Personally, I don't find the support from a megalo-corporation like Microsoft that comprehensive. I consider myself a Windows Power-User, and I still put much of that knowledge to practice at work; however, I didn't get this way by reading Help files.
The options for Joe Computer-User are not vast:
He can try to wade his way through the contents of Microsoft's included manuals and help files. The problem here being that even if he knows what the problem is, and what questions he needs answers to; the solution is rarely easy to locate.
He can try to contact Microsoft technical support. (Slashdot users will, I hope, find the humor in the links under the "Latest support news" heading. http://support.microsoft.com/) If he manages to get a response from someone who knows what they're talking about, without sitting in front of his computer they will likely only solve the symptoms.
If he knows someone that is "one of those techy people" he can impose on them for assisstance.
Or, if he's like many home-users, he can call the "Computer Guy" to come to his home and fix the real problem. These "Computer Guys" are not short for work.
For the majority of home users, the migration to Linux would not be all that painful. The only difference my household noticed when I migrated the laptop was that it had new games. (Damn you Frozen-Bubble! How many hours have you stolen WoW from me on the shoulders of my girlfriend?)
What makes the difference in Linux is that the popular distros have a thriving community built up around them that respond to even the most "Noobish" queries surprisingly quickly. You don't need to be a master of the shell to succeed with Linux. Beyond that, the problems that just don't exist in comparison to Windows are endless.
My apologies to the OP for not addressing his question, but I felt that this needed a response. And to Jim, FreeBSD is a great solution. I do not believe, however, that it is a solution that caters as well to normal users as Gnu/Linux. I normally agree with your points, thank you for being such an active contributor to our community.
Ok, I don't really want to go into a rant about the ridiculousness of 3 versions of a single game.
However, I really don't think that Microsoft would be making a good move if they waited an entire year after PS3 and Wii's launches to release this next installment. If they can get Bungie to produce an A-Class game by the time Square releases XIII, it would be the ideal time to release.
This has got to be a real conundrum for the politicians.
You can have people watching more tv and having less sex, or vice versa.
They either get less Hollywood lobby money, due to the reduced advertising spend.
-or-
They get less shiny new taxpayers, due to the reduced reproduction rates.
"If you don't watch tv while you're having sex the terrorists win!"
I know it's hard for us to step back and look at this from a non-geek standpoint, but bear with me.
Linux has very few UI differences from Windows.
There are drop down menus with the same options as Windows Peripherals (keyboard, mouse, touchpad) all work exactly the same The *nix equivalent utilities work exactly the same for anyone but a power-user If you require a program to view a file type, the OS tells you and leads you to the resource Upon install, the OS searches and installs hardware drivers (Dapper has full support for my laptop, not ONE driver missing)
We know Linux is a technically superior OS. It may not have the third-party support that MS has, but the code is obviously better. It doesn't require a paradigm shift to start using Linux. My girlfriend surfed the internet, word processed, and played bejeweled on her laptop. Well, she did these things when she could close pop-up windows fast enough. 5 minutes after her Linux install (20 minutes after I formatted her hard drive) she was surfing the internet, word processing, and playing Gjeweled on her laptop. She is not a super-user, but I think she represents the majority of home users.
Linux gaining market share is not a matter of Windows failing. In comparison Windows, as a piece of code, failed many years ago.
There is only one way for a major shift to occur towards the Linux camp. Here's my crazy idea, wait for it...
Prepackaged PC manufacturers (Read: HP, Dell, Gateway) need to sell systems with Linux on them.
It would take a company with some clout to pull it off. Microsoft would flip a lid.
There is a market there to be taken:
A functional PC that has all the utility that your basic home user requires, with a price to reflect the fact that you didn't have to pay for Windows when you bought it.
I can't believe this thread hasn't blown up into a full fledged politician bashing episode, considering the mention of Mark Foley. But seriously, that this guy was caught demonstrates exactly why politicians should not be legislating technology blindly. He obviously is not the sharpest tool when it comes to the interweb. His AOL screen name was "Maf54." Way to be low profile.
Now see, all the child protection laws he was involved in drafting are probably top notch. He is an expert.
On a more serious note, I think that Vista may be Microsoft's last great fark-up. A more resource-hungry, less stable, third-party unfriendly, "pretty" version of software they released more than 10 years ago. I know that the OSS camp says this every year; however, if Microsoft doesn't write their next OS from the ground up, they stand to lose a noticable amount of market share.
Each year millions of ripe little consumers are getting jobs and buying themselves a computer. Since the mid 90's, each one of these groups has been getting progressively more tech savvy. Most imporatantly, each one of these groups has been getting more dependent on technology. It is only a matter of time before a shift in consumer expectations of functionality force changes in the market. In my opinion, Linux is in a better position, right now, to deal with that demand.
Alright, Jack Thompson is a person I follow just to make sure that my anger is up to par.
He was involved with this case two years ago when the kid was originally in court. He presented the "GTA Defense" to Posey's lawyer, who ignored the advice based on the fact that it had absolutely no legal merit.
