready for my desktop at home, but it's ready enough for the office.
Maybe I shock you, but outside the US apple is a niche market that its only used for graphics design
Speak for yourself, or your country/area. In my area (Chiapas/Mexico), there's an increasing use of Macs, and not just for graphic design; it's even being introduced in the government.
Microsoft: we want to make _our_ software better, and _all_ software ours
GNU/Linux: we want to make _all_ software free as in GNU
BSD: we want to make _all_ software better
These tests were not implemented by me and are considered âoestandardâ in the Ruby community (they come from Yarv's repository).
Where there's a common misconception. YARV's tests were not supposed to be used for benchmarking Ruby, according to its author:
Benchmark tests: Some people using YARV's bnechmarks I wrote. But I didn't write these codes to measure "Ruby's general benchmark test", but to measure speed-up ratio on YARV. It's means that I wrote codes what YARV optimizes. We must prepare more suitable benchmarks for "Ruby implementations".
Being 'faster than 1.8' is a pretty weak claim compared to the competition:
Well, Matz's Ruby (or MRI) is still _the_ reference, so it makes sense to compare to it. What is really missing is how fast Maglev is. This blog post talks about 8x to 60x faster, which is impressive.
Maglev is the long awaited (by Rubyists at least) Ruby VM (virtual machine) developed by Gemstone, who also develop an OODB (use Wikipedia for this one, you can do it).
Railsconf is a good opportunity for Gemstone to show off their object persistence, since it would benefit Ruby on Rails (which uses O/RM that may not be necessary any more.)
They were amazed enough when I configured Bootcamp to dual boot Mac OS X and Windows XP.
I hadn't noticed it until they did: a clean Windows XP started slower than my 2 months used Mac OS X.
Low memory footprint, POSIX compliant (for development and running open source apps), Windows compatible and of course, the eye candy and simplicity, were enough for them.
I'm sure that those who moderated have never [really] used Windows Vista AND Mac OS X for a week. Otherwise they would understand the "I'm not going back" kind of feeling.
As for the overpricing, that's exactly the opposite of what I found when I decided to buy the MacBook. After more than 10 years of being curious about the Mac but unable to afford it, I was finally able to buy one that is equivalent in price and power to the Wintel laptop I'd buy, but with better software (which I feel good paying for).
You purposefully quoted the author out of context, deleting precisely the text surrounding it that makes sense of it. Before the sentences you quoted the article says:
And it's not just third parties who suffer. It causes trouble for Microsoft, too.
Which means that we're about to read about how the terrible API design and general bad experience has bitten Microsoft itself. Then comes the sentences you quoted:
And that software is usually buggy. It passes bad parameters to API calls, uses memory that it has released, assumes that files live in particular hard-coded locations, all sorts of things that it shouldn't do.
And after that:
If the OS changes underneath--to prohibit the reuse of freed memory, to more aggressively validate parameters, to stick more closely to the documentation without making extra assumptions or causing special side-effects--then these programs break.
Since you obviously missed the point, I'm explaining it to you:
Making bad decisions has bitten Microsoft too because if for example they were setting the API design straight, a lot of programs written using bad practices allowed by the badly designed API and that people depend on for every day work would break . Therefore they can't fix their mistakes. They are trapped in the same hole they dug.
That reminds me the OpenBSD experience some years ago, when they enforced heap protection mechanisms and many bad coded programs crashed. But OpenBSD can afford it, and actually benefited the rest of the open source users.
After reading that page, I see that it's a wordplay. Orto is taken from Greek which means "recto" (straight) or "correcto" (right, as opposed to wrong). "Recto" also means "rectum".
You seem to assume that I believe on the "Free software" religion and its prophet RMS. I'm sorry to break it to you, but not every Slashdot reader is a free software loon.
But maybe you got something right, after two weeks with a Mac, I think I've started to love this thing.
Slashdot Mirror
Let's not forget about Kubuntu. I have just tried it and looks impressive. I already have around 100 Ubuntu PCs deployed at work. I'm seriously thinking of Kubuntu as a replacement.
PC vendors are missing a gold opportunity here. They could adopt a GNU/Linux distribution and make it attractive to the masses, just like Apple did with Nextstep. That would really challenge Microsoft and Apple, but require a dedicated software development department, something that many of them don't know how to do or don't want to take the risk at.
Even though it's disappointing, It's not unexpected. They only know how to brand a PC and sell it.
Because GTK+ comes with a HIG included... not.
I guess the guy that used to be the lead developer of Firefox may know better than you and me.
Anyways, by reading the article you'd have known they are using GTK+. That doesn't make the drawbacks disappear though.
I see your point, and agree. Let me try to explain my point.
It's not about being worried about the masses but being honest with myself and recognize that even though I love my pet and obscure OS, not everybody else does, and understand why.
I can't and wouldn't stop anybody from installing whatever OS he/she likes. Only give advice when asked.
Not even OpenBSD is suitable for my desktop nowadays, I forgot to mention.
My point is that even though I felt comfortable once with OpenBSD and GNU/Linux as a desktop system, I recognize that it's not ready yet for the masses, but it certainly is for the office.
Plain and simple, sir.
One thing that I've seen missing in every "Is Linux ready for the desktop" story is the good-enough-for-work experience.
