Linux pwns Windoze yet again.

[PeterCH]

What Mr. Spaceman foundation and others are trying to do for years now, therefore the many distros. Still a work in progress only.

Work in progress - but that's because there's not enough powerful apps for home users?

What would most people love?

A DVD ripper?
A CD ripper?
A CD/DVD burner?
A basic Video editor?
DVD player?
A basic photo editor?
A browser?
An email program?
Instant messaging support?
P2P?
Word processor?
Other Office apps?
Connectivity with most hardware out there - eg TWAIN for scanners or whatever is the new standard nowadays
USB/FW/DisplayPort/DVI/ESata compatible ports to work?
Working sound?
Working 3D/2D video/graphics acceleration?
GAMES support? If not all, then some?

All bundled nicely and working out of the box - with a common interface so that new PC users can get to work, straight away.

 

[d0b33]

What about a Linux Appliance computer then?

A machine which will be preconfigured with a good linux distro, featuring a great DVD player, a good Office suite, a good emulator to run some Windows games on/apps, browser, lots of eyecandy to amaze n00b users and multimedia support - ability to connect any Canon/Nikon/Lumix/etc camera out of the box. Why not copy what Apple is doing but with cheaper hardware - a system which is preloaded and fully configured?

No need to buy OFFICE, no need to buy an AV package, no need to buy Nero DVD/CD for burning DVD/CDs and no half ar-sed OEM trialware stuff Win OEMs bundle. Fully functional, fully tested software with the same features and ease of use interface as Windoze apps for internet, word processing, email, P2P, IM, video editing, photo editing, movie watching, DVD watching, DVD/CD creation, CD ripping, legal DVD ripping, music encoding into MP3, portable media player connectivity, camera connectivity, printer and scanner connectivity, external disk and network connectivity - all supported by a vendor like Apple. Add a nice slick logo, make sure the software and hardware work together and you're set.

Intel was working on something similar for netbooks called Moblin, it is in alpha stage now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moblin

Edit:
But linux has already made it to the mobile platform with android and palm pre.

 

[PeterCH]

Intel was working on something similar for netbooks called Moblin, it is in alpha stage now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moblin

It would be great however, if there was a whole ecosystem around it and it could be used not just in Netbooks but in desktop PCs or laptops. You know, when grandpa wants to buy a PC, instead of Windoze he can get a cheaper or
similarly priced machine but never worry about having to buy apps for it again.

 

[d0b33]

It would be great however, if there was a whole ecosystem around it and it could be used not just in Netbooks but in desktop PCs or laptops. You know, when grandpa wants to buy a PC, instead of Windoze he can get a cheaper or
similarly priced machine but never worry about having to buy apps for it again.

I added android to my post, it's already begun on the mobile platform, netbooks will be the next big step and this is where the ecosystem should naturally come into being.

But OSX has a better chance of competing with Windows directly and stealing it's thunder, linux will mostly be the alternative with opensource alternative applications for some time.

Edit:
Nokia also has plans with Maemo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maemo_(operating_system)

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Operating System diversity is a good thing - as it will allow you to pick a distro suited to your choice.

But, unfortunately, the disadvantage of this is that n00bs will get confused by the vast array of available distros.

Microsoft Windows is bound to only one platform and kernel - thus making it a prime target for all sorts of malware, as your piece of malware is guaranteed to run on a wide variety (and selection) of Windows OS'es. A worm which runs and infects Windows2000 PC's will also be able to infect WindowsXP (and possibly Vista/Windows7 as well if it's coded properly).

Linux is available in more than one distro, making it thus harder for malware programmers to effectively target Linux-based PC's.

 

[w1z4rd]

Work in progress - but that's because there's not enough powerful apps for home users?

What would most people love?

