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60 Comments
- Bicep, on 02/22/2009, -3/+24Yes, Android based computers MUST be able to use software from the typical Linux software selection. To NOT do so would be an awful restriction of the OS.
- coldkill3r, on 02/23/2009, -2/+16Why are these comments so horrible?
- inactive, on 02/23/2009, -1/+15KEVIN LAWTON
Pioneer in x86 virtualization, serial entrepreneur, business and technology visionary, prolific idea creator, news and business book junkie. Founding team member in a microprocessor startup, the author and lead for two Open Source projects, a public speaker, and at the forefront of what is now a multi-billion dollar x86 virtualization industry. I have a degree in computer science and started my career at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. [email address on gmail is kevin.p.lawton]
Yeah, he's a shill... - SpeedSteamBoat, on 02/23/2009, -1/+13-Yeah, Flash is slower than on Windows. Sorry. Complain to Adobe. Still works fine on my netbook though.
-My volume is actually much louder in Linux than in Windows. Sorry about your Acer. That's not a universal issue.
-Youtube is Flash... so yeah it's slower like all flash.
-Why are you messing with Xgl? Just install the NVidia drivers and it should work fine. Otherwise sorry about your NVidia. Compiz Fusion worked flawlessly OOB on my netbook with Intel graphics, and it works fine on both my NVidia and ATI based desktops with proper drivers. This is not a universal problem.
-Transmission is awesome. Vuze sucks on ALL platforms. What was Transmission lacking? A bunch of ads and "sponsored" content to pester you?
-Pidgin is passable (and actually quite good with most protocols), but I don't really use MSN anyway. So yes, if MSN messenger is your BFF than you aren't going to be satisfied with open-source alternatives, but what did you expect? It's called MICROSOFT Network for christ's sake!
-Open Office is fine for casual word processing, etc. If you really love the ribbon and need all the extra features I never touch in Office '07 than you should probably stick with that, but, again, if you liked what you had so much why were you messing with an alternative?
You sound like a typical MS fanboy who went into a Linux trial with the explicate reason of finding things not to like about it. Anything that wasn't EXACTLY like Windows you hated. The only thing you liked was the thing that let you run some Windows software. If you like Windows that much by all means use it, but just because some things didn't work for you or weren't just like Windows doesn't make Linux ***** and "not a mainstream alternative." Linux is a perfectly good OS, and it has nothing to do with "some paranoid nerd fantasy." If you don't like it then don't use it, but if you were objective at all you wouldn't feel the need to cry and nitpick about Linux on Digg. - ArthurSucks, on 02/23/2009, -1/+12Ain't this a touch off topic?
- RyeBrye, on 02/23/2009, -0/+10This article talks about a chroot as if it is some kind of "wouldn't it be nice if Android could..." but he's about 3 months behind the curve - Saurik (the guy who wrote Cydia for the iPhone - among other things) figured out how to set up a debian chroot on the G1 weeks after it was released using the ARM version of debian.
Yeah, it works, and yeah it's nice. - ileftfark, on 02/23/2009, -2/+10In a FOSS environment, how are these apps a 'liability'? Furthermore, the whole idea behind an open-source environment is to allow for freedom of choice.
- XISUPERMANIX, on 02/23/2009, -0/+8I have been using Ubuntu for about 3 years now and the only command I type in is sudo aptitude clean, to get rid of temp files. There are programs to do that for you, but seriously if you don't want to type one line you probably shouldn't be on a computer at all. You typed more in your little rant than I have had in 3 years of Linux use...
- jd75, on 02/23/2009, -0/+7i prefer the reverse. android on linux:
http://koolu.com/
linux is much more developed than android, which will take the place java always does when it insists everyone use java and only java: a sideshow. - gwodus, on 02/23/2009, -0/+7Why??? Wouldn't it make a lot more sense the other way around? Let all phones and netbooks have linux as OS and if needed android on top of that?
