[PCWorld] Why Linux on the Desktop Is Dead - Page 27  

Is there a point to this article? It reads like someone crying that they can't figure out how to use something.

When my girlfriend's daughters were 8 and 9 years old I built them a PC to share... they requested Linux. This was back in Mandrake 8 days... they had no issue booting up, typing their password (they each had a user account) and playing games or drawing pictures on it. Why is it so hard, in this day with Linux being so much more user friendly now, for this guy who works for a PC tech publisher to figure things out? Methinks he's in the wrong line of work.

Dumb article is dumb and useless flame bait.

Now that I think about it, who can't use Linux as a basic OS? If all you do is check mail, read articles and play facebook games and the like (which is probably 90% of the world) then it works just fine. Really people, it's not that difficult unless you do some sort of special tasks that require only Windows software. At which point, you are no longer the average user of the world.
Edited by tout - 5/23/12 at 4:38am

iTunes screws it up in my recent experience. People with iPods like iTunes. I know you can sync iPods using other software, but you can't use the iTunes store. Even if Apple don't want to port iTunes to Linux, or make it Wine compatible (or at least stop breaking compatibility with each update), they should allow access to the iTunes store via website (like Steam do).

I know at least 3 people who I'd love to get off of XP and onto Mint, but they all use iTunes and are entrenched. All they do is web browse and use iTunes, and they're stuck on XP as they only have P4s or old Celerons. It's infuriating.

Flash, silver-light, networking, and audio all say hi.

What's the issue with flash? I've never had any. I've had more issues with Windows and flash than in Linux.

Networking? Really? I've had one motherboard out of 10 that has issues with the onboard LAN in Linux. The new driver is enabled in the latest kernels. Unless you mean something else... I know not what.

Same thing with audio, I can't remember the last time I had an issue with audio in Linux... I think it was once back in 2001... Windows 7 hates my Creative sound card. It simply stops working for no reason. Reports no problem, displays sound being output but does not work. I have to uninstall and reinstall every time...

Silver-light, lol. You use that? I'm sorry. That's a product I refuse to use, along with Netflix. The issue there is that the developers refuse to make a Linux version. The community is working on making it happen, someday.
Edited by tout - 5/23/12 at 5:22am

I just downloaded the new Ubuntu just because of this dumb article.

I am due for a new OS, I think I will do the same.

These aren't issues for people like us. These are issues for the common user. People like us ALREADY use linux or have a proper reason not to.


For the average user, windows/osx is
1) Familiar and natural
2) As easy to install as just plopping in the CD and following a wizard written in retard-talk.
3) Gets all the updates it needs automatically.
4) Software you pick up at a store just works.
5) Websites and ALL of their content, regardless of how it was created, simply works.

For the same user looking at linux, they see:
1) scary computer jargon words. Oh no, will I fry my floppy disk processors If I accept?
2) that game my brother gave me. It dun work. My computa's broke
3) Whats a kernal? Is this a popcorn machine? Do I need to clean out the tarballs with Windex?
4) I bought netflix. Why isn't there CSI: Miami?
5) What's a GOOIE? Is it a type of candy? Why cant I has candy? Also why is there words on my computer where buttons should be?
6) Wheres my little paperclip buddy? I can't write my papers without him!

You get the picture. Keep in mind that while we use half decent hardware, most computer users are still rocking 10 year old bargain bin OEM prebuilts with obscure hardware that doesn't even have any existing documentation.

...that won't run anything newer than XP

I dispute this hardware issue - if there is a problem, I agree, Linux is more daunting to fix. However, in the last couple of years, hardware support has increased exponentially for Linux. Either more manufacturers are getting on board and supply drivers, or community developers are getting better at writing them from scratch. Linux now has pretty decent hardware support. "Obscure" hardware is very rare, as most of the cheap, OEM stuff, is just rebadged versions of well-known stuff (e.g. Atheros, Realtek & Broadcom for networking products)

Anyway, my point is that almost everything works OOTB with Linux nowadays, so don't make a big deal about incompatibility.

Although I accept your point on some irreplaceable software items (such as Netflix, and iTunes as I have previously mentioned). The "scary world of Linux" is mostly insulated in distros like Mint - it's no scarier to average joe than the Windows registry. Forget the CLI - while it won't disappear, remember that the most knowledgable Linux gurus are old-school, and the CLI is second home to them. In time, you'll get more Linux wizards who are more familiar with the GUI way of doing thing. Also, ever range Microsoft support? I've call them once before, and they had me diving into the "Run" menu command, and a command prompt in order to investigate. When it comes to support issues, on any platform, sometimes you can't avoid the CLI.

And everyone switches off the Office Assistant, he's annoying

GOOIE/GUI I believe

I agree with some of your points however there's a few that are wrong...

Windows:
1) Familiar yes, natural? I don't think so. Have you tried navigating administrative tools in Windows compared to Linux?
2) It's the same process for Linux. You have to select partitions in both OS. Select language, keyboard type, lol, is this really that hard?
3) So does Linux (we are talking Ubuntu and the like, right? The user friendly OS')
4) You got that one.
5) The same issues can occur in Windows.

Linux:
1) Really? To use the basic functions of Linux there isn't anything scary about it. Children use it.
2) You can have that one too. However same could be said of Mac.
3) Windows has a kernel, what's your point?
4) You can have that one. However, Netflix is bundled with malware/spyware called Silver-light so I don't use it and recommend people not to.
5) What the heck are you talking about? GUI? Windows also has one. Linux GUI is much nicer IMO.
6) Paper clip buddy? You talking about Office programs? Linux has far better for free.

I get the picture you're trying to paint but most of it is highly distorted. Your worst argument I bolded... those are the PCs that Linux excels on. Let's see, find a legal copy of Windows 98 (that runs like garbage) for some ridiculously gouged price on eBay or get Linux and run system.... yay!
Edited by tout - 5/23/12 at 6:31am