A DVD ripper?
A CD ripper?
A CD/DVD burner?
A basic Video editor?
DVD player?
A basic photo editor?
A browser?
An email program?
Instant messaging support?
P2P?
Word processor?
Other Office apps?
Connectivity with most hardware out there - eg TWAIN for scanners or whatever is the new standard nowadays
USB/FW/DisplayPort/DVI/ESata compatible ports to work?
Working sound?
Working 3D/2D video/graphics acceleration?
GAMES support? If not all, then some?

All bundled nicely and working out of the box - with a common interface so that new PC users can get to work, straight away.

Sounds like Linux is just what you want then. Those came bundled out of the box for me with Ubuntu.

 

[MyWorld]

Heres the problem I find with Linux ATM.
To many distros clambering for top spot.
No real guide to take you through the whole process. If someting does not work it takes a helleva effort to search fo relevant info and get it to work.
No structured info or guide for all the commands that can be used in Linux to achieve what needs to be done.

It's easy for the Linux bof's to say its easy. But for a man of the street that is to much to bear if compared with windows.

You surely need to get your head out of the hole you stuck it in.

No real guide? NO REAL GUIDE???? Have you never heard of a wiki? Something all those distros have clambering for the top spot. How on earth could you get easier than that???? MS Knowledge base? Where you need to magically know what a certain error message means which you cannot look up since your computer won't boot past the darn error?

And what exactly is this something that does not work, give me a case study, don't just pull things out of your thumb, what nowadays takes you weeks and weeks to get working?

No structured guide for all the commands... oh boy, did you even bother to ask or search? Nope, cause typing man <command> is much too difficult, I'd rather let some doggie on windows ask me "Do you want to know more?" and not even come close to answering my actual question. Try and get a command layout guide for windows, good luck. You need some MSCE degree for that.

It is easy for the bofs to say it's easy cause they do not whine when they have to put in a little effort, and nowadays it is LITTLE.

Jitte, if you love your disease ridden bought and paid for windows, so be it, nobody forced you to read this, move along now, nothing here for you to troll about.

BTW, if you do not have a legit copy of Windows the you have no say on this subject, it's like a thieve commenting on how great a BMW is that he hijacked from someone else.

Linux is available in more than one distro, making it thus harder for malware programmers to effectively target Linux-based PC's.

You have it a bit wrong here, there being hundreds of distros have nothing to do with how easy or not it is write mallware, underneath everything Linux still runs on a single and same kernel on all distros.
What makes it difficult to write mallware for Linux is access rights (root access) and constant patching and updating of software.

There can be a vulnerability now but tomorrow it is already patched.

 

[killadoob]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Is it easier to bash windows than actually look for a solution man?

 

[I am Penguin]

You surely need to get your head out of the hole you stuck it in.

No real guide? NO REAL GUIDE???? Have you never heard of a wiki? Something all those distros have clambering for the top spot. How on earth could you get easier than that???? MS Knowledge base? Where you need to magically know what a certain error message means which you cannot look up since your computer won't boot past the darn error?

And what exactly is this something that does not work, give me a case study, don't just pull things out of your thumb, what nowadays takes you weeks and weeks to get working?

No structured guide for all the commands... oh boy, did you even bother to ask or search? Nope, cause typing man <command> is much too difficult, I'd rather let some doggie on windows ask me "Do you want to know more?" and not even come close to answering my actual question. Try and get a command layout guide for windows, good luck. You need some MSCE degree for that.

It is easy for the bofs to say it's easy cause they do not whine when they have to put in a little effort, and nowadays it is LITTLE.

Jitte, if you love your disease ridden bought and paid for windows, so be it, nobody forced you to read this, move along now, nothing here for you to troll about.

BTW, if you do not have a legit copy of Windows the you have no say on this subject, it's like a thieve commenting on how great a BMW is that he hijacked from someone else.


You have it a bit wrong here, there being hundreds of distros have nothing to do with how easy or not it is write mallware, underneath everything Linux still runs on a single and same kernel on all distros.
What makes it difficult to write mallware for Linux is access rights (root access) and constant patching and updating of software.

There can be a vulnerability now but tomorrow it is already patched.

