Start off with people who have never used a computer (or at least, never used Windows), and are willing to learn to use one, and they'll learn Linux rather easily. That's how most of us did.
I've sat a long-time MacOS user friend in front of Linux (Red Hat 9). They preferred Windows XP over Linux. I don't know what else to tell you, man.
She already had a Windows mindset - that is, "Microsoft is smarter than you. You only want to do what Microsoft lets you do. You do not want to do anything else. Microsoft is good to you." She's not a user - she's a Windows user.
Yes. She had the mindset of "why should I switch from something that already works to something that semi-works and requires manual configuration of everything else, with less apps?"
Seriously, why should she have switched? Linux has to offer something BETTER and DIFFERENT from Windows, not rip them off in the next KDE version.
Windows does work, or nobody would use it. There's no gun to your head. You can rant endlessly in bold italics all you want about how people only like Windows because they're used to it--no Windows users will believe you, because Windows really is much, MUCH simpler to use than Linux. You'd have to be in absolute denial to believe otherwise. I had to spend six hours today getting a damn network card working under Fedora. The same problem was resolved in XP with a mouse click and a textbox edit.
Before everyone starts falsely claiming otherwise, Photoshop DOES do multi-monitor support. Honestly, you think Photoshop wouldn't after all these years?
Really, I see no reason for having eight taskbar buttons open for one app. I have to devote an entire desktop to Gimp. You can argue with me how "bad" MDI is supposed to be until the cows come home. It hasn't affected the success of Photoshop, and it's what people want.
Personally, I'm in favour of a constitutional amendment that insists patents are only valid on commercial products, but that free/oss software is immune from such. It's the only way to increase competition to benefit consumers.
Uh, that would completely crush the patent system as everyone would just make free rip-offs of absolutely everything without fear of completely stealing the ideas from someone else, and nobody would be able to make money.
Why that? What can you do with Photoshop that you can't do with the Gimp? Gimp now has the CMYK color scheme, so the only real pro-Photoshop argument has faded...
From the article:
"Admittedly, the current rendition of CMYK in the GIMP is far behind that of commercial offerings, but the mere existence of CMYK in the latest version means we can look forward to improved profile selection in future versions."
Everything from text layout tools (Photoshop CS uses the new InDesign text engine) to color management (Gimp's is still very poor in comparison) to widespread plug-in support by third-parties to...
Why am I even bothering? OSS people will always think of inane reasons their OSS version is superior (i.e., the multi-monitor feature, which Photoshop also does anyway).
Scratch the mouse thing--somehow, starting gpm with the PS/2 protocol cause my touchpad and USB mouse to both work concurrently, even in X. I'm impressed with the 2.6 kernel.
The purpose of Linus et al is not to beat Microsoft. That's statedly incidental. The ultimate purpose is to make a free (as in both) OS which 'just works'.
Here on Slashdot, the purpose is to beat Microsoft.
Sound is a problem for me, and currently I'm having hell getting a simple USB mouse to work (so much for desktop Linux this year...).
However, one thing I've been impressed with is that 2.6.3 now updates my laptop's front LCD clock display. Granted, Windows always did that, but Windows also had the manufacturers supporting it with drivers.
So at least I can see what time it is as I try to recompile hotplug.:)
Speaking of devices, when are we supposed to switch over fully to a udev system?
In the article, it says that it was a performance of the song done by someone else. This type of use does not need to be cleared, even for advertising.
Slashdotters think everything can just be used willy-nilly, and it's always "free advertising."
They didn't pay for your "advertising"--in fact, by law, they are legally bound to be protecting their intellectual property unless they gave you explicit permission.
I don't remember when it became cool to think nobody should protect their works.
Slashdot is always against artists getting fair compensation. Don't you remember that p2p sharing isn't ripping artists off--it's "sticking it to the RIAA?"
He was posting his opinion in a mailing list. You're posting juvenile caps on the front page of a very highly-visited, corporate-owned tech news site. It just lowers the image of Slashdot all the more, and no matter how many times Taco professes that Slashdot is just a "hobby," it is viewed as the pinnacle of Linux community opinion and tech news by everyone else.
I know you guys already hit the bottom with the "Microsoft Violates Human Rights in China" article, but at least show a little maturity in the process of editorializing something. Despite typos and endless dupes, at least Taco only writes one- or two-line remarks. He would have said something like, "Most people know AMD was first, so it seems silly for Intel to behave that way."
Seeing as how there is no alliance between MS and Sendmail at all.
If we're not getting dupes three times from Taco, we're getting completely wrong headlines--or worse, biased ones ("Microsoft Violates Human Rights In China" anyone?).
Slashdot Mirror
Start off with people who have never used a computer (or at least, never used Windows), and are willing to learn to use one, and they'll learn Linux rather easily. That's how most of us did.
I've sat a long-time MacOS user friend in front of Linux (Red Hat 9). They preferred Windows XP over Linux. I don't know what else to tell you, man.
She already had a Windows mindset - that is, "Microsoft is smarter than you. You only want to do what Microsoft lets you do. You do not want to do anything else. Microsoft is good to you." She's not a user - she's a Windows user.
Yes. She had the mindset of "why should I switch from something that already works to something that semi-works and requires manual configuration of everything else, with less apps?"
Seriously, why should she have switched? Linux has to offer something BETTER and DIFFERENT from Windows, not rip them off in the next KDE version.
