Another loophole: He just sells or gives away his computer for the time of his home confinement. This method would prevent both exposure to Windows and sitting in jail. At least, that would be my approach in that situation.
OK, then Linux is not ready for prime time for people who require certain commercial high-end apps. But I doubt these are the majority or mainstream. Nag the maker of the software if he doesn't think there is a market on Linux for professional audio.
The average user however, which you mentioned yourself earlier, has a lot of well-polished standard software preinstalled and well integrated on any desktop distro. I'm doing private Linux support for computer illiterate people, and they seem to be very satisfied with with the software selection and functionality. I have not managed to switch any power users yet however, because these already have a concept of an operating system (Windows) and don't want to learn a totally different concept (Linux).
What problem? who needs or uses Mono anyway? Silverlight will go the way of Beagle and the other two or three Mono applications - right down the drain. Linux doesn't need a common language runtime just for the sake of it - there are standard programming languages with excellent and complete system library bindings. A CLR does not add any value here.
If Microsoft has to force their über-great Flash ripoff onto me, I want at least a real native executable.
The Live CD approach is a good idea. I think I should keep some in my locker at work and give them away whenever there is some kind of interest. Funny I didn't think of that yet:-)
"Mainstream" software support is a different story, because it is not really about software functionality, but format/vendor lock-in. This is a really hard one, especially with businesses fearing to be feature-wise incompatible with their partners or customers. We need to push even more for open data formats here, so no single vendor can control a universally used format in a way that you have to use his (usually overpriced) platform and software just to get your stuff done.
So, it can't be both ways. Either he knows about Linux and he's rejected it or the "tyranny" of Windows isn't so bad that he needs to run for cover. He's not being forced into the situation at all. Yes, this is an important point that is confirmed over and over when I interact with people of different computer knowledge. Windows is (subjectively) not bad enough, and Linux (something different and unknown) is not attractive enough. Hence my suggestion of a marketing campaign; many people tend to be more receptive for commercials than for simple word-of-mouth, especially when you are the only Linux user hanging around. You can't expect more than mild, polite interest and being forgotten again the next moment in that situation.
One very big hindrance is: Linux is not in the head of average people. Nearly all computer users have heard of it, but they are used to Windows (including its shortcomings), it is forced upon them every day and they only have a very, very vague imagination about what Linux has to offer as an alternative; and even half of that is the usual anti-Linux FUD.
Linux needs a marketing campaign to counter that. Plain and simple. If people don't know more about it than it being "something else", it will not conquer the consumer market no matter how more advanced than the competition it is.
Fords are not bad enough for a Windows analogy. Windows is more like a Fiat: It runs quite well for half a year, then everything breaks down at the same time and you are shocked to find out it's cheaper to buy a new car than to repair it.
Given how trivially simple it is to buy a computer without Windows, I'm afraid harsh reality blows your fantasy out of the water. How is this a valid answer to the GP's conclusion that people wouldn't buy Windows if they had a clue WHAT they are buying?
The market does not agree.
If people disliked Microsoft or Windows anywhere near as much as zealots like you thought they did, Apple would own the home PC market and Linux on the desktop would be csondiered even more of an oddity than it is now. The market, the market, the market. Standard fanboy corpspeak without a factual base. A free market still exists in IT, but it is a rather small niche outside of the Microsoft monoculture. The average user isn't so political. His laptop comes with Windows, but it doesn't really matter to him. If it breaks down, it is replaced or fixed by a friend. The majority of end users don't have the competence to decide for quality software, they just want the "standard" software they know. So Microsoft and friends can happily continue to shovel stuff down their throats. That's your beloved market: Powered by Dumbness(tm).
In a few years, Linux will be ready for desktops and MS knows Windows will compare badly to a user-friendly Linux GUI. Bad Windows v bad Linux will keep most people using what they know. IMO one of the reasons why Vista was rushed is that Linux is perfectly desktop ready. I remember it really started to take off with the hype around Ubuntu Breezy. I think the last two releases (Edgy and Feisty) have finally overtaken Windows even in the aspects where Linux has been traditionally weak.
Hey, and KDE 4 will even come close to Apple's GUI goodness. I'm not so convinced that Linux will again have to play catch-up anytime soon.
If they kill PC gaming, they basically - let's face it - kill Windows on the home desktop. And the XBox is not really profitable for them. I think the reason is they want to clean up their API to make OpenGL look less attractive.
"Lord Toran" is just a fantasy name I thought out in my younger years when I was strongly into paper & pencil roleplaying:-)
I have been interested in Open Source since 1998 (when I ditched MS Office 97 for StarOffice 5.2), but it hadn't been until 2005 that I felt confident enough to make the jump to Linux. At that point, I had started to hate Windows so much for its shortcomings (especially the crappy filesystem that nuked my data and occasionally whole disks), that I made the switch the hard way (no dual boot) and decided to never look back. I never regretted my decision.