- mrsteveman1, on 02/23/2009, -1/+8Lack of X11 hasn't held back FOSS apps from running on other OS.
- Mudbeast, on 02/23/2009, -0/+7How can you wake up someone who's brain dead?
- inactive, on 02/23/2009, -0/+7have you ever had to ipconfig? 2nd, Linux doesn't owe you *****. Its FREE. 3rd, you can thank the Linux movement for keeping microsoft on its toes regarding GUI innovation (although microsoft still sucks at it)
- corbinat, on 02/23/2009, -0/+6I'm not sure why everyone is so scared of the terminal. Yeah sure you are going to have to learn a few commands, but it is so much more powerful and quicker than clicking through a bunch of windows. You imply that it is such a bad thing, but many people (myself included) are glad that they have that option. Now I realize not everyone has the time (or maybe the will) to spend a few minutes learning these things, and thats fine, but you gotta admit that it "sucking" is just a personal preference. Also, most things you can do in the terminal you can also do by clicking through windows if you want. The deal is that if you find a tutorial online they will guide you with terminal commands because it is much easier to describe what to do as opposed to telling you step by step what buttons to press. Anyway, I guess my point is that Linux isnt for everyone, but you also have to realize that many people's opinions differ.
- skyshock1, on 02/23/2009, -1/+7Current problems w/ Android are lack of root access, lack of user home directory, and lack of writable FS. This is all on the G1 handset of course, so one could easily remedy this for netbooks.
- trogdoor, on 02/23/2009, -0/+6You're wrong, RTFA
- Mudbeast, on 02/23/2009, -1/+7My anecdote is the opposite of yours.
My desktop xp system took a ***** recently and before I dug through my ***** to find the driver cds for my hardware I tried installing Vista. Whatta joke, vista wouldn't drive my common soundcard or my linksys wireless card. The only thing it did do right was to drive my dual monitors.
Once again, I still didn't want to go through the pain of reinstalling xp. Yeah, I can do it, but it takes ***** forever and is a serious pain in the ass what with the multiple discs needed to drive everything. So I gave ubuntu 8.10 a shot.
And holy *****, all my stuff was driven from the live cd, so it installed while I browsed the internet comfortably. Yeah, the dual monitors thing took a tiny but of work, but it was up and running in a few minutes after I found the (graphical and obvious) tool that made it work.
Ubuntu beats the living ***** out of windows hands down.
- I can't browse the web or listen to music while I install windows. That's ***** especially since Ubuntu is free! That's WAY more advanced than windows' stupid installer.
- My wireless works BETTER and FASTER than it did under xp. Didn't work at all under Vista.
- You must have some ***** chipset on that dog acer laptop cause flash/youtube, etc all work flawlessly.
- anybody with half a brain uses utorrent and not bloat-ass azureus.
- YOU USE MSN MESSENGER?! WHO DO YOU TALK TO?! I've never met a single person who uses that.
- I haven't needed to install WINE. It used to be necessary in the old days, but there's a few decent shooters for Linux now and I mainly do web and movie watching on my desktop.
So I said ***** IT and installed the netbook remix of ubuntu on me eeepc, which also works beautifully.
Windows used to be halfway decent with XP, but XP is dated and a chore to install compared to Ubuntu. Vista is worthless on my hardware and doesn't seem to run too well for most people I've met. Windows is a sad second place to ubuntu nowadays. - RajAtWork, on 02/23/2009, -2/+7Why? Android ecosystem will develop its own equivalents. Maybe those X-based apps are liability, not assets of a linux desktop.
- SpeedSteamBoat, on 02/23/2009, -0/+5I disagree. I use Linux on my netbook because Windows XP is silly, ugly, bloated, and results in worse battery life on it. This idea that Linux is strictly for professionals and programmers and otherwise offers "no benefit" is preposterous. Saying that "using it because it's open source is silly" is somewhat offensive. I believe in and support the open source idea, and if I can support that while gaining elements of functionality not offered by Windows why wouldn't I? When it comes down to it I would much rather use an open source piece of software and contribute to making it better by offering feedback than pirate another piece of Windows software. Why is that wrong or silly?
