What is Digg?78 Comments
- geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8"... Goldilocks sat down at the Mac, and began using it. "This computer is too stupid!" she said. "where the hell is the right mouse button, and why does every god damned application start with an 'i'...?"
What Apps on a mac start with i? iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb (makes sense, they're part of iLife). And let's make this abundantly clear, "tunes" = Music. Photo = Pictures. Movie = Movies. Web = Internet/Web. Apple has a way of naming their applications so that anyone can figure out how to use them quickly, and their interfaces the same way. The idea is for the computer to be transparent and for the solution to your problem to be opaque, and that's why "It Just Works". Right mouse buttons aren't a neccesary element in OS X, HOWEVER, the Mighty Mouse (which ships with all new machines) has sensory elements for (at least) two seperate mouse buttons. On a laptop, using two buttons is much harder to do (don't even tell me otherwise, I own three laptops, an iBook, an older Dell and a newer HP, and trying to select multiple items with two mouse buttons is worse than pulling teeth) so they leave the traditional one button configuration. I've heard very few professionals complain (I work with them every day), and if they do, they've usually got a Logitech optical hooked into their desktop that's two seconds away from being plugged in, recognized and pointing.
"Next she sat down at a Linux workstation. "what the hell? My mouse's scroll wheel doesn't work..? Oh, i just need to recompile my kernel to support common things like, oh i don't know, mice, printers, and soundcards? i need libgro.SO.0.12-3.54.gcc.lib.tar.lib.lib? WTF? Nevermind."
There's not a distro that still ships with an X Windows server where the scroll wheel doesn't work on the default configuration. And kernels for every common distribution are built "fat"; they support every conceivable device including devices that haven't existed for over 10 years. Bad thing? Maybe. But I know for a fact there aren't drivers for my Tape drive in Windows, and I've still got a ***** of old applications and source code backed up on magnetic tape. Hell, Linux still has the original programs to deal with tape applications intact (ever heard of TApe aRchive?). This point is moot. You should have at least pointed out the non-modal operation of copy/paste, the fact that the display drivers are older than my grandma, and that there aren't any corporations that would touch the ever-moving target of the Linux kernel with a 10ft pole (oh, except for 2.4, because very little changes on it anymore. I bet your Windows machine is hooked into a router this minute that's running Linux. Or even a Cable Modem that's running Linux. Or even on the other end of that connection, you guessed it, Linux).
"Next she sat down at a Windows PC. "Wow. Look. A finished product. It works, it's hardware is upgradeable, and roughly 95% of the world's applications are written specifically for it. This PC is just right." A finished product? Hardly. Every Windows version to ever have shipped has had various elements cut off right up to deployment. "It's hardware is upgradable"? What does that have to do with an operating system? A new driver can be written for any new piece of hardware for any device. If you're jabbing at Apple computers, you should realize that point is moot; most Mac users own their machines for more than 4 years and have yet to require an upgrade (that's right, I've owned an iMac that has gone through OS X 10.1 to 10.4 with only a RAM upgrade, which is easily user servicable by a neat little panel on the side). Roughly 95% of what? Oh by the way 99% of statistics are made up on the spot, including this one. You'd be surprised to learn that there are far more applications written for POSIX than there are for all of the versions of Windows combined. However, there are more /commercial/ applications written for Windows, and there's pretty good reason for that: when you pressure computer manufacturers with contracts into only selling your operating system on their computers, you realize that it's pretty hard to compete. Hince, anti-competitive pratices, hince the reason why Microsoft is a convicted monopoly abuser (yes, they were CONVICTED for the Internet Explorer fiasco). And the European Union still isn't happy about Windows Media Player.
So, what does all of this spell out? Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt!
Another Microsoft fanboy bites the dust. - cardihack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Every time I read the flame war between Microsoft and Linux, one point never comes up. I for one don't WANT Linux to be like Windows. There are things you can do in Windows that should not be done in Linux. Running any program from any directory for one. One of the reasons Windows is so much easier to use is it was very short on security from the start, it was never meant for a network, and you could move through the system real easily. That is not a good thing.I have gone through SUSE, Redhat, Slackware, Debian, Fedora and finally found a distro in Ubuntu that I like. It took three years, but I am so much happier with Linux than with Windows. And I don't want Linux to be another Windows.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6What do you expect Microsoft to do, roll out the red carpet for Linux?
