digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover and share the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

See the original image at bbc.co.uk

Ashley Highfield, BBC executive, Reviews Ubuntu

bbc.co.uk — Ashley Highfield, Director of BBC Future Media and Technology has given Ubuntu a road-test on his BBC blog and provides a pretty positive review, testing a number of different use-cases of the system including wireless networks, picture editing, iPlayer, updates, webcam support and more.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • BigManOnCampus, on 06/20/2008, -8/+78And here is the fundamental problem, illustrated...

    He spends his entire review praising ubuntu for being slick and easy to use, with some websites/webapps lacking support, and then he concludes with...

    "For me, as a day to day operating system, would I churn from Windows or MacOS for it? Not yet; perhaps in a year or two."

    wtf? You just related a glowing experience that you would have every day, with no viruses or malware to worry about, no gradual slowdowns, better security, and it was all free; and you say, "No, I won't switch yet."

    ???? People really are afraid of change apparently.
    • sirhomer, on 06/20/2008, -1/+25It didn't work with his webcam and bank. That's fairly serious problems, even though they may not be directly the fault of Ubuntu.

      Virtualization is a good compromise if you enjoy using Linux but still require Windows. Technology which may make even computer illiterates comptent enough to set virtualization up is forthcoming.
      • BigManOnCampus, on 06/20/2008, -3/+23His bank not working sounds ridiculous. I've never heard of a bank not working with a good browser/ssl and some special verification questions. Every bank I've used online banking with works this way. Sounds like he has an unusual bank in this regards. Cayman?

        I've also never had a problem with webcams not working and I've thrown some very generic $5 webcams on ubuntu. If his webcam isn't working, it's nearly trivial to get one that does.
        • Monk22, on 06/20/2008, -1/+9"His bank not working sounds ridiculous."

          regardless, if it doesnt work then it doesnt work. and my webcam which is built into my laptop does not work in ubuntu.
        • brettalton, on 06/20/2008, -0/+6No, the reason why websites not working on certain platforms or browsers is ridiculous is because if you take a file that has (psuedo html: html - head - title - "Hello World!" - /title - /head - body - h1 - "Hello World!" - /h1 - /body - /html) and run it on any browser, even as far back as a 1993 web browser and they will all display uniformly.

          Now, as a web developer, I have never seen or needed ANY technology that prohibited a user from using my websites. If the browser can view text and fill out forms (think Lynx) then that's all you need to use.
        • trueshadow21, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4All you need to fix the bank not working is to get the user agent switcher for FireFox and change the platform, or you could do it without the plug-in, its just simpler with it.
        • jcronkhite, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4I agree with you on all accounts with the exception of the webcam. The author mentions an HP laptop. That likely has the built-in webcam and microphone. Linux works great on HP laptops in my experience, but the webcam lacks real driver support even in the community (at least as of a few months ago when I last tried it myself). That's temporary though I'm sure.

          What pisses me off is any website, bank or other, detecting my OS and deciding I am not allowed to use their site based on the result. This is COMPLETELY unacceptable and in my opinion irresponsible. They've essentially done more work (even if it is a simple detection in JavaScript, etc.) to prevent access. This also happens on ABC.com (see http://happylinuxthoughts.blogspot.com/2007/11/abc ... Lame.
        • dimo1977, on 06/21/2008, -0/+0How many banks do you use? I think when you give an opinion you should look at the data out there first. The writer gave a list of banks that don't support linux at this time.
      • dimo1977, on 06/20/2008, -3/+2I don't think he's making his review up. I have Ubuntu on my laptop in a dual boot setting with Windows XP. There are several sites that I require IE for specifically. Examples being Netflix (Instant viewing) and Transcender.com. If I switched to either I couldn't watch movies instantly or do a lot of my homework.

        I'm all for adding a new OS to the mix but expecting people to completely jump into Ubuntu head first as their sole OS is a bit much to ask at this time.

      • UKsHaDoW, on 06/20/2008, -0/+8You can always get your browser to pretend to be running on windows.
        • cgruber, on 06/21/2008, -0/+4That doesn't fix website that rely on ActiveX, but yes it does resolve some of them.
        • trueshadow21, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Reply to cgruber:
          I think it would be just as ridiculous to require ActiveX for a bank site, and it didn't sound like that was the case because instead of saying "My banking site wouldn't work" he said that the bank doesn't support linux at the moment, which makes me think that he got some notification saying that it can't let him continue because the page did a browser info check and the platform information said linux and not Windows/Mac.

