Same layout? I don't think so. Some apps have controls snapped at 6 pixels, others at 8 pixels, yet others only 2 pixels, etc. Some apps have extremely small buttons (GetRight config dialog) while others have abnormally large buttons. This list goes on and on.
Windows is not anymore consistant than a Linux desktop with the Bluecurve or Galaxy themes for GTK and QT.
KDE doesn't do real transparency. It takes a screenshot of the underlying windows and then alpha blends the menu over that screenshot and draws the result to screen. If the contents of the windows below the menus change while the menu is still open, you'll see it.
And dispite all he eyecandy and userfriendliness and stability, and even though most Mac zealots claim that Macs are cheaper than PCs, Apple *still* has less than 4% market share.
"and the ability to run programs remotely is good, but now days for the average desktop user, this is not very practical,"
This is a complete non-issue. By default, X doesn't allow connections from outside so you can't use it unless you really *want* to use it. And local applications doesn't communicate using a TCP socket, but through shared memory and Unix Domain Sockets (which are as fast as shared memory, at least on Linux), so performance problems for local apps are gone. Network transparency doesn't stand in your way. It doesn't bother you. But when you need it, it's there.
And you people should look beyond the home desktop. Think about the corporate desktop! A server serving hundreds of thin clients can save a lot of money. Many, many people today rely on X. Network transparency *does not* block desktop acceptance.
Slashdotters are always complaining about that X is slow/bloated/outdated/old/must be replaced/etc/etc. Yet X is slowly improving. Nonetheless, that doesn't stop people from complaining. Now that I've seen thousands of Slashdotters complain about X, and it seems alpha transparency is finally progressing, I can only conclude one thing: Don't listen to the whiners!
Really, *all* those people do is whining and bashing, and *nothing else*. No constructive criticism, no suggestions - just whining and bashing. And while people are wasting times whining and bashing, real developers are making real progress. This is it. Slashdot has lost my respect. I will never listen to the whiners and bashers again.
It *is* a good idea for them to use Linux. Because let's face it - Linux is not popular. 99.9% of the virus writers will never target Linux. And as many Slashdotters suggest, Linux will succeed on the desktop. More reason for people to use it - *because* it will never be popular, it will always be less of a target for virus writers.
It's because there aren't enough personal users around to pay for their costs.
Oh sure, so now RedHat is evil because they're not willing to lose money on a product that you can download for free? If MS or Trolltech or anybody else charges money, it's suddenly allright? Go figure.
It's all Slashdot's fault. Year after year Slashdotters have done nothing but complaining that Linux is far from ready for the desktop and that Windows XP is soo superior that Linux will never stand a chance. Now the people at RedHat have finally decided give up in order to prevent a nervous breakdown, Slashdot is complaining YET AGAIN.
"Almost any shortcoming in X11 can be fended off by saying "That's not an X11 problem, it's outside the scope of the design"."
It isn't X that's flawed. The X clipboard supports any kind of data. If the apps don't utilize that feature then why is it X's fault? It's like blaming Windows when no application utilizes WinFS.
Yes. In fact, I setup a Linux box for my parents for web surfing. Don't even start about usability issues. I've already configured it for them, just like when people buy a computer with Windows preinstalled. They don't install software, they don't buy digital cameras or whatever. All they want is surfing the web. Linux works great for them.
No dude, YOU are a biased freeloading fool. Why should RedHat continue to support ancient products that suck more money than they gain? When MS announced end-of-life for NT 4, tons of Microsoft apologists made up excuses such as that NT 4 is way too old. But when RedHat does it, it's suddenly evil as opposed to Microsoft which did the same thing. You zealots are the worst.
Yes, the *new* cards. What about older cards? Lots and lots and lots of people are still using old cards. Yes yes a new card is cheap etc. etc. But the average user doesn't know how to install a new graphics card! Do you expect your grandma to open her box and install a new graphics card?
I think it doesn't break anything, but instead adds new extension(s) for applications/toolkits to utilize. The X protocol is extremely extensible. It's almost as generic as TCP/IP.
"MS isn't a worthy competitor? I guess all those sales of NT 4.0 server, Windows 2000 server, and Windows 2003 server were imaginary."
So? They're still not dominating the server market.
"MS may or may not have beat RedHat, but they are certainly a competitor. The reason RedHat is leaving the desktop arena is because they realize they CAN'T do it better than Microsoft."