Windows does work, or nobody would use it. There's no gun to your head. You can rant endlessly in bold italics all you want about how people only like Windows because they're used to it--no Windows users will believe you, because Windows really is much, MUCH simpler to use than Linux. You'd have to be in absolute denial to believe otherwise. I had to spend six hours today getting a damn network card working under Fedora. The same problem was resolved in XP with a mouse click and a textbox edit.
Next.
OS X has always been short for MacOS 10.
Before everyone starts falsely claiming otherwise, Photoshop DOES do multi-monitor support. Honestly, you think Photoshop wouldn't after all these years?
Really, I see no reason for having eight taskbar buttons open for one app. I have to devote an entire desktop to Gimp. You can argue with me how "bad" MDI is supposed to be until the cows come home. It hasn't affected the success of Photoshop, and it's what people want.
Check out Photoshop CS.
But Photoshop also works across multiple monitors, so there's no reason to bring it up as an advantage that Gimp has.
Personally, I'm in favour of a constitutional amendment that insists patents are only valid on commercial products, but that free/oss software is immune from such. It's the only way to increase competition to benefit consumers.
Uh, that would completely crush the patent system as everyone would just make free rip-offs of absolutely everything without fear of completely stealing the ideas from someone else, and nobody would be able to make money.
You're right, Photoshop can't do multi-monitor support. Oh, wait, it can.
Why should Photoshop watch out?
Seriously...why? Photoshop already has 2.0's new features and more.
Why that? What can you do with Photoshop that you can't do with the Gimp? Gimp now has the CMYK color scheme, so the only real pro-Photoshop argument has faded...
From the article:
"Admittedly, the current rendition of CMYK in the GIMP is far behind that of commercial offerings, but the mere existence of CMYK in the latest version means we can look forward to improved profile selection in future versions."
And that's just CMYK.
Everything from text layout tools (Photoshop CS uses the new InDesign text engine) to color management (Gimp's is still very poor in comparison) to widespread plug-in support by third-parties to...
Why am I even bothering? OSS people will always think of inane reasons their OSS version is superior (i.e., the multi-monitor feature, which Photoshop also does anyway).
Scratch the mouse thing--somehow, starting gpm with the PS/2 protocol cause my touchpad and USB mouse to both work concurrently, even in X. I'm impressed with the 2.6 kernel.
She's using Windows XP. She immediately set it to the Classic theme.
The purpose of Linus et al is not to beat Microsoft. That's statedly incidental. The ultimate purpose is to make a free (as in both) OS which 'just works'.
Here on Slashdot, the purpose is to beat Microsoft.
Windows isn't user-friendly.
Uh, yes it is. That's why so many people I try to introduce Linux to don't want to switch. Linux is too much of a hassle to use.
An operating system that does everything for you and allows you to do nothing isn't user-friendly, because what if you don't want to do what it wants?
Only tech-nerds like us think that way. That's a made-up definition of user-friendly.
Just today I showed a friend of mine KDE 3.2. She thought it was "too pretty" and wondered why she should change from something that "already works."
Sound is a problem for me, and currently I'm having hell getting a simple USB mouse to work (so much for desktop Linux this year...).
:)
However, one thing I've been impressed with is that 2.6.3 now updates my laptop's front LCD clock display. Granted, Windows always did that, but Windows also had the manufacturers supporting it with drivers.
So at least I can see what time it is as I try to recompile hotplug.
Speaking of devices, when are we supposed to switch over fully to a udev system?
In the article, it says that it was a performance of the song done by someone else. This type of use does not need to be cleared, even for advertising.
Simple answer: yes, it does.
Incubus are "real rock musicians?" Are you for real? Do you even know what rock is?
For all those you listed, they either DID sue, or they made the standard financial arrangements beforehand.
Vanilla Ice in particular is infamous for his attempted defense of the bass line in an interview.
Next.
Along with Microsoft and sendmail suddenly having an anti-spam alliance, it's been opposite-day here on Slashdot.
Maybe michael should start yelling again in all caps. At least it could be entertaining on a juvenile level.
Slashdotters think everything can just be used willy-nilly, and it's always "free advertising."
They didn't pay for your "advertising"--in fact, by law, they are legally bound to be protecting their intellectual property unless they gave you explicit permission.
I don't remember when it became cool to think nobody should protect their works.
Slashdot is always against artists getting fair compensation. Don't you remember that p2p sharing isn't ripping artists off--it's "sticking it to the RIAA?"
Why was I modded down?
Earthlink Invests In Broadband Over Powerlines
Was that really necessary?
We got the point from Linus the first time.
He was posting his opinion in a mailing list. You're posting juvenile caps on the front page of a very highly-visited, corporate-owned tech news site. It just lowers the image of Slashdot all the more, and no matter how many times Taco professes that Slashdot is just a "hobby," it is viewed as the pinnacle of Linux community opinion and tech news by everyone else.
I know you guys already hit the bottom with the "Microsoft Violates Human Rights in China" article, but at least show a little maturity in the process of editorializing something. Despite typos and endless dupes, at least Taco only writes one- or two-line remarks. He would have said something like, "Most people know AMD was first, so it seems silly for Intel to behave that way."
Seeing as how there is no alliance between MS and Sendmail at all.
If we're not getting dupes three times from Taco, we're getting completely wrong headlines--or worse, biased ones ("Microsoft Violates Human Rights In China" anyone?).