Comments about Linux/Ubuntu from a former MS-programmer

[Derek Broughton]

Eric Dunbar wrote:

> What keeps me from using Ubuntu on the desktop (other than a play toy)
> is not the lack of Flash, MP3 or WMV playback, but the fact that
> OpenOffice.org is as slow as molasses in January (or July if you're at
> the bottom of the world ;-),

Tue...

> that Nautilus doesn't play nicely with  the network, 

I didn't think Nautilus was supposed to play nicely with the network. 
That's what Konqueror is for. :-)

> that there are numerous user interface flaws and that 
> apps don't play nice with each other.

As opposed to Windows where there are _no_ UI flaws? :-)  On the whole, I
find that the interface in Kubuntu is _better_ than in Windows, but while
MS can enforce a consistent UI, at least for their own programs, it's
difficult to do the same in the Linux world.  Generally, I just find that
if there's an app that doesn't play nicely with the rest of the tools,
there's a slightly different program that does.
> 
> There are obviously people who can argue that Linux is ready for the
> prime time and works perfectly for them on all fronts until they're
> blue in the face, but, just like in a religious debate, whether or not
> you believe isn't going to make something real!

otoh, your assertion is no more valid.  If I argue that Linux is ready for
prime time and works perfectly for me on all fronts (well, I wouldn't
really do that...) you're in no position to deny my experience.  I no
longer have any software I must run on Windows.  The flaws in such things
as OpenOffice are acceptable for a generally superior user experience. 
YMM, of course, V :-)

> My diagnosis is that the problem with Linux is that it doesn't have
> anyone pushing to get the newbie bugs fixed first. 

_If_ that's the problem, it's never going to go away.  Linux (and OSS in
general) is evolutionary.  Good traits are kept, bad traits go away. 
Nobody is ever going to direct more than a small portion of development in
any organized way.  That's both what makes Linux great ... and doesn't.

> it sometimes appears that bugs get fixed when the dev decides to work
> on it, not because an important user scenario is broken.

Not "sometimes".  Always.  Arguing against the methodology is pointless. 
There's no other way that OSS development _can_ work.
-- 
derek