And who else CAN win? Apple? No way. BeOS? As good as dead. Anybody else? Nope. NOBODY can win from Microsoft on the desktop. You are entirely missing the point. They're leaving because they can't make money from that area, support or no support. This again shows your ignorance. Basically you're flaming RedHat down for something they're not, and don't want to specialize in. It's like flaming a dentist for not being able to cure your cold. That's just rediculous.
"And they deserve to get modded to +5, because they are right. Unlike you, who is an apologist for RH."
So? I don't care what you think I am. That's not the point, and has never been point. You claimed that Slashdot is full of apologists but when I've proven you wrong, you started to flame. Admit that you were wrong and stop trolling.
There were, and still are, tons of Microsoft apologists. And their numbers are MUCH higher than the numbers of Linux/BSD/OSS/whatever apologists. Yet I don't hear you complain about them. That proofs that you're just biased.
"Then you've got to do a better job than the competition."
MS is no worthy competitor on the server market. RedHat is already doing better than MS on that market. RTFA. They're going to stop supporting their DESKTOP line. MS is not a competitor on the desktop since RedHat is leaving that market.
"When MS announced it was killing off NT 4.0 support by the end of this year, all you heard was pissing and moaning on/. When Red Hat drops support, all I see are excuses."
Uhm no. Look better. There were tons of excuses on that WinNT story too. People were massively making excuses for Microsoft.
All you see here is excuses? You must be blind. There are tons of people flaming RedHat as we speak, and they even get modded to +5.
Slashdot Mirror
Same layout? I don't think so. Some apps have controls snapped at 6 pixels, others at 8 pixels, yet others only 2 pixels, etc. Some apps have extremely small buttons (GetRight config dialog) while others have abnormally large buttons. This list goes on and on.
Windows is not anymore consistant than a Linux desktop with the Bluecurve or Galaxy themes for GTK and QT.
You've obviously never heard the NX compression technology. X tunneled through NX uses less bandwidth than even Windows XP's remote desktop, aka RDP!
As for the stoneaged security model: it's a model that WORKS. Do you have anything better? No? Then shut up. YOU should be shot yourself.
KDE doesn't do real transparency. It takes a screenshot of the underlying windows and then alpha blends the menu over that screenshot and draws the result to screen. If the contents of the windows below the menus change while the menu is still open, you'll see it.
Yeah right, and I'm Santa Clause. Keep your lies to yourself, anonymous coward.
And dispite all he eyecandy and userfriendliness and stability, and even though most Mac zealots claim that Macs are cheaper than PCs, Apple *still* has less than 4% market share.
At least I contribute code. I can't say that about you!
"and the ability to run programs remotely is good, but now days for the average desktop user, this is not very practical,"
This is a complete non-issue. By default, X doesn't allow connections from outside so you can't use it unless you really *want* to use it.
And local applications doesn't communicate using a TCP socket, but through shared memory and Unix Domain Sockets (which are as fast as shared memory, at least on Linux), so performance problems for local apps are gone.
Network transparency doesn't stand in your way. It doesn't bother you. But when you need it, it's there.
And you people should look beyond the home desktop. Think about the corporate desktop! A server serving hundreds of thin clients can save a lot of money. Many, many people today rely on X.
Network transparency *does not* block desktop acceptance.
And nobody really cares.
Slashdotters are always complaining about that X is slow/bloated/outdated/old/must be replaced/etc/etc. Yet X is slowly improving. Nonetheless, that doesn't stop people from complaining.
Now that I've seen thousands of Slashdotters complain about X, and it seems alpha transparency is finally progressing, I can only conclude one thing:
Don't listen to the whiners!
Really, *all* those people do is whining and bashing, and *nothing else*. No constructive criticism, no suggestions - just whining and bashing. And while people are wasting times whining and bashing, real developers are making real progress.
This is it. Slashdot has lost my respect. I will never listen to the whiners and bashers again.
It *is* a good idea for them to use Linux. Because let's face it - Linux is not popular. 99.9% of the virus writers will never target Linux.
And as many Slashdotters suggest, Linux will succeed on the desktop. More reason for people to use it - *because* it will never be popular, it will always be less of a target for virus writers.
What do you think the word "nearly" means?
Windows Media has a huge market share, especially at commercial sites. Nearly every trailer and that kind of stuff is available as WMV.