Linux is considerably more customizable than Windows and offers many features that are all but none existent in Windows (compiz-fusion, etc.) There's nothing "illusory" about an online community who is often extremely friendly and helpful in my experience. You can say that these things don't justify using Linux, but that is simply a matter of opinion. I'm not saying that Linux is right for everyone, but your narrow, black-and-white ideas about exactly when Linux is and isn't appropriate are misguided and rather condescending.
If you still don't see where I'm coming from, consider that most of your argument could easily be altered to apply to OS X, yet you chose to lump that substantially limited and often specialized system in with Windows. Why is that? - stacks14, on 02/23/2009, -18/+22bury me
- inactive, on 02/23/2009, -0/+4i just dont think this would be a good idea.. dont get me wrong, i would like to see all our favorite X apps on android but i think making a buddy OS is just the wrong approach to it.
- Killroy1971, on 02/23/2009, -0/+4Android on a NetBook? I don't see the upside. It's far easier to run a custom distro for the low power environment.
As for co-Linux on Android smartphones, consider this: "who writes a novel on a smartphone?" - trogdoor, on 02/23/2009, -0/+4Can it run X applications?
Edit: Just found http://www.androidfanatic.com/cms/community-forums ... , so at least as of 8 hours ago and probably earlier the answer is yes. - trogdoor, on 02/23/2009, -0/+4@unorthodoxor
The trolls are annoying from both sides, don't be what you hate.
And didn't your parents teach you that "But they do it too" is not an excuse? - BlackJacket, on 02/23/2009, -0/+3This is all stupid. Why bother writing code to make Android work with native Linux apps? Why not... I don't know, make a phone that actually runs a real Linux operating system. The only part of modern phones that isn't just a computer is the PHONE! The rest of the components are handheld computer parts.
This is a real problem and the people responsible are the consumers that agree to pay 4x the actual cost for crippled technology on two-year contracts... Why? Because they have to have the newest, coolest thing. - inactive, on 02/23/2009, -3/+6@ ileftfark
i think more innovation can be had sometimes when you start from ground up rather then trying to make apps portable. Android is a hand held device and i think apps should be rethought and designed with "hand held" in mind. - corbinat, on 02/23/2009, -0/+3Yeah i'll agree, I also have a hard time with flash in Linux. It works, but it is a little slower for me than it is on windows. My solution was to install the windows version of firefox through WINE.
A lot of the other stuff you listed is just opinion though. I happen to think pidgin messenger works just fine, Open office meets 90% (number made up) of users needs , software is just as efficient, if not more, than Windows, etc. If you don't like it thats fine, but you have to realize that everyone's millage varies and not eveyone has the same opinion as you. As someone who dual boots and uses both operating systems equally, I'd say that its a fine mainstream alternative to Windows. - int19h, on 02/23/2009, -0/+3I think Android is mainly about ARM, not x86
- ArthurSucks, on 02/23/2009, -1/+4Android does not need bloat. That would defeat the reason in using Android.
- daveisfera, on 02/23/2009, -0/+3I don't really see the huge advantage to this because must of the GUI intensive apps that this would be targeted toward would be designed for a larger screen.
I think that the smarter thing would be to do the opposite (make an "Android emulator" or Android abstraction layer similar to WINE that allows Android apps to run on Linux), because then you have the native Linux OS and can still run all of the Android stuff. - priegog, on 02/23/2009, -0/+3Yeah, I agree with the 2 comments before me.
I've read everyone is looking into android for netbooks... But I don't get it... why would you use a smartphone OS instead of a full-blown one? I men I get that android is very extensible and flexible and all, but why reinvent the wheel? Isn't Ubuntu for netbooks enough?