          So yes, using UserAgent Switcher or changing the info manually SHOULD work, if are assumptions are true.
      • mossblaser, on 06/20/2008, -0/+6I can appreciate his problems but him saying "I appreciate a lot of drivers are preinstalled, but I'm starting to feel that perhaps the Linux OS is not aimed at my kind of usage" implies that it is linux's intention to not provide drivers and that it could do if it wanted to. This not the case and this is the source of a lot of undue bad press.
      • angrykeyboarder, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1He must have a very weird bank. While mine *claims* to only work with IE,Firefox and Safari on Windows/Mac it also works perfectly with Konqueror & Epiphany in Linux (and Firefox too of course).

        The bank doesn;t even flinch at them.

        I suppsoe it's because my bank adheres to web standards, like any site should.
    • aliguana, on 06/20/2008, -0/+12He works for the BBC. As such he has to work with Microsoft technology, Microsoft Office, Windows Media etc. Even if he did switch to Linux, he'd have to dualboot for work. That is his hesitation I think. Incompatibility. Of course, that isn't Linux's fault, it's the BBC's fault. If BBC people want to switch to Linux, it's up to them to make the organisation more OSS friendly.
    • dsmx, on 06/20/2008, -2/+5Ubuntu wont work with my wireless pci card for some reason so I can't really switch to it either.
      • KingCritter, on 06/20/2008, -8/+2Buy a new one, then.
        • IllBeBack, on 06/20/2008, -4/+7Your argument sucks.
        • aliguana, on 06/21/2008, -1/+4see, if we were talking about Vista, and someone suggested "buy a new one" there would be uproar. Why is it acceptable in Linux? A: It isn't. if linux wants to be a mainstream OS, it has to support whatever you throw at it.
        • Malachai, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1"Your argument sucks."

          Who said it was acceptable?
      • brettalton, on 06/20/2008, -0/+3What card is it?
        • Spr0k3t, on 06/21/2008, -2/+1Does it even matter which card it is if it doesn't work? I'm betting it's using a broadcom chipset or some 802.11n pre-final. The obvious answer is to buy a card that works well with linux and forget about it. The alternative is to dig long and hard into the bowels of the intarwebs searching for hours until he finally gets to some answer such as "RTFM". The best fix, buy a new card, as an alternative, find out which chipset is used and see if there is any support.
      • MattBD, on 06/20/2008, -0/+4Have you tried using ndiswrapper to get the Windows drivers working. It's not too hard if you use the ndisgtk frontend.
        • IllBeBack, on 06/20/2008, -7/+4Sounds like a lot of nerd-worthy research would have to be performed to make this work. Why go through all that pain when it JUST WORKS in Windows?
        • MattBD, on 06/20/2008, -0/+3No it isn't. Ndisgtk is easy to use. And I was just offering help seeing as dsmx clearly would like to give it a go - why should they be forced to use Windows? And more things "just work" in Linux than Windows, and more and more hardware is supported all the time.
        • PhailQuail, on 06/20/2008, -0/+7"JUST WORKS" after installing drivers, on Linux these things usually work out-of-the-box.

          So how is installing ndiswrapper on Linux any different to installing drivers on Windows?
        • MattBD, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Ndiswrapper is just a way to run Windows drivers on Linux. I don't see any way to install Linux drivers in Windows.
          What I meant was more hardware works straight away - when I've reinstalled Windows XP in the past, I've then had to install drivers for the graphics card to get the resolution OK, whereas in Linux it has always been fine right from the start.
        • trueshadow21, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1to IllBeBack:
          Things "JUST WORK" in windows because the vendors put CDs in the box with them, and the CDs usually DONT have Linux drivers, the only exception to this I've ever seen is a router that had the config program available for Windows, Linux, and Mac 9/10. It was a dLink router btw, I like Linksys more but way to go Dlink for having the linux stuff with it.
    • peestandingup, on 06/20/2008, -4/+8Just being slick & easy to use isn't enough to be your main OS. There's software availability, codecs, compatibility with your digital products, support, etc. I wish Linux users could understand that.

