Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3242 mails)

[gabriel <dan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

linux isn't ready for the desktop market for one reason
it's just too hard to use

even with all the help i've received on this mailing list
from the manuals
the man pages
and various help forums online
  not to mention friend
and the library of knowledge
that i've picked up over the years of computer geeking

i still can't get my ati all-in-wonder radeon to function properly in kde
tuxracer doesn't even work

now kde has it's own host of bugs
but until installing and running the os is as easy as
  "point, doubleclick, ok, ok, ok"
linux won't score any points in the desktop market

the server software is great
but supporting the rich media nessecary for a desktop
is still out of rech for linux


ps
and don't tell me i'm just too dumb to use it
a computer is a tool
and like any other tool
it should be easy to use
linux is more powerful for its customisability
but if i can't just download one program that scans my machine
and grabs what i need off the web
i'll keep my windows box thanks




> From: Vitaly Shishakov <shift@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 03:36:08 +0400
> To: suse-linux-e@xxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [SLE] [OT] Linux for home Desktop.
> 
> 
> 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
> <read -- VBA> 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.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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