If you have 10 minutes to fully realize JUST how crazy Jack Thompson is, read this article:
They can, but we don't expect many people to use this option until Microsoft stops supporting their current software. Wait, that's more scary than funny . . .
I can't believe you'd stoop to taking such a topic so lightly Andy. This guy is doing something spectacular here. He's really out on a limb. We should all be thinking about how we can lend him a hand. After all, donating to causes like this doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Benefiting from them however . . .
I always wonder if things that I read at work (IT manager KNOWS Firefox is in every way superior, uses it at home, won't let me put it on my desktop) translate from IE to real browsers. Sorry about that.
By, "doing this" I meant hiring DCI, not censoring the internet. Sorry for the confusion. My dialogue was meant to be a farsical hypothesis of things to come.
Ok, I have to partake in this wonderful discussion. This would be much more interesting if, after we developed what the true genres of games are, made our choice of best for each genre. My personal gaming biases are going to tilt this list a lot. 5 is a really low number too.
1) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past 2) Lucas Arts Classic Collection: Sam and Max; DotT; Fate of Atlantis; The Dig; X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter (I cheated;-)) 3) Tribes 4) Donkey Kong Country 5) Super Mario World
Jesus, so many more I want to put down there, but that'll have to do for now.
The bad lawsuit is not going to be the one coming from someone who has their business information posted on this site. The bad lawsuit comes when Jigsaw loses their backbone and gives out the name of the person who first posted said individual's information.
"Judge, by not keeping my indentity private, per our contract, Jigsaw has directly contributed to my loss of employment, business, and credibility."
Slashdot Mirror
Personally, I don't find the support from a megalo-corporation like Microsoft that comprehensive. I consider myself a Windows Power-User, and I still put much of that knowledge to practice at work; however, I didn't get this way by reading Help files.
The options for Joe Computer-User are not vast:
He can try to wade his way through the contents of Microsoft's included manuals and help files. The problem here being that even if he knows what the problem is, and what questions he needs answers to; the solution is rarely easy to locate.
He can try to contact Microsoft technical support. (Slashdot users will, I hope, find the humor in the links under the "Latest support news" heading. http://support.microsoft.com/) If he manages to get a response from someone who knows what they're talking about, without sitting in front of his computer they will likely only solve the symptoms.
If he knows someone that is "one of those techy people" he can impose on them for assisstance.
Or, if he's like many home-users, he can call the "Computer Guy" to come to his home and fix the real problem. These "Computer Guys" are not short for work.
For the majority of home users, the migration to Linux would not be all that painful. The only difference my household noticed when I migrated the laptop was that it had new games. (Damn you Frozen-Bubble! How many hours have you stolen WoW from me on the shoulders of my girlfriend?)
What makes the difference in Linux is that the popular distros have a thriving community built up around them that respond to even the most "Noobish" queries surprisingly quickly. You don't need to be a master of the shell to succeed with Linux. Beyond that, the problems that just don't exist in comparison to Windows are endless.
My apologies to the OP for not addressing his question, but I felt that this needed a response. And to Jim, FreeBSD is a great solution. I do not believe, however, that it is a solution that caters as well to normal users as Gnu/Linux. I normally agree with your points, thank you for being such an active contributor to our community.
Ok, I don't really want to go into a rant about the ridiculousness of 3 versions of a single game.
However, I really don't think that Microsoft would be making a good move if they waited an entire year after PS3 and Wii's launches to release this next installment. If they can get Bungie to produce an A-Class game by the time Square releases XIII, it would be the ideal time to release.
Civ 4 does not work in Wine, to my dismay.
Not as if grinding my Hunter to 60 leaves any time for Civ 4...
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=2514
Not that I disagree with you, but...
When I read the post all I could see was, "Hey man, it's not the size of your e-peen that matters, it's how you use it."
The potential for expansions on this game far outweighs how long it could remain relevant.
I'm holding out for the Titus Andronicus expansion. Rated AO for rape, cannibalism, and murder.
I thought you guys didn't mind...
No no no, it was only the "360" so that they could have that crucial number "3" to compete with PlayStation's.
Next generation gaming, welcome the "XBox 420" no next-gen console will be more fully-loaded. They've got real high hopes.
Even better news: In reponse to the backlash on DRM, the XBox 420 will support ripping.
This has got to be a real conundrum for the politicians. You can have people watching more tv and having less sex, or vice versa. They either get less Hollywood lobby money, due to the reduced advertising spend. -or- They get less shiny new taxpayers, due to the reduced reproduction rates. "If you don't watch tv while you're having sex the terrorists win!"
I find this to be the definitive article chronicaling the pure stupidity of one Jack Thompson. Plenty of links, good commentary.
a ck_thompson_thinks_he_s_jesus
http://www.grumpygamer.biz/index.php/2006/09/23/j
He really is a nut job.
I know it's hard for us to step back and look at this from a non-geek standpoint, but bear with me.
Linux has very few UI differences from Windows.