      It is getting better, but say what you want. Linux is still a geek's OS. Now digg me down, Linux Nazi's like I know you will.
      • BigManOnCampus, on 06/20/2008, -2/+4I can't disagree more.

        Software availability:
        Ubuntu and Fedora have a GUI package manager that lets you search through it. Everything is free. In Ubuntu I haven't found much mainstream needs that aren't taken care of well. Repositories are well stocked these days. In fact I've *never* unzipped and compiled a single application since using Ubuntu.

        codecs:
        I've never had a problem. 90% of web videos work for me. The 10% that don't usually have a javascript issue, not a codec issue. Everything else just works.

        Compatibility with digital products:
        I just bought an ipod, I plugged it in and used Amarok with it. my ipod continues to do exactly what I need it to and I've never used itunes with it. I can no longer think of a digital product save the bleeding-edge-stuff that doesn't either just work or have a solution.

        support:
        Have you been to the wiki's and/or message boards lately?
        • peestandingup, on 06/20/2008, -7/+3Spoken like a true fanboy.

          Software. So how many of those free apps are actually quality apps?? Not many at all & you know it. Is there a decent video editing app thats compatible with my Canon AVCHD camera? No. Video chatting thats not cobbled together? No. Decent browser choices besides FF? No. Decent audio editing studio? No. And Im not gonna rely on Wine for that ***** either. Whats the point??

          Im curious, did DVDs or other common media play outta the box? No they didnt.

          There are more digital products than iPod.

          And having people rely on forums for any kind of support isnt an option for many many people.
        • MattBD, on 06/20/2008, -3/+5I agree. I just bought a MacBook and I am finding it MUCH harder to install software and use it generally than I ever have in any Linux distro. I think OS X is far less intuitive than Ubuntu.
        • BigManOnCampus, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2"So how many of those free apps are actually quality apps??"

          Christ, I could legitimately ask the same of MS Office. Show me perfect software anywhere and I'll show you a real fanboy.

          "Not many at all & you know it."

          No, I know the opposite is true. I would ask you to try Ubuntu's media edition for a week and then come and tell me there aren't "decent" multimedia apps for linux.

          "Im curious, did DVDs or other common media play outta the box? No they didnt."

          Yes, they do.

          "There are more digital products than iPod."

          Indeed, and I haven't run into many save some bleeding-edge-new-chipset PCI NIC's that don't work.

          "And having people rely on forums for any kind of support isnt an option for many many people."

          Really? You sound like someone who's never used them.
      • trueshadow21, on 06/21/2008, -1/+5Everything in BigManOnCampus's post is true, and I have more to add about codecs

        I installed the latest release of Ubuntu on my laptop, and when I wen't to watch a video, it told me it didn't have the codec, and at the same time it opened up the software repository and found the codec, and gave me the option to download and install it right there and within a minute my video was playing. I WANT TO SEE WINDOWS DO THAT! sry about the caps, I just felt an ! wouldn't cut it alone...
    • ERTW2011, on 06/20/2008, -3/+1I think the biggest issue is support. The interface is slick, easy to use, and comes with every thing the average use could need. But if you plug some thing into an Ubuntu computer there's probably only a 50%-70% chance it wont involve hunting for drivers.
    • sg7791, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Starcraft works perfectly in wine under Ubuntu! What more is he looking for?

      But really, I don't think Linux is practical enough for every day use. Granted, this guy knows what he's talking about, The latest Ubuntu update made the install unusable. (hangs at splash) I had to use the install disk to boot into a command line and run apt-get install nvidia-glx. I'm glad it was the first thing I tried, because it was really just a shot in the dark. Put simply, Ubuntu is not for everyone.
      • LocalDocal, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Considering the level of ease of use Ubuntu has reached, I'm beginning to wonder if Linux will ever be ready for everyone.

        I recently tried Hardy Heron for the first time and I was incredibly impressed by the ease of use. It was far beyond that of Gutsy Gibbon. I actually agree with him: Hardy Heron felt very slick and simple to use. I've also never felt this way about Ubuntu before and I've been trying it on and off since 6.10.

