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13 reasons why Linux won't make it to a desktop near you
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Comments (23)
13 reasons why Linux won't make it to a desktop near you
Quoting:Linux doesn't know about C, D and E drives and Windows will show up as sda1/dev or hda1/dev in the partitioning table.
I found this rather odd. Like drive letters are some inherent thing and Linux just "doesn't know about" them. Then there's the getting the dev entry names backwards... For an article trying to explain some of the confusion of a new user in Linux, this spot didn't help. Getting it right and a clear explanation of the filesystem would have have been nice.
Overall a fairly interesting look at things though.
Ahem, the bloke is a new Linux user.
I also enjoyed his little 8-piece article on his trips through Linux land. Worth a read.
Quoting:I also enjoyed his little 8-piece article...I only read the article on DesktopLinux.com and enjoyed it very much too. At the beginning, I was skeptical, but by the end, I was impressed. I intend to read all 8-piece when I have time.
He doesn't bring many new points that some of us already know, but he did a very good job at summarizing and presenting them in a very effective fashion. I think he just made a good starting point to build on a web page just for new Linux adopter.
One thing he didn't address in this part, although it is extremely important, is the lack of some legacy Windows applications on Linux and how to find replacements or what tools are available to get around this issue. May be he did in another part that I didn't read yet.
Quoting: # The makers of the product rely on word of mouth to attract more customers, but their customers only talk to each other.
So true.
>I intend to read all 8-piece when I have time.
I think you'll enjoy it. He writes from a rather rare position:
1. A long-time Windows user who is non-technical but quite competent 2. A good writer who makes the read enjoyable 3. Has the time and willingness to explore alternatives with an open eye 4. Seems to be quite honest in his assessment
Everyone will find things to quibble with --- youch!!! He made a reference to Mac being based on a flavor of Linux, but, overall, not bad at all.
I think you'll enjoy it. He writes from a rather rare position:
1. A long-time Windows user who is non-technical but quite competent 2. A good writer who makes the read enjoyable 3. Has the time and willingness to explore alternatives with an open eye 4. Seems to be quite honest in his assessment
Everyone will find things to quibble with --- youch!!! He made a reference to Mac being based on a flavor of Linux, but, overall, not bad at all.
After my post above, Although I have been running Linux for many years, I asked myself this question
Why aren't you running Linux Yet?
why not have a special forum titled as such instead of HOWTOs on Lxer.com or TuxProject.com?
I know there are answer to the questions Kim Brebach presented, or any one else for that matter, somewhere on the Internet, but non are presented as clearly and effectively as Kim presented them.
I think it would be highly effective if a forum is created where new comers to Linux can present their questions and answers by many of us in an honest objective fashion. It would be sort of Get the facts Linux style.
If there is solution(s), present them honestly and objectively. If there isn't, state so. It would be helpful for developers or distributors to address any deficiencies by taking the appropriate action.
There is a lot that can be done in this forum to help proliferate Linux.
How about it Dave?
Why aren't you running Linux Yet?
why not have a special forum titled as such instead of HOWTOs on Lxer.com or TuxProject.com?
I know there are answer to the questions Kim Brebach presented, or any one else for that matter, somewhere on the Internet, but non are presented as clearly and effectively as Kim presented them.
I think it would be highly effective if a forum is created where new comers to Linux can present their questions and answers by many of us in an honest objective fashion. It would be sort of Get the facts Linux style.
If there is solution(s), present them honestly and objectively. If there isn't, state so. It would be helpful for developers or distributors to address any deficiencies by taking the appropriate action.
There is a lot that can be done in this forum to help proliferate Linux.
How about it Dave?
> but non are presented as clearly and effectively as Kim presented them.
I agree. He did a great job.
I wonder if his writings are a sign that we have rounded a significant corner --
Desktop Linux has become good enough (and Vista bad enough!) that talented people of the non-geek persuasion can knock around enough to find things they like, provided their motivation is sufficient?
Maybe that will result in a lot more approachable help than we've got now. Right now, there is a wealth of info out there on the internet -- If you know enough to use it.
I agree. He did a great job.
I wonder if his writings are a sign that we have rounded a significant corner --
Desktop Linux has become good enough (and Vista bad enough!) that talented people of the non-geek persuasion can knock around enough to find things they like, provided their motivation is sufficient?
Maybe that will result in a lot more approachable help than we've got now. Right now, there is a wealth of info out there on the internet -- If you know enough to use it.
dino,
I think you are on to something there. Regular users are trying Linux and not rejecting it at the first speed bump they encounter.
It could be a combination of things...
maturity of linux newbie friendly distros (they are better now)
expanding numbers of linux users (the author probably knows a few people who've made it work)
frustration with Vista has lowered the bar for what is acceptable (yeah Ubuntu isn't perfect, but Vista wouldn't recognize my printer even existed and I paid $299!)
Yeah. I agree a corner has been turned.
I think you are on to something there. Regular users are trying Linux and not rejecting it at the first speed bump they encounter.
It could be a combination of things...
Yeah. I agree a corner has been turned.
Not so!
Linux has already made it to the desktop nearest me....
...and a laptop near me as well!
2 laptops and 3 desktops over here.
