What is Digg?Sponsored by Sony Pictures
Do you believe the 2012 Mayan Prophecy? view!
whowillsurvive2012.com - The Mayan Calendar predicts the end of time: 2012. See the trailer for 2012, opening November 13.
360 Comments
- Smegzor, on 01/11/2009, -18/+272I am not a Mac
I am not a PC
I am Free - samanathon, on 01/11/2009, -9/+150Quotes like these are the reason why I hate these types of articles:
"And updates to Linux can send ripples of problems through the system, causing something as basic as a computer’s display or sound system to malfunction."
I haven't any of these kinds of issues in years. More then anything, this quote will scare people into not using Linux. - encryptz, on 01/11/2009, -3/+117Canonical bringing in a cool $30 million annually means that the business model of giving everything away yet providing services for support and OEM can be a successful one. Ubuntu is a great operating system, and I'm glad to be a part of the culture.
- vectoor, on 01/11/2009, -1/+65Dugg for:
“I want to find out what it’s like to have a gigabit connection to the home,” he said. “It is not because I need to watch porn in high-definition but because I want to see what you do differently.” - michelebot, on 01/11/2009, -1/+65I installed Ubuntu on my 73 year old mother's computer. She used to ask me weekly if it was OK to install updates for ZoneAlarm and the anti virus program. Now, she rarely calls me with computer questions. Best decision I ever made.
- DangerCollie, on 01/11/2009, -6/+55We use Ubuntu on the majority of our machines at the office and we get along just fine.
My wife uses Ubuntu exclusively and if she can manage, anyone can. - leftyfb, on 01/11/2009, -5/+46Although I love to see Ubuntu and Linux in general hit major news outlets as a viable computer OS alternative, comments like these do not help linux, are not entirely true and could have been left out :
"THEY’RE either hapless pests or the very people capable of overthrowing Windows. Take your pick."
Really?
"Try as they might, however, Linux zealots have failed in their quest to make Linux mainstream on desktop and notebook computers. The often quirky software remains in the realm of geeks, not grandmothers."
Funny, half my customers running Ubuntu now are in fact grandmothers. (and there's over a dozen). Dell, IBM, HP and Acer all offer Linux preinstalled on both desktops and laptops. I can walk into a Best Buy and purchase a netbook with Linux preloaded as well as a packaged version of Ubuntu right off the shelf.
"And updates to Linux can send ripples of problems through the system, causing something as basic as a computer’s display or sound system to malfunction."
I have never had any update to a released version of ubuntu cause malfunction to anything of importance, much less display or sound. That aside, you cannot blame the Linux community for issues with drivers. If manufacturers would release Linux versions of their drivers we wouldn't have as many issues. We are lucky we have talented developers who are able to reverse engineering drivers from other platforms in order to get what we have now in Linux. I know this isn't the case with all manufacturers, and some are jumping on board as of late. - jhchrist, on 01/11/2009, -1/+39Linux doesn't just run on PCs you know.
- micha, on 01/11/2009, -9/+41We all know about your wife being open source...
- Smegzor, on 01/11/2009, -2/+32Yes I thought that was rather poorly informed. It might be possible if everyone was running bleeding edge versions, but anyone running stable will be insulated from that.
- m1dn1ght, on 01/11/2009, -3/+30Switching to Ubuntu was the best computing decision I ever made. Been about a year now and I only wish I'd had the balls to try it earlier. For me it was Vista that finally convinced me to try it out and I've not looked back since.
- LostSoul83, on 01/11/2009, -4/+29I call FUD on the part of the article that says that an update can break the display/sound. I've never had this happen to me in over three years of using Ubuntu. A Windows update that has gone to hell can also cause the system to fail to boot. If this happens and you don't have a Windows CD handy to use the recovery console, you are screwed. Of course a Linux live CD could easily save the day here though. It's fun to deal with Windows systems that no longer boot into the GUI when you can't just get CLI access from the startup menu.
- inactive, on 01/11/2009, -2/+26No one. Stop being so ***** sue happy.
- DeathRay2K, on 01/11/2009, -0/+23Shuttleworth did say that it was self sustaining, so at the very least the revenue covers the costs.
- kiwiboyus, on 01/11/2009, -0/+23This plus the line about not being able to run apps written for Windows.... neither can a Mac duh that's why you run a Linux alternative.
- kiwiboyus, on 01/11/2009, -0/+21You don't have hardware issues with your Mac because you're only allowed to use the hardware Steve has approved, some would call that a limitation not a benefit.
- Smegzor, on 01/11/2009, -3/+23The same could be said for the I'm a Mac and I'm a PC campaigns. Its not about the platform, its about identity. I'm saying that I don't identify with Mac's or PC's. Also my computer is unusual in that I built it myself from parts. It came in a box with no software, no crap, and lots of assembly required.
- inactive, on 01/11/2009, -9/+29Hey Winblows fanboys! Here I am! Come attack me!
I'm using Linux Mint and I've also used Ubuntu and Kannotix (when it still had support). Linux in the past three years has been waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy better than any Windows OS I've ever used with the exception of 2000 Pro which, though large, actually functioned as it is supposed to. Unfortunately you have to deal with MS for your updates and patches and all that crap.
And when it comes time to reinstall Windows (which happens with much greater frequency) I have to back everything up and spend a lot of time. With Linux I reinstall the OS while my data & settings are safely on a separate partition. Installing Linux flavors takes a FRACTION of the time.
