Yeah, an easy installation is one great way to make Linux better overall. You know what would be REALLY great though? Not having to install at all. Preinstallation is definitely a key area in ease-of-use. Looks like companies like Dell are making headway in this area (Along with the old standby's like VA)
To be fair, I don't think the kind of person that uses this incredibly simple Corel distribution is going to give a rats ass if it's Open Source or not. But it sure would be nice if it all was (in the spirit of Debian).
How about: A 64-bit addition to 32-bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16-bit patch to an 8-bit operating system, originally coded for a 4-bit microprocessor, written by a 2-bit company that can't stand 1-bit of competition.
Ah, but remember: They aren't selling Linux. They're selling support for Linux. They're selling the idea. They're "Linux Compatible" and I for one would much rather buy a PC from them, knowing that all the hardware is going to work with Linux, than a PC from (...random choice...) Acer, where I might be fsck'ed with a WinModem or something that they weren't totally honest about in their ads.
Yeah, Optiplexes are really nice, but their price tags aren't. If I want to spend that much money on a PC just to get *official* Linux support, I'll go to VA. Otherwise I'll get another consumer PC and just pray to the gods that it's all Linux friendly.
And speaking of which, I just bought a Gateway Performace 550 and it's almost 100% Linux OK. The only problem came with it's Ultra66 ATA controller card, and there's already work being done in the 2.3.x series on that. I wholeheartedly recommend both Dell and Gateway for Linux users.
Well it's seems to me, from reading this article that they aren't going to change that. They'll simply put up little flags in their configurations that warn users about incompatabilities. So if you choose a WinModem and Linux it will tell you that you have a conflict with your modem.
As much as I like that little paperclip, we don't really need another Office distribution under Linux. StarOffice is really really good (although having 256 megs of RAM doesn't hurt). Applix is almost as good and has a much smaller footprint. I haven't really used WordPerfect, but I can only imagine that it's of a high quality too. ------
Probably not. Imagine the tech support nightmare that would turn into. TECH: "Okay, can you tell me what operating system you're running?" USER: "Dell, duh." TECH: "No no, the operating system. Like Windows 98 or Linux?" USER: "Oh, it's Linux." TECH: "Which distribution?" USER: "KDE" TECH: "No no..." Dell will pick one distribution and stick with it. It will probably be RedHat, unless Caldra can wedge themselves in there. But don't count on seeing Slackware from them anytime soon. Or even Debian or SuSE. They just don't have the corporate recognition. --------
No matter how much money someone has, they can't just walk into Walmart and buy a freakin' Jet. It's not a consumer-level product. So should Pepsi have to pay him the amount that it would cost to buy a Harrier? No, this is stupid. If you're smart enough to raise that kind of money and deal with investors and such, then you're smart enough to know that the commercial was bogus. No one with any modicum of intelligence would legitimately believe that they could get a fighter jet from Pepsi. Is this the kind of society we live in today, where companies have sacrifice anything but dead-facts in their ads to save their asses in court??
What type of FUD would that be? I want people to use Linux. I use Linux. I feel that the Open Source / Free Software movement is one of the best things that's happened to PCs since the spreadsheet. On top of that, Linux has been the catalyst that's brought free software into the limelight and its user-base has forced large companies to take it seriously, despite actual FUD being spread about issues like support and reliability.
But sure, scream "FUD" everytime someone says something negative about Linux or the Linux Community. Not everything that you don't like is FUD, I'm sorry to say - some of us are just opinionated.
It's not about Free Software at all. It's about Linux. Emacs is a great program, no doubt. People who've learned to use it proficiently will be using it for years and years. Linux, on the other hand, is nothing special. I can compile most Linux programs on any other Unix system.
Most users don't give a damn about licenses and proprietary vs. Open Source apps. They just want something that works. Well, yes, Linux works, but so does Win98/NT. Sure, you can say that Linux is more stable (and I won't disagree) but most users don't care about that either. The average PC users doesn't mind rebooting every once in awhile and, contrary to popular/. belief, Windows doesn't need to be rebooted every 10 minutes.
Anyway, I love Linux and all the software that I get with it, but it's a fad and, like all fads, its hype will pass.
Oh, oh that was pretty harsh, don't you think? My tutu?