AFAIK, the advantage android has over the more orthodox linux distros is the way it manages power... but isn't a large part of it the fact that android runs on ARM? Wouldn't porting it to x86 make it as battery-draining as the rest of the distros? And in any case, can't the power management improvements be ported back to the other distros?
I personally think it would make much more sense to port Ubuntu netbook to ARM (debian already is compatible) than bring android over to x86.
Is there something I'm missing? I mean it can't be cost, because the other distros are also free, and it can't be user acceptance because I think people would be about as willing to use android as they would a deskto distro; the problem isn't the OS itself, but the dact that people don't wan't to give up windows... - MrViklund, on 02/23/2009, -1/+4Not really.
- linuxpenguin, on 02/23/2009, -0/+2Android doesn't come with all the features of a full-blown OS. Which makes it require less power in general - everything you are able to do requires less hard drive use since it consists of using small apps which aren't going to be creating large files on your hard drive.
I'm not sure that's why, but that's just a thought. Or maybe they're hoping for interoperability with Android phones. - daveisfera, on 02/23/2009, -0/+2Well, unfortunately, that is already the case.
- ArthurSucks, on 02/23/2009, -0/+2Wake up!
- smotpoker, on 02/23/2009, -0/+2Flash+firefox was faster in Linux compared to XP on my mom's system. Apparently this isn't the case with everyone but on her system it would take 100% cpu and was very choppy in fullscreen. In Linux it would play smoothly and only took 33% CPU. I suspect it could be driver related but in both cases nothing was done specifically/manually to configure video drivers.
- vmlemon, on 03/04/2009, -0/+1It's using the Skia Graphics Library, and direct framebuffer access.
- SpeedSteamBoat, on 02/26/2009, -0/+1@unorthodoxor: I'm a Linux worshipper because I believe it can be more appropriate than Windows in certain circumstances and point our that your anecdotal issues are representative of even the majority of Linux experiences?
Please. Don't give me that tripe. I have a desktop that I run *gasp* Vista on for the purposes of gaming. You're the only one of the two of us who purports blind hatred and stigma of one piece of software over another. - computershack, on 02/23/2009, -0/+1Personally, I'd rather my phone did as little as possible. The Nokia 6310i was about as far as they need to go.
- ptFoe, on 02/23/2009, -3/+4Today some hacker in Eastern Europe is awaiting for your credit card details to come through.
- int19h, on 02/23/2009, -0/+1Yes, I think the "light" end of the netbook scale fits well with the original idea too.
No need to go all "That's what we're discussing here" :D - skyshock1, on 02/23/2009, -1/+2WTF do you need that on a laptop? Mobile smart phones and laptops are starting to get more and more similar in case you haven't noticed, and soon mobile devices people carry in their pocket will be replacements once the interface issues are overcome.
Think ahead, not behind. - priegog, on 02/23/2009, -0/+1Phones sure, but netbooks? That's what we're discussing here
- int19h, on 02/23/2009, -0/+1Having a particular use in mind when writing a new OS has tons of advantages. Take for instance Windows and Linux, what they had in mind when they were started (security model, networking etc) and where they are today. Android had mobile phones/smartphones in mind from the start, and I am sure it will prove to be an advantage for those types of devices.
- gamelord12, on 02/23/2009, -1/+2What's the alternative to X11 that Android uses? Sorry, I'm only on my way to becoming more Linux-savvy.
- MrViklund, on 02/23/2009, -4/+4Android will never be anything when it comes to Linux Desktop. It's just some hyped geek toy now and it will stay that way. So stop hype it up like it will take over the world and cure cancer. It's a nerd OS for phones.
Buried for hype and nerd. - theaceoffire, on 02/23/2009, -2/+2You can delete comments by clicking "Edit" then the "Delete" text on the bottom right of the edit box.
- NerveBand, on 02/23/2009, -4/+3Android is being ported to the x86 arch, therefore, not very specific at all. Please correct me if I'm wrong though.
- MrViklund, on 02/23/2009, -3/+1Digg him up!
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