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Linux vs. Windows


zox

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Read the article here.This is just one of many similar articles I've read so far.What do you think?Do you believe that this type of article can influence Linux developers and maybe change the way things are going?Do you agree with author?Are you one of those "I want more choice"?

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I personally want lots of choices, but I really get what he is saying. Everyone at my house aside from me just wants the computer to work. They want to check their email, listen to tunes, chat with friends, and surf the net. When I start talking about a GUI interface I get blank stares. The other day when I had to open a console to do something my daughter says," oh so if you want it to work you have to type in the little black box thingy." I notice she didn't even ask how to do that, if she needs something typed in the 'little black box thingy' she will call me. :) I'm not sure how much influence these kinds of articles have on Linux developers, I really think that there is an effort being made to make it more user friendly. I just installed Mandrake 9.1 and it was pretty much a no brainer.

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The other day when I had to open a console to do something my daughter says," oh so if you want it to work you have to type in the little black box thingy."  I notice she didn't even ask how to do that, if she needs something typed in the 'little black box thingy' she will call me.  :)
So, one of the faculty at work is teaching a hardware fundamentals course and we have a new lab dedicated for this course. I asked her what she wants to use as an image on the computers and she responded that she needs DOS 6.22 on there so that when the students turn on the computer she wants to see the expression on their faces when they get the black screen and start telling her the computer doesn't work! ;)
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I'd agree that linux is not ready for the general public yet. It's still a geek's and hobbiest's OS. But, i think the problem is that linux also has to fucus very heavily on the server and high end computing part. I would bet that's where they make most of their money.I think all Linux needs is time. I think it will get more and more competitive on the desktop. I also think a big step for linux is having it preinstalled on computers. The average computer user does not want to install an OS. And, that way they know that all the hardware is compatible and that their speakers are going to work, etc, etc.Linux certainly has it's share of problems, but i think it will all work out in time :)

So, one of the faculty at work is teaching a hardware fundamentals course and we have a new lab dedicated for this course. I asked her what she wants to use as an image on the computers and she responded that she needs DOS 6.22 on there so that when the students turn on the computer she wants to see the expression on their faces when they get the black screen and start telling her the computer doesn't work!
You just gave me a great idea for April Fools :) Can windows be set to boot into DOS by default? I realize XP and ME can't but, the other ones do right? If not, we could just put in a DOS startup disk. (I bet it would still take everyone a while to realize that was there ;))
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I agree with the author 100%.But several distro's are on the right track. Lycoris is one of them. No choices are available. You get KDE & K-Office with limited software for printing and connecting to the net. All of my hardware functioned at first boot. Downloads from their site [again limited] uses Mozilla's download manager. Once the download completes the software automatically installs and setups up a program icon in the appropriate menu. This evening I am going to download the Open GL NVidia drivers for my display adapter as well as Quake III - both of which are available from the Lycoris site. I haven't tried any heavy-hitter games on Linux. I didn't think it was possible. Should be interesting. This distro shows real promise as a desktop replacement for Windows. ;) [Amethyst build 119 ]

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This evening I am going to download the Open GL NVidia drivers for my display adapter as well as Quake III - both of which are available from the Lycoris site. I haven't tried any heavy-hitter games on Linux. I didn't think it was possible. Should be interesting.
Quake III runs as fast if not faster on Linux than in Windows after you've installed the nVidia accelerated drivers. You'll swear you were in Windows! ;)
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Great article zox . I have to agree with him since I am part of that Group of dummies called the general public . But seriously though most of the public does in fact want a computer that they can take home , plug into the wall , plug into the phone line and turn it on . ;)

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To me the article seemed like a rehash of what you read everywhere. There are some folks that computers should be protected from. I have some of those in my family. They can't even do a simple install. Then there are those of us that like to play. Hmmmm. I like things to work but I can read instructions and go from there. I keep reading more and more articles indicating that Linux is taking off and getting some major support. I think a few flavors will dominate in the end. All the others will be reserved for the "geeks". It will take some major refocusing of computer education to start moving it over to the mainstream for many folks. There learning curve is slow and gradual. You can't pick up Linux that way. At least I can't. Only time will tell what will really happen. ;)

