_18:03
Red Hat wins over Windows convert
When I first read
this article I was hoping to read some sort of statistics showing people are purchasing Linux machines over Microsoft machines - not businesses purchasing them.
It’s great an all for these bigger companies to start migrating over to a much more secure, stable, and progressive OS but I want to see home users happy. I want someone to do some studies on the new generation of computers users along with the elderly. See how they perform when given both computers at their fingertips.
Shoot - I really have no idea which OS would triumph. If I were to throw MAC’s into the picture you’d probably see me at the betting table laying all my dimes on their number.
What needs to happen is simply an education promotion. The Linux community needs to get their OS into various schools and universities. Let people take Computer 101 and actually have them learning something more than how to change their desktop background.
I’ve been running RedHat 8.0 for alittle over a month. I’ll be honest with ya and say it hasn’t allowed me to quickly move over. When I went to the MAC the process took 2 1/2 weeks.
The Holland Sentinel’s new Community Board is currently discussing the OS WAR and bking has brought up some good points on the plug-n-play aspects of Linux (amongst many other points).
For me I’d really like to see people using Linux or MAC. There’s just so many more options out there for people and I feel bad that many of them just don’t know. Many of the computer illiterate might not be so if they knew there were options and actually tried them.
Is this the fault of the users - somewhat. Is this the fault of the companies making these products - about the same - but I think I hold those companies at a much higher standard than I do everyday users.
These are just my thoughts though. Maybe Microsoft really did win the market. Maybe Linux will only be for the g33k’s and Mac’s for the people rich enough to afford the price tag of that beautiful G4.
posted on November 14, 2002 | 6:19 PM EST
Add to the discussion.
I stopped reading after that first post by bking … but it sounds like he doesn’t know the real definition of “plug in play” which is not, btw, “pop in an OS cd, and have the computer work.”
It’s hard to really care about people who complain that linux is too complicated for people who aren’t geeks, because somehow I doubt they can take advantage of the useful features of linux anyway. In other words, if you can’t even get it to install, somehow i doubt you’ll have the skills to say, apply the rmap vm patch, O(1) scheduler, and international crypto patch to your kernel, and tweak it for your system to realize subtle speed increases. I mean, everybody else who runs it had to learn at some point, and that was sure a long time before redhat 7.3.
anyway, long live tux. and forget about the the non-tech, they shouldn’t be running linux anyway
So you don’t really think Linux should be on every home users desktop? or are you saying people need to understand there’s going to be a learning curve?
Personally I think there should be 2 styles of Linux - one for professional and another one for home users (saying without much real thought). Having these 2 options allows the public another option for their OS without having to spend alot of $$$$ and time.
My grandma shouldn’t have to pay $200.00 for an OS that she only uses to check her email and make travel arrangments. She also shouldn’t have to know apply the rmap vm patch, to be allowed to use a different OS.
Hell - you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t know how to program their VCRs so the time doesn’t blink - however it’s easy enough for people to pop in a movie and have a wonderful experience.
I personally think the way of the future is embedded systems. This is exactly why. Our grandparents dont want to spend time installing their OS, they just want a little device to check their email with, and *nothing* more.
These discusions on OS’s are a bit silly imho since what you see when you sit down to work on your computer isn’t really the OS. If i had the source to apple’s GUI, i could in theory port it to work with the linux kernel, and then what? would it be a mac? or a linux box? I have my linux system pimped out, I generally dont have to touch it for a month or so at a time, anything technical about it, I think it’s the essense of user-friendly, since I can configure EVERYTHING, and then go months without touching anything too.
Basically, if you’re using linux because it’s a buzzword, and you’re talking about “plug and play” and not refering to automatic allocation of irq’s, *why* would you want to use linux? you’re basically saying “gnu/linux rules! i want linux to be like windows though, so i dont have to do anything”
notice the irony? just use windows then, or a mac.
For me I look at Linux in 2 ways:
First being (i think) the same way you look at it - that is the Control, flexability, stability available.
Secondly I look at it as an alternative to the whole Microsoft dependancy. I think we put to much trust into one company. If one day they went belly up, most of the world would not know what to do.
Hopefully I don’t sound like I’m using Linux as a buzzword. Really it’s not even Linux - it could be any OS really or any new OS that may come along.
I don’t have a problem with using Microsoft. I think they have great products - however I think it would foolish to put all my eggs in one basket. If that basket breaks I have no eggs.
Why shouldn’t Linux (or whatever) offer this?
a couple thoughts-
The operating system to win at home will be the first operating system that the user doens’t have to even know exists. A home users shouldn’t have to compiles c+ code, or know any Unix commands to play mp3’s. (Which, by the way is what you have to do if you want to have a gui mp3 player that works in the default installation of Redhat 8)
James, I think you are right about the future of home operating systems - Embedded.
I think that someone should build a linux dist. that would run on palms, or tablet pc’s. This seems to be the future of business.
yeah, they have linux on embedded systems already. The sharp zaurus comes to mind - the most sexy pda on the planet ;-)
redhat sucks a LOT, and they have to worry about the royalties of the mp3 format, that’s why there’s no mp3 support by default.
The thing is, i dont *care* if linux “wins at home” as long as geeks keep using it (which they will). If one of them “wins” that just means more lack of choice. The competition is what keeps the products maturing.
either way, anybody who knows what they’re talking about knows that Syllable will win at home ;-) tee hee
http://syllable.sf.net
Thats a great point. I think the reason that everyone hates Microsoft, is because they won at home.
I am old enough to remember VHS versus BETA for video tapes. BETA was THE BEST performing of the 2 platforms, cost the same to produce, blah,blah,blah. If memory serves (too lazy to cheThe marketing is what convinced the public that that was the way to go. Isn’t that what Microsoft does? They recognize something cool, say “I can do that” then MARKET the product convincing people that that is what they need? Better, cheaper, faster is not always the answer. It has to be appealing too. Hey, it’s the American way.
A Plug and Play OS provides automatic configuration of PC hardware and devices, & Linux IS getting better at it. But it seems that “better” is equal to Windows 3.1, or 95 at best in a desktop enviornment. Microsoft has already won the desktop OS battle, & they didn’t do it by having employees saying ‘forget the non-tech, they shouldn’t be running Windows anyway’. Statements like that are akin to, the mechanic telling your grandmother ‘you shouldn’t drive a car if you don’t know how to replace the harmonic balancer on a 283 cubic inch V-8, & mill the heads & grind the valves at the correct angle for optimal compression/performance’. An OS needs to be pretty much ‘turn-key’ ready for the no-brainers if it want’s to compete, & Linux isn’t quite there yet.
no, actually you’re quite wrong. It’s like saying, don’t buy a stick shift, if you dont want to learn how to drive it. If you’re going to use vague comparisons, at least make them related
I have no quarrels with Linux as a backend OS for servers etc… My point is, if they want to be a real competetor in the home desktop OS market, they better start building better automatics.
james Says:
I stopped reading after that first post by bking … but it sounds like he doesn’t know the real definition of “plug in play” which is not, btw, “pop in an OS cd, and have the computer work.”
It’s hard to really care about people who complain that linux is too complicated for people who aren’t geeks, because somehow I doubt they can take advantage of the useful features of linux anyway. In other words, if you can’t even get it to install, somehow i doubt you’ll have the skills to say, apply the rmap vm patch, O(1) scheduler, and international crypto patch to your kernel, and tweak it for your system to realize subtle speed increases. I mean, everybody else who runs it had to learn at some point, and that was sure a long time before redhat 7.3.
anyway, long live tux. and forget about the the non-tech, they shouldn’t be running linux anyway