I have no problem with FOSS software. I'm actually posting this in Firefox. The only Microsoft software I use is Windows and IE purely for updates. Instead of Outlook Express, Messenger, and IIS, I use Thunderbird, Gaim, and Apache. It's just tiresome to read/. on a daily basis with all the Linux-is-so-super-secure-leet types. I run Windows and have no problems with worms or virii. Whatever OS you choose is cool by me, I just really really hate religious OS fanatics. That was my two cents.
Just forget being modded up:) When it's bad FOSS news then it has no affiliation with the community. When it's good news everything is just super-duper-dandy. There are times when I wonder what sickens me the most. Microsoft or the FOSS community.
Yes, I've installed several distributions. Last time I installed SuSE was in 1999 and it was very easy. The problems occur later when actually using the system. For example the simple task of installing programs. First there are too many different package formats or something has to be compiled by entering an obscure command in a console. Next problem is package dependencies. Next is under what user should an app be installed. My user account or as the admin? Some apps also require that after installation, some configuration files has to be manually edited. The list goes on and on. When switching to a different distribution the process of learning how to install has to be repeated. With Windows I just download whatever, doubleclick it, and if it works in my Windows version it just installs.
I'm sure that if all your friend need is to type letters, check email, and surf then SuSE or whatever distro is sufficient. But as time goes by she'll start to wonder how to install something she stumbled over on the Internet or why this brand new game that she bought doesn't work.
I have no problem with installing Linux on a PC but life is just that more easy with Windows. And please, drop the usual blurb about spyware, virus, etc. It's getting tiresome. There's a reason why Linux hasn't won over Microsoft and that is usability.
Typical Slashdot comment. 99% of us don't want to have a steep learning curve. This is 2005, not 1995, so things should be easy. And games still don't work.
So, what should we do? Change to Linux with it's steep learning curve that only 1% in the world understands? Games also doesn't work. Make it easy to understand and many will migrate. Make games work and you will have won over Microsoft.
Okay, the term Slashdottet has existed for years now. When is Slashdot going to provide links to mirrors in the story? I hope the new Slashdot design will incorporate this as it's getting annoying to click on the link in the story, wait, wait, wait, abort, browse the comments for a mirror, and then see what the story is all about. For those of you that say I should just use this or this mirror, all I have to say is that if there's already automatic mirrors why not just include it in the story *sigh*.
Well, most UNIX and Linux systems are maintained and monitored by professionals. That is not the case with Windows machines. Every time I visit my parents I do a full update of Windows, antivirus, Firefox, etc. I'm looking forward to Windows Vista that'll take care of that.
Sun is a really cool brand to have on your computer and it's great to have a three year warranty. The problem though is that it's cheaper just buying a dual system per year for the price of a single Sun system.
No, it wasn't Adblock. Also tried something else following an email tip from a guy reading Mozillazine. Bottom line is that everything worked exceptionally good except external programs like Java and streaming of Windows Media Player videos. Downgraded to Firefox 1.0.6 after that. Looking forward to beta 2 October 5th though.
Yet another point. My two previous places of employment sincerely looked as Linux as an alternative or at least an addition to Windows but quickly dropped it as it would require hiring a specialist. So while you regular Slashdot readers probably have a job maintaining hundreds or thousands of machines, Microsoft gets away with all the small companies. Do the math.
So, apparently your problem is that a single company is developing and improving on the same OS versus ten seperate distributions that are developing and improving on the same kernel. I'm sorry but I simply can't follow your mind of thought. I love the FOSS community as it provides me with much great free software for Windows but the Linux/OS part is simply flawed to the core from a business perspective.
