All I can say is that he must've had a ridiculously horrible experience on Windows if Linux seems great in contrast.
Why not Apple? He could've ditched (or, more realistically, 'sold') his Intel crap and bought a nice Apple machine (starting at $799 for desktops, $999 for portables) and then had the most stunningly spectacular experience imaginable. I mean, cripes, with all the dinking around you gotta do to get Linux to behave on the desktop, running a Mac is nirvana.
Actually what I was attempting with my post was a rebuttal in the same vain as your original blanket statement about how Linux doesn't suck worse than any others. That assertion, along with my rebuttal, are equally absurd. I think it all boils down to the inherent subjectivity of the word "suck".
I was trying to be flippant. Your reply indicates that I succeeded. I'd probably have more success persuading people if I was a little less flippant. But "flippant" feels good sometimes so I do it anyway. It's a character flaw. I'll work on it.
You are quite correct: There are some things that Linux is quite good at. As a server machine it's outstanding. And that fact is being reflected in the marketplace.
But as a desktop machine for the masses? No. I think in this narrow context it is quite safe to conclude, objectively and conclusively, that Linux is significantly inferior to both Mac and Windows. To have an opinion otherwise, given the context (desktop machine for the masses) indicates that you're just not using sound judgement. For all the reasons detailed in the article and then some, installing and using Linux for the average person is quite simply not an option. "Personal Preference" does not enter into this discussion as you assert. Bad is bad is bad. The only "personal preference" that I can think of that would permit somebody to conclude that Linux on the desktop is superior is: BAD. If you prefer bad, then Linux is for you.
So yes, in that narrow context, Linux does "suck".
Now, for the 1/2 of 1 percent folks like you and I -- well, that's much different. We have a totally different set of expectations and skills. So, yeah, we tolerate Linux. We even learn to love it for what it is.
But let's not lose perspective: For all it's merits, Linux simply does not have the consistency and polish of Windows or Mac. Not even close. Until it does, it ain't gonna fly with the general public. And that fact is being reflected in the marketplace.
Thanks for perusing my other posts. I didn't know people actually did that.
Well $999 seems to me to be a reasonable price for a piece of software as outstanding and feature rich as FCP. $999 might seem "hefty" when you're used to paying nothing for software. But unlike much of the software that carries a $0 price tag, FCP actually.... works! And works quite well! Sometimes it's true: You get what you pay for.
I totally agree with your assessment. There are those with old hardware or special requirements that might have to run Linux on a Mac. But from a usability standpoint it's a no-brainer: OS X is an absolutely terrific desktop enviornment for unix. Running Linux "just because" on a mac is ridiculous. But there's plenty of Linux zealots who are going to run Linux on new mac hardware simply because they can and they think it's cool or whatever. I can't defend their lack of common sense and good taste.
I, personally, have better things to do than dink around with package installation, X configuration, and hardware compatibility issues. I'd rather be running iTunes, developing PHP apps, and popping in the occasional DVD movie than pitter around with Linux nonsense.
I *like* Linux. Don't get me wrong. That's what my Dell Inspiron Pentium III 500 is for. But on a Mac? No way.
For $999 get the iBook. You'll be running the state-of-the-art Mac OS X as opposed to some cheesy Linux thing attempting to pose as some cheesy Windows thing.
No the winter here in San Francisco has been fucking freezing, lowest temps etc etc
Global warming is screwing with our weather patterns. Here (in Minnesota) it's been very warm almost all winter (but probably still pretty cold by your standards) whereas in San Fran it's been strangely cold. Abnormal weather patterns. The scientific community struggles still to prove the exact cause of the strange weather the world has been experiencing of late, but circumstantial evidence suggests it's due to global warming. Which is what I mean by "keep an eye on the weather". Let's see how bizzare our winters and summers are say... 10 years from now. Even 5. By then we'll probably all have forgotten what a "normal" winter or summer was even like.
You make a good point. Scary stuff does sell. I stand corrected.