But if you're talking about the anime fansubbing/movie pirating community, then you're right.
It's because there aren't enough personal users around to pay for their costs.
Oh sure, so now RedHat is evil because they're not willing to lose money on a product that you can download for free? If MS or Trolltech or anybody else charges money, it's suddenly allright? Go figure.
It's all Slashdot's fault. Year after year Slashdotters have done nothing but complaining that Linux is far from ready for the desktop and that Windows XP is soo superior that Linux will never stand a chance. Now the people at RedHat have finally decided give up in order to prevent a nervous breakdown, Slashdot is complaining YET AGAIN.
"Almost any shortcoming in X11 can be fended off by saying "That's not an X11 problem, it's outside the scope of the design"."
It isn't X that's flawed. The X clipboard supports any kind of data. If the apps don't utilize that feature then why is it X's fault? It's like blaming Windows when no application utilizes WinFS.
Yes. In fact, I setup a Linux box for my parents for web surfing.
Don't even start about usability issues. I've already configured it for them, just like when people buy a computer with Windows preinstalled. They don't install software, they don't buy digital cameras or whatever. All they want is surfing the web. Linux works great for them.
No dude, YOU are a biased freeloading fool. Why should RedHat continue to support ancient products that suck more money than they gain? When MS announced end-of-life for NT 4, tons of Microsoft apologists made up excuses such as that NT 4 is way too old. But when RedHat does it, it's suddenly evil as opposed to Microsoft which did the same thing. You zealots are the worst.
Yes, the *new* cards. What about older cards? Lots and lots and lots of people are still using old cards.
Yes yes a new card is cheap etc. etc. But the average user doesn't know how to install a new graphics card! Do you expect your grandma to open her box and install a new graphics card?
It's not an article, it's a blog.
While Havoc and other informed developers don't whine, the average Slashdotter does. THAT'S the problem.
I think it doesn't break anything, but instead adds new extension(s) for applications/toolkits to utilize. The X protocol is extremely extensible. It's almost as generic as TCP/IP.
"So you suggest that people should tell their boss "I want to install Fedora Project."
No. If they want to use Linux in a company they shouldn't be using Fedora at all.
"But really, it's not called Fedora Project, it's called Fedora Core."
I said Fedora is a project, not that Fedora is called Project.
"MS isn't a worthy competitor? I guess all those sales of NT 4.0 server, Windows 2000 server, and Windows 2003 server were imaginary."
So? They're still not dominating the server market.
"MS may or may not have beat RedHat, but they are certainly a competitor. The reason RedHat is leaving the desktop arena is because they realize they CAN'T do it better than Microsoft."
And who else CAN win? Apple? No way. BeOS? As good as dead. Anybody else? Nope. NOBODY can win from Microsoft on the desktop. You are entirely missing the point.
They're leaving because they can't make money from that area, support or no support. This again shows your ignorance.
Basically you're flaming RedHat down for something they're not, and don't want to specialize in. It's like flaming a dentist for not being able to cure your cold. That's just rediculous.
"And they deserve to get modded to +5, because they are right. Unlike you, who is an apologist for RH."
So? I don't care what you think I am. That's not the point, and has never been point. You claimed that Slashdot is full of apologists but when I've proven you wrong, you started to flame. Admit that you were wrong and stop trolling.
There were, and still are, tons of Microsoft apologists. And their numbers are MUCH higher than the numbers of Linux/BSD/OSS/whatever apologists. Yet I don't hear you complain about them. That proofs that you're just biased.
Because Fedora is a project, not a product. Read their website.
"You want to win?"
/. When Red Hat drops support, all I see are excuses."
No.
"Then you've got to do a better job than the competition."
MS is no worthy competitor on the server market. RedHat is already doing better than MS on that market.
RTFA. They're going to stop supporting their DESKTOP line. MS is not a competitor on the desktop since RedHat is leaving that market.
"When MS announced it was killing off NT 4.0 support by the end of this year, all you heard was pissing and moaning on
Uhm no. Look better. There were tons of excuses on that WinNT story too. People were massively making excuses for Microsoft.
All you see here is excuses? You must be blind. There are tons of people flaming RedHat as we speak, and they even get modded to +5.
Yes, but that's only YOUR company. Like I said, just because a few people pay doesn't mean they'll get enough money to support the product line.