I've used OpenBSD as my desktop system for many years. I'm a Mac OS X user now. At home.
I'm not using anything else, unless I'm _working_ on an open source project. Then I'd use OpenBSD or GNU/Linux. Otherwise, GNU/Linux is not suitable for my daily desktop usage.
In the other hand, Ubuntu has proven to be a good choice at my day job. Ubuntu may have its quircks when speaking of multimedia support, games, or specific purpose software, but it's good enough at networking and offimatic software.
We're in the process of moving PCs from Windows XP to Ubuntu at work (2000 PCs aprox.). Not every PC is suitable for OS substitution (because of specific purpose software), but many of them are (we've moved around 100 so far, we're a small team).
The problems we have had so far are printer drivers, wireless connections and in-house developed software. Most of them have been solved: using Windows drivers, changing printers, using cable, and using Terminal Server to access Windows-only in-house developed software.
Ubuntu may not be ready for my desktop at home, but it's ready enough for the office.
Apple is not profitting from de App Store. The App Store is just convenient/attractive for selling more iPhones
Speak for yourself, or your country/area. In my area (Chiapas/Mexico), there's an increasing use of Macs, and not just for graphic design; it's even being introduced in the government.
You're missing three empires: Azteca, Maya and Inca
Hey, it's great to read a discussion between friends* :) Something interesting results from it, always.
* Slashdot relationship
Slashdot ate the credit. Those were words from a friend, Mirabile.
Microsoft: we want to make _our_ software better, and _all_ software ours
GNU/Linux: we want to make _all_ software free as in GNU
BSD: we want to make _all_ software better
The author just happens to use Ruby on Rails, but you can use Java also (Apple is using WebObjects) or PHP ...
You're ignoring the fact that games are already translated to many languages when distributed in Europe.
Heck, even in Mexico, where we usually got games in English, we're getting Nintendo titles in Mexican Spanish.
Where there's a common misconception. YARV's tests were not supposed to be used for benchmarking Ruby, according to its author:
Benchmark tests: Some people using YARV's bnechmarks I wrote. But I didn't write these codes to measure "Ruby's general benchmark test", but to measure speed-up ratio on YARV. It's means that I wrote codes what YARV optimizes. We must prepare more suitable benchmarks for "Ruby implementations".
Well, Matz's Ruby (or MRI) is still _the_ reference, so it makes sense to compare to it. What is really missing is how fast Maglev is. This blog post talks about 8x to 60x faster, which is impressive.
Then maybe you've just been too busy for keeping up with the news.
http://www.infoq.com/news/2008/04/maglev-gemstone-builds-ruby
and I'm not even a Rails developer, just a Ruby enthusiast.
Maglev is the long awaited (by Rubyists at least) Ruby VM (virtual machine) developed by Gemstone, who also develop an OODB (use Wikipedia for this one, you can do it).
Railsconf is a good opportunity for Gemstone to show off their object persistence, since it would benefit Ruby on Rails (which uses O/RM that may not be necessary any more.)
They were amazed enough when I configured Bootcamp to dual boot Mac OS X and Windows XP.
I hadn't noticed it until they did: a clean Windows XP started slower than my 2 months used Mac OS X.
Low memory footprint, POSIX compliant (for development and running open source apps), Windows compatible and of course, the eye candy and simplicity, were enough for them.
wow, my first troll-moderated comment :)
I'm sure that those who moderated have never [really] used Windows Vista AND Mac OS X for a week. Otherwise they would understand the "I'm not going back" kind of feeling.
As for the overpricing, that's exactly the opposite of what I found when I decided to buy the MacBook. After more than 10 years of being curious about the Mac but unable to afford it, I was finally able to buy one that is equivalent in price and power to the Wintel laptop I'd buy, but with better software (which I feel good paying for).
One of my reasons to buy a MacBook (which is my first Mac by the way) was precisely for avoiding Vista. I was not willing pay for Vista.
My co-workers, which are Windows-minded because don't know any better, are thinking of trying a Mac now.
You purposefully quoted the author out of context, deleting precisely the text surrounding it that makes sense of it. Before the sentences you quoted the article says:
Which means that we're about to read about how the terrible API design and general bad experience has bitten Microsoft itself. Then comes the sentences you quoted:
And after that:
Since you obviously missed the point, I'm explaining it to you:
Making bad decisions has bitten Microsoft too because if for example they were setting the API design straight, a lot of programs written using bad practices allowed by the badly designed API and that people depend on for every day work would break . Therefore they can't fix their mistakes. They are trapped in the same hole they dug.
That reminds me the OpenBSD experience some years ago, when they enforced heap protection mechanisms and many bad coded programs crashed. But OpenBSD can afford it, and actually benefited the rest of the open source users.
from a BSD point of view. If good open source software makes into their distribution, good for them and all their users. Goal accomplished.
After reading that page, I see that it's a wordplay. Orto is taken from Greek which means "recto" (straight) or "correcto" (right, as opposed to wrong). "Recto" also means "rectum".
You seem to assume that I believe on the "Free software" religion and its prophet RMS. I'm sorry to break it to you, but not every Slashdot reader is a free software loon.
But maybe you got something right, after two weeks with a Mac, I think I've started to love this thing.