might give Linux OS 2007 a go

[gooner4life]

to true mate hence I would always recommend that people use windows at home, despite working on unix systems at work i run windows at home.

[dev]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

For the first highlight ...your one person how many windows users are there?

For the second highlight ... how many of them could do what you can?

first highlight, i'm not the only one who thinks this way, and i managed starting off on compiling things, never touched packaged based distros. when you say "windows users" are you implying they know nothing? for the people who just use browse the web and read email, what advantage do they have to using linux? barely any.

second highlight, the average joe can use a microwave or a remote for the tv can't they? a simple ./configure --help will show the options they have, don't understand one? thats what google is for! for me if theres an error when compiling i can usually spot whats wrong, for the cases where the problem is new to me, googling for the error has always given a solution. to compile things, it is a simple set of commands that most people are either too lazy to "learn" or think its beyond them

Not everyone is like you mate and yes linux has a lot of followers but nowhere near as many as windows why do you think that is? just cuz everyone is lazy? or just cuz sometimes things need to be easy and if your not that interested why would you want to learn stuff
Im by no means a noob but I dont want to have to run linux I have no interest in it so I dont really want to spend my time learning it

[The Jackal]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

its easy to install but thats as far as easy goes
If you have to have a look then as said download a live version have a look then give up because its gonna give you a headache

Come on Zing - still Mr Negative on the Linux front.

All it comes down to is knowledge and the patience to learn as with any operating system.

and im to busy to have to learn something very few people will ever need my help with so where is the logic in learning that? all ill get out of being able to use linux is ill be able to use linux whoopie doo

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Gavin

OSX is a good solution, and entirely possible under Linux... If didn't contradict the most basic principal of linux and unix. That's modularity and variety.

Not sure it does. What most people refer to as OSX is a closed source add on to Free BSD.

OSX is a singlular solution, but the reason why so many distros exist with different kernels even, is because Linux wasn't supposed to be singular solution. Which is good in that you get a lot of choice... But bad in that it lacks consistency. Like the packaging managers for example. You get RedHat's RPM, Debian's DEB.

Distro creators really need to start working together and coming up with some common (not singular) solutions to the problems.

The problem for Linux is that to take off in the home market, it needs to just work. Little reconfiguring. Users also need to be sure that the software they buy or download will work, and isn't compiled for a different distribution.

One advantage of Windows is that 90% of the time, it just works with a little wizard-based configuration. The Mac is the same, except it has the advantage that Apple has full control over the hardware, so it is a little more reliable. Both platforms have the advantage that if you install a piece of software for that platform, you can be fairly sure it will work (obviously, it may require something you don't have)

I'm not knocking Linux. Far from it. I experiment with Linux from time to time, and the two devices I have that use varients of Linux are incredibly reliable. My old WRT router gets rebooted whenever a new version of DD-WRT is released, and my Tivo only gets rebooted if there is a power cut.

[AntiSilence]

Originally Posted by dev

i dont get why people like packages so much, if windows programs/games stopped asking where you wanted them installed then there'll be endless complaining about it so why are people allowing package managers to do things they should be doing?

users should not be forced into anything which is why i prefer to build the programs myself, i choose what parts to build and where they end up, that way i know exactly what security problems can affect my computer without wondering "did some random person compile that feature?"

People like install packages so much because they are friendly and the average home user would run away screaming if faced with having to compile something. I know people who look blank when I mention having to use PKZIP and PKUNZIP a few years back.

Most install packages for larger applications (eg, Office etc) all include custom installs so you're not forced to install something you don't want.

When I released my Windows apps, I used InstallShield to make the setup package (there are free ones however) so the user wouldn't be presented with a ZIP file with a Readme telling them to copy files here, there and everywhere (I'm sure that would have got my support email box full in no time!). It's just not what they want, nor do most of them understand anything more than a Wizard.

[Graham M]

The simple solution is, if you want to run Linux at home, go for it? No matter what anyone says you have to make your own mind up about it

but dont come crying when the system is unusable to you after you do

[Cobbydaler]

The main problem with Linux for the masses isn't program installation. If you have a decent distro with decent packagers & good repos, problems are negligible.

Hardware recognition & drivers is a far bigger issue. Failure of hardware manufacturers to provide linux drivers (or even allow access to specs so others can write them) is the main problem...

[luckybleeder]

Spent several months with Ubuntu Dapper and Drake but always had to dual boot with XP because two of my scanners aren't supported, my Canon printer worked but not at full resolution and my tv card would not work no matter what i tried! Let's not mention that you have to rely on Windows dll's for such basic things such as mp3 and avi

Agreed Linux is more appealing the Micro$ stuff but until there's a distro that can work out of the box like XP then i can only see it being a "geek" machine

[The Jackal]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

and im to busy to have to learn something very few people will ever need my help with so where is the logic in learning that? all ill get out of being able to use linux is ill be able to use linux whoopie doo

True true true but seriously I do wish you could see the performance gains you get out of running a linux desktop.

You're well aware of my recent conversion to full desktop linux and boy am I happy but just in case there are problems/lack of software then run another computer and windows in parallel.

I don't think I'll ever go back to a 1 machine 1 OS setup whether it be linux or windows. Dual machine it - have your cake and eat it too.

slight performance gains in one hand hassle in changing from something thats efficient now in the other errrrrrr

[The Jackal]

" This ones always going to be on the dark side Luke "