Hmmm... my parent post was problably flamebait. The problem as I see it today is that every distribution is trying to make it work on no matter what hardware platform with no central control. So what new users see is first several distributions. That's the first hurdle. When a users as choosen a distribution the next step is to choose a GUI. The most common are KDE and Gnome, but what's best? The next big step is to be as effecient in Linux as in Windows. Experienced Linux users don't seem to understand that an average newbie don't want to use days trying to understand their OS so they'll eventually switch back to Windows. I know that from talking to friends and having experienced it myself. What I'd like to see are specialized hardware distributions with the same software preloaded so regular users can get a feel of Linux but ten years of trying to migrate has left me with a sincere doubt. Face it, Linux is to hard for regular users to win over Linux. I won't say that Microsoft will win, but continuing the narrowminded Slashdot ideology certainly won't speed up the progress. Please make something free, open, easy-to-use, general, soon! As this is Slashdot I expect the usual flames and comments about how great Linux, and that I just need to invest some time, etc., but hey, people don't want that. Please, please, please, FOSS community. Make a Windows killer in the future soon!
I installed Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 a couple of hours ago and now I've switched back because the beta has problems with Java and streaming of Windows Media Player films. Luckily I had a backup of my profile because simply uninstalling the beta and installing the 1.0.6 version caused big problems. The beta is superb but it has problems with external programs. It also has a new genious extension structure but that breaks old extensions (like every new Firefox edition *sigh*) and I've read that themes also gives problems.
My system config is Windows XP and Sun Java, both fully updated.
I had the same problem until I found this page at The Pirate Bay. Don't know why this edition is four times bigger than the Torrent at the official site.
What did I win in bullshit bingo? The gaming industry is bigger than the film industry and now this mediocre journalist is anticipating that it'll all go down the toilet *LOL*.
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah, even the MS-DOS GUI is pretty similar to the Linux console.
I have no problem with FOSS software. I'm actually posting this in Firefox. The only Microsoft software I use is Windows and IE purely for updates. Instead of Outlook Express, Messenger, and IIS, I use Thunderbird, Gaim, and Apache. It's just tiresome to read /. on a daily basis with all the Linux-is-so-super-secure-leet types. I run Windows and have no problems with worms or virii. Whatever OS you choose is cool by me, I just really really hate religious OS fanatics. That was my two cents.
Just forget being modded up :) When it's bad FOSS news then it has no affiliation with the community. When it's good news everything is just super-duper-dandy. There are times when I wonder what sickens me the most. Microsoft or the FOSS community.
Unlike most that browse Slashdot actually use Linux to do it :) See the server statistics for more info.
Yes, I've installed several distributions. Last time I installed SuSE was in 1999 and it was very easy. The problems occur later when actually using the system. For example the simple task of installing programs. First there are too many different package formats or something has to be compiled by entering an obscure command in a console. Next problem is package dependencies. Next is under what user should an app be installed. My user account or as the admin? Some apps also require that after installation, some configuration files has to be manually edited. The list goes on and on. When switching to a different distribution the process of learning how to install has to be repeated. With Windows I just download whatever, doubleclick it, and if it works in my Windows version it just installs.
i ed-at-least-four-distros
I'm sure that if all your friend need is to type letters, check email, and surf then SuSE or whatever distro is sufficient. But as time goes by she'll start to wonder how to install something she stumbled over on the Internet or why this brand new game that she bought doesn't work.
I have no problem with installing Linux on a PC but life is just that more easy with Windows. And please, drop the usual blurb about spyware, virus, etc. It's getting tiresome. There's a reason why Linux hasn't won over Microsoft and that is usability.
Sincerely yours
A-very-disappointed-former-Linux-user-that-has-tr
It's apparently big news on Slashdot because it's Linux related.
Typical Slashdot comment. 99% of us don't want to have a steep learning curve. This is 2005, not 1995, so things should be easy. And games still don't work.
So, what should we do? Change to Linux with it's steep learning curve that only 1% in the world understands? Games also doesn't work. Make it easy to understand and many will migrate. Make games work and you will have won over Microsoft.