The difference btwn you MS fanboys and me? I've used Windows OS's for 17 years and Linux steadily for the past 3 years. I'm not basing my opinion on rhetoric or overly emotional devotion to an inanimate OS that doesn't love me back, I'm basing it on actual experience and objective observation.
Oh, and it's not impractical; I run my business on it. - Vadi0, on 01/11/2009, -9/+27Ey, it does happen.
- inactive, on 01/12/2009, -2/+20I love the "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercials, but I dislike what they're doing the the term PC.
I'm a PC, but I'll be damned if you'll ever catch me running Windows. - MattBD, on 01/11/2009, -0/+17And it's probably easier to sort out problems yourself because you can always ssh in.
- tetsuo29, on 01/12/2009, -1/+18Sure, but, to be fair, grammy can't fix problems that occur with Windows either.
- kikiriki, on 01/11/2009, -1/+18I have a friend with the same problem. But he is using Vista.
You only need to Install "ubuntu-restricted-extras" and check this https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Medibuntu - Vadi0, on 01/11/2009, -1/+18That's just revenue. Nothing was said about profits or 'production costs'.
- 000dom000, on 01/11/2009, -0/+17I'm sure that's why he'd want it....
- smotpoker, on 01/11/2009, -0/+15"I can sue MS if they do something fishy."
Define "fishy". I think perhaps someone hasn't read their EULA... the most anyone is likely to get from them is a refund - martalli, on 01/12/2009, -1/+16The only major bug that persists is is bug #1.
- kiwiboyus, on 01/11/2009, -2/+17Because your Mac doesn't require a password right? You seemed reasonable in the other thread, now you seem like a d-bag.
- Wrathernaut, on 01/12/2009, -0/+15My grandmother runs PuppyLinux.
My uncle (old enough to be a grandfather) runs Ubuntu.
The best part was when she said she called about installing a new printer.
I told her to plug it in and try printing.
BAM! - SanjayM, on 01/11/2009, -0/+14It seems to make it sound like updates in linux are more inherently prone to go wrong than in windows/OSX, when all of them use pretty much the same basic principles. If Microsoft, or Apple or Canonical push out a ***** update then it will ***** your system. OS regardless.
However, in linux you are given the choice of who to take updates from, i can update my software sources and use someone elses updates, i can revert updates easily if they are bad and i can choose what and when i want to update. If anything linux has the more sturdy upgrade system in place.
Try reverting a bad update from microsoft (WGA Anyone?) you just can't do it. I have no experience in OSX, but i would presume it is also not as user-choice-focused as linux would be from what i hear of the whole Apple philosophy. (Someone do enlighten me if i'm wrong though!) - emblemparade, on 01/11/2009, -2/+16It does happen. It's happened to me several times, and I know what I'm doing.
But you're right that these comments are annoying.
What's misleading about such statements is that they imply that these things don't happen on Windows (or Macs). But, of course we know that many people who upgrade to Vista had all kinds of problems with hardware, and even various "security" updates on other operating systems can break things.
Free operating systems are far from perfect, but neither is the competition. The reality is that the playing field is pretty much equal now, and free operating systems can truly compete. - rafe101, on 01/11/2009, -0/+14"Automatic Login" in Login Settings. And what "cute little pinquin pic?" Have you seen Ubuntu before?
- inactive, on 01/11/2009, -5/+18I predict a rise in both Ubuntu and FireFox users. Open source is the only way to far forward.
- SuperMoses, on 01/11/2009, -1/+14Agreed. I've upgraded my system several times without problems. Hell, I even upgraded versions from 8.04 to 8.10 without a problem.
- uncertainty, on 01/12/2009, -3/+16Wow, that's a really old computer.
- Smegzor, on 01/12/2009, -0/+12Show me where in my comment I mention Ubuntu.
- plr4ever, on 01/11/2009, -2/+14Who pissed in your cereal this morning?
- Stonekeeper, on 01/11/2009, -1/+12That's like saying "If only someone would give me a fork, I could stab both my eyes out"
- TommyTikal, on 01/11/2009, -7/+18Great read.
- abbathdoom, on 01/11/2009, -0/+11Breaking even is better than all these web 2.0 companies do!
- Kriztov, on 01/11/2009, -1/+12Zing!
- photonics, on 01/11/2009, -1/+12agreed, i love linux, but lets wait till we at least break through 1 % before we start calling it the year of linux.
- ronocdh, on 01/11/2009, -11/+22But would it have been profitable without Shuttleworth's massive initial investment? The question, I think, from a business perspective is more whether the success can be duplicated than whether it was worthwhile in a single instance.
- weeFred, on 01/12/2009, -0/+10Wasn't it Amazon who didn't start making profit until the fourth quarter of 2001? And they were founded in 1994. Sometimes breaking even is ok because you know there's a massive market to be tapped with relatively minor expansion costs.
- Fr33th0t, on 01/11/2009, -1/+11shadoweva09,
I'd be interested to see what those "Ubuntu" bugs are. - secrity, on 01/11/2009, -2/+12Do you remember several months ago when Vista SP 2 bricked certain computers?
- fiddler616, on 01/12/2009, -0/+10The thing to note is that this made the front page of the NYTimes business section--that's a LOT of random readers.
- RoutedToNull, on 01/11/2009, -2/+12The terminology wars are over and you lost. Sorry....
- karlyguy, on 01/11/2009, -0/+10same crud with windows.
couple years ago i updated my cdrom driver and the video goes wonky - kikiriki, on 01/11/2009, -1/+11I like this article. I hope many NYT readers ask to their computer technicians about Ubuntu Linux. It will be a very interesting situation.
-
Show 51 - 100 of 370 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is