You cannot simply download this cool program from the developer's website and install it, unless he's made packages for your distro-- which, let's face it, is a little confusing for your average luser who just wants to download a file, browse to it using his nice graphical explorer-like interface and click it to install.
Most businesses are trying to avoid this type of behaviour from their employees anyways, whether with Windows or Linux. It is not a good idea to have all users install different software onto each computer, it is chaotic and downirght dangerous.
Now, you can configure WinXP so that only the admins an install anything, but really fine-tuning an XP is not as easy as it might seem - probably because hardly anyone does it.
So the linux approach that only athorized people can install new programs makes sense. Yeah, it might be a little annoying for the employee who cannot get his program installed just by clicking on it; but it does make sense that the IT people who are responsible for the maintenance and security of those systems are the ones who have the final say of whether a certain programme is to be installed or not.
On the other hand, the only users who are likely to try to install all types of crap onto their computers are those who think they are computer gods just because they have one at home and are able to surft the Internet and download music. And those users can end up being really dangerous, for they think they know much more than they really do. It is the ignorant users who really are no threat at all, for they will always ask before attempting to do anything.
And if installs are only done by competent people, it follows that they probably know how to do it (whether that is compiling from scratch or downloading a package for whatever distro they're using), so it shouldn't be very difficult. Not that it actually is difficult, you just need to know what you are doing.
apt-get install package
How much easier than this can you actually get?
The problem is not so much the difficulty involved, but the fact that the average user doesn't want to learn something new. Once they've automated how to use Office, read their mail and maybe burn a couple of CD's, they'll balk if they have to learn how to do the same thing a different way - even if it's actually easier! Stupid but true.
Well... I, for one, switched from Windows to Debian and I'm very happy with it...:)
So am I, but at it is true that there is no way in hell I could have done that first install by myself! As a matter of fact, I basically sat through the process trying to figure out what was going on. It was only by playing around, changing stuff, finding out what worked - and what didn't! the hard way for the following weeks, that I finally decided to try and install Debian on an old box that was just sitting there gathering dust.
Well, lets just say that that install wasn't very successfull, though it exceeded expectations. But the whole install process was horrible for someone who doesn't know much about hardware - I ended up guessing a lot of settings, not suprisigly I couldn't get X-server to run.
Only after being guided through a couple more Debian installs, can I say that I might be able to install Debian + X by myself - but only if there's no weird harware involved!
I'm no computer genius, but I don't think I'm incredibly ignorant either. So yeah, Debian's install sucks for an average user and I really hope that it improves a lot for the next release...
Gee, of course we do! But sometimes we like to disguise ourselves, to pretend we are normal, to mingle with the M$-loving crowds out there... You know, to win their trust and convert others to our religion, get them to adore the Great Penguin..
Much as I hate to admit this...hotmail isn't _so_ bad when it comes to spam. Yeah, you get more than on other accounts (actually, I've gotten close to none on my "real" accounts), but the way they let you set you Junk mail filter is pretty nice and it works quite well; though of course it's a annoying to have to 'block' the addressess you get spam from each time you get a new one....
Quite another question is why you should use a hotmail account as a serious email... why anyone would want to do this is beyond me! The only reason I still keep mine is because the actual address is quite cool and it makes it easer to use MSNM (Spanish speakers, check this out:))
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You cannot simply download this cool program from the developer's website and install it, unless he's made packages for your distro-- which, let's face it, is a little confusing for your average luser who just wants to download a file, browse to it using his nice graphical explorer-like interface and click it to install.
Most businesses are trying to avoid this type of behaviour from their employees anyways, whether with Windows or Linux. It is not a good idea to have all users install different software onto each computer, it is chaotic and downirght dangerous.
Now, you can configure WinXP so that only the admins an install anything, but really fine-tuning an XP is not as easy as it might seem - probably because hardly anyone does it.
So the linux approach that only athorized people can install new programs makes sense. Yeah, it might be a little annoying for the employee who cannot get his program installed just by clicking on it; but it does make sense that the IT people who are responsible for the maintenance and security of those systems are the ones who have the final say of whether a certain programme is to be installed or not.
On the other hand, the only users who are likely to try to install all types of crap onto their computers are those who think they are computer gods just because they have one at home and are able to surft the Internet and download music. And those users can end up being really dangerous, for they think they know much more than they really do. It is the ignorant users who really are no threat at all, for they will always ask before attempting to do anything.
And if installs are only done by competent people, it follows that they probably know how to do it (whether that is compiling from scratch or downloading a package for whatever distro they're using), so it shouldn't be very difficult. Not that it actually is difficult, you just need to know what you are doing.
APPLICATION installs are FAR easier on Windows
apt-get install package
How much easier than this can you actually get?
The problem is not so much the difficulty involved, but the fact that the average user doesn't want to learn something new. Once they've automated how to use Office, read their mail and maybe burn a couple of CD's, they'll balk if they have to learn how to do the same thing a different way - even if it's actually easier! Stupid but true.
Well... I, for one, switched from Windows to Debian and I'm very happy with it... :)
So am I, but at it is true that there is no way in hell I could have done that first install by myself! As a matter of fact, I basically sat through the process trying to figure out what was going on. It was only by playing around, changing stuff, finding out what worked - and what didn't! the hard way for the following weeks, that I finally decided to try and install Debian on an old box that was just sitting there gathering dust.
Well, lets just say that that install wasn't very successfull, though it exceeded expectations. But the whole install process was horrible for someone who doesn't know much about hardware - I ended up guessing a lot of settings, not suprisigly I couldn't get X-server to run.
Only after being guided through a couple more Debian installs, can I say that I might be able to install Debian + X by myself - but only if there's no weird harware involved!
I'm no computer genius, but I don't think I'm incredibly ignorant either. So yeah, Debian's install sucks for an average user and I really hope that it improves a lot for the next release...
Gee, of course we do! But sometimes we like to disguise ourselves, to pretend we are normal, to mingle with the M$-loving crowds out there... You know, to win their trust and convert others to our religion, get them to adore the Great Penguin..
Much as I hate to admit this...hotmail isn't _so_ bad when it comes to spam. Yeah, you get more than on other accounts (actually, I've gotten close to none on my "real" accounts), but the way they let you set you Junk mail filter is pretty nice and it works quite well; though of course it's a annoying to have to 'block' the addressess you get spam from each time you get a new one....
:))
Quite another question is why you should use a hotmail account as a serious email... why anyone would want to do this is beyond me! The only reason I still keep mine is because the actual address is quite cool and it makes it easer to use MSNM (Spanish speakers, check this out