Bill Gates fan :-)

[fixit]

On Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:10:29 PM UTC-5, Anonymous wrote:
> (This should make the needy Loonix crowd whine some more.)
>
> >
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/252516/w ... _dead.html
>
> >
> Why Linux on the Desktop Is Dead

I spent a month experiencing Linux as a desktop OS. What I learned from the 30 Days With Ubuntu Linux experiment is that Linux is, in fact, capable of being a desktop OS. But, the whole 30 days felt like I was swimming upstream--constantly tinkering and finding workarounds to get everyday tasks done. Using Linux as a replacement for Windows takes more effort than it’s worth, and in the end I was still left with a poor substitute lacking tools I rely on like Microsoft Office, or native syncing for my iPhone and iPad.

(My response.)

How long have you used Windows ?

No doubt it was much more than a month.

U.S. navy ships as well as many corporations and universities use Linux and they are no dummies.

How many Windows versions are currently in use ?

Here is a small listing of the Linux versions.

http://distrowatch.com/

Enuf said.

Andy

[disciple]

felt like I was swimming upstream--constantly tinkering and finding workarounds to get everyday tasks done.

Sounds like windows to me.

[Galbi]

[ironic mode]

"The dead that you kill, are healthy"



[/ironic mode]

In spanish it's often said: "los muertos que vos matáis, gozan de buena salud"

Even the (wrongly attributed to Don Quijote) phrase "Ladran Sancho, señal que cabalgamos" (They bark Sancho, signal we ride) it's also applicable.

[Wognath]

Ha ha, I hear you Andy! Linux reminds me of my '66 VW, que en paz descanse. I had to fix something on it almost every day, often things I had broken, and I had to phone lots of places to find parts. But I felt needed!

[tlchost]

Ha ha, I hear you Andy! Linux reminds me of my '66 VW, que en paz descanse. I had to fix something on it almost every day, often things I had broken, and I had to phone lots of places to find parts. But I felt needed!

Heretic......it's a good thing you never tried installing a printer on your VW!

[Ibidem]

Linux is a poor substitute for Windows...just like steak is a poor substitute for sourdough.

If you try doing the same thing the same way, it sucketh greatly. But if you're wanting to get something a little bit different done, Linux may be what you want.

I used to find that Linux needed a bit of meddling to get it working quite right. Along the way, I got more accustomed to doing that meddling, and it got less and less necessary. I frequently find myself spending weeks wishing for some situation that would require poking around with a root shell.

Strangely enough, printing is one of the things where I've found Linux to be best.
It's rather amusing to get a network printer working on Linux (by ./configure && make && make install) and then find that it barely works on Windows. (Of course, on Windows you won't end up running strace on the lpd backend or the cups pdf filters.)
And I rarely if ever have to put up with Windows-style driver installation.
It's also amusing when you can print to a network printer at school without even setting up the printer. (lp/lpr can print to Postscript printers identified by IP address, if the command line is right.)

[rufwoof]

Still approaching 30 million Linux users worldwide.

PC World would perhaps wish they switched to Windows so their older hardware would need replacing more frequently, and their maintenance group would have even more business re-tweaking periodically to revitalise slowing system. Not forgetting all of the software licence fees etc.

My Linux desktop works just fine, so does Libre and all the other apps I require. Better cost value as well, and stays the exact same rather than having changes automatically installed that create interaction problems.

Boots quicker, is more customisable. And whilst I was a Excel wiz as recently as last February before switching to Puppy Linux, now having become accustomed to Libre Calc when I try using Excel - it just feels like swimming up-stream. Mostly does the same as older versions, but they move things around.

A familar tool that does a reasonable job and remains the exact same is far better than a tool that's periodically cosmetically changed - perhaps for the sole reason of justifying you spending money to 'upgrade' the tool. But then distracts you from the job in hand in trying to figure out how to use the tool.

Another factor is that the stats are based on web hit counts. Many linux users spoof their useragent rather than broadcasting to every web site that they visit that they're using x PC, y op system and enticing known weaknesses in those to be exploited.

I'm a Bill Gates fan. Loved XP but earlier in the year he said no more XP support, enticing me to switch to Puppy Linux. A few month learning curve, no regrets since. Thanks Bill.

My son had a new Windows system for last Christmas. A couple of months later he turned as white as snow one day when on booting he'd lost all his desktop icons and 'stuff'. Courtesy of MS deciding that he needed to update their (sorry his) PC. They're also now locking users out of their (whoops - sorry again - the owners) PC, by blocking BIOS boots - as a security measure of course.

[mikeb]

Another factor is that the stats are based on web hit counts.

I wonder how many of those hits are made by exploits hijacking the system and blasting the internet with poo....which of course are windows only....(well no one has ever given my one example of it happening on linux....)

If you buy a car and it breaks 2 months later...they fix it pronto or replace it...funny how the laws protecting consumers do not seem to apply to operating systems....

mike

[fixit]

The U.S. military uses Linux on many Navy vessels.

Much more reliable than Windoze.