        Personally, the thing that interests me the most about his personal review was that he required help from what seems to be an experienced Linux user. Reading into his background, he seems to be a fairly knowledgeable techie, and the fact that he required help from an experienced user is a big warning sign. Most consumers aren't techies and most likely won't have anywhere near his level of knowledge on computers, yet even he required help from an experienced user to get some things working. That doesn't bode well.
        • FairDinkumMate, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1Fair point about needing help from an experienced user, BUT....

          What would happen if "most consumers" plugged a webcam in with any OS & it didn't "just work"?

          This is what frustrates me. I think most of the complaints I see about Ubuntu specifically are from fairly tech savvy people that were upset that they couldn't get "x,y or z" piece of hardware to work easily. The "logical" conclusion they draw from this is that Ubuntu isn't ready for the masses. I have 2 main problems with this "logical" conclusion:
          1) Almost invariably, the issue has a lot more to do with the hardware manufacturer not providing Linux support than any specific Linux problem. These types of issues will inevitably reduce as(if?) Linux popularity grows & hardware manufacturers respond.
          2) The problem for "the masses" isn't Ubuntu(or Linux), but that their hardware won't work. Regardless of OS, these people will seek support to fix the issue. "The masses" are just as unlikely to be able to fix a Windows hardware issue as they are a Mac, Linux or Commodore 64 based one! Ubuntu &/or other Linux OS's won't achieve great market share through people downloading & replacing their existing OS, it will come when(if?) these distros are sold in large numbers pre-installed. This in & of itself will eliminate most of the "I plugged it in but it doesn't work" issues.

          These types of complaints seem to mainly come from 'experienced' Windows users that seem to think the goal of Linux is to provide a better, safer, more stable OS for them to use but not have to learn. It WON"T work the same as Windows - that's one of the ADVANTAGES! They can have the former, but it will require some 'learning'!
        • LocalDocal, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0Mate,

          Fair enough. However, I must content those two points you made.

          1) Yes, you are correct that if something does not work with Linux, then it is not the fault of Linux, but the fault of the manufacturers. However, despite this being the case, it does not change the situation that the particular product still does not work. Telling people that it is the fault of the manufacturers is not going to make them happy, they will want to know how they can get it to work. Indeed, this problem will change when (if) Linux becomes popular, but until then, it is a valid problem.

          2) Again, you are correct in that people do not know how to fix problems themselves, and will seek support instead. However, here's a question for you: Where are people likely to seek support? The manufacturer of the product or by scouring Linux forums using Google? Of course, it's going to be the former, and when the manufacturer inevitably tells them that they only support Windows, then it becomes a problem. Additionally, even if people were doing the latter (scouring forums), there's a good chance that not all of their problems are going to be fixed anyway due to the sheer number of products out there. Furthermore, as I said before, I do agree that much of these problems will be fixed when (if) Linux becomes popular and comes preinstalled on PCs/Laptops, but until then, again, it is a valid problem.

          Lastly, I do not know what other Windows users believe nor do I know what Linux's goal is (I seem to be getting mixed messages). However, what I do know is that if Linux is going to become a widely used OS, then it has to have three things: Major advantages over other OSes for the consumers it's targeting, ease of use for the common man, and support from various major manufacturers of computer products out there (both hardware and software).

          Unfortunately, there really is no other way around this.
    • Avian00, on 06/23/2008, -0/+2While I agree with you in principle, I think the real issue is the small handful of applications he depends on to do his job (I.E. Microsoft Office or Adobe Apps). My impression is he would make the complete switch if he could break free of his dependency on those apps.
      • someology, on 06/24/2008, -0/+2Yes, the day that Adobe provides Linux versions of all their apps is the day when far more people will be able to use Linux daily.
  • PriceChild, on 06/20/2008, -0/+21Change is bad yes...

    ...but just think about what he would have said about things 1..2...3 years ago? Things are getting ridiculously better :)
    • kildare, on 06/20/2008, -4/+1"what he would have said about things 1..2...3 years ago?"

      probably pretty much exactly the same thing..."neat, but I like the shiny windows pretties, so I'll switch in one or two years,"

      more importantly, the guy has four laptops? bbc must be rolling in cash
  • Vadi0, on 06/20/2008, -0/+15His bank refuses to work for one, heh.