There are drop down menus with the same options as Windows
Peripherals (keyboard, mouse, touchpad) all work exactly the same
The *nix equivalent utilities work exactly the same for anyone but a power-user
If you require a program to view a file type, the OS tells you and leads you to the resource
Upon install, the OS searches and installs hardware drivers (Dapper has full support for my laptop, not ONE driver missing)
We know Linux is a technically superior OS. It may not have the third-party support that MS has, but the code is obviously better. It doesn't require a paradigm shift to start using Linux. My girlfriend surfed the internet, word processed, and played bejeweled on her laptop. Well, she did these things when she could close pop-up windows fast enough. 5 minutes after her Linux install (20 minutes after I formatted her hard drive) she was surfing the internet, word processing, and playing Gjeweled on her laptop. She is not a super-user, but I think she represents the majority of home users.
Linux gaining market share is not a matter of Windows failing. In comparison Windows, as a piece of code, failed many years ago.
There is only one way for a major shift to occur towards the Linux camp. Here's my crazy idea, wait for it...
Prepackaged PC manufacturers (Read: HP, Dell, Gateway) need to sell systems with Linux on them.
It would take a company with some clout to pull it off. Microsoft would flip a lid.
There is a market there to be taken:
A functional PC that has all the utility that your basic home user requires, with a price to reflect the fact that you didn't have to pay for Windows when you bought it.
Yeah, but they are a dime a dozen and get blocked on an individual basis for the most part. When one gets blocked you just move on to the next.
The results were much more interesting after they put that metal pin in Fluffem's hip.
I can't believe this thread hasn't blown up into a full fledged politician bashing episode, considering the mention of Mark Foley. But seriously, that this guy was caught demonstrates exactly why politicians should not be legislating technology blindly. He obviously is not the sharpest tool when it comes to the interweb. His AOL screen name was "Maf54." Way to be low profile.
Now see, all the child protection laws he was involved in drafting are probably top notch. He is an expert.
Come on over here to the Linux pool.
The water is fine, I promise.
On a more serious note, I think that Vista may be Microsoft's last great fark-up. A more resource-hungry, less stable, third-party unfriendly, "pretty" version of software they released more than 10 years ago. I know that the OSS camp says this every year; however, if Microsoft doesn't write their next OS from the ground up, they stand to lose a noticable amount of market share.
Each year millions of ripe little consumers are getting jobs and buying themselves a computer. Since the mid 90's, each one of these groups has been getting progressively more tech savvy. Most imporatantly, each one of these groups has been getting more dependent on technology. It is only a matter of time before a shift in consumer expectations of functionality force changes in the market. In my opinion, Linux is in a better position, right now, to deal with that demand.
Alright, Jack Thompson is a person I follow just to make sure that my anger is up to par.
He was involved with this case two years ago when the kid was originally in court. He presented the "GTA Defense" to Posey's lawyer, who ignored the advice based on the fact that it had absolutely no legal merit.
If you have 10 minutes to fully realize JUST how crazy Jack Thompson is, read this article:
Jack Thompson Thinks He's Jesus
Revelations 13: 16-17
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Yikes! The sky is falling!
You should turn on your television during this show just so you don't miss "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
I missed the Linux shot though, probably because I was too busy playing WoW, in Wine. Gnome though . . .
They can, but we don't expect many people to use this option until Microsoft stops supporting their current software. Wait, that's more scary than funny . . .
I can't believe you'd stoop to taking such a topic so lightly Andy. This guy is doing something spectacular here. He's really out on a limb. We should all be thinking about how we can lend him a hand. After all, donating to causes like this doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Benefiting from them however . . .
He obviously doesn't play World of Warcraft.
I always wonder if things that I read at work (IT manager KNOWS Firefox is in every way superior, uses it at home, won't let me put it on my desktop) translate from IE to real browsers. Sorry about that.
By, "doing this" I meant hiring DCI, not censoring the internet. Sorry for the confusion. My dialogue was meant to be a farsical hypothesis of things to come.
Us: "Really? Google? You guys are jumping on the guerilla marketing bandwagon?"
." (You know you love that movie)
::Searching for "google + DCI"::
Google: "Hey! Look over there! A unicorn!"
Us: "Where?"
Google: "Guess it was just a regular horse . .
Us:
Interweb: "404"
C'mon, you thought they'd only do it in China? I mean, they are doing this in an effort to gain the sympathies of our current regime...
And speaking of guerilla marketing, this article was disturbing:
Confessions of a guerilla marketer
Ok, I have to partake in this wonderful discussion. This would be much more interesting if, after we developed what the true genres of games are, made our choice of best for each genre. My personal gaming biases are going to tilt this list a lot. 5 is a really low number too.
;-))
1) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
2) Lucas Arts Classic Collection: Sam and Max; DotT; Fate of Atlantis; The Dig; X-Wing vs. Tie-Fighter (I cheated
3) Tribes
4) Donkey Kong Country
5) Super Mario World
Jesus, so many more I want to put down there, but that'll have to do for now.
The bad lawsuit is not going to be the one coming from someone who has their business information posted on this site. The bad lawsuit comes when Jigsaw loses their backbone and gives out the name of the person who first posted said individual's information.
"Judge, by not keeping my indentity private, per our contract, Jigsaw has directly contributed to my loss of employment, business, and credibility."
"Oh, and Judge, where are the nachos?"