It's the competition stupid! - nuclearpenguins, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I think it's more the fact that Linux doesn't have games. People want a system they can do everything on and Linux just doesn't cut it with the masses.
- geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"MythTV(Linux) set up time- 4 hours 23 minutes
Beyond TV(Windows) set up time- 7 minutes"
Front Row set up time.
That's right. Null. It ships on the machine.
That being said, the article's got some points, and it has some non-points. OO.o isn't up to snuff, but a lot of that is because Sun won't let go of it. The hardware support for Linux is excellent (don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise, if they can't get it to work, they don't know enough about computers in general). Most Distros ship with flexibility to support more machines and configurations than Microsoft currently supports.
The real problem with Linux is coding for it. It's a very fast moving target and Linus refuses to stabilize it in any kind of way, so it's up to the distributions to do so. And the problem with that is, your major corporations only want to code something once, twice at the max for different distros. So you get software that works for Redhat and for SuSE, but no other platforms are supported. And this is a major problem.
There are some other problems too: both KDE and GNOME suck, but it's up to the programmer to decide which sucks less and go with it (KDE does not support standardized objects due to being created before the standard exists, and now is too deeply entrenched in their own mess to clean it up. GNOME refuses to get with modern times and use a language that allows for more rapid programming and easier debugging than C (C# is not a viable alternative; though it might be a nice language, Mono's legality puts GNOME in jeopardy of losing an entire API, and this would be a disaster)).
Games: Linux has everything neccesary for developers to show up, but they won't due to the inavailability of to-the-date graphics drivers by companies such as ATi and nVidia. While nVidia definitely does better in this right than ATi, the latest Windows (and for that matter OS X) drivers will usually ship when a new card ships or even when the new chip is designed in the labs. However, Linux is often 6 months to over a year behind, which makes all of those fancy shaders and new graphics algorithms useless. And Game developers and their companies take that as the holy doctrine.
All of this could be fixed. Linus Torvalds could wake up tomorrow and decide to write a stable ABI for Linux 2.6. GNOME and KDE could sit down with each other in one room, put the flamewar to rest and decide on a common language, a common Core Object set and functionality, and a date for each project to hit that holy trinity and code towards it. Novell, Red Hat (IBM) and Ubuntu could get together and ratify a standard for the Linux File System and program locations.
But of course, World Peace could also be obtained in a lot of the same ways.. you see what I'm implying. - peerk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I was actually lucky when it came to putting Fedora on my 1 year old Dell laptop.
The only thing that I really needed to configure was my wireless card. Other than that, it was install OS -> use OS. - rebrad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It's sort of like this, an business executive must decide on the IT strategy for his company and two platforms are asked to demonstrate their solutions. Microsoft sends in a guy with a suit, Linux send in a guy in a guy with a suit.
During the Microsoft pitch the business executive nods and even though he doesn't understand all the jargon he understands that Microsoft knows business and can help him maximize his resources. After all, his wife can use it. She's been on AOL for years and his kids can do things simply that he is amazed over.
The Linux guy pitches his product and talks about concepts which seem under the surface as anti-business. This make the business executive uncomfortable and the jargon gives him a headache. The business executive hears about diversity but finds it confusing and untenable.
During the demonstration the Linux guy begins to show all the wonderful things that Linux can do. After several minutes of clicking, editing and command line actions showing how diverse and customizable Linux is the business executive walks over to the windows platform and with one click of the mouse opens Outlook and reads his email, studies a spreadsheet and views a multimedia PowerPoint presentation.
The business executive then tells the Linux guy that he'll be in contact. After the Linux guy leaves the business executive then turns to the Microsoft guy and says "Let's Deal".
Sabotage, I think not. Both presentations were focused on his business but Linux presentation just didn't smell right and consistent replicable support seemed questionable. The demonstrations made the decision however. Ease of use won the day. The business executive has better things to do with his time than to learn how to use all the diverse products that Linux offers let alone take the time to learn how to use them together. - scarz, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7Open Office sucks. We tried to move my small company over to it, and had a revolt as well. Linux might be a suitable replacment for Windows, but OO is NOT a suitable replacement for Office in my opinion.
