Posted on 10/03/2007 9:58:26 PM PDT by abt87
LINUX runs the Google servers that manage billions of searches each day. It also runs the TiVo digital video recorder, the Motorola Razr cellphone and countless other electronic devices.
But why would anyone want to use Linux, an open-source operating system, to run a PC? “For a lot of people,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation, “Linux is a political idea — an idea of freedom. They don’t want to be tied to Microsoft or Apple. They want choice. To them it’s a greater cause.”
That’s not the most compelling reason for consumers. There is the price: Linux is free, or nearly so.
Unlike Windows from Microsoft and OS X from Apple, Linux is not owned, updated or controlled by a single company. Thousands of developers around the world work on Linux, making improvements and issuing new versions several times a year. Because the core Linux software is open source, these developers have the right — some would say responsibility — to borrow from one another’s work, constantly looking for enhancements.
But Linux has always had a reputation of being difficult to install and daunting to use. Most of the popular Windows and Macintosh programs cannot be used on it, and hand-holding — not that you get that much of it with Windows — is rare. But those reasons for rejecting Linux are disappearing.
Until recently, major PC makers shied away from Linux. Now the industry is watching as Dell is selling two Linux-equipped desktop models ($549 and $870, including a monitor) and a $774 notebook PC. (Hewlett-Packard offers Linux systems to businesses, and Lenovo, the Chinese company that bought I.B.M.’s PC division, sells Linux machines in China and says it will soon offer Linux-based computers in the United States.)
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"They" have done so for over 20 years -- "they" call them, "Macintosh"...
““Linux is a political idea — an idea of freedom. They don’t want to be tied to Microsoft or Apple. They want choice. To them it’s a greater cause.””
LOL, The creator of Linux would disagree with that as would many users. Linux is a piece of software that uses and open development model..
for games you’re going to need Windows but unless you use, err need to use, Access or some other really obscure MS office functions I think you’ll find open office more than adequate..
It all depends on what granny is doing, if granny owns an iPod and watches DVD's on her PC then you're right Linux is probably not acceptable. If Granny posts on web forums and sends email to her kids than a preloaded Linux box from Dell will work just fine for her..
Once companies start selling Linux pre-installed and ready to go out of the box, it will start passing the “granny test.”
Hi a Linux distro released after 2003, have we met?
Seriously you need a cmd line interface on an ubuntu box about as much as the ‘dos shell’ on xp...
So, you consider the time you spend eradicating worms/spyware/viruses as a benefit of using Windows?
I can't tell you how many threads we've had here with someone trying to recover a PC that has become corrupted due to worms, spyware, viruses, some combination of all three, or just the windows registry going whack.
Those of us who use Linux prefer to actually have our computers work for us rather than having to work for the computer.
Like pain do ya ;)
Q: How do I get to my home directory?
A: set def Disk$a$0:[000000.users.me]
I’ve been using it for my sole desktop for ten years.
It’s more than ready for the casual user. The problem comes in with more demanding users, who have specific requirements (”I have to be able to run Photoshop.”).
I do think that over the longer term, it is easier to use than Windows, because it doesn’t tend to self-destruct.
Anyhow, my attitude is, hey...it’s here...if you want to use it, great...if you don’t, well, that’s fine, too. As long as I can use it, I don’t really care.
Media Player 11?
Yes it is, one founded on the beliefs of green party moonbat Richard Stallman, who owns more rights to Linux distro modules than anyone.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
This is typical bogus Linux hype. Only one model from one carrier out of countless Razr's uses Linux. I've seen guys claim it runs all sorts of things from Blackberries to the core of VMware which were false too.
The creator of Linux may or may not disagree but he currently works for Jim Zemlin.
The only way you will ever accomplish this is to break the computer's usefulness. What does a toaster do? A toaster toasts toast. It toasts toast to several different levels and that's about it. A computer computes, but what it computes, by definition, varies from user to user, and, therefore, needs the capability to be customizable.
With the power to customize comes the complexity. Making a computer like an appliance would be like making a calculator that only adds 2 + 2: it would be worthless for almost everyone. Or imagine a calculator that has one button for each problem it can solve. It would be childishly simple to use. To keep the calculator half-way usable, you would have to limit the number of problems and thereby hamstring its usefulness.
Not according to Walt Mossberg, the highly esteemed tech columnist from the Wall Street Journal. He said his Dell Linux box had several problems with basic issues, such as keeping volume settings after reboot and inability to even set the mouse control speed at all.
The only time I use the command line is when I'm doing stuff your average user wouldn't be doing anyway.
Is there any OS that passes the granny test? Windows sure as hell doesn’t (at least not with my granny). I want a thin client or a virtual machine for my grandmom. Maybe OSX, although I suspect she could screw that up too.
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