[NCLUG] Re: Thoughts on Linux Users

[dlc]

That is a great article and it well articulates what seems to be 
obvious, but no one mentioned before "Windows is Free".  I have been 
interested in Linux for years, but for me it just seems a Geek 
fascination.  Sure I can get Open Office (which I use on my Mac) and 
sure it has a GUI, like my HPUX system has a GUI too.  But (and you knew 
that was coming) to me Linux is a hacker OS.  You have to be a hacker to 
get your new iPod to work with it, you have to be a hacker to get your 
new FLASH thumb drive to work with it, you never have a good driver for 
your new graphics card, so it just doesn't work with it and of course 
there are no cool games on Linux.  Games keep the PC going - Even the 
Mac has to live with that - No one does the new games on Linux (a few 
more do so on the Mac.)  Go high-brow all you want, gamers use PC's, 
there is no option.  Oddly, the generic Dell will run Linux as well as a 
Windows variant, so the vast majority of folks could get along just fine 
with Linux and be happy.  But, again, "Windows is free" so they don't 
see that as a cost.

To me I don't use Linux because I can't get my embedded development 
tools there, I can't get my flight simulator there and I can't (I think) 
sync my Palm TX there.  So Linux is a non-starter for me, mostly because 
I'm geek, but in a different way I think.  I love the OSS model, but 
there is nothing there that I use beyond Firefox and Open Office.

IMO,
DLC

Bob Proulx wrote:
> Sean Reifschneider wrote:
> 
>>Brian Wood wrote:
>>
>>>That sounds good, in theory, but often licenses are so confusing that
>>>even sophisticated users can't tell if they are in violation.
>>
>>I don't know about that, but I do know that there are plenty of people who
>>are obviously in violation.  I'm not talking a bout someone who got a
>>laptop with Windows pre-installed, never booted the hard drive on the
>>laptop, and instead put the hard drive in another machine to run...  I'm
>>talking things like borrowing a set of CDs from a friend or family member
>>and installing it..
> 
> 
> I found this following article very interesting reading.  It ties
> right in with what you are saying here.
> 
>   http://articles.tlug.jp/Windows_Is_Free
> 
> Bob
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Dennis Clark          TTT Enterprises
www.techtoystoday.com
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