Sorry make that 3 laptops if you count this one.
Sorry make that 3 laptops if you count this one.
Desktop, laptop, another laptop (but w/ Knoppix only), and another desktop as well. But the pizza box runs NetBSD, sorry. ;-)
Oh, and did I mention my mother has used Linux since 2001?
Just to be sure --
Did everybody read the article? Did anybody follow the links to his earlier stuff?
He thinks a number of distros really are ready for ordinary users. The problem is that most users don't know they exist and Linux ain't exactly a marketing machine.
Did everybody read the article? Did anybody follow the links to his earlier stuff?
He thinks a number of distros really are ready for ordinary users. The problem is that most users don't know they exist and Linux ain't exactly a marketing machine.
Somebody at some point is going to rise above the noise level with an operating system that will challenge Microsoft. Mac OS is already in that space, as are the 300 Linux and BSD distros out there. But at some point, I predict, one product (and yes, it's PRODUCT we're talking about) will be the right one with the right marketing to make the proverbial sea change in the operating-system market.
It could be Ubuntu. It could be something totally unrelated to Linux. Any system that offers comprehensive hardware detection; solid, built-in security; a massive number of applications (both native and through emulation/virtualization); open-source, of course; and most importantly, easily configured and managed by users who've never seen a command line in their lives.
There are Linux distros coming close to this, but as the writer in the desktoplinux.com article says, we've got a long way to go in terms of ease of use and marketing.
Then again, if Steve Jobs decided to port OS X to non-Apple hardware -- and sell it for the current $140, or maybe even $99, that would be enough to upset Microsoft's own apple cart. Of course Jobs would have to make sure he had a replacement product for MS Office before pissing off the boys and girls in Redmond. (A beefed-up iWork? How about OpenOffice's Aqua port?)
Even so, have you seen what Adobe CS3 costs on the Mac (or Windows)? It's enough to make you plant a big, wet kiss on any Linux developer within reach.
It could be Ubuntu. It could be something totally unrelated to Linux. Any system that offers comprehensive hardware detection; solid, built-in security; a massive number of applications (both native and through emulation/virtualization); open-source, of course; and most importantly, easily configured and managed by users who've never seen a command line in their lives.
There are Linux distros coming close to this, but as the writer in the desktoplinux.com article says, we've got a long way to go in terms of ease of use and marketing.
Then again, if Steve Jobs decided to port OS X to non-Apple hardware -- and sell it for the current $140, or maybe even $99, that would be enough to upset Microsoft's own apple cart. Of course Jobs would have to make sure he had a replacement product for MS Office before pissing off the boys and girls in Redmond. (A beefed-up iWork? How about OpenOffice's Aqua port?)
Even so, have you seen what Adobe CS3 costs on the Mac (or Windows)? It's enough to make you plant a big, wet kiss on any Linux developer within reach.
Quoting:Just to be sure --
Did everybody read the article? Did anybody follow the links to his earlier stuff?
Well I did, the 8 articles plus the won't make it one plus Stevie's reply. All very interesting reading. But being pedantic is fun too.
Quoting: if Steve Jobs decided to port OS X to non-Apple hardware
Then he could deal with all of the goofy crap the rest of the world deals with, with the wide variety of hardware and hardware combinations that can drive the users of any OS crazy...except OS X, because it's a closed system available only on a small subset of the hardware in existence. I think it'd be funny, because OS X wouldn't "just work" anymore, not all of the time.
I still say Sun could make such a run with Solaris, especially if they release it under the GPLv3 and make changes to make it a little more palatable for desktop use (I have tried it, found it slow and hard to deal with on the desktop). They are the only other ones who are a combination hardware/software company (not counting high-end Unices like AIX or HPUX...am I missing someone?). If Solaris is released as GPL, then what "works" with Solaris should easily be ported over to Linux and BSD. It's a potentially gigantic audience pool for them to sell hardware to. The biggest advantage over OS X, IMO, is that the software environment would be totally open and the Free Software community would do a gigantic amount of the legwork for Sun. People can't do much for Apple; I dare say that Apple enjoys almost as nice a reputation within the Free Software community as Microsoft, with their biggest plus side being "At least it ain't Windows". That's a very backhanded compliment. OS X is very much admired for its technical attributes, and rightfully so, but closed is closed.
The dude is a n00b.
Quoting:The dude is a n00b.
Yes, that was, I thought made quite clear, and that is why his insights are particularly useful. He's a noob who went to the trouble of analysing (that's his job ) what went right, what went wrong, how easy he found it, where he found it hard, and why.
What this bloke wrote is probably more useful than a dozen articles written by Linux gurus.
tracyanne, You are right. A n00b is not a bad thing, its a good thing.
Lets see if he his still using Linux in a year.
Quoting:Lets see if he his still using Linux in a year.
I believe he will for a simple powerful reason. The guy loves fresh air and he found it on his trip to the mountains.
With FOSS evolving and making big progress with every stride, eventually he will feel at home.
That doesn't mean he will not visit the city periodically for few things until the city becomes a ghetto and no longer offers anything he needs.
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w00t. Every thing about Linux is mayhem, if it is even that organized. This was the best What-is-Linux article ever.