    Although using a firefox addon to change the user agent would easily trick that.
    • mk3k, on 06/20/2008, -3/+13People don't want to research that stuff. They want it to work.
    • Tyr7BE, on 06/20/2008, -2/+24More the fault of the bank than anything. I'm with several banks and they all work just fine in FF on Linux. No reason to be requiring IE.
      • Spr0k3t, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3It would be nice if he published which bank it was. I know I don't want to bank there, whereeveritis.
    • Dayimproper, on 06/22/2008, -0/+2My bank used to not support FF or Opera, I called their tech support and a month later they called me back. Now it does work with FF and Opera. Although I highly doubt it was only because of me . Banks are starting to take notice to the fact that people are using other OSs browsers.
      P.S
      My bank is fairly small might be one more reason for them to support all users, there never seems to be a line when I go there...
    • MagisterSart, on 06/22/2008, -0/+1Or he could google a bit and install IE for Linux.
      • bl4k3r, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1People don't want to research that stuff. They want it to work.
  • popey, on 06/20/2008, -1/+24Of course banks that refuse to allow access from IE/Windows are bad, and the user agent switcher plugin for firefox is one way around it. However the absolute best thing we can do is tell these companies that they are blocking their own customers. Failing that, put your money where your mouth is and leave. Personally I use the Abbey in the UK and their personal and business banking sites work just fine in Firefox on Ubuntu.
  • neaveru, on 06/20/2008, -1/+32Sounds like it's time to switch banks. Why exactly would a bank WEBSITE specifically not allow Linux? I thought that was the point of having stuff on the web, because it doesn't matter what OS you're using or what software is on your PC, etc. I would worry about the quality of the bank's site and whether it's secure if they start making such non-tech savvy moves.
    • wellyuk, on 06/20/2008, -0/+7I've found with a number of bank websites (for online banking as opposed to their brochureware front end), the developers tend to script for platforms/browsers as opposed to browser capabilities. For instance, although it's since been updated, my old bank, the Nat West Bank (of Fascist Thieving Bastards), Safari wouldn't work on it nor would Opera, but strangely enough Camino wouldn't work on it, even though Camino uses/used the same javascript/html rendering engine as Firefox did. And Firefox worked on the site. So the developers were obviously checking for IE6/7 and Firefox (2 at the time) on Mac/PC as opposed to this browser is capable of doing x, y, z so we'll let them in.
    • flashingcurser, on 06/23/2008, -0/+2Is it just me? or does requiring activex for a banking website seem like a bad idea.
  • xsquirrel378x, on 06/20/2008, -17/+2this is front page news because....

    EDIT: oh its about noobuntu
    • santasing, on 06/20/2008, -0/+2You think we can use you for our commercials.

      - Durex PR
  • zeiben, on 06/20/2008, -7/+25It's puerile, but it has to be said: Ashley is a girl's name.
  • Davinator, on 06/20/2008, -3/+3The 3 things I need to switch to linux:

    -Good iPod support that doesn't break parts of it (cover flow, remembering your place in podcasts / videos, etc...)
    -Avisynth for linux
    -Netflix Watch-It-Now support

    If those things all happened, I'd most likely make the switch to linux.
    • BigManOnCampus, on 06/20/2008, -1/+7I just got an Ipod, and I haven't had a single problem using it in Ubuntu/Amarok. My ipod has *never* been connected to an itunes setup, and it works fine.

      Edit: Actually, I lied, I do have a problem with the ipod, but it's in the ipod software, not linux. I want to be able to play a genre on shuffle, but it won't allow that, which is the dumbest feature to leave out that I've ever heard. Syncing and setting up playlists on the ipod has been issue free for me. My cover flow isn't broken, but I don't put videos/podcasts on it.
      • Monk22, on 06/20/2008, -0/+3my roommate plugged his ipod into my linux box using amarok. it sucessfully wiped all cover art from his tags.
        • zwaldowski, on 06/21/2008, -2/+2"Update Cover Art" could help.
        • Monk22, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1how bout not breaking in the first place. i spent alot of time getting the music organized and making sure all the obscure stuff had tags and cover art.
      • DoTheFandango, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1BigMan -- make a smart playlist of a genre and just randomize it through that playlist. that's how I do it.
    • popey, on 06/20/2008, -1/+2Banshee is looking _really_ sweet for this kind of thing.
    • AzureRise, on 06/20/2008, -0/+3Yesterday I connected my iPod to my laptop to get a file I needed and Rhythmbox instantly opened and I was able to listen to all the music on my iPod. I was surprised. There was even an iPod icon on my desktop labeled iPod. I've since used my iPod and experienced no problems whatsoever. I've also heard Amarok has iPod support.