Now that I think about it more, I think news about global warming makes people... uncomfortable. Probably because deep down they realize that they are partly to blame. It's sort of a guilt thing or something. Not sure.
But I sure as hell know from my own experiences that people sure don't like hearing about it, regardless of the reason. So it's no wonder the major news networks avoid talking about it.
Now just what the hell do you think you know about this stuff? You jump right in with your reasoning about this and that... but are you a climatologist? Are you ANY kind of scientist? I didn't think so. So don't give me your two-bit crap opinion and try to pass it off as scientific truth. Because the only truth you expose is your own ignorance.
... but you can bet the Slashdot crowd will ignore the facts on this one.
Please, just for a moment, put aside all of your preconceptions and assumptions and go out there and learn the facts. What you will discover in this process is that Global Warming is, in fact, quite real. Frighteningly real. And human beings are the cause.
You're always going to find scientists who will claim that Global Warming is a crock of shit. (A lot of those same scientists work for oil companies and other concerns.) But the truth of the matter is, the vast, VAST majority of the world's scientists overwhelmingly agree that Global Warming is very real and poses a significant threat to our ecosystem and our way of life.
This bullshit about the "myth" of Global Warming is largely a U.S. phenomenon. Most 1st world countries trust their scientists and completely understand that Global Warming is a very real threat. So much so that even China jumped on the bandwagon. The sole detractor at Kyoto is the good ol' U. S. of A. As usual, we've got our head in the sand.
A few of you have mentioned how the media has blown this out of proportion and is being alarmist, etc. The exact opposite is true. The media in the U.S. has ignored and sidelined the entire issue. People hate scary stuff. Doesn't sell. So they barely mention it. All the more reason that our government should continue to fund (and increase funding for) unbaised news sources like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
But my point is, go learn the facts before you show up here pretending you know them.
P.S. And keep an eye on the weather. It'll just get more and more obvious. Been quite a warm winter this year, wouldn't you say?
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Linux is no harder to install than Windows is.
That's a flat-ass lie. Absolute fucking bullshit.
Whereas it might be true that you need to go find drivers for a Windows install, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion you'll have to go fuck around with some bullshit with a Linux install. I have never once, ever, installed Linux on a machine where I didn't have to subsequently fuck around with it to get it working properly. Linux is a fucking pain in the ass to install. Windows install might be long, silly, and boring. But it pretty much just works. Installing drivers for Windows also pretty much just works. In Linux, I'm constantly forced to think and come up with my own solutions. Many things fail to "just work".
Unbelievable. Somebody releases an excellent system and the first thing the Slashdot crowd wants to do is run Linux on it. OS X is an outstanding operating system in and of itself, and also happens to run most every 'Linux' app the average hack needs. It even runs X quite comfortably. So, why, why WHY would somebody waste their time installing Linux on such a machine?
I'll venture a guess: Because it isn't about practicality. It isn't about what makes sense. It's all about "Linux as Religion". And that, frankly, makes me sick. Grow up, boys. Move on. Start using computers for something useful instead of using them to stroke your fragile little egos.
Warm here in Minnesota too. If you've been paying any attention whatsoever to the weather in the last 10 years you have to wonder if climate change is playing a role. I'm convinced it is.
It's going to be pretty difficult for skeptics to argue the scientific merits of the "theory" of climate change when they can walk outside on any given day and experience it firsthand.
We need to do something about this pronto. Otherwise our descendents are going to have a lot more important things to chat about than compression schemes and pop bands.
Two comments on this: 1. Although at least some companies are switching to Linux and open source software, when was the last time you heard about a company dumping their open source software for Windows? Just doesn't happen. 2. The article mentions how "security" is in the mind of IT professionals these days. Yet Linux is phenomenally more secure than Windows will ever be. Seems like a lot of IT folks need to be educated.