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...I keep reading more and more articles indicating that Linux is taking off and getting some major support.  I think a few flavors will dominate in the end....
Do you think this is because you got interested in Linux or pure coincidence Julia :)I didn't hear much about Linux before but since I got into it, all of a suden I am reading everywhere about Linux and such.
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But several distro's are on the right track. Lycoris is one of them. No choices are available. You get KDE & K-Office with limited software for printing and connecting to the net. All of my hardware functioned at first boot. Downloads from their site [again limited] uses Mozilla's download manager. Once the download completes the software automatically installs and setups up a program icon in the appropriate menu.
i think it's a fine balance between too much choice and not enough. best case would be HAVE BOTH. have pre-install no-questions-asked setup, but if you click ADVANCED, you have ALL options. in this case, i disagree that Lycoris has it right. i think SuSE has it righter. ;) when you load SuSE, if shows recommended settings (partition, hardware, boot manager settings), and newbie just clicks NEXT, while others can tweak their partition and boot manager settings. i'd like to try Lycoris but i hear it pick partition and boot automatically, and having 4 version of windows in a penta-boot setup, i can't have that. also, Lycoris interface is a pure copy of XP interface. great way for newbies, but i think PART of the appeal for linux is to have something DIFFERENT. KDE is well made, and even beginners have no problem navigating thru it. but still, insteresting concept for Lycoris. i personally prefer a fairly easy distro that auto-detected all hardware fairly well, with KDE and Grub default, and auto-mounting of all windows and CDR drives.
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PreludeYou can tell us SuSE Pro users..LOL, But kidding aside I tend to agree on the balancing act(If you look at windows boards you'll see the same issues..it's either to hard to set-up or too easy...it would seem no one has truly hit the "End-User" target) I think the multi-distro approach will work and lycoris will appeal to those XP to Linux users. ( But for me give me the flexability of SuSE or Mandrake)I think part of the problem for developers is identifying the target user (commercially), we see that here, all of us are drawn to one distro or another for reasons of our own..be it usability, interoperability...Coolness...or to use anything other than MS..I have seen focus groups (the were chartered to "Define" the end user of IT products) almost end in fist fights ..or at least dualing pocket protectors..I would imagine many linux apps and disto developers are do the same thing. In that area, I think SuSE and Mandrake have hit that balance point pretty well.Zox...had to laugh..Kind of like when you buy a certain car and suddenly you notice your not alone...

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Prelude76Thank you for mentioning this. Lycoris does auto partition and setup with no option to select where it will install. I used a old HD I had to set it up.PeachyI wasn't able to try QIII - the NVidia drivers were pulled from the Lycoris site. I went to NVidia's site and they did not list Linux drivers for my TnT2 card that I am using on my test system.

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I am truly sorry to dis-agree, but...Lycoris can be installed wherever you want - I know this, because I have had it on my system 2x; it is not one of my "keepers", for reasons that you both have alluded to. Now, I don't know about a computer that has Windows, because it's been awhile since I've allowed it's presence on my PC. I look for no argument, I'm just stating the facts; I started a thread a while back, that dealt with my experiences with Lycoris...don't remember all the things I said in it, but I recall those who replied were not enthusiastic. Just my "2 bits".

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i think it's a fine balance between too much choice and not enough. best case would be HAVE BOTH. have pre-install no-questions-asked setup, but if you click ADVANCED, you have ALL options.
That sounds ok to me :D
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quintYou are correct - there is the option to select a partition. I completely missed it since I just use the option - entire disk. These are only 4.3g drives. :D PeachyThanks for the link. :D

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My favorite is the last line: :D

Pay attention to the penguin, he is going places.
Of course, he could have picked better versions to compare and the description of Lindows to "running naked" didn't help along with the "click and crawl" to download it.
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I like it, Rons...thanks. :D Have to agree with Julia, as little as I know, I could have chosen better...but, then again, it was written a year ago! :D

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