BeOS certainly isn't less polished! BeOS (IMHO) has:
* A *much* better designed interface with a consistent GUI * A journaling filesystem *built-in* * MUCH better support for recent (last 2 years) hardware made in the last 2/3 years. * MUCH better installation * Easier Driver coding * Designed for Multimedia (with a new focus on gaming) * It's not pricey last time I checked. Remember the quote "Linux is only free if your time is worthless" ?
In short, I have had inexperienced friends install the BeOS R4.5 in *under 20 minutes*. At the end, they are given a perfectly functional OS that boots fully (on my machine) in 22 seconds.
I wouldn't wish Linux on anyone that wasn't a coder. I do believe that my Grandmother could use the BeOS with little trouble.
Also, I'm willing to place a bet that BeOS will have infinitely better TNT/TNT2/GeForce256/Voodoo? drivers than Linux in the coming year. The acceleration in the BeOS revisions is unbelievable. Try saying that about Linux.
Yes, I would like to see RedHat come out with a user-friendly distro for consumption by a happy public *grin*:-) The "Bad Command or File name" comment was a trivial example of the improvements Microsoft is making. I'm impressed by Red Hat's improvements so far... but they've got quite a ways to go.
I never said that Linux had worse hardware support than BeOS... I just said that BeOS has *exponentially* better support for recent hardware. I personally find it in Be's favor that they have designed an OS with current/future hardware in mind. I'm looking forward to a totally legacy-free/truly PNP OS (nearly every Linux'er I've spoken with recommends an ISA modem/netcard... hardly indicative of the recent direction of hardware manufacturers).
In an ideal world, Service Packs wouldn't be necessary. I honestly think Microsoft has been taking a better approach lately. Instead of the old IE4-era mentality of "Cramming Web Stuff into the OS," they have chosen to add features that make life easier for the end user. Bravo! And, no matter what any Linux fanatic will tell you, there is *no* chance Linux is going to dominate unless it becomes successful as a consumer OS. BTW, I just updated my BeOS installation... It was the easiest/quickest/trouble-free OS update I've ever done. If you haven't yet tried it out... I'd highly recommend it.
I find your post intelligent/well-thought and reasonable. Today's the first day I actually started posting and I was expecting to get a billion whining kiddies lambasting me as an 'M$ luzer':-)
Why is it possible for one to be *against* Linux and a reader of Slashdot? Easy.
I believe that Open Source is a great concept that has much more potential than it is currently enjoying. However, one can believe in Open Source/Geek Culture/Coding without taking it out of hand and becoming ignorant of positive changes in other Operating Systems. Linux certainly isn't perfect, and there are several features it could adopt from NT2000/BeOS/NeXT and even the MacOS.
In the end, a majority of people use an Operating System to get *work done*. Linux has proven itself as a great server/hobbyist/hacker OS... However, it has yet to convince a lot of people that it is comparable to Windows... Let alone better than it.
Something's definitely wrong. I would like to think that CNN could stick to reporting *actual news*, not some ridiculous editorial.
There certainly is a place for Linux in this world... However, until it has anywhere near the level of *modern* hardware support, I will continue to do all my work in NT2000/BeOS R4.5. BeOS has actual support for all the hardware in my Dell PII-400 system. Why should I waste time with *buggy* Linux sound card/PCI net card/Vid Card/*.* drivers when Be has been doing an incredible job keeping up with new driver updates?
In defense of Windows 2000, at least Microsoft (I don't need to hear another troll call them M$) has had the brains to clean up the UI and error messages. "Bad Command or File Name" has disappeared, along with several of the reboots required in NT4. I'd *love* to see Red Hat match that with an actual user-friendly distribution of Linux.
As for the NT4.0 "Service-Pack" complaints, I argue that it's better than the decentralized "homegrown-patch-for-everything" situation Linux involves.
Finally, I've removed Red Hat from my system. Not because it's an awful OS... but because it's simply not good enough.
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* A *much* better designed interface with a consistent GUI
* A journaling filesystem *built-in*
* MUCH better support for recent (last 2 years) hardware made in the last 2/3 years.
* MUCH better installation
* Easier Driver coding
* Designed for Multimedia (with a new focus on gaming)
* It's not pricey last time I checked. Remember the quote "Linux is only free if your time is worthless" ?
In short, I have had inexperienced friends install the BeOS R4.5 in *under 20 minutes*. At the end, they are given a perfectly functional OS that boots fully (on my machine) in 22 seconds.
I wouldn't wish Linux on anyone that wasn't a coder. I do believe that my Grandmother could use the BeOS with little trouble.
Also, I'm willing to place a bet that BeOS will have infinitely better TNT/TNT2/GeForce256/Voodoo? drivers than Linux in the coming year. The acceleration in the BeOS revisions is unbelievable. Try saying that about Linux.
I never said that Linux had worse hardware support than BeOS... I just said that BeOS has *exponentially* better support for recent hardware. I personally find it in Be's favor that they have designed an OS with current/future hardware in mind. I'm looking forward to a totally legacy-free/truly PNP OS (nearly every Linux'er I've spoken with recommends an ISA modem/netcard... hardly indicative of the recent direction of hardware manufacturers).
In an ideal world, Service Packs wouldn't be necessary. I honestly think Microsoft has been taking a better approach lately. Instead of the old IE4-era mentality of "Cramming Web Stuff into the OS," they have chosen to add features that make life easier for the end user. Bravo! And, no matter what any Linux fanatic will tell you, there is *no* chance Linux is going to dominate unless it becomes successful as a consumer OS. BTW, I just updated my BeOS installation... It was the easiest/quickest/trouble-free OS update I've ever done. If you haven't yet tried it out... I'd highly recommend it.
I find your post intelligent/well-thought and reasonable. Today's the first day I actually started posting and I was expecting to get a billion whining kiddies lambasting me as an 'M$ luzer' :-)
-Adam Poulos
I believe that Open Source is a great concept that has much more potential than it is currently enjoying. However, one can believe in Open Source/Geek Culture/Coding without taking it out of hand and becoming ignorant of positive changes in other Operating Systems. Linux certainly isn't perfect, and there are several features it could adopt from NT2000/BeOS/NeXT and even the MacOS.
In the end, a majority of people use an Operating System to get *work done*. Linux has proven itself as a great server/hobbyist/hacker OS... However, it has yet to convince a lot of people that it is comparable to Windows... Let alone better than it.
There certainly is a place for Linux in this world... However, until it has anywhere near the level of *modern* hardware support, I will continue to do all my work in NT2000/BeOS R4.5. BeOS has actual support for all the hardware in my Dell PII-400 system. Why should I waste time with *buggy* Linux sound card/PCI net card/Vid Card/*.* drivers when Be has been doing an incredible job keeping up with new driver updates?
In defense of Windows 2000, at least Microsoft (I don't need to hear another troll call them M$) has had the brains to clean up the UI and error messages. "Bad Command or File Name" has disappeared, along with several of the reboots required in NT4. I'd *love* to see Red Hat match that with an actual user-friendly distribution of Linux.
As for the NT4.0 "Service-Pack" complaints, I argue that it's better than the decentralized "homegrown-patch-for-everything" situation Linux involves.
Finally, I've removed Red Hat from my system. Not because it's an awful OS... but because it's simply not good enough.
-Adam Poulos