I have a number of customers in Europe (particularily in Germany) who express a great deal of trepidation and fear about cookies. Particularily from folks who aren't tech savvy. I once wrote an entire web app that maintained state using GET paramaters and hidden input fields, all because they fear cookies. But since then, I've written many apps that wholeheartedly rely on cookies. If the EU were to ban cookies altogether (which apparently they may not)... well my customers are going to have to shell some good ol' US dollars my way to make things work! I say bring it on!
NOT the biggest, most important story
on
Globalization
·
· Score: 2
Either way, September 11 makes it clear that globalization - pitting fundamentalism against cosmopolitan tolerance - is the biggest, most important story in our lifetimes
Global Warming is by far the biggest, most important story in our lifetime. We'll all learn that soon enough.
Open Source software turns normally intellegent people into freaks who care more about where their code came from than whether or not it actually works.
I caught that too. Journalism ignorance. It is true, however, from a practical point of view, that if you want your modification rolled back into the main product, you have to deal with MySQL AB.
Apple just released OS X 10.1. Do Linux zealots care? Not really. They'd rather stick with KDE / Gnome than even consider Aqua running on top of Darwin. Oh, but run Mac OS (an OLD, antiquated, on-its-way-out Mac OS) on top of Linux, and it gets it's own post on Slashdot! Aren't there any sound, rational non-zealot Linux users in this forum?
and leaves the operational quality to the BSD programmers, who are pouring their hearts and souls in to a project, which Apple might, in the end, turn around and stab them in the heart with.
What a bunch of crap! What utter bullshit. The fact that the poster was modded up indicates to me that we have less than perfectly bright moderators out there.
Slashdot Mirror
All I can say is that he must've had a ridiculously horrible experience on Windows if Linux seems great in contrast.
Why not Apple? He could've ditched (or, more realistically, 'sold') his Intel crap and bought a nice Apple machine (starting at $799 for desktops, $999 for portables) and then had the most stunningly spectacular experience imaginable. I mean, cripes, with all the dinking around you gotta do to get Linux to behave on the desktop, running a Mac is nirvana.
You looked at my posts so I looked at yours.
You're quite correct on an earlier post: SPAM, by definition, is bad. Always always always. Very clear thinking on your part.
There's hope for you yet!
Peace.
Sara:
Actually what I was attempting with my post was a rebuttal in the same vain as your original blanket statement about how Linux doesn't suck worse than any others. That assertion, along with my rebuttal, are equally absurd. I think it all boils down to the inherent subjectivity of the word "suck".
I was trying to be flippant. Your reply indicates that I succeeded. I'd probably have more success persuading people if I was a little less flippant. But "flippant" feels good sometimes so I do it anyway. It's a character flaw. I'll work on it.
You are quite correct: There are some things that Linux is quite good at. As a server machine it's outstanding. And that fact is being reflected in the marketplace.
But as a desktop machine for the masses? No. I think in this narrow context it is quite safe to conclude, objectively and conclusively, that Linux is significantly inferior to both Mac and Windows. To have an opinion otherwise, given the context (desktop machine for the masses) indicates that you're just not using sound judgement. For all the reasons detailed in the article and then some, installing and using Linux for the average person is quite simply not an option. "Personal Preference" does not enter into this discussion as you assert. Bad is bad is bad. The only "personal preference" that I can think of that would permit somebody to conclude that Linux on the desktop is superior is: BAD. If you prefer bad, then Linux is for you.
So yes, in that narrow context, Linux does "suck".
Now, for the 1/2 of 1 percent folks like you and I -- well, that's much different. We have a totally different set of expectations and skills. So, yeah, we tolerate Linux. We even learn to love it for what it is.
But let's not lose perspective: For all it's merits, Linux simply does not have the consistency and polish of Windows or Mac. Not even close. Until it does, it ain't gonna fly with the general public. And that fact is being reflected in the marketplace.
Thanks for perusing my other posts. I didn't know people actually did that.
Peace.
Well $999 seems to me to be a reasonable price for a piece of software as outstanding and feature rich as FCP. $999 might seem "hefty" when you're used to paying nothing for software. But unlike much of the software that carries a $0 price tag, FCP actually .... works! And works quite well! Sometimes it's true: You get what you pay for.