I have to admit that Solaris is my favorite for a "real" Unix, but it doesn't seem to have a real hobbyist community. I think I'll try FreeBSD first when I need a more advanced operating system.
Slashdot Mirror
I have one of them working here as a spam assassin. Couldn't live without.
There is this thing called manpages, and the Gentoo wiki (a very exhaustive source of general Linux knowledge, not only Gentoo).
Ballmer? Still posting as AC? Get an account finally.
Another loophole: He just sells or gives away his computer for the time of his home confinement. This method would prevent both exposure to Windows and sitting in jail. At least, that would be my approach in that situation.
I tried. Does not help.
Yes, its digestive ecosystem.
They are expensive to make because they cannot be manufactured using the existing technology in DVD fabs.
Yes, a brand new not working stack. This usually happens when Microsoft tries to create something genuine.
Yes. An even more positive surprise as expected, namely.
OK, then Linux is not ready for prime time for people who require certain commercial high-end apps. But I doubt these are the majority or mainstream. Nag the maker of the software if he doesn't think there is a market on Linux for professional audio.
The average user however, which you mentioned yourself earlier, has a lot of well-polished standard software preinstalled and well integrated on any desktop distro. I'm doing private Linux support for computer illiterate people, and they seem to be very satisfied with with the software selection and functionality. I have not managed to switch any power users yet however, because these already have a concept of an operating system (Windows) and don't want to learn a totally different concept (Linux).
OMG ... time to install the corefonts package. I have wondered since years why all I read on teh web is damn lies.
What problem? who needs or uses Mono anyway? Silverlight will go the way of Beagle and the other two or three Mono applications - right down the drain. Linux doesn't need a common language runtime just for the sake of it - there are standard programming languages with excellent and complete system library bindings. A CLR does not add any value here.
If Microsoft has to force their über-great Flash ripoff onto me, I want at least a real native executable.
The Live CD approach is a good idea. I think I should keep some in my locker at work and give them away whenever there is some kind of interest. Funny I didn't think of that yet :-)
"Mainstream" software support is a different story, because it is not really about software functionality, but format/vendor lock-in. This is a really hard one, especially with businesses fearing to be feature-wise incompatible with their partners or customers. We need to push even more for open data formats here, so no single vendor can control a universally used format in a way that you have to use his (usually overpriced) platform and software just to get your stuff done.
One very big hindrance is: Linux is not in the head of average people. Nearly all computer users have heard of it, but they are used to Windows (including its shortcomings), it is forced upon them every day and they only have a very, very vague imagination about what Linux has to offer as an alternative; and even half of that is the usual anti-Linux FUD.
Linux needs a marketing campaign to counter that. Plain and simple. If people don't know more about it than it being "something else", it will not conquer the consumer market no matter how more advanced than the competition it is.
Of course, but since Linux is open source and not controlled by a single company, it would be easier to patch vulnerable parts if required.
Repeating the FUD you were spoon-fed during your MCSE training doesn't make it less FUD. And posting crap as AC doesn't make you more credible.
Get Google software for the Mac
www.google.com/mac They still don't get it right.
Fords are not bad enough for a Windows analogy. Windows is more like a Fiat: It runs quite well for half a year, then everything breaks down at the same time and you are shocked to find out it's cheaper to buy a new car than to repair it.
If people disliked Microsoft or Windows anywhere near as much as zealots like you thought they did, Apple would own the home PC market and Linux on the desktop would be csondiered even more of an oddity than it is now. The market, the market, the market. Standard fanboy corpspeak without a factual base. A free market still exists in IT, but it is a rather small niche outside of the Microsoft monoculture. The average user isn't so political. His laptop comes with Windows, but it doesn't really matter to him. If it breaks down, it is replaced or fixed by a friend. The majority of end users don't have the competence to decide for quality software, they just want the "standard" software they know. So Microsoft and friends can happily continue to shovel stuff down their throats. That's your beloved market: Powered by Dumbness(tm).
Hey, and KDE 4 will even come close to Apple's GUI goodness. I'm not so convinced that Linux will again have to play catch-up anytime soon.
If they kill PC gaming, they basically - let's face it - kill Windows on the home desktop. And the XBox is not really profitable for them. I think the reason is they want to clean up their API to make OpenGL look less attractive.
"Lord Toran" is just a fantasy name I thought out in my younger years when I was strongly into paper & pencil roleplaying :-)
I have been interested in Open Source since 1998 (when I ditched MS Office 97 for StarOffice 5.2), but it hadn't been until 2005 that I felt confident enough to make the jump to Linux. At that point, I had started to hate Windows so much for its shortcomings (especially the crappy filesystem that nuked my data and occasionally whole disks), that I made the switch the hard way (no dual boot) and decided to never look back. I never regretted my decision.
I have to admit that Solaris is my favorite for a "real" Unix, but it doesn't seem to have a real hobbyist community. I think I'll try FreeBSD first when I need a more advanced operating system.