But seriously: Of course companies don't base their decisions on what makes them "feel" unique. They base them on TCO/performace/scalability factors. Feel doesn't enter into it. But I'm not talking about companies at all. I'm talking about the Linux community. The community of users. The people who install it on their own machines (for whatever their reasons). And when the users jump ship, the companies will follow. Not nearly as fast, because they will have already sunk serious money into this OS, but nevertheless it's going to happen.
I understand fully the difference between the Linux kernel and the distribution OS (which is mostly GNU tools) - Unlike most writers of Linux editorials, I actually use the OS (for almost 3 years now).
However, bear in mind that the general public and the media do not see the difference. They simply see it as "Linux" for better or for worse. And it is the media, in particular, that will act as the catalyst for this transition from alternative to mainstream.
Well I'm sorry you didn't like my article - really I am. But to say that it never comes into play? Come on. Do you seriously believe that there's no one out there who uses Linux because it makes them feel cooler than their Windows friends? Script Kiddies? Now, I'm not saying that it applies to *everyone*. Certainly it doesn't.
I still firmly believe that as Linux becomes more and more popular, we'll see the percentage of these users skyrocket.
But in the words of Eric Raymond, neither has Linus. Don't get me wrong - I love Linux to pieces, but it's not exactly an original thought. The entire system has been a Unix workalike since day one. It's a good workalike. It's even better than a lot of the originals, but it's still nothing new.
So MS has "embraced and extended" - so have we. Half of the free software out there was built on the source code of other programs. It's not a Bad Thing(tm).
yeah, call him a fool - that helps your argument. Don't get petty about it. He had a point. The name slashdot isn't totally unique to Unix systems. It's "News for Nerds" not "News for the Linux Community". Now, granted, most of us do use Linux more than anything else, but don't you think there's room here for everyone?
But why should person A get paid more than person B just because person A is American and person B is from Denmark?? And this is based on the assumption that the two have equal skill levels. It's a form of discrimination, plain and simple.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, an easy installation is one great way to make Linux better overall. You know what would be REALLY great though? Not having to install at all. Preinstallation is definitely a key area in ease-of-use. Looks like companies like Dell are making headway in this area (Along with the old standby's like VA)
To be fair, I don't think the kind of person that uses this incredibly simple Corel distribution is going to give a rats ass if it's Open Source or not. But it sure would be nice if it all was (in the spirit of Debian).
Hey, a lot of times a story gets submitted like 10-30 times, so it's not that uncommon.
Um, "Mercedes"??? It's a processor, not a car.
How about: A 64-bit addition to 32-bit extensions and a graphical shell for a 16-bit patch to an 8-bit operating system, originally coded for a 4-bit microprocessor, written by a 2-bit company that can't stand 1-bit of competition.
Of course maybe that's just silly.
Ah, but remember: They aren't selling Linux. They're selling support for Linux. They're selling the idea. They're "Linux Compatible" and I for one would much rather buy a PC from them, knowing that all the hardware is going to work with Linux, than a PC from (...random choice...) Acer, where I might be fsck'ed with a WinModem or something that they weren't totally honest about in their ads.
Yeah, Optiplexes are really nice, but their price tags aren't. If I want to spend that much money on a PC just to get *official* Linux support, I'll go to VA. Otherwise I'll get another consumer PC and just pray to the gods that it's all Linux friendly.
And speaking of which, I just bought a Gateway Performace 550 and it's almost 100% Linux OK. The only problem came with it's Ultra66 ATA controller card, and there's already work being done in the 2.3.x series on that. I wholeheartedly recommend both Dell and Gateway for Linux users.
Well it's seems to me, from reading this article that they aren't going to change that. They'll simply put up little flags in their configurations that warn users about incompatabilities. So if you choose a WinModem and Linux it will tell you that you have a conflict with your modem.
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As much as I like that little paperclip, we don't really need another Office distribution under Linux. StarOffice is really really good (although having 256 megs of RAM doesn't hurt). Applix is almost as good and has a much smaller footprint. I haven't really used WordPerfect, but I can only imagine that it's of a high quality too.
