I'm a Linux user and a huge gamer. Make it easier for me to play games via Linux (be it Wine, Cedega or providing the game to run native) and things will really change.
I've had issues with every apt-get dist-uprade of Ubuntu I've ever done. I at least give it a try each time before resorting to a complete reinstall.
I found that doing a dist-upgrade to Edgy actually was the one time since all the way back to Warty that I had success (with a desktop install) and was able to reboot, load X and use my computer. However, my system was noticeably very sluggish and I went the reinstall route anyway just to see if there was an improvement, which there was (dramatically).
Dist-upgrades with server installs have never been a problem for me.
If all they're doing is basic email, web browsing and other simple applications, you might want to try switching them over Ubuntu Linux. Try popping in a live cd, available for download on the project's site http://www.ubuntu.com/ and that will give you a good idea as to hardware compatibility. If all is well, try it out or do a dual-boot and have them give it a test drive. If they like it, run that as their sole or primary OS. No more viruses. Other than that, I'd go Mac if I were you.
Just because whoring out editorial space is 'pretty common both in print and online' doesn't excerpt the editors from being ethically corrupt as journalists. When you sell a publication's editorial space, be it online, magazine or whatever, it's no longer editorial. It's advertorial and as such, should be clearly marked, much like those "special advertising sections" you see in Time and other mags.
There's no real recourse or anything other than consumers and journalistic peers calling other publications out and holding them responsible, but really...journalism, whether you're covering world affairs or the mating habits of squirrels is a profession and as such, has ideals, ethics and rules off conduct. It's just depressing.
I make magazines for a living and I find that Gimp is fine for your average web graphics but lack of CYMK support and an inability to manage and convert color profiles for print makes it pointless to use in my line of work. Also, PS has a much more powerful set of tools for image retouching. Honestly though... it's free. For what it is, the guys who made did a great job. I use it at home and would love to bring my office over to it, but since I don't pay for PS personally, I'm not too upset when the bill for 30+ licenses comes in.
To quote Richard Feynman:
"What do you care what other people think?"
Mayank Sharma may be referring to specific blogs but on a whole I completely disagree with him. Who says blogs have to deliver anything, much less have a purpose? Who has a right to set standards on free speech and expression? IMHO, the "blogging phenom" (ew...) is a natural evolution. It provides info, sure, but it also provides a window into people's minds, what they think and what they'd like to say. Sure there's lots of drivel. Of course there is! Check the average median IQ of an American citizen or the average amount of 16 year olds who spend most of their time online and it makes sense. It's beautiful, whether you like it or not, whether you read it or not. It's there, it's someone and all you have to do is find them, that's what's important. Real free speech is ugly but at the same time it's exhilaratingly gorgeous.
While I disagree with advertisers rights to force content on anyone, rather than debate this, I just wanted to point out one thing. Why Firefox? First, Adblock is a user installed extension. Firefox isn't pushing it on you. Second, there have been plenty of advertisment blockers out there since well before the appearance of Firefox that still exist today. What about Norton's Internet Security and Firewall products. They charge money to block advertising. Common sense prompts me to wonder, wouldn't that seems more offensive to advertisers? Why has this never been an issue?
Honestly, these people giving up are likely our parents, grandparents and all those technically obtuse people who make your life hell with having to clean out their spyware and assorted viruses because their too stupid to listen for the umpteenth millionth time that there is no such thing as free pron in your email. Anyone with half a brain and a bit of initiative can change their email address, clean their computer up and start being a bit smarter about things. No sympathy.
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I'm a Linux user and a huge gamer. Make it easier for me to play games via Linux (be it Wine, Cedega or providing the game to run native) and things will really change.
I've had issues with every apt-get dist-uprade of Ubuntu I've ever done. I at least give it a try each time before resorting to a complete reinstall.
I found that doing a dist-upgrade to Edgy actually was the one time since all the way back to Warty that I had success (with a desktop install) and was able to reboot, load X and use my computer. However, my system was noticeably very sluggish and I went the reinstall route anyway just to see if there was an improvement, which there was (dramatically).
Dist-upgrades with server installs have never been a problem for me.
If all they're doing is basic email, web browsing and other simple applications, you might want to try switching them over Ubuntu Linux. Try popping in a live cd, available for download on the project's site http://www.ubuntu.com/ and that will give you a good idea as to hardware compatibility. If all is well, try it out or do a dual-boot and have them give it a test drive. If they like it, run that as their sole or primary OS. No more viruses. Other than that, I'd go Mac if I were you.
Just because whoring out editorial space is 'pretty common both in print and online' doesn't excerpt the editors from being ethically corrupt as journalists. When you sell a publication's editorial space, be it online, magazine or whatever, it's no longer editorial. It's advertorial and as such, should be clearly marked, much like those "special advertising sections" you see in Time and other mags. There's no real recourse or anything other than consumers and journalistic peers calling other publications out and holding them responsible, but really...journalism, whether you're covering world affairs or the mating habits of squirrels is a profession and as such, has ideals, ethics and rules off conduct. It's just depressing.
I make magazines for a living and I find that Gimp is fine for your average web graphics but lack of CYMK support and an inability to manage and convert color profiles for print makes it pointless to use in my line of work. Also, PS has a much more powerful set of tools for image retouching. Honestly though... it's free. For what it is, the guys who made did a great job. I use it at home and would love to bring my office over to it, but since I don't pay for PS personally, I'm not too upset when the bill for 30+ licenses comes in.
To quote Richard Feynman: "What do you care what other people think?" Mayank Sharma may be referring to specific blogs but on a whole I completely disagree with him. Who says blogs have to deliver anything, much less have a purpose? Who has a right to set standards on free speech and expression? IMHO, the "blogging phenom" (ew...) is a natural evolution. It provides info, sure, but it also provides a window into people's minds, what they think and what they'd like to say. Sure there's lots of drivel. Of course there is! Check the average median IQ of an American citizen or the average amount of 16 year olds who spend most of their time online and it makes sense. It's beautiful, whether you like it or not, whether you read it or not. It's there, it's someone and all you have to do is find them, that's what's important. Real free speech is ugly but at the same time it's exhilaratingly gorgeous.
While I disagree with advertisers rights to force content on anyone, rather than debate this, I just wanted to point out one thing. Why Firefox? First, Adblock is a user installed extension. Firefox isn't pushing it on you. Second, there have been plenty of advertisment blockers out there since well before the appearance of Firefox that still exist today. What about Norton's Internet Security and Firewall products. They charge money to block advertising. Common sense prompts me to wonder, wouldn't that seems more offensive to advertisers? Why has this never been an issue?
Honestly, these people giving up are likely our parents, grandparents and all those technically obtuse people who make your life hell with having to clean out their spyware and assorted viruses because their too stupid to listen for the umpteenth millionth time that there is no such thing as free pron in your email. Anyone with half a brain and a bit of initiative can change their email address, clean their computer up and start being a bit smarter about things. No sympathy.