You're right, but I don't quite understand the connection - you've switched to a different subject here;)
I was just saying that not many people buy Linux laptops to actually run Linux on them - whether or not they pay for Windows or whatever other operating system they run is irrelevant:)
Very good point. That's the only way to keep Windows fast with a lot of programs installed... it's also the reason my father thinks that filling hard drive space slows down computers - he doesn't realize that all the programs filling his hard drive also installed system tray apps...
Yah, but it's easier to run a virus scanner, spyware remover and adware remover (or even two of each) than it is to get Ubuntu running on a system that isn't fully supported;)...
Think of it this way: Those virus, spyware and adware scanners all have user-friendly GUIs. Linux has GUIs that don't always work, and a CLI... which one do you think inexperienced users are going to choose?
Limiting factor with lots of crapware, like I stated in reply to someone else here, is probably the hard drive, and that's likely to be similarly fast on the older machine...
Yes, I do believe that it's an unfair comparison, the problem here being that the bottleneck in a crapware infested system is often the hard drive, which is probably not much slower in the 166MHz system.
You don't need a lot of CPU cycles to run an OS;).
Hmmm, I dunno, I've pretty much stopped reformatting. I run a few anti-malware programs once a month (no background scanners, just good old manual scans regularly) and my installs have remained clean for ages.
False positives - I live in Germany, and of the 10 people I know who've bought laptops in the last year, 7 went with FreeDos/Linux notebooks. The first thing they did when they got them was to install XP Pro...
I also bought a Linux notebook (well, netbook) and put XP on it...
I don't know a lot of people who buy Linux laptops to run Linux...
Yes, Windows has market share going for them - but what else? If I could run everything I wanted to run on OSX (and on a machine that I could actually afford), I'd switch right away...
Sure, Linux netbooks were taken off the shelves in lieu of Windows-based machines - but not because the Windows experience is so great, but rather because the Linux experience was so awful. Sure, most of that's the hardware vendors' fault for not setting up their Linux distributions properly (missing drivers, etc. etc.), but all the average consumer knows is that the Windows version of the same laptop works out of the box...
But working out of the box isn't enough - that's just a prerequisite. A good operating system needs to do a lot more...
Hmmm, weird... I had massive problems with my nVidia 7800GTX with the proprietary drivers on Ubuntu. Getting a CRT running at a custom resolution and refresh rate (1400x1050 @ 90Hz) alongside a standard 22" widescreen TFT (1680x1050 @ 60Hz) was impossible, and after 3 days of researching the matter on forums and incomplete support documents, I gave up. nVidia settings showed different settings than xorg.conf, "screen resolution" showed other settings altogether.
Went back to XP, installed nVidia's driver, set up my CRT's custom resolution, et voila.
Hmmm, they're regular retail versions, as far as I can tell. As sold by every store in Germany...
The weird thing is that playing my DVDs in VLC or encoding to XVid with AutoGK or X264 with Handbrake results in pristine quality - the only part that doesn't fit into the equation is MPC. Oh well... it's not that important anyway. The DVD rips are just temporary until I can be bothered to reencode to X264:)
Automatically? I have 3 fresh-ripped Video_TS folders sitting on my desktop that say otherwise (MPC Homecinema v1.2.1008.0). The same DVDs play perfectly on VLC 1.0...
I feel the same way right about now - I'm running a Core2Duo P7370 with 2.5 gigs of RAM, and I'm torn between slapping in 4 gigs and moving to 64-bit Wn7 and just sticking with my current setup and XP Pro SP3...
Sounds like you had an issue with interlacing and/or the anamorphic video... VLC configures that stuff automatically when you watch a DVD - just compare, say, untweaked Media Player Classic and VLC, playing the same DVD. Media Player Classic has the wrong aspect ratio and shows a bunch of scanlines, whereas VLC is crystal clear.
That's not quite what I meant, but I'll bite nonetheless.
My Google account credentials are important, yes - but not important enough for me to go to the trouble of installing full disk encryption and/or a way to brick my laptop if it's stolen... Again, if you're that worried about your data, why on Earth would you store it "in the cloud"?
Maybe if the windmills extended out past the Earth's atmosphere and space wasn't a vacuum... maybe THEN windmills would slow down the earth's rotation speed:)
Slashdot Mirror
You're right, but I don't quite understand the connection - you've switched to a different subject here ;)
I was just saying that not many people buy Linux laptops to actually run Linux on them - whether or not they pay for Windows or whatever other operating system they run is irrelevant :)
That's a good point - if I were willing to spend time learning to use Linux (and had the time), I'm sure it wouldn't be more work than using Windows.
Using Windows is just the lesser of two evils.
Very good point. That's the only way to keep Windows fast with a lot of programs installed... it's also the reason my father thinks that filling hard drive space slows down computers - he doesn't realize that all the programs filling his hard drive also installed system tray apps...