      As for Avisynth, it's OpenSource under the GPL license so it's not out of the question for someone to port it over to Linux.

      Lastly Netflix, I'm not too familiar with their service, so I can't say much about it. But if it's a streaming service, there's no real reason for it not to work in Linux except for pointless DRM.
    • mdwstmusik, on 06/20/2008, -1/+6"Good iPod support"
      I too use Ubuntu/Amarok with my Ipod, and have never had a problem. IMHO, Amarok is the best audio player/management application available on any platform.

      "Avisynth for Linux"
      http://avisynth3.unite-video.com/

      "Netflix Watch-It-Now support"
      http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=719778
      This is the best I could do.
    • MattBD, on 06/20/2008, -0/+3My iPod has always worked fine with Amarok in Kubuntu.
    • newwatch51, on 06/22/2008, -0/+1Yes, you can use Amarok and other Linux apps for old iPods, but they won't work for the iPod Touch. I understand that there's a way to do it if you Jailbreak it, but the only way to do so with the newest firmware is with Windows or OSX
  • Tony6785, on 06/20/2008, -3/+8Actually, I think this is the real problem:

    "(or my lack of time to invest in getting it all set up right)."

    Windows works, people know how it works, and generally know how to hit it to get it to do what they want. They may have the time to learn Linux, but they likely want to spend it doing other things. Not everyone is a computer geek.

    //will use Sabayon over Vista or XP any day
    • mcmlxxii, on 06/20/2008, -0/+11You're right, but the sad thing is that these same people had to learn how to use Windows. If they were prepared to put in the same effort to learning GNOME/KDE on Linux, they'd have it licked in no time.

      I remember having a hellish time with some hardware drivers in Windows too, but the normal answer when your driver doesn't work in Windows is to buy a new peripheral. At least in Linux you have the option to research driver availability.
      • popey, on 06/20/2008, -0/+2Agreed, but many people had no choice "back in the day", they _had_ to learn Windows or nothing. Now we've all had a chance to learn windows to a greater or lesser degree, _anything_ new is alien. I've used Windows since the early crappy dos versions, and Linux since about 5 years ago, and I felt out of my depth on a Mac recently. It's all about what you're used to.
  • krc1, on 06/20/2008, -0/+16"Not everyone is a computer geek."
    Mr. Highfield's qualifications:
    "...my serious coding days ended with Oracle some 14 years ago."
    "Director, BBC Future Media & Technology"
    I couldn't get hello world to print in VB and am basically one step above your typical computer moron, but I got various flavors of Linux to work and switched over from Windows permanently.
    • popey, on 06/20/2008, -0/+5One step above a moron and you run Linux. Not sure what that says actually :)
    • tripzero, on 06/20/2008, -0/+5I'm a programmer by trade and I can't even get "hello world" to print in VB (nor would I ever want to spend the 3seconds to learn how).

      what I don't understand is why some companies refuse to do things right. If you develop a web application correctly, it will run on all platforms regardless of OS. Heck, there's no reason why you couldn't even build a .NET application and have it run on all platforms.

      heh, but i'm not a businessman so what do I know?
  • YodaJones, on 06/20/2008, -0/+5People are sheep who follow the crowd, doing whatever the majority does. Besides gamers, and a lot of games work now with the latest Wine, there is no real reason to stay on Windows. Almost every aspect of computing is better on Linux, and specifically Ubuntu. Even most of the applications are better.
    • edwinjose, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1I'm on a Macbook Pro and Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines installed well on Ubuntu. But something is not right, the game doesn't move smoothly. it moves in steps.