Peace
> Linux doesn't suck any more than any other OS that's out there
.... actually it does. I've used Win, Mac, and Linux
uhh
quite extensively, and Linux does suck the most. Sorry.
I totally agree with your assessment. There are those with old hardware or special requirements that might have to run Linux on a Mac. But from a usability standpoint it's a no-brainer: OS X is an absolutely terrific desktop enviornment for unix. Running Linux "just because" on a mac is ridiculous. But there's plenty of Linux zealots who are going to run Linux on new mac hardware simply because they can and they think it's cool or whatever. I can't defend their lack of common sense and good taste.
I, personally, have better things to do than dink around with package installation, X configuration, and hardware compatibility issues. I'd rather be running iTunes, developing PHP apps, and popping in the occasional DVD movie than pitter around with Linux nonsense.
I *like* Linux. Don't get me wrong. That's what my Dell Inspiron Pentium III 500 is for. But on a Mac? No way.
For $999 get the iBook. You'll be running the state-of-the-art Mac OS X as opposed to some cheesy Linux thing attempting to pose as some cheesy Windows thing.
No the winter here in San Francisco has been fucking freezing, lowest temps etc etc
... 10 years from now. Even 5. By then we'll probably all have forgotten what a "normal" winter or summer was even like.
Global warming is screwing with our weather patterns. Here (in Minnesota) it's been very warm almost all winter (but probably still pretty cold by your standards) whereas in San Fran it's been strangely cold. Abnormal weather patterns. The scientific community struggles still to prove the exact cause of the strange weather the world has been experiencing of late, but circumstantial evidence suggests it's due to global warming. Which is what I mean by "keep an eye on the weather". Let's see how bizzare our winters and summers are say
I don't troll. Never have.
... uncomfortable. Probably because deep down they realize that they are partly to blame. It's sort of a guilt thing or something. Not sure.
You make a good point. Scary stuff does sell. I stand corrected.
Now that I think about it more, I think news about global warming makes people
But I sure as hell know from my own experiences that people sure don't like hearing about it, regardless of the reason. So it's no wonder the major news networks avoid talking about it.
Now just what the hell do you think you know about this stuff? You jump right in with your reasoning about this and that ... but are you a climatologist? Are you ANY kind of scientist? I didn't think so. So don't give me your two-bit crap opinion and try to pass it off as scientific truth. Because the only truth you expose is your own ignorance.
... but you can bet the Slashdot crowd will ignore the facts on this one.
Please, just for a moment, put aside all of your preconceptions and assumptions and go out there and learn the facts . What you will discover in this process is that Global Warming is, in fact, quite real. Frighteningly real. And human beings are the cause.
You're always going to find scientists who will claim that Global Warming is a crock of shit. (A lot of those same scientists work for oil companies and other concerns.) But the truth of the matter is, the vast, VAST majority of the world's scientists overwhelmingly agree that Global Warming is very real and poses a significant threat to our ecosystem and our way of life.
This bullshit about the "myth" of Global Warming is largely a U.S. phenomenon. Most 1st world countries trust their scientists and completely understand that Global Warming is a very real threat. So much so that even China jumped on the bandwagon. The sole detractor at Kyoto is the good ol' U. S. of A. As usual, we've got our head in the sand.
A few of you have mentioned how the media has blown this out of proportion and is being alarmist, etc. The exact opposite is true. The media in the U.S. has ignored and sidelined the entire issue. People hate scary stuff. Doesn't sell. So they barely mention it. All the more reason that our government should continue to fund (and increase funding for) unbaised news sources like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
But my point is, go learn the facts before you show up here pretending you know them.
P.S. And keep an eye on the weather. It'll just get more and more obvious. Been quite a warm winter this year, wouldn't you say?
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Linux is no harder to install than Windows is.
That's a flat-ass lie. Absolute fucking bullshit.