What a lot of assumptions.
1) An obvious Linux schooled Fanboi splurting (*%$#@*) here. Assuming everyone must know about Linux what he tought himself over so many years.
2) I run Windows 7 beta to be upgraded to RC1 (Legit copy).
3) So you must search wiki everytime you want to find a instruction to load/unload/configure files or software. What if you are not online. (Windows just works and have a good help and support system)
4) Obviously you see anyone mentioning anything they find or experienced as a disadvantage in Linux a TROLL, that is typical Fanboi disease of the worst kind. Some people are to mentally strained to read and understand the topic where it states that Linux tops windows. Obviously any fanboi idiot will then claim that anything posted here by others to prove the general statement is wrong is trolling. Still part of the same Fanboi disease, on the low mentality side of the worst kind.
5)What takes a lot of time is setting up the drivers for existing hardware where default linux driver are not avaiable. Check the Linux forum how many members struggled with Linux. Some still do. Its only in the last few Distro release versionws where it is much improved. Thekernal could be the same but who can use the kernel commands if you do not get a distro that is preconfigured for a noob. Then with all the differences in hardware you expect that noob to be able to ask questions of something he does not know. You will be the first to tell that noob to buzz of because he would not understand your vitriol.
6) lastly your attitude stinks thats exactly the problem with many of the so called Linux experts.

Instead if giving advice where the structured information can be found you blew your top, angered your mind and threw all your toys out of your cot. Get some ritilen dude. Grow up! All you said was pure Fanboi tripe. So either start again or You buzz OFF.

 

[SlickNick]

Ok, firstly, someone posted this link in a thread somewhere. It goes to show you how easy Linux is, especially Ubuntu, so much so that any person who has used Windows can use it, and in the article the guy doesn't even touch Terminal.

For more advanced stuff, and to get Linux to behave in a different way, concerning the UI and such, then it'll take some command lines to do your thing, though it is pretty easy, you only need a grade 8 comprehension level.

You see I personally think it is that mentality of "omg, no way I have to READ and TYPE this?? wtf", that really skews the perceptions people have when it comes to Linux. Yes, it is in the last few releases that it has become n00b friendly and where advances have been made, but I fail to see the relevance of stating that fact, when the real fact is that hey... it's working. Driver issues are being sorted out, and thanks to the backing of corporates, Linux is making headway, whereas before Linux was on it's own, struggling to be anything more than a niche. Now it is a viable replacement.

Even my little brother now uses Ubuntu, and he is a total noob. I caught him trying to install a bluetooth driver from a cd last night, and it was a windows driver.... and he casually ignored the little bluetooth icon which was already displayed, and which should have made him realize that bluetooth support comes standard... lol.

Oh, and I am far from a Linux expert, I only recently converted, and I have been using Windows for a long time, and I am an IT guy, where all the software is Windows and for Windows, with the exception of 2 Macs and a Linux ERP system. And I feel right at home with my two Linux machines, which of course are my personal ones.

So don't bash something until you have tried it. And give it a real shot, like a trooper.

 

[repitah]

Linux handles the change over well.
Windows, doesn't handle it so well, unless the OOBE generalize option is run (Vista/2008+).

However, you can play with the registry and enable to the necessary driver service to start immediately.

E.G reg file I use to make for servers:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\megasas]
"Start"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor]
"Start"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\arcsas]
"Start"=dword:00000000

 

[froot]