- barbobot, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Video card. Nope, no good. http://nvidia.com
Like my quad monitor setup. Nope, no good. http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Xinerama-HOWTO/
Ok, it'll support my video capture card!!! What? It won't support that either?
http://linux.bytesex.org/v4l2/bttv.html
It'll support my WiFi card for sure! Nope, no good there either. http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/
It'll support my DVD burner, for sure!!! Nope, WFT???!!!http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/
Ok my scanner, my scanner will be supported. Hmmm, nope???? CRAP!!!
http://www.xsane.org/
sure is. - sidebuster, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The plain and simple reason, THE ONLY REASON I do not use linux is because I am a PC gamer. I have a couple linux distros, Suse, Ubuntu (doesn't even work on my system), Gentoo (doesn't work also, freezes at installation). I do however have a 10 year old dell that I run Linux off of.
I have even tried being a gamer on SUSE using Cedega but no avail for most of my games. Untill I don't play games anymore, I will be stuck using windows. - salmonmoose, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Here's a tip to the linux group, most of us aren't programmers, the line "if you don't like it, you can fix it yourself" doesn't help;
I found numerous problems with Open Office opening large spreadsheets full of formula's, but the only support I could manage from all the open source friendly people was that I could play around with the settings to get it to work.
Of course, I could open the same spreadsheet in Office 2003 and it worked perfectly.
Games have nothing to do with it, the games market is miniscule compared to the business market, when linux can run any high end 3D / Video / Painting application I can throw at it, flawlessly, it'll almost be worth looking at, but not before. - wgatti, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Linux has it's place in the world and it does a fine job at what it does, but it doesn't belong on every ones desktop. Blaming MS isn't going to get it there faster either. Also, if you want world domination then you have to be doing it better than the next guy and just because it's more stable doesn't make it better. Users (not geeks) don't want stability or care that it's been up for 2 years with out a reboot. Computer locks up they have a reset button, those users don't care. They want usability and they want it cheap. Point, click, drag, and drop between everything on their computer. That's what they like. Blame Apple they stole, I mean started, that *****. Integration between everything is what MS does so well. And that is why they are at the top. As crappy as all the many Windows versions there are, when they made a new one they left no man behind. I would love to see Linux become the man, but as long as everyone in the Linux camp plays by their own rules it's going to remane where it has been for the last 10 years. Linux was already suppose to have won five years ago. Ok I'm done...... ;-p
- n00bnation, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Stupid article. People who aren't power users just don't understand how much better Office is than OpenOffice. This guy has 20% of his workforce complaining loudly about it, and what's his recommendation? Just take Office away from them and "enforce usage of OpenOffice." Yeah, that'll really win them over. Freedom = good. Forcing crap software down your throat = bad.
- 0Troy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Alright article, but one in a sea of a million.
I'm a big linux fan, but digging a blog post isn't going to help linux gain marketshare... Actions speak louder than blogging... - nebunezzar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Sure part of linux's problem is that you have to know a lot to know a lot about it, but part of the problem with these so called "alpha geeks" is that they know windows through and through, but in linux they're still noobs, and that's not an easy transition.
Linux isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean you can trash it. That's why there's Microsoft/Apple. - nic777, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"OpenOffice is now ready for the workstation, as is The GIMP," Holt said
Really?!?!? How come I just saw a story that Photoshop is the most requested app to be brought to Linux?!?!
-from a Gimp & Linux user - barbobot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1an old adage still applies today,
unix is easy, if it's not then you are doing something wrong. - 0Troy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Umm, real quick; if anyone wants to talk about any linux shortcomings, I recommend they try out Knoppix and Ubuntu (both available in live CD form).
With all respect; judging from some of the comments, linux has come a long way since some of you last looked at it. Get the latest info and judge for yourself. - xodex, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Linux is not a suitable replacement for Windows right now.
Linux is not user friendly by Today's standards that Windows has created.
Overcome that and theres no doubt that Linux will topple Windows with overwealming support. - capajc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1As a shareholder, I say "yay!"
