Comments for The ERACC Web Log http://blog.eracc.com ERA Computers & Consulting Technical Blog Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:32:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 Comment on GNU/Linux: Rebuttal: Linux on the desktop: Still not happening by Gene http://blog.eracc.com/2010/03/09/gnulinux-rebuttal-linux-on-the-desktop-still-not-happening/#comment-6699 Gene Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:42:18 +0000 http://blog.eracc.com/?p=815#comment-6699 Paulo Dias (comment <a href="http://blog.eracc.com/2010/03/09/gnulinux-rebuttal-linux-on-the-desktop-still-not-happening/#comment-6687" rel="nofollow">#25</a>) thanks for reading and for your comment. I think the GNU/Linux community is big enough and diverse enough to take in even those you mention as "not worthy" of GNU/Linux. I agree that people are incorrect who believe they are <em>entitled</em> to and insist on "free support" just because the FOSS software is "free". Those people need to be educated, not despised and rejected. Any of them that refuse to adapt, well, we won't miss them when they leave the camp. :) We need to see that those of us who understand how the GNU/Linux and FOSS model work are responsible to <em>gently</em> and <em>politely</em> explain this to the new users. If we do not do this, who will? Paulo Dias (comment #25) thanks for reading and for your comment.

I think the GNU/Linux community is big enough and diverse enough to take in even those you mention as “not worthy” of GNU/Linux. I agree that people are incorrect who believe they are entitled to and insist on “free support” just because the FOSS software is “free”. Those people need to be educated, not despised and rejected. Any of them that refuse to adapt, well, we won’t miss them when they leave the camp. :)

We need to see that those of us who understand how the GNU/Linux and FOSS model work are responsible to gently and politely explain this to the new users. If we do not do this, who will?

]]> Comment on GNU/Linux: Rebuttal: Linux on the desktop: Still not happening by IDG Carries on Publishing Anti-GNU/Linux Rhetoric from Microsoft Evangelist in More Domains | Boycott Novell http://blog.eracc.com/2010/03/09/gnulinux-rebuttal-linux-on-the-desktop-still-not-happening/#comment-6694 IDG Carries on Publishing Anti-GNU/Linux Rhetoric from Microsoft Evangelist in More Domains | Boycott Novell Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:59:38 +0000 http://blog.eracc.com/?p=815#comment-6694 [...] somewhat angry responses from people who can call “FUD” when they see it. Here is one such response: I am seriously annoyed by the constant disingenuous articles that state GNU/Linux is not ready [...] [...] somewhat angry responses from people who can call “FUD” when they see it. Here is one such response: I am seriously annoyed by the constant disingenuous articles that state GNU/Linux is not ready [...]

]]> Comment on GNU/Linux: Rebuttal: Linux on the desktop: Still not happening by IDG Carries on Publishing Anti-GNU/Linux Rhetoric from Microsoft Evangelist in More Domains | Boycott Novell http://blog.eracc.com/2010/03/09/gnulinux-rebuttal-linux-on-the-desktop-still-not-happening/#comment-6693 IDG Carries on Publishing Anti-GNU/Linux Rhetoric from Microsoft Evangelist in More Domains | Boycott Novell Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:59:38 +0000 http://blog.eracc.com/?p=815#comment-6693 [...] somewhat angry responses from people who can call “FUD” when they see it. Here is one such response: I am seriously annoyed by the constant disingenuous articles that state GNU/Linux is not ready [...] [...] somewhat angry responses from people who can call “FUD” when they see it. Here is one such response: I am seriously annoyed by the constant disingenuous articles that state GNU/Linux is not ready [...]

