Hi This is probably the wrong forum for my mail. If so, please forgive me. I write this not becsause I need assistance with any technical issue on my Linux (currently OpenSuse 10.3. I use it now professionally against my emplyoers will. Hope they won't read this.) installation. I write this because I feel a bit confused regarding the evergoing articles from different reporters asking if, or claiming that "Now is the right time to dump that other OS for Linux". I can agree that Linux, in most senses being a completely free OS, is really a great thing. I've used OpenSuse since 9.3, I've tested and used Fedora since it was Red Hat 8, I've used Ubuntu since 6.04, and they all amazed me in many ways. They did things that I thought was not possible with any other OS than the preinstalled one. And the fact that I can get this stuff, completely free, it's really great. Almost unbelievable. But, yes you know it would be coming, coming back to my confusion, the usability is not close to what I need and that is the reason I write this. After all theese articles in magazines and on the web, "is Linux ready to throw out Windows" - in my world no. And I would like it to be, believe me. Just one example from this evening. I wanted to synchronise my pulse watch with the software that I got from the vendor of this watch. I sync via IR. In Windows it's no problem. In Linux - forget it. I will be able to run my software via Wine (or the flavours like CrossOver Office) but it won't be able to see my watch via IR. Some of the stuff I do with my machines daily is not at all supported in Linux and it seems no one else (the article-writers and Distro-planners) is talking about it. I use notebooks 100%. Many different ones since that is part of my job. I need to use bluetooth - the built-in bluetooth which is not supported. I need to use IRDA - the built-in IRDA which is not supported. I need to use hotkeys - which is only partly supported depending on distro and version. I need to use StandBy and Hibernation - which is sometimes supported and if so, sometimes work but to be honest I always save my files and close my mail before entering any of those modes. That is not the case with Windows. I need to use hotplug on my Selectable Bay - which is totally unsupported. I need to dock / undock my machine from a docking device - which is more or less totally unrecognised by the system. And the most confusing issue I need to hook up to external display devices - external screens, beamers via VGA, TV sets via composite or SVHS. Not even the most basic setup works perfect. Not to mention some more complicated ones. Sometimes I try to see the sight before me, this Linux developer has produced some great ideas during his last showering session. Now he wants to talk about them and show some drafts in a meeting. He hooks up his machine to the beamer and then....oh sorry, got to boot up in another OS to switch to "display clone mode". Again - I am humbled by the work of all people out there. Really! But either it's me living in my own bubble of hardware connections that no one else uses, or everyone else knows how to get all theese thing up and running without any problems. I mean, of course I can search forums for one or two small things, but the above feels really like basics of a notebook computer. I can see a lot of labour is put to get many nice things - like desktop effect to take one easy-to-take-a-stand-for/against-project. But what about the basics? /Tom --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-mobile+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-mobile+help@opensuse.org