- visability, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Just because linux doesn't work for you, doesn't mean it doesn't work for someone else.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I do agree that hardware compatibility is lacking in the linux systems. my sound card works... barely. But, honestly, since I've gotten to college I've programmed exclusively in unix so I turned my main desktop into a linux box. I really don't miss windows, except for the sound card support.
- srecordw, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I as well have to agree with diggman, and neb. There is a major lack of hardware support especially with the growing popularity of laptops. Most people don’t want the hassle either of spending sometimes countless hours of getting hardware to work.
The Linux community is not always much help either go to almost any Linux forum and you’re going to read posts of people flaming the Linux neophyte for his/her question and not finding the answer himself and not doing a complete search on it. Though it's not always easy to find some of the answers and people have different styles of searching and the strings they use. If you don’t want to explain how to do it don't there is no need to rag on them for the lack of knowledge on a particular subject, ignore it, or leave a link to relevant content if you have it and move on.
As for the unix/linux distro's the only one I have had almost 100% compatibility with is Ubuntu, all my hardware was detected on my laptop in the first boot the only problem I came across was that I could not get my laptop to shutdown all the way.
Though I prefer Debian, FreeBSD and Slackware over some of the others.
Maybe some conformity around Linux wouldn’t hurt either.
Or I could be wrong :shrugs: just my thoughts. - Anchoret, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Toward the end of the article, the truth finally peeps out: Linux's primary problem is poor hardware support, which then is of course blamed on MS via "a passionate Linux advocate." [spit!]
This is yet another stupid article blaming MS for the gross problems that are built in to disorganized, unmanaged and underfunded Linux desktop development.
"The Two Ways Microsoft Sabotages Linux" aren't the story, but "The Hundred Ways Linux Sabotages Linux."
Write _that_ article; it might get Linux on-track instead of wallowing in this incessant, mendacious blaming of everything and everybody in the world except simple economics and the dithering, amateur, delusional "Linux community" for Linux desktop's manifest failure to live up to the hype.
And, no, it's not "making progress" anywhere nearly fast enough to keep up. - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5The article is fundementally flawed. It asserts that the way Microsoft Sabotoges the adoption of Linux on the desktop is "brainwashing"???!!! WTF???!!!
The author mentions one person who tried to move his company to OpenOffice, big whoppee. My company has moved 90% of our users to Linux with OpenOffice. They are happy as punch, but then again they're basic, very basic users. The POWER USERS however, ahhh, they are another story. OpenOffice just doesn't have the juice they need, if it DOES have what they need the learning curve is too steep. Open Source freaks always like to ignore the cost of moving a highly paid power user to another software package. "Hey, I learned it then its easy!" Dude, we're friggin computer geeks we can learn a new OS or software package with a pc, a good internet connection, and a few spare hours. A highly compensated manger type doesn't have 20 free hours to figure out how to remake his spread-sheets in OpenOffice. They ALSO can't have their documents going out to external organizations in a slap-shod format that OpenOffice gives you. They also don't have the time to re-format all their word processing templates to make us computer geeks happy.
I'm and odd computer geek, I come from the world of non-computer geeks and when it comes to end-users I get it. I get them. I was one of them, but then I went back to college, got my degree and am now a pedigreed computer geek, pretty darn good one to boot.
Take OpenOffice to the accounting staff, let them waste weeks re-formatting and re-building spreadsheets. Oh, they work fine? But they LOOK LIKE CRAP and spread sheets are used in meetings with others, they have to look PROFESSIONAL.
So, Microsoft has "brain-washed" users? Maybe the basic crux is WRONG and the users really can't function as well???!!!
FUDD! - gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't think you can blame MS for hardware manufacturers not supporting Linux with drivers and users who don't like OpenOffice. MS isn't forcing hardware manufacturers to not support Linux, and it's not forcing people to have a hard time with OpenOffice.
Those are, however, good arguments for why Linux can't immediately replace Windows for many users who haven't used it before and for certain hardware configurations. MS has nothing to do with it other than being the alternative provider of the OS (and some software). - skinfitz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Let me get this straight - OpenOffice doesn't work properly and there is a lack of drivers for Linux, and these are somehow 'Microsoft lock-in strategies'?