Okay, the term Slashdottet has existed for years now. When is Slashdot going to provide links to mirrors in the story? I hope the new Slashdot design will incorporate this as it's getting annoying to click on the link in the story, wait, wait, wait, abort, browse the comments for a mirror, and then see what the story is all about. For those of you that say I should just use this or this mirror, all I have to say is that if there's already automatic mirrors why not just include it in the story *sigh*.
Well, most UNIX and Linux systems are maintained and monitored by professionals. That is not the case with Windows machines. Every time I visit my parents I do a full update of Windows, antivirus, Firefox, etc. I'm looking forward to Windows Vista that'll take care of that.
Sun is a really cool brand to have on your computer and it's great to have a three year warranty. The problem though is that it's cheaper just buying a dual system per year for the price of a single Sun system.
No, it wasn't Adblock. Also tried something else following an email tip from a guy reading Mozillazine. Bottom line is that everything worked exceptionally good except external programs like Java and streaming of Windows Media Player videos. Downgraded to Firefox 1.0.6 after that. Looking forward to beta 2 October 5th though.
Yet another point. My two previous places of employment sincerely looked as Linux as an alternative or at least an addition to Windows but quickly dropped it as it would require hiring a specialist. So while you regular Slashdot readers probably have a job maintaining hundreds or thousands of machines, Microsoft gets away with all the small companies. Do the math.
So, apparently your problem is that a single company is developing and improving on the same OS versus ten seperate distributions that are developing and improving on the same kernel. I'm sorry but I simply can't follow your mind of thought. I love the FOSS community as it provides me with much great free software for Windows but the Linux/OS part is simply flawed to the core from a business perspective.
Hmmm... my parent post was problably flamebait. The problem as I see it today is that every distribution is trying to make it work on no matter what hardware platform with no central control. So what new users see is first several distributions. That's the first hurdle. When a users as choosen a distribution the next step is to choose a GUI. The most common are KDE and Gnome, but what's best? The next big step is to be as effecient in Linux as in Windows. Experienced Linux users don't seem to understand that an average newbie don't want to use days trying to understand their OS so they'll eventually switch back to Windows. I know that from talking to friends and having experienced it myself. What I'd like to see are specialized hardware distributions with the same software preloaded so regular users can get a feel of Linux but ten years of trying to migrate has left me with a sincere doubt. Face it, Linux is to hard for regular users to win over Linux. I won't say that Microsoft will win, but continuing the narrowminded Slashdot ideology certainly won't speed up the progress. Please make something free, open, easy-to-use, general, soon! As this is Slashdot I expect the usual flames and comments about how great Linux, and that I just need to invest some time, etc., but hey, people don't want that. Please, please, please, FOSS community. Make a Windows killer in the future soon!
Just a sec as I load the calculator;
RedHat = 3
SuSE = 3
Slackware = 1
Debian = 3
Total = 10 editions versus 7 Windows Vista editions *LOL*
So the new OS isn't backward compatible? Yeah, I can see why MacOSX is so superior to Windows *LOL*
OK, Windows Vista comes in seven edition while there's like a billion Linux distros. That makes sense *LOL*
Or spend zero dollars by taking out all keys, put them in a bag and shake it, then insert keys randomly.
I installed Firefox 1.5 Beta 1 a couple of hours ago and now I've switched back because the beta has problems with Java and streaming of Windows Media Player films. Luckily I had a backup of my profile because simply uninstalling the beta and installing the 1.0.6 version caused big problems. The beta is superb but it has problems with external programs. It also has a new genious extension structure but that breaks old extensions (like every new Firefox edition *sigh*) and I've read that themes also gives problems. My system config is Windows XP and Sun Java, both fully updated.
I had the same problem until I found this page at The Pirate Bay. Don't know why this edition is four times bigger than the Torrent at the official site.
What did I win in bullshit bingo? The gaming industry is bigger than the film industry and now this mediocre journalist is anticipating that it'll all go down the toilet *LOL*.
What is GDM? This is part of the Linux problem. Hardly anyone outside the Slashdot community knows what you're talking about.
Oh but you are a grammar geek by posting that comment.