      I'd like to say that Wine evangelists are exaggerating things a bit.
      • MagisterSart, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0Try bying Cedega. It is based on Wine (it was, actually. Now it is a separate project) and is designed solely for gaming
  • twomeyw23334, on 06/20/2008, -3/+0I hope everyone on digg loves the Boston Celtics, the new big promoters of Ubuntu.
  • brettalton, on 06/20/2008, -0/+7I'm fairly happy with this article.

    I've been setting up and fixing computers for almost 10 years and whether it's Linux or Windows, people always need help setting up drivers and what not. If a nerd is available, they'll use you. My ass Windows "just works". Sometimes their webcam won't work, sometimes their printer won't work, sometimes their 'computer' breaks only for me to find that the left-click on the mouse died but more than likely they or their "son" viewed porn and now its all buggered up.

    All sorts of people have different backgrounds with Windows too: Some go into C:/Windows and mess around with .dlls, some people delete programs by deleting it in C:/Program Files while the rest give the computer to me and say "its making noises!"

    When I get a computer however and show them the benefit of Ubuntu and open-source, they immediately want to switch. So, I back up their data, wipe the computer, put Ubuntu on a 10GB root partition (/) and the rest goes to /home. Then, I call them up 1 week after, 3 months after and 6 months after to hear how they're doing. I've only had one person ask me to put them back on Vista. Why? She wants iTunes because it auto-fills her song names and doesn't want to use Rhythmbox/Sound Juicer to do the same thing.

    Some will switch, some won't, but not supporting Linux on a website is absolutely ridicously. I'd be happy with Linux at a 5% market share on the desktop. 70% is great for servers but 1% is absolutely ridiculous for the desktop.
    • manbearpigm16, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Try them with Amarok, Rhythmbox kinda sucks in my opinion.
    • DotNetWill, on 06/22/2008, -0/+1"When I get a computer however and show them the benefit of Ubuntu and open-source, they immediately want to switch." - What a load of bollocks. Then the first time they want to play a game or install a printer and it doesn't work they want to go back to Windows.

      What people seem to forget is that the vast majority of the computer using public has no clue nor care what an OS is or what OS they have as long as it just works with the stuff they want and Linux just doesn't.
  • smebbin, on 06/20/2008, -0/+2I would say Bill Gates secret (was) "Kick them while they are down". Now that Apple has rebounded, his Evil Empire seems about done.
  • onestab, on 06/21/2008, -6/+1Ubuntu couldn't even connect to my home wireless network. Fail. Keep working on it guys.
    • FairDinkumMate, on 06/21/2008, -2/+2Or YOU couldn't connect to your home wireless network using Ubuntu? FAIL

      I'll bet 50 other guys reading this post could access your home network using Ubuntu - WPA2 or not!!!
    • MagisterSart, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0I am now surfing the net from my bro's laptop. Latest Kubuntu. WiFi works great, though I had to spend 1 minute to set it up (He usually uses wired connection at home, so he didn't bother with setting up a wifi connection for home)
  • evilneuro, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Just to clarify, Highfield is no longer at the BBC, he is now (and has been since April 2008) CEO of Kangaroo, the joint venture between the BBC, ITV and C4 to deliver IP VoD: http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worl ...
  • wassim2k, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2Wonder why he didn't try to download something and install it. I find that to be the most challenging part during my switch. Usually has to do with permissions and missing dependencies.
    • Gavagai80, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1Why should he test things no normal person has a reason to do? 99% of us don't need to be compiling source tarballs. Even proprietary software like opera and skype offer packages which an untrained ape could install.

      If you're messing with permissions and getting dependency issues, and you're not a software developer, then you're on the wrong track.
  • trueshadow21, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1Ubuntu is simply hella easy once everything is setup. I don't even use my laptop, its about 4 years old now, and it only gets used when I have friends over and they want to get online. I switched it to Ubuntu when 8.04 came out and not one of them has had a problem or not been able to figure something out, and some of these people have problems setting up email accounts and getting Windows Live Messenger in Windows.

    And yes, I'll get flamed about setup is part of making the switch, but the point I had in mind is that laptops with Linux pre-installed would be just as easy to use.
  • spider-man, on 06/21/2008, -3/+1I'm sorry but those who argue that Ubuntu is ready for the masses IMO, are wrong. Typically for one reason or another I setup a Linux box occasionally. I just set up about 4 or 5 boxes in the last few weeks with the latest release of Ubuntu. Initial install was easy. The hardware was around 5 years old common stuff so there was no excuse for stuff not working with minimal effort. Trying to get some of the basic stuff working required many hours of googling, experimenting, more googling. Anyone that doesn't have fairly decent computer expertise and dogged determination had better hope all their hardware magically works without intervention or prepare to be disappointed.