...er? - myskja, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Like I said in another thread; Wake me up when Linux runs my favorite programs. Linux is not as good as Windows - For me at least. And I'm writing this on my OSX driven iBook BTW - Which (OSX) I also like better than Linux.
- JohnTheLutheran, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Interesting article but very misleading heading on this post. This isn't about MS "sabotaging" Linux desktop adoption, it's about (i) user resistance to using OOo (on Windows, if you RTA carefully) and (ii) lack of hardware support for Linux.
I was a bit baffled by the "Linux is infamously lacking in drivers for USB devices" comments. Almost every device I've ever plugged in to my Linux box has run without needing to install any extra software - unlike Windows, where (for example) I needed to install more than 250 MB of software just to connect up my mobile phone so I could update the firmware.
The problem with OOo adoption for business is that 99% of people will still want to send and receive MS Word documents. OOo handling of .doc files is still far from perfect - not OOo's fault, problem is MS keeping the format secret, but that's not much help when you're looking at a 50 page legal document whose numbering system has been completely trashed by OOo. I wonder if some of the 20% of resisters who went back to Word were in the company's legal department? - MikhoohkiM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0barbobot did you know that some people don't really get how to use google?
All Linux need is a easy way to install apps, the hardware support keeps getting better as more people start using Linux. - cliffzdude, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Linux is ported to many hardware platforms.
It even supports many other hardware like my Video card. Nope, no good.
Like my quad monitor setup. Nope, no good.
Ok, it'll support my video capture card!!! What? It won't support that either?
It'll support my WiFi card for sure! Nope, no good there either.
It'll support my DVD burner, for sure!!! Nope, WFT???!!!
Ok my scanner, my scanner will be supported. Hmmm, nope???? CRAP!!!
Hmmm, hardware support in Linux is good! Really, it is!!! - ghostaliaz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Linux is the future. Yeh I use Microsoft XP, Linux, Beos & MAc OSX Tiger & I want to try out solaris. Look I see the ups & downs to all of them, but I am sorry Linux is kicking Bu** in security & plus my Mepis Linux machine can do everthing my Windows machine can do, except the game thing because these companies won't make them. If you have not tryed Linux, try it anyway & after you see that you do not have to install a million updates like on windows, then that alone is worth using Linux.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Aside from the random flaming, diggman is correct. In my IS department I have one rule. If I cannot guarantee that:A> The users can successfully use the software B> The drivers will always be supported then it isn't installed. Sorry kids, there is such a thing as reliable technical support and training that we have to budget for. How much is it worth to you to have 90% uptime?
- 0Troy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@ScottMaximus
Great setup times.
What are the uptime stats? - gnugrep, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The person who wrote this is a religious zealot. He hates Microsoft so much he can't see that MS Office is better for the end user than Open Office. Especially when he recommends that you REMOVE MS Office and don't allow anyone to use it. If I worked at that company I would be outraged. If Open Office is so great and interoperable, why can't the users try both and use what they like? How is this any better than MS "locking in" the user?
If someone is comfortable with MS Office they should not be forced to switch, just because some religious fanatic in the IT department tells him. Not everyone wants to relearn how to do what they can already do well in Word, Excel, etc. - dwhitbeck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I would like to see a killer rapid development tool similar to Delphi available for Linux. I have not seen any development tool for Linux or Windows that matches Delphi in terms of compile speed and debugging. Borland was developing Kylix until Microsoft bought them off. The best alternative I see is Lazarus.
- KUKBAHLAM, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It is all about the games. You can just look at the number of times the word appears in the above posts. The nice graphics card you have… made for gamers. Your surround sound audio card…. same thing.
Many geeks are here today because Wolfenstien 3d ran on Dos. Windows 3.1 was just a nice place to write papers, dial into the VAX and use kermit to access ARCHIE. For each one of them that buys hardware there are at least 10 dependant family members who get the hand-me-downs. Yes, it is nice to be able to walk them through a fix over the phone or remote in and fix it yourself.
You want to see Linux take off like a bullet? All that must be done is the writing of one good 3d game bundled with a pair of 800X600 goggles for under $100. That’s it. - mckinnej, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The reason Linux has hardware problems is simple, there is no money in supporting it. If the vendors could make a buck off of it, they would support Linux in a heartbeat.
