Not so!
|
| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| mdl Sep 13, 2007 4:54 AM EDT |
Linux has already made it to the desktop nearest me.... |
| techiem2 Sep 13, 2007 4:58 AM EDT |
...and a laptop near me as well! |
| tracyanne Sep 13, 2007 5:26 AM EDT |
2 laptops and 3 desktops over here. Sorry make that 3 laptops if you count this one. |
| gus3 Sep 13, 2007 6:49 AM EDT |
Desktop, laptop, another laptop (but w/ Knoppix only), and another desktop as well. But the pizza box runs NetBSD, sorry. ;-) |
| gus3 Sep 13, 2007 6:51 AM EDT |
Oh, and did I mention my mother has used Linux since 2001? |
| dinotrac Sep 13, 2007 6:52 AM EDT |
Just to be sure -- Did everybody read the article? Did anybody follow the links to his earlier stuff? He thinks a number of distros really are ready for ordinary users. The problem is that most users don't know they exist and Linux ain't exactly a marketing machine. |
| Steven_Rosenber Sep 13, 2007 9:17 AM EDT |
Somebody at some point is going to rise above the noise level with an operating system that will challenge Microsoft. Mac OS is already in that space, as are the 300 Linux and BSD distros out there. But at some point, I predict, one product (and yes, it's PRODUCT we're talking about) will be the right one with the right marketing to make the proverbial sea change in the operating-system market. It could be Ubuntu. It could be something totally unrelated to Linux. Any system that offers comprehensive hardware detection; solid, built-in security; a massive number of applications (both native and through emulation/virtualization); open-source, of course; and most importantly, easily configured and managed by users who've never seen a command line in their lives. There are Linux distros coming close to this, but as the writer in the desktoplinux.com article says, we've got a long way to go in terms of ease of use and marketing. Then again, if Steve Jobs decided to port OS X to non-Apple hardware -- and sell it for the current $140, or maybe even $99, that would be enough to upset Microsoft's own apple cart. Of course Jobs would have to make sure he had a replacement product for MS Office before pissing off the boys and girls in Redmond. (A beefed-up iWork? How about OpenOffice's Aqua port?) Even so, have you seen what Adobe CS3 costs on the Mac (or Windows)? It's enough to make you plant a big, wet kiss on any Linux developer within reach. |
| tracyanne Sep 13, 2007 8:00 PM EDT |
Quoting:Just to be sure -- Well I did, the 8 articles plus the won't make it one plus Stevie's reply. All very interesting reading. But being pedantic is fun too. |
| rijelkentaurus Sep 13, 2007 8:37 PM EDT |
Quoting: if Steve Jobs decided to port OS X to non-Apple hardware Then he could deal with all of the goofy crap the rest of the world deals with, with the wide variety of hardware and hardware combinations that can drive the users of any OS crazy...except OS X, because it's a closed system available only on a small subset of the hardware in existence. I think it'd be funny, because OS X wouldn't "just work" anymore, not all of the time. I still say Sun could make such a run with Solaris, especially if they release it under the GPLv3 and make changes to make it a little more palatable for desktop use (I have tried it, found it slow and hard to deal with on the desktop). They are the only other ones who are a combination hardware/software company (not counting high-end Unices like AIX or HPUX...am I missing someone?). If Solaris is released as GPL, then what "works" with Solaris should easily be ported over to Linux and BSD. It's a potentially gigantic audience pool for them to sell hardware to. The biggest advantage over OS X, IMO, is that the software environment would be totally open and the Free Software community would do a gigantic amount of the legwork for Sun. People can't do much for Apple; I dare say that Apple enjoys almost as nice a reputation within the Free Software community as Microsoft, with their biggest plus side being "At least it ain't Windows". That's a very backhanded compliment. OS X is very much admired for its technical attributes, and rightfully so, but closed is closed. |
| ColonelPanik Sep 14, 2007 5:13 AM EDT |
The dude is a n00b. |
| tracyanne Sep 14, 2007 2:09 PM EDT |
Quoting:The dude is a n00b. Yes, that was, I thought made quite clear, and that is why his insights are particularly useful. He's a noob who went to the trouble of analysing (that's his job ) what went right, what went wrong, how easy he found it, where he found it hard, and why. What this bloke wrote is probably more useful than a dozen articles written by Linux gurus. |
| ColonelPanik Sep 15, 2007 5:13 AM EDT |
tracyanne, You are right. A n00b is not a bad thing, its a good thing.
Lets see if he his still using Linux in a year. |
| Abe Sep 15, 2007 5:25 AM EDT |
Quoting:Lets see if he his still using Linux in a year. I believe he will for a simple powerful reason. The guy loves fresh air and he found it on his trip to the mountains. With FOSS evolving and making big progress with every stride, eventually he will feel at home. That doesn't mean he will not visit the city periodically for few things until the city becomes a ghetto and no longer offers anything he needs. |
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