Whereas it might be true that you need to go find drivers for a Windows install, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion you'll have to go fuck around with some bullshit with a Linux install. I have never once, ever, installed Linux on a machine where I didn't have to subsequently fuck around with it to get it working properly. Linux is a fucking pain in the ass to install. Windows install might be long, silly, and boring. But it pretty much just works. Installing drivers for Windows also pretty much just works. In Linux, I'm constantly forced to think and come up with my own solutions. Many things fail to "just work".
Unbelievable. Somebody releases an excellent system and the first thing the Slashdot crowd wants to do is run Linux on it. OS X is an outstanding operating system in and of itself, and also happens to run most every 'Linux' app the average hack needs. It even runs X quite comfortably. So, why, why WHY would somebody waste their time installing Linux on such a machine?
I'll venture a guess: Because it isn't about practicality. It isn't about what makes sense. It's all about "Linux as Religion". And that, frankly, makes me sick. Grow up, boys. Move on. Start using computers for something useful instead of using them to stroke your fragile little egos.
I've always given him the benefit of the doubt. Until now. What a load of crap.
I've been shopping at a co-op for years and have yet to see an SUV in the lot (I've looked). Lots of Volvo's and Saabs, but no SUV's.
Go to the mall, however, and it's a different story.
Very often when one thing follows another it is most certainly caused by that first thing. Which is why so many people rush to that conclusion.
Besides, there's ample scientific evidence of global warming anyway. Changing weather is just a fun little bonus to annoy the skeptics with.
Parent is NOT offtopic. I'm replying directly to Timothy's tagline on the article.
From the unseasonably-warm dept.
Warm here in Minnesota too. If you've been paying any attention whatsoever to the weather in the last 10 years you have to wonder if climate change is playing a role. I'm convinced it is.
It's going to be pretty difficult for skeptics to argue the scientific merits of the "theory" of climate change when they can walk outside on any given day and experience it firsthand.
We need to do something about this pronto. Otherwise our descendents are going to have a lot more important things to chat about than compression schemes and pop bands.
Two comments on this: 1. Although at least some companies are switching to Linux and open source software, when was the last time you heard about a company dumping their open source software for Windows? Just doesn't happen. 2. The article mentions how "security" is in the mind of IT professionals these days. Yet Linux is phenomenally more secure than Windows will ever be. Seems like a lot of IT folks need to be educated.
I have a number of customers in Europe (particularily in Germany) who express a great deal of trepidation and fear about cookies. Particularily from folks who aren't tech savvy. I once wrote an entire web app that maintained state using GET paramaters and hidden input fields, all because they fear cookies. But since then, I've written many apps that wholeheartedly rely on cookies. If the EU were to ban cookies altogether (which apparently they may not) ... well my customers are going to have to shell some good ol' US dollars my way to make things work! I say bring it on!
Either way, September 11 makes it clear that globalization - pitting fundamentalism against cosmopolitan tolerance - is the biggest, most important story in our lifetimes
Global Warming is by far the biggest, most important story in our lifetime. We'll all learn that soon enough.
Open Source software turns normally intellegent people into freaks who care more about where their code came from than whether or not it actually works.
I caught that too. Journalism ignorance. It is true, however, from a practical point of view, that if you want your modification rolled back into the main product, you have to deal with MySQL AB.
Apple just released OS X 10.1. Do Linux zealots care? Not really. They'd rather stick with KDE / Gnome than even consider Aqua running on top of Darwin. Oh, but run Mac OS (an OLD, antiquated, on-its-way-out Mac OS) on top of Linux, and it gets it's own post on Slashdot! Aren't there any sound, rational non-zealot Linux users in this forum?
and leaves the operational quality to the BSD programmers, who are pouring their hearts and souls in to a project, which Apple might, in the end, turn around and stab them in the heart with.
What a bunch of crap! What utter bullshit. The fact that the poster was modded up indicates to me that we have less than perfectly bright moderators out there.