I love Linux. It's incredibly stable. I use it for my home server. Totally rock solid! I have gone for months without even logging on to it. I would move away from Windows if it weren't for games and that I have to use Word for my resume. I like OO, but it's not worth the risk of OO mucking up my resume and causing me to lose out on a good job. Besides, I got Office Pro through my job for only $40, so the price thing isn't an issue for me. - h0mi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"It works, it's hardware is upgradeable"
If you have XP or windows 2000 installed, try upgrading your mb and CPU, using a different chipset and not have to do a clean reinstall of either OS. I'd be surprised if 98 or ME didn't choke at this either.
I use XP and am comfortable with it on the desktop. I'll try out linux (again) sometime in the future, but for what I usually use a computer for, running linux would be a waste of my time. - nebunezzar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@kidlinux
wow, what a rant. 'what's the point of switching if you're just going to end up with the same interface... how do you make it easy when you have to learn a new interface?" Great argument. Also, I'm sure you could make linux pop all the windows on the screen at once, it doesn't have to be pretty to work. - spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"And she lived happily ever after. The End."
I fear for you... I really do. - chrislewis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Intresting comment about the OO revolt, though.
- Crispin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This read more like an article about the shortcomings of OpenOffice and Linux. The brainwashing of users has nothing to do with Microsoft and everything to do with their routine. You'd have the same problems switching someone trained with OpenOffice to Office 2003.
- Otto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I use OpenOffice for all my personal needs, though at work, I'm forced to use MS Office. However, I'm a programmer, so I'm not actually forced to use it a *lot*. :)
In any case, while I agree that OpenOffice is just as good or better than MS Office, the GIMP is not ready for prime time. It's just not.
I'm sorry, but the GIMP is difficult to use, hard to understand, and ugly as hell. It's a fully functional program, I grant you, but somebody needs to give those guys a book on user interfaces, because it's by far the *WORST* program in terms of usability that there is. Really, it's just horrible.
I tried the GIMP, I really did. I ended up switching back to other programs like Photoshop. The GIMP is simply not a suitable replacement until they make it look good and make it easy to actually use. - gizram84, on 05/30/2009, -1/+0what idiots would actually digg this pathetic story?
- nebunezzar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0@rebrad
Your example is great but the point is off. Sure the exec doesn't know much about either side, but since he already can stumble through Windows he goes with the Microsoft product. In your example, his wife uses AOL and his kids know more than he does. AOL is a joke for internet and he's too ignorant to know just what his kids are doing. He probably has tons of problems but just thinks it's all computers, prolly thinks that the internet is that blue 'e' on his desktop.
Linux can do email and basic office work. That is what the Linux pitch would/should have been about for this case, workstation use. Most distros have all the necessary apps for this situation, many even have their shortcuts by default. Your example just proves how computer illiterate and scared of anything not Microsoft people can be. - earlycj5, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Applications don't = Linux. Photoshop? MS Office? Unless you need Access to work Crossover runs both of these on Linux.
As for Photoshop being user friendly, I can sit down and remove red eye, crop, resize the photo with the Gimp in less than 2 minutes. I'd fumble around in that ridiculous UI that is Photoshop for an hour and search the web for who knows how long before I got that done.
Neither UI is "user friendly" it's all what you know or take the time to learn. - Dan005, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Both have their advantages. Linux has reliablilty. Windows has ease of use.
- 0Troy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@killagoat
Don't forget how much your company spends on microsoft licensing. That plays a large factor in the decision making process. And you won't have to refresh hardware as often. - nebunezzar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I thought you were babbling incoherently. Hardware support is tough since vendors don't give linux any slack, but it's making great progress. Ubuntu is a distro that has pretty good hardware support. Decent software depends on what you're doing. OpenOffice and Firefox are two good pieces of desktop software for linux. I think the Gnome interface is a lot simpler than Windows, but that's an opinion and disputable.
MS spread early so they have a lot of leverage over PCs. They do their part to make sure linux doesn't rise up and take it's place, and despite all this linux is not doing to bad. -
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