Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Story: Linux 101: What's all the Fuss?Total Replies: 18
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land0

May 26, 2007
6:34 AM EDT
I would have to say that the company that put the video together did a good job of explaining what Linux is in the brief amount of time that they had. I would say this is a good start and would recommend this video to someone who is looking for a brief introduction to Linux. Thumbs up.

What do you think they could have covered better?
land0

May 26, 2007
6:46 AM EDT
To bad DELL's webmasters did not watch the video before adding this to the Open source/Linux section on their site.

"You asked, we listened. For *advanced users and tech enthusiasts*, we’re happy to offer a new open-source operating system" snip... I don't know about you but that makes it sound like you need at least a two year degree to run Linux. What about faster than windows more secure than windows or it actually works so you can too... ;) Of course if they did put something so truthful about Linux on the Open Source/Linux page M$ would be crawling up a certain orifice I am sure :D
dcparris

May 26, 2007
9:18 AM EDT
They did actually cover the security issue - I thought quite well, for the time allotted. They hit the speed, reliability - all of that. They do have to be somewhat cautious about ticking off their biggest OS partner. I get that. They didn't try to compare it to Windows, but to present GNU/Linux on its own strengths. That's better than trying to compare to Windows any day.
jsusanka

May 26, 2007
12:54 PM EDT
"They do have to be somewhat cautious about ticking off their biggest OS partner. I get that."

why - I don't get it - you see car commercials always saying something about the competition - i.e better gas mileage than toyota or honda or our truck out pulls ford trucks.

why can't there be the same in computerland - I don't get it.
dinotrac

May 26, 2007
1:20 PM EDT
>why can't there be the same in computerland - I don't get it.

Perhaps because Dell's business relationship with the supplier of its primary OS and most in-demand application software is a little tighter and a little trickier than a television network's relationship with it's sponsors.

Your television will work no matter who or what sponsors the shows. Sponsors can always be found -- in fact, viewers tend not to care a whole lot about who sponsors a show.

Same ain't true for computer software.
tuxchick

May 26, 2007
1:41 PM EDT
Any store that sells competing brands is not going to play the 'brand foo is better than brand fee' game. Individual salespeople will often make comparisons, but you're not going to see it in the store's advertising.
dcparris

May 26, 2007
1:43 PM EDT
Usually, when an ad shows a Chevy pulling a Ford, it's not by a dealership that sells both vehicles. Dell is kind of like a multi-brand car dealership - they might try to sell Ubuntu, but they're not likely to knock Microsoft in the process.
dcparris

May 26, 2007
1:54 PM EDT
Frankly, it's still better to sell it on its on merits.
dinotrac

May 26, 2007
4:18 PM EDT
>Frankly, it's still better to sell it on its on merits.

Referring to Ubuntu, I presume.

Not so sure how Windows would fare if it relied on its merits.
Aladdin_Sane

May 26, 2007
5:41 PM EDT
>>'brand foo is better than brand fee'

Hmm, I know who brand fee is. So does that make Linux brand foo?
Scott_Ruecker

May 27, 2007
3:56 AM EDT
Cool video but I have one gripe..

"..95% of known viruses are designed for MS Windows.."

Show me the 5%, show it to me..seriously, show it to me.

Show me the 5%!!! When you and I both know upwards of 99.9%.

Its FUD I tell ya..

Its those little things that piss me off, because I know where it comes from. It reminds me of the Benjamin Disraeli quote that Mark Twain liked that I saw on Hans Bezemer's blog..

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

Scott
dinotrac

May 27, 2007
4:15 AM EDT
>Show me the 5%, show it to me..seriously, show it to me.

Well, there's the common cold, for one. I don't think it attacks Windows, just Windows users.
jdixon

May 27, 2007
6:17 AM EDT
> Show me the 5%, show it to me..seriously, show it to me.

You're forgetting the Mac, the earlier 8 bit machines, Unix machines, and the various application related viruses out there.
Scott_Ruecker

May 27, 2007
6:23 AM EDT
I still don't think it would add up to 5%, no way..

jdixon

May 27, 2007
6:30 AM EDT
> I still don't think it would add up to 5%, no way..

Probably not, but 2-3% is probably about right. There have been a fair number of Mac and macro viruses over the years.
Aladdin_Sane

May 27, 2007
7:04 AM EDT
>>Not so sure how Windows would fare if it relied on its merits.

It would be fair if Windows were *relieved* of its merits.

>>Its FUD I tell ya..

Scott, not all distortions of fact are FUD. Accuracy calls for some sub-FUD categories: Distortions of fact, material misrepresentations of fact, outright lies, illegitimate expectations, and...I'm sure we can find others.
dcparris

May 27, 2007
8:10 AM EDT
I just thought the remaining 5% included the human-related viruses. :-)
Bob_Robertson

May 27, 2007
12:52 PM EDT
I agree, having viewed the video, it seems to have been made honestly. It's not designed to put people off of Linux and onto Windows, and it does repeatedly mention "free", which anyone previously caught in the Microsoft upgrade-treadmill will instantly glom onto.

But there needs to be several more "Linux 10x" videos.

Or if they're really want to do a sales video, they can start with, "Do you already use Firefox and OpenOffice on you Windows machine? Well, then with Linux you will be completely comfortable right from the start."
hkwint

May 27, 2007
3:55 PM EDT
Quoting:[quote]"..95% of known viruses are designed for MS Windows.."
Show me the 5%, show it to me..seriously, show it to me. [/quote]

That's the 5% of the viruses not being designed at all, or those not working, because they are not targeted at Windows.

Quoting:You asked, we listened. For *advanced users and tech enthusiasts*, we’re happy to offer a new open-source operating system" snip...


The other guy told Linux is sometimes even more user-friendly than a Mac (!) or Windows, but sometimes it's the other way around. Seems fair enough to me; I have both had user-unfriendliness experiences with both BSD, Linux and Windows. I never touched a Mac, and I would like to keep it that way, but I think it's true for a Mac too.

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