Mandrake 10 Discovery does the same thing, but it has a simple solution for the "which browser" question; it only installed one browser (Konqueror). Simple and straightforward for the newbie, but experienced users can still install other browsers.
I need to mention that one of my cow-orkers once asked me about Linux, and his main objection was the command line. Now, he was certainly technical enough to figure out the CLI - he just didn't want to. His attitude was, "I work with the damn things all day! When I get home, I want something that just works".
Speaking of Windows ME, it's upgrade should have been ME2, especially given Microsoft's habit of copying other products. I was bugged when they bumped the version to "XP".
But, if I decide RH is too expensive, I could download Debian and run all the same stuff I ran with RH. What similar alternative would I have if I thought M$ was too expensive?
There was a recent/. story about how the new SP2 will break some XP programs. Apparently it's NOT possible for Microsoft to introduce security without breaking stuff! And I'm sure SP2 will STILL be far less secure than Linux.
I don't know about "many banks" but both of my banks have no problem with Mozilla, and one of them also works with Konqueror (haven't tried the other one).
Extra features? I don't even use any extra features (except pop-up blocking). All I want to do is surf the web. And Mozilla does this just as well as IE except that it lacks the malware.
I'm ready for my $1000! Even though you're a total stranger, I trust you completely. If you want me to, I'll give you my bank account #, SSN, Mom's maiden name, and a notarized power of attorney so you can deposit the money in my account!
I used to like DOS. Sure, it was limited, but it was still a good OS for my olde 8088. You could get just about any software imaginable for it, and it was extremely low overhead.
Consider phone charges work. You pick up the phone, dial the number, and you can talk as long as you want. The bill is calculated and sent automagically.
If I'm talking to someone long-distance, I don't talk a long time. I say what I want to say as quickly as possible, and I expect the person at the other end to be equally brief. OTOH, if it's a local call, the cost is the same whether I talk 1/2 a minute or 2 hours, so I don't pay attention to the length of the call. Just knowing that the meter is ticking makes a big difference in my attitude.
I suspect that we always did some hunting/gathering once we came down from the trees. True, we lacked the speed to catch antelope, or the brawn to bring one down if we caught one, but it probably didn't take us long to discover how to kill rabbits and squirrels with rocks. Of course, if we had the opportunity to snatch a piece of venison without becoming lion-chow, I'm sure we took it.
It's true that Slack has fewer packages than other distros, but I haven't had much problem. When I started with Slack 7.0, there were quite a few packages I had to compile from source, but they weren't difficult, and unlike RH, I didn't have to worry about messing up an RPM database. Each new version of Slack added some of the missing software, and right now, the only thing I've compiled from source is the kernel.
I do have one complaint. I wish Slack had gnucash. That's the only package I'd like to have that I can't compile myself.
Agreed! I've already used swaret to upgrade to 10.0-RC2, and I'll upgrade to the release when I get home, but I'm also a Slack subscriber, and looking forward to that nice, shiny CD even if I don't really need it.
It depends on the beginner. If someone wants something that "just works" without the viruses and spyware found in certain OSs and doesn't want to learn the nut and bolts, they might be better off with the "easy" distros. Of course, if someone really WANTS to learn, and isn't afraid to RTFM when neccesary, Slackware is the best! And it's straight-forward enough to be easy to learn.
Slashdot Mirror
1. You should have spelled it "Krap"
:)
2. You're right - this is slashdot.
Mandrake 10 Discovery does the same thing, but it has a simple solution for the "which browser" question; it only installed one browser (Konqueror). Simple and straightforward for the newbie, but experienced users can still install other browsers.
I need to mention that one of my cow-orkers once asked me about Linux, and his main objection was the command line. Now, he was certainly technical enough to figure out the CLI - he just didn't want to. His attitude was, "I work with the damn things all day! When I get home, I want something that just works".
Speaking of Windows ME, it's upgrade should have been ME2, especially given Microsoft's habit of copying other products. I was bugged when they bumped the version to "XP".
I've tried at least 3 Linux competitors; CBB (now obsolete), MoneyDance, even gnucash. They were adequate, but still not nearly as good as Quicken.
Not neccesarily. Perhaps their boss is the one who's insane.
When I worked on an IBM mainframe, I LOGON'd to the system, and IIRC, the same was true of the Honeywell. Unix was the first time I ever saw "LOGIN".
But, if I decide RH is too expensive, I could download Debian and run all the same stuff I ran with RH. What similar alternative would I have if I thought M$ was too expensive?
AFAIK, nobody on "Buffy" ever mentioned Netscape. They DID mention Google!
What happens when there's no place to park? It wouldn't take long to fill up every available spot.
There was a recent /. story about how the new SP2 will break some XP programs. Apparently it's NOT possible for Microsoft to introduce security without breaking stuff! And I'm sure SP2 will STILL be far less secure than Linux.
www.umb.com
www.netbank.com
I don't know about "many banks" but both of my banks have no problem with Mozilla, and one of them also works with Konqueror (haven't tried the other one).
Extra features? I don't even use any extra features (except pop-up blocking). All I want to do is surf the web. And Mozilla does this just as well as IE except that it lacks the malware.
I'm ready for my $1000! Even though you're a total stranger, I trust you completely. If you want me to, I'll give you my bank account #, SSN, Mom's maiden name, and a notarized power of attorney so you can deposit the money in my account!
Nope! But, to be fair, the T-Rex has never smelled my breath either!
I used to like DOS. Sure, it was limited, but it was still a good OS for my olde 8088. You could get just about any software imaginable for it, and it was extremely low overhead.
If I'm talking to someone long-distance, I don't talk a long time. I say what I want to say as quickly as possible, and I expect the person at the other end to be equally brief. OTOH, if it's a local call, the cost is the same whether I talk 1/2 a minute or 2 hours, so I don't pay attention to the length of the call. Just knowing that the meter is ticking makes a big difference in my attitude.
Then people realize what a rip-off it is and tell ALL of them to fsck off, and go outside and actually see daylight!
I suspect that we always did some hunting/gathering once we came down from the trees. True, we lacked the speed to catch antelope, or the brawn to bring one down if we caught one, but it probably didn't take us long to discover how to kill rabbits and squirrels with rocks. Of course, if we had the opportunity to snatch a piece of venison without becoming lion-chow, I'm sure we took it.
Well, some of want something that's stable (bye, Fedora/Mandrake) AND made in this century (bye, Debian).
It's true that Slack has fewer packages than other distros, but I haven't had much problem. When I started with Slack 7.0, there were quite a few packages I had to compile from source, but they weren't difficult, and unlike RH, I didn't have to worry about messing up an RPM database. Each new version of Slack added some of the missing software, and right now, the only thing I've compiled from source is the kernel.
I do have one complaint. I wish Slack had gnucash. That's the only package I'd like to have that I can't compile myself.
Agreed! I've already used swaret to upgrade to 10.0-RC2, and I'll upgrade to the release when I get home, but I'm also a Slack subscriber, and looking forward to that nice, shiny CD even if I don't really need it.
It depends on the beginner. If someone wants something that "just works" without the viruses and spyware found in certain OSs and doesn't want to learn the nut and bolts, they might be better off with the "easy" distros. Of course, if someone really WANTS to learn, and isn't afraid to RTFM when neccesary, Slackware is the best! And it's straight-forward enough to be easy to learn.
Are you sure about that? They have to fill all the storage with something, you know!