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Probably not. Imagine the tech support nightmare that would turn into. TECH: "Okay, can you tell me what operating system you're running?" USER: "Dell, duh." TECH: "No no, the operating system. Like Windows 98 or Linux?" USER: "Oh, it's Linux." TECH: "Which distribution?" USER: "KDE" TECH: "No no..." Dell will pick one distribution and stick with it. It will probably be RedHat, unless Caldra can wedge themselves in there. But don't count on seeing Slackware from them anytime soon. Or even Debian or SuSE. They just don't have the corporate recognition. --------
Am I the only programmer out there who is secretly embarassed by each and every line he writes? -----
No matter how much money someone has, they can't just walk into Walmart and buy a freakin' Jet. It's not a consumer-level product. So should Pepsi have to pay him the amount that it would cost to buy a Harrier? No, this is stupid. If you're smart enough to raise that kind of money and deal with investors and such, then you're smart enough to know that the commercial was bogus. No one with any modicum of intelligence would legitimately believe that they could get a fighter jet from Pepsi. Is this the kind of society we live in today, where companies have sacrifice anything but dead-facts in their ads to save their asses in court??
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What type of FUD would that be? I want people to use Linux. I use Linux. I feel that the Open Source / Free Software movement is one of the best things that's happened to PCs since the spreadsheet. On top of that, Linux has been the catalyst that's brought free software into the limelight and its user-base has forced large companies to take it seriously, despite actual FUD being spread about issues like support and reliability.
But sure, scream "FUD" everytime someone says something negative about Linux or the Linux Community. Not everything that you don't like is FUD, I'm sorry to say - some of us are just opinionated.
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It's not about Free Software at all. It's about Linux. Emacs is a great program, no doubt. People who've learned to use it proficiently will be using it for years and years. Linux, on the other hand, is nothing special. I can compile most Linux programs on any other Unix system.
/. belief, Windows doesn't need to be rebooted every 10 minutes.
Most users don't give a damn about licenses and proprietary vs. Open Source apps. They just want something that works. Well, yes, Linux works, but so does Win98/NT. Sure, you can say that Linux is more stable (and I won't disagree) but most users don't care about that either. The average PC users doesn't mind rebooting every once in awhile and, contrary to popular
Anyway, I love Linux and all the software that I get with it, but it's a fad and, like all fads, its hype will pass.
Oh, oh that was pretty harsh, don't you think? My tutu?
But seriously: Of course companies don't base their decisions on what makes them "feel" unique. They base them on TCO/performace/scalability factors. Feel doesn't enter into it. But I'm not talking about companies at all. I'm talking about the Linux community. The community of users. The people who install it on their own machines (for whatever their reasons). And when the users jump ship, the companies will follow. Not nearly as fast, because they will have already sunk serious money into this OS, but nevertheless it's going to happen.
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Gee, do you think he was serious?
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Ding Ding Ding!!
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People want to use an os that gives them a woody.
:)
Actually that's pretty much what I meant - I think I'll call you the next time I don't want to type so much
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I understand fully the difference between the Linux kernel and the distribution OS (which is mostly GNU tools) - Unlike most writers of Linux editorials, I actually use the OS (for almost 3 years now).
However, bear in mind that the general public and the media do not see the difference. They simply see it as "Linux" for better or for worse. And it is the media, in particular, that will act as the catalyst for this transition from alternative to mainstream.
----
Well I'm sorry you didn't like my article - really I am. But to say that it never comes into play? Come on. Do you seriously believe that there's no one out there who uses Linux because it makes them feel cooler than their Windows friends? Script Kiddies? Now, I'm not saying that it applies to *everyone*. Certainly it doesn't.
I still firmly believe that as Linux becomes more and more popular, we'll see the percentage of these users skyrocket.
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But in the words of Eric Raymond, neither has Linus. Don't get me wrong - I love Linux to pieces, but it's not exactly an original thought. The entire system has been a Unix workalike since day one. It's a good workalike. It's even better than a lot of the originals, but it's still nothing new.
So MS has "embraced and extended" - so have we. Half of the free software out there was built on the source code of other programs. It's not a Bad Thing(tm).
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yeah, call him a fool - that helps your argument. Don't get petty about it. He had a point. The name slashdot isn't totally unique to Unix systems. It's "News for Nerds" not "News for the Linux Community". Now, granted, most of us do use Linux more than anything else, but don't you think there's room here for everyone?
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That would be SUCH a waste of $10.95
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I know that but I was trying to be PC about it. The point still remains.
But why should person A get paid more than person B just because person A is American and person B is from Denmark?? And this is based on the assumption that the two have equal skill levels.
It's a form of discrimination, plain and simple.
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