linux that works

[Phil Bull]

Hi Bob,

I understand the feeling.

On Sun, 2011-01-16 at 18:02 +0000, sir alaric wrote:
[...]
> when, if ever, is anyone, anywhere, going to make a linux version of
> anything, that just works.

I see it as something of a chicken-and-egg problem. The most difficult
problems people experience tend to relate to poor/non-existent hardware
drivers. Most hardware manufacturers don't see Linux as a big market
that's worth supporting, so they don't provide drivers themselves. And
people find it difficult to use Linux when their hardware fails to "just
work", so they don't use it. So the Linux market doesn't grow large
enough and the drivers never materialise.

There are also issues with having core applications being maintained by
volunteers - sometimes volunteers don't have the time to get their
software working perfectly, on account of having to work during the day
etc. etc. That's the nature of Free software.

> linux and all it's offshoots, and i do mean all, claim to do what
> windows does, only better. unfourtunately, it's a lie. unless of
> course you can spend 57 days tweeking this or that or the other thing.
> or spending the rest of the year going through the forums. and i mean
> from starting in january.

Oh, people will claim all sorts of things. They're biased; you'll never
get an objective review of an operating system because the experience of
computer use is so tied up in a person's technical ability and what
equipment they have at their disposal. Everyone has different needs, and
everyone will rate the OS based on how it fulfils their own needs, not
yours. Ubuntu works great for me, but maybe it won't for you.

The most important thing to me isn't being better than Windows or Mac OS
X or what have you. It's providing a viable alternative to them.

If you'd like something more akin to the Windows/preinstalled/drivers
working experience, why not consider buying a computer with Linux
preinstalled next time you're due for replacement? People like System76
can do that for you.

Thanks,

Phil

-- 
Phil Bull
https://launchpad.net/~philbull
Book - http://nostarch.com/ubuntu4.htm