Well, i was greatly confised to see a great discussion fired up by my
message.
Too sad to it's growing into usual WINDOWZ vs LINUX flame, i've already
seen on many linux sites. (Luckily there was almost none xBSD vs LINUX
arguments here, almost usual for such flames)
I just wanted to highlight and summarize some statements:
MS-OFFICE vs Other office suites: -- this is the most valueable
argument for people who say the Linux will never be a Desktop system.
I agree with Ben Rosenberg, who say, that, for example, StarOffice
package is not less featurefull than MS suite is, the point it to teach
a user to use these features, which is actually a problem of schools.
But we should consider, while Windows is considered to be the desktop #1
OS, you would never persuade application programmers to swith platform
for SOHO solutions development. (for example such as various MS-OFFICE
utilities, that use MS databases to account some things) .
while Windows is a platform #1 for multimedia games (and #2 is MAC) --
we will see less games for Linux. QuakeIII is good in linux, but it is
not enough to call Linux a multimedia platform for games. Yet, despite
of great success of Linux in cinema industry, where it replaces
legendary SGI (does it mean a support of exotic input and media devices
that cinema guys use?), mutimedia is still a weak part of it -- people
who work with sound and music will agree with me.
Q: Why Linux should become a Desktop OS #1 ?
A: i dont know. just because. the point for today is simple competition
-- this stuff is business related, and we, common users, care less about
it. all we want -- is a quility product, fully satisfying our needs. The
other point is, that having Linux as a default desktop, we get -- a
freedom of choice for distribution (this results in different service,
Desktop look-and-feel, being sure we are not watched by BB, etc.) --
what we do not have in Windows case.
Q: Does Linux have any chance to become a desktop OS #1 ?
A: Exactly -- it has a CHANCE, but this chance is to be used.
Some people would say, that Linux was designed for serious proffessional
work and nothing else.
Objection: Imagine, that 4 years ago you learn, that Windows NT would
ever become a HOME desktop enviroment #1, and a mutimedia platform too
-- you would laugh hearing that. And as a result we see attempts to make
this platform uniform in every field of industry -- Enterprise servers,
Business desktop, Home entertaiment, and even Embedded Devices. Same
with Linux -- it already leads in some fields (web servers,
super-computing, etc) but the greater piece of pie is yet to be taken --
Desktop.
how to use the chance -- SIMPLE, just give the user what it wants, the
rest will be done automatically, everithing works for this NOW:
IBM 'Love, peace, Linux" campaign, MS-antitrust trial, forthcoming
ACTIVATION feature enabling in MS products, and, of course, LOTS OF WORK
ALREADY DONE BY OUR BRILLIANT DEVELOPERS, and of course, history
experience of OS/2.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!! All above is said to stress the original idea of my first message !!
!! to users, to do more FEEDBACK about the product they use, and !!
!! i urge you all to discuss not WINDOWZ vs LINUX, but LINUX alone! !!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sincerelly,
Vitaly.
PS: [OT] about MS activation: it is known that windows currently is the
desktop #1 in the world, and i am sure, that more than 90% of windows
installations are illegal (in Europe and US -- may be just 60-70%). It
is quite legal for MS to demand their money from every Windows
installation ever made -- that is why Activation was made. -- but i dont
think that this will be quite popular, and if hackers will not break
this protection, most home users will never update their OSes to new
versions, and, for e.g. that is why support from Game makers for win9x
will last for long time. And that is exactly the chance that Linux
should use to persuade these users to switch LEGALLY to free and more
cost-effective platform, and will succeed if, and only if it will
satisfy the users needs.
PPS: [further off topic] lets scream all together: HACKERS! PLEASE, DO
NOT BREAK THE ACTIVATION!
PPPS: to Ben:
I just want lazy people out of mine. If people can't take the
time to learn something new then they shouldn't. They should stay in
their comfort zone and stay out of mine. Simple.
I used to help a teacher in a computer class of 1st year students in Department of Physics, Moscow State University (that what phys.msu.su stands for in my address). The base platform of our computer class is WindowsNT + MS-Dev. Studio. -- we teach 1st and 2nd year students C++ and Matlab. In russia it not as good with home computers as in EU and US, and it is common to see people came to university who'd never seen a computer before. And sometimes, while reading lectures about pointers in C, in the same time i had to TEACH some students to do basic things -- Cut&Paste, Drag&Drop, and even a simple Mouse clicks and double-clicks. I said to underline the following: Linux is a great platform, and the mighty RTFM is you great helper for it's overriding. BUT: You still have to TEACH many people even to use the intuitive-clear interface (at least in schools).
Please, all of you, next time you say that 'command line rules', 'FAQ you!' and 'RTFM!' -- please, remeber my experience above.