]]> Comment on GNU/Linux: Rebuttal: Linux on the desktop: Still not happening by GreyGeek http://blog.eracc.com/2010/03/09/gnulinux-rebuttal-linux-on-the-desktop-still-not-happening/#comment-6691 GreyGeek Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:54:45 +0000 http://blog.eracc.com/?p=815#comment-6691 MG is obviously wrong by virtue of the fact that MILLIONS of people use GNOME or KDE for their desktop, and for many of them, including me, it is their only desktop. There are 400 million Internet users in China, which is 100 Million MORE than the number of people living in America. Sixteen percent of them use Linux (head of Chinese ISP firm, Google it!). That amounts to 64 Million Linux users, about the same number of regular Internet users in America. Other countries of the world also have high percentages of Linux desktops being used. Steve Ballmer himself, in a talk given on Feb 28, 2008, presented a graphic in which he showed the Linux desktop market share at about 12%, just a little higher than Apple's, at 10%. VISTA has only increased that market share, and Win7 hasn't reversed it to any great extent. The truly remarkable fact is that these percentages are despite the fact that Microsoft still has a strangle hold on DELL and the other PC OEMS, which explains why they offer such meager and HIGHLY limited hardware offerings with Linux preinstalled. A LOT of buyers of new PCs do what I did, when I bought myself a new Sony VIAO notebook as a retirement gift in August of 2008, buy the hardware I wanted even though it came with VISTA preinstalled, and replace VISTA with Kubuntu. So, Windows gets the retail channel count and Linux gets the hardware. BTW, that Kubuntu ISO I used to install Linux on this notebook was also used to install Linux on the PCs of about a dozen of my friends, who also abandon Windows because of its lack of security, its cost, and its constant restrictions and interference. MG is obviously wrong by virtue of the fact that MILLIONS of people use GNOME or KDE for their desktop, and for many of them, including me, it is their only desktop. There are 400 million Internet users in China, which is 100 Million MORE than the number of people living in America. Sixteen percent of them use Linux (head of Chinese ISP firm, Google it!). That amounts to 64 Million Linux users, about the same number of regular Internet users in America. Other countries of the world also have high percentages of Linux desktops being used.

Steve Ballmer himself, in a talk given on Feb 28, 2008, presented a graphic in which he showed the Linux desktop market share at about 12%, just a little higher than Apple’s, at 10%. VISTA has only increased that market share, and Win7 hasn’t reversed it to any great extent.

The truly remarkable fact is that these percentages are despite the fact that Microsoft still has a strangle hold on DELL and the other PC OEMS, which explains why they offer such meager and HIGHLY limited hardware offerings with Linux preinstalled. A LOT of buyers of new PCs do what I did, when I bought myself a new Sony VIAO notebook as a retirement gift in August of 2008, buy the hardware I wanted even though it came with VISTA preinstalled, and replace VISTA with Kubuntu. So, Windows gets the retail channel count and Linux gets the hardware. BTW, that Kubuntu ISO I used to install Linux on this notebook was also used to install Linux on the PCs of about a dozen of my friends, who also abandon Windows because of its lack of security, its cost, and its constant restrictions and interference.

]]> Comment on GNU/Linux: Rebuttal: Linux on the desktop: Still not happening by CD http://blog.eracc.com/2010/03/09/gnulinux-rebuttal-linux-on-the-desktop-still-not-happening/#comment-6690 CD Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:13:37 +0000 http://blog.eracc.com/?p=815#comment-6690 Gene, I must say for the most part I agree with your position. You may have taken out a bit of your frustration on poor MG. Linux suffers from a perception problem. Most people compare Linux to Windows XXX or Mac OS Y. They expect that Linux will work just like one of these OSs. I am sure MG falls into this category. Well Windows ain't a Mac and vis-a-versa! Linux stand on its own as well. If you took someone who knew nothing about computers and taught them how to use a version of Linux it would not take any longer or be fraught with any more issues than you would have with the other OS guys. There are some great distros out that that are as plug-n-play as they come. You can install Ubuntu, OpenSuse, Mint, Mandriva, etc with little to no problems. Hardware support is so much better today. I have not had a video driver problem in almost 5 years. I may be frustrated with the occasional audio bug but you know what?! When I loaded Windows 7 on my system it did not like my on-board audio. It took me 2 hours of internet searching and downloading community modified drivers to get it working. Gee that sound like some Linux distro from 5 years ago. Linux is about the freedom to choose what you want. It is a viable desktop solution that anyone can use, for free, is they choose. Ain't life grand! Gene,

I must say for the most part I agree with your position.
You may have taken out a bit of your frustration on poor MG.

Linux suffers from a perception problem. Most people compare Linux to Windows XXX or Mac OS Y. They expect that Linux will work just like one of these OSs. I am sure MG falls into this category.

Well Windows ain’t a Mac and vis-a-versa! Linux stand on its own as well.

If you took someone who knew nothing about computers and taught them how to use a version of Linux it would not take any longer or be fraught with any more issues than you would have with the other OS guys.

There are some great distros out that that are as plug-n-play as they come. You can install Ubuntu, OpenSuse, Mint, Mandriva, etc with little to no problems. Hardware support is so much better today. I have not had a video driver problem in almost 5 years. I may be frustrated with the occasional audio bug but you know what?! When I loaded Windows 7 on my system it did not like my on-board audio. It took me 2 hours of internet searching and downloading community modified drivers to get it working. Gee that sound like some Linux distro from 5 years ago.

Linux is about the freedom to choose what you want. It is a viable desktop solution that anyone can use, for free, is they choose.

Ain’t life grand!

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