What a lot of assumptions.
1) An obvious Linux schooled Fanboi splurting (*%$#@*) here. Assuming everyone must know about Linux what he tought himself over so many years.
2) I run Windows 7 beta to be upgraded to RC1 (Legit copy).
3) So you must search wiki everytime you want to find a instruction to load/unload/configure files or software. What if you are not online. (Windows just works and have a good help and support system)
4) Obviously you see anyone mentioning anything they find or experienced as a disadvantage in Linux a TROLL, that is typical Fanboi disease of the worst kind. Some people are to mentally strained to read and understand the topic where it states that Linux tops windows. Obviously any fanboi idiot will then claim that anything posted here by others to prove the general statement is wrong is trolling. Still part of the same Fanboi disease, on the low mentality side of the worst kind.
5)What takes a lot of time is setting up the drivers for existing hardware where default linux driver are not avaiable. Check the Linux forum how many members struggled with Linux. Some still do. Its only in the last few Distro release versionws where it is much improved. Thekernal could be the same but who can use the kernel commands if you do not get a distro that is preconfigured for a noob. Then with all the differences in hardware you expect that noob to be able to ask questions of something he does not know. You will be the first to tell that noob to buzz of because he would not understand your vitriol.
6) lastly your attitude stinks thats exactly the problem with many of the so called Linux experts.

Instead if giving advice where the structured information can be found you blew your top, angered your mind and threw all your toys out of your cot. Get some ritilen dude. Grow up! All you said was pure Fanboi tripe. So either start again or You buzz OFF.

Damn... it seems my ignore list didn't copy over to my new profile automatically.
And here you go again, [-]trolling[/-] disrupting the Linux forums. You say you want to learn about Linux... but I really don't see you doing anything of the sort. Instead you bash absolutely anything and everything that you believe to be of a fanboi nature or that you don't like.
If you don't want to something post constructive or at least not bash everything, then please don't post here.

 

[BigAl-sa]

Damn... it seems my ignore list didn't copy over to my new profile automatically.
And here you go again, [-]trolling[/-] disrupting the Linux forums. You say you want to learn about Linux... but I really don't see you doing anything of the sort. Instead you bash absolutely anything and everything that you believe to be of a fanboi nature or that you don't like.
If you don't want to something post constructive or at least not bash everything, then please don't post here.

Thanks froot, you beat me to it.

 

[Kloofvreter]

You missed the part about Vista? many users complained about it when I used Vista, I had to search the forums for help to make use of AHCI, 7 supports AHCI now but still does not allow you to swap on the fly the way linux does.

Epic Fail! the free OS pwns the behemoth yet again.

Vista failed. Win7 is still beta AFAIK?

 

[Kloofvreter]

Not just performance... reliability as well - the ability to keep on running even when there's a lot of worms on the network. Windows just keel over and dies with some worms, Linux keep on running.

And when Linux takes over as Aqua_lung predicts, all the worms and trojans will be written for Linux machines Why target a minority OS?

 

[froot]

And when Linux takes over as Aqua_lung predicts, all the worms and trojans will be written for Linux machines Why target a minority OS?

Quite true- a malicious program is written to be of maximum effect. The bugger up does come in where in Windows you always have a certain level of administratorship, even as a user. In Linux you actually have to authorise any such events.... this is only severe exploits in Linux can actually be targeted by malicious programs.

 

[Lino]

Quite true- a malicious program is written to be of maximum effect. The bugger up does come in where in Windows you always have a certain level of administratorship, even as a user. In Linux you actually have to authorise any such events.... this is only severe exploits in Linux can actually be targeted by malicious programs.

There have been vast improvements in Vista and Windows 7 with this regard.

 

[froot]

There have been vast improvements in Vista and Windows 7 with this regard.

Yes there has... but even so, it took only a peek at a folder with a trojan of some kind inside for it to infect both explorer.exe and a few other system executables....

 

[Kloofvreter]

In Linux you actually have to authorise any such events.... this is only severe exploits in Linux can actually be targeted by malicious programs.

These virus/trojan writes are pretty crafty at finding and exploiting the tiniest 'bug' in an OS

 

[d0b33]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Is it easier to bash windows than actually look for a solution man?

I know about the solution I used it with Vista, but that's not the point the point is with linux I don't have to do anything...

why Microsoft cant have an auto mode for AHCI is beyond me the fact that I have to change the registry If I decide to switch between the 2 modes each time makes it annoying.

Microsoft is fully aware of this and their best solution with windows7 is the startup repair which I got impatient with.