screen resolution problems with Hardy Herron

[Derek Broughton]

NoOp wrote:

> On 09/26/2008 03:34 PM, Michael "TheZorch" Haney wrote:
> 
>> 
>> If Linux suddenly had the same hardware, driver and commercial software
>> support that Windows and Mac have right now I'm positive that within 5
>> to 10 years Linux would usurp Windows as the dominant PC operating
>> system.
>> 
> 
> Oh nonsense. I have the occasion (quite frequently) to transfer Windows
> hard drives to new chassis, and install Windows OS's.
> 
> Just 5 days ago I installed Windows on an Intel system and Windows
> didn't have a clue or driver for the NIC, the onboard graphics, and the
> DVD/CD. I ended up having to use an Airlink 101 USB Ethernet device to
> get it to talk to the internet so that I could then go and download the
> drivers from Intel to complete the installation. 


Yes, between somewhat better support from hardware vendors, and much better
support from the Linux kernel developers than MS can provide, I think for
anything but very specialized or very new hardware, _driver_ support on
Linux is as good as any OS.  

It's the commercial software support we're missing, and I very much doubt
we'll ever have that.  

> It took me 2 days to 
> complete the installation; hardware drivers, software updates, hardware
> driver updates (again) after the MS service pack updates. Then, after
> all of that and about 10 reboots (required after nearly each update):

Ah, come now - you mostly get told you need to reboot, but you can
say "No" - which if you're about to install something else, you might as
well.  Still, it's nothing like letting apt handle all your software.

> Have you _ever_ installed a Windows OS? Recently? Didn't you already
> have this discussion on this list previously?

My last install was XP Home, 6+ hours for a standalone version, and longer
for the one I installed into a VM.  I've _never_ spent that long installing
Linux, though sometime in the last millenium I did have trouble with Corel
Linux and my graphics adapter.  The install was fairly quick, but all the
fuss getting the adapter to reset after every boot was tedious :-(

> Here's a challenge for you: reformat your existing hardrive(s) and
> install your Windows from scratch. Then install your other standard
> applications (office, graphics, graphics editing programs, scanning
> programs, pdf reader programs, music players, video player, internet
> software, IMS sofware, calendar programs, etc.) on that fresh Windows
> install. Let us know how you come out; how long it took you, what worked
> 'out-of-the-box' and what did not, etc.

And that's with an OS that you already know _can_ support your hardware.  I
can't believe the number of times I've re-installed Windows and then had to
go and get drivers, because they aren't included in Windows itself -
especially annoying on machines that came with an OEM version of the OS
that _should_ have included the drivers.

>   Then, and only then, install Ubuntu on a second hard drive or
> partition, and come back and tell us about your experience.

-- 
derek