    Issues I had to deal with:

    No 3D video acceleration which meant the performance of even some of the most basic games sucked. I had both common (and older) ATI and Nvidia cards. Took hours getting it working reasonably well. Out of the box, if all you want to play is solitaire, you're fine. Otherwise if you're not a Linux guru, roll up your sleeves.

    Wireless networking was a snap to get working with ndiswrapper (of course I already knew what ndiswrapper was, anyone who doesn't well...) and WPA (anyone not implementing WPA is a loon). Only problem is that I had to manually connect each time I booted up. More multiple hours of googling and experimentation to get it working so that it would automatically connect at boot time. The final working solution ended up being pretty simple. Finding the solution wasn't. This was probably the only piece of hardware that was less than 5 years old. It was also disturbing to find out that Linux stores the WPA passphrase in a config file unencrypted.

    Getting a common, basic gamepad to work in Wine. Again simple solution that required more research effort to uncover than should have been needed.

    Getting DVD's to play. Took significant effort to figure out what modules and components to install for my DVD's to play correctly.

    I like Linux but every one of these things (and probably others I didn't encounter) need to be much easier to get working.

    • Biznarie, on 06/21/2008, -1/+2Totally over exaggerated.
    • MagisterSart, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0If you don't know how to do all these things, this doesn't mean that Linux is not ready for the masses.

      3D video acceleration - 3 commands in console.
      WPA - easy as breathing.
      Know nothing about gamepads. I have a couple of Logitech joysticks, that work fine.
      DVDs - holy goodness!!! I never had any problems with DVDs in Ubuntu out of the box.

      But you are right about things to be easier. Canonical Inc. should wright a manual for Ubuntu covering all issues of this kind, as they do require some experience to be solved.
  • rsjackson, on 06/21/2008, -2/+0I tried Ubuntu a few months back and it was OK, but I was having issues with it. Half the time when I would boot up with it my PC would lock up right when it came up, then I would have to manually turn my PC off and back on.

    And if you are thinking its a PC hardware problem I would have to say no. I have an AMD 4200+, with 2GB RAM, so plenty of power and have absolutely no problems with Vista.

    I think it is well worth the money (free), and after some time I may look into Linux again, but right now I will stick with what works for me.
    • MagisterSart, on 06/22/2008, -0/+0Did you try to find the reason? The behavior is really strange. It should work fine with your hardware.
      I own an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 with 3GB RAM, and I had no troubles with Linux.
  • Mathieugothax, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1It's good to see an executive from BBC, a respected company, that tries Ubuntu and actually likes it! Linux have come a long way from since it was created and I predict that it will kill Windows, given some time, somewhere in 2015.
  • reclusivemonkey, on 06/21/2008, -0/+3Pity no one told him he could have used f-Spot to import his photos and then upload them directly to flickr...
  • Nescirian, on 06/21/2008, -1/+1Ubuntu: Still the worst game ever.
  • pijalu, on 06/21/2008, -0/+2kudos to George Wright, he is the guy pushing these people to actually try Linux....
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/george_wrig ...
  • motters, on 06/21/2008, -0/+1The problems with web sites are usually because the web designers have contrived their code around the many sins and foibles of Internet Explorer. This is largely an issue of Microsoft not properly supporting web standards over a long period of time.

    I have a lot of experience with webcams and support for them on Linux - or lack thereof. The situation has improved greatly within the last few years, especially with the adoption of the Universal Video Class (UVC) standard.
  • DougVitale, on 06/23/2008, -0/+1That was a very fair and honest assessment from someone whose client-side necessities for an OS are very different from Linux server functionality. He concludes by saying, "For me, as a day to day operating system, would I churn from Windows or MacOS for it? Not yet; perhaps in a year or two." Fair enough. If desktop Linux is only a couple of years away from seriously competing with Windows and Mac, that is a great sign and it shows just how far Linux has come in the past few years. Bravo!
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.