Yah, but it's easier to run a virus scanner, spyware remover and adware remover (or even two of each) than it is to get Ubuntu running on a system that isn't fully supported ;)...
Think of it this way: Those virus, spyware and adware scanners all have user-friendly GUIs. Linux has GUIs that don't always work, and a CLI... which one do you think inexperienced users are going to choose?
Limiting factor with lots of crapware, like I stated in reply to someone else here, is probably the hard drive, and that's likely to be similarly fast on the older machine...
Yes, I do believe that it's an unfair comparison, the problem here being that the bottleneck in a crapware infested system is often the hard drive, which is probably not much slower in the 166MHz system.
You don't need a lot of CPU cycles to run an OS ;).
Mostly students with MSDNAA in my group of friends.
Hmmm, I dunno, I've pretty much stopped reformatting. I run a few anti-malware programs once a month (no background scanners, just good old manual scans regularly) and my installs have remained clean for ages.
Good point, but I'm willing to bet that the number of Linux-on-Windows-Laptop users is a lot smaller than Windows-on-Linux-Laptop users :)
It's a bit unfair to compare a fresh Xubuntu install to a crapware infested aeons-old XP install...
XP runs like a champ (at least in terms of speed) if you keep it clean and the hardware manufacturers manage to write proper drivers...
False positives - I live in Germany, and of the 10 people I know who've bought laptops in the last year, 7 went with FreeDos/Linux notebooks. The first thing they did when they got them was to install XP Pro...
I also bought a Linux notebook (well, netbook) and put XP on it...
I don't know a lot of people who buy Linux laptops to run Linux...
Yes, Windows has market share going for them - but what else? If I could run everything I wanted to run on OSX (and on a machine that I could actually afford), I'd switch right away...
Sure, Linux netbooks were taken off the shelves in lieu of Windows-based machines - but not because the Windows experience is so great, but rather because the Linux experience was so awful. Sure, most of that's the hardware vendors' fault for not setting up their Linux distributions properly (missing drivers, etc. etc.), but all the average consumer knows is that the Windows version of the same laptop works out of the box...
But working out of the box isn't enough - that's just a prerequisite. A good operating system needs to do a lot more...
Probably personal experience. I know it's true in my case... BSODs after resuming from hibernate (never anywhere else) are just great *thumbsup* ;)
Really? I only checked CS Source, but the stress test showed about a 30% slowdown in the Win7 RC vs. XP Pro.
Hmmm, weird... I had massive problems with my nVidia 7800GTX with the proprietary drivers on Ubuntu. Getting a CRT running at a custom resolution and refresh rate (1400x1050 @ 90Hz) alongside a standard 22" widescreen TFT (1680x1050 @ 60Hz) was impossible, and after 3 days of researching the matter on forums and incomplete support documents, I gave up. nVidia settings showed different settings than xorg.conf, "screen resolution" showed other settings altogether.
Went back to XP, installed nVidia's driver, set up my CRT's custom resolution, et voila.
Awesome, you just made my day. Never thought I'd see a braided Ethernet cable :D
Hmmm, they're regular retail versions, as far as I can tell. As sold by every store in Germany...
The weird thing is that playing my DVDs in VLC or encoding to XVid with AutoGK or X264 with Handbrake results in pristine quality - the only part that doesn't fit into the equation is MPC. Oh well... it's not that important anyway. The DVD rips are just temporary until I can be bothered to reencode to X264 :)
I _AM_ using the "Open DVD" option - on MPC as well as VLC :)
That's what's so puzzling about it. As for encoding... they're straight rips. No reencode whatsoever.
Automatically? I have 3 fresh-ripped Video_TS folders sitting on my desktop that say otherwise (MPC Homecinema v1.2.1008.0). The same DVDs play perfectly on VLC 1.0...
I feel the same way right about now - I'm running a Core2Duo P7370 with 2.5 gigs of RAM, and I'm torn between slapping in 4 gigs and moving to 64-bit Wn7 and just sticking with my current setup and XP Pro SP3...
Sounds like you had an issue with interlacing and/or the anamorphic video... VLC configures that stuff automatically when you watch a DVD - just compare, say, untweaked Media Player Classic and VLC, playing the same DVD. Media Player Classic has the wrong aspect ratio and shows a bunch of scanlines, whereas VLC is crystal clear.
That's not quite what I meant, but I'll bite nonetheless.
My Google account credentials are important, yes - but not important enough for me to go to the trouble of installing full disk encryption and/or a way to brick my laptop if it's stolen... Again, if you're that worried about your data, why on Earth would you store it "in the cloud"?
I think he's a little mixed up. I sure know I'm heavy enough already without the Earth's rotation stopping :O
Maybe if the windmills extended out past the Earth's atmosphere and space wasn't a vacuum... maybe THEN windmills would slow down the earth's rotation speed :)
Pfff, I'm sure my Thinkpad with 3G modem could pull that down off the network too... in fact, those screens seem all too familiar.