RE: [SLUG] Microsoft backtracks (relpy to Travi's message)

From: Federico Paini (federico@federicopaini.com)
Date: Sat Jul 07 2001 - 14:18:47 EDT


Travis,

I respectfully disagree with many things you wrote.
I completely understand that you're more comfortable with Windoze since you
started with it and you've been used it for a long time, a lot of people is
in your same position.
I have too started to use the PCs with M$-DOS as main OS (but I used the
Amiga before that and the CBM 64 before) and I learned UNIX after, but this
doesn't mean that I feel more comfortable with Winodze, actually is the
opposite.
I feel much more at easy with UNIX OSes (Solaris first), they give me all
the power I want at my fingertip and I can customize my environment as I
please, I also have the CONTROL of the machine. I can't say the same of
Windoze.
"The fact that you have to use three different progs for every task to get
all the features you want" as you wrote, is the core of the UNIX's
philosophy: small an specialized programs to perform specific task,
combining those programs together allows you do obtain flexibility and
power, if you don't like it (and I'm not criticizing you for it) I don't
know why you use Linux to begin with.
I use Windoze too, of course, (mainly for gaming and at work) and I don't
dislike every M$ product, I actually thing that there are many product that
are well done (M$ Project first) but I still don't like the Windoze "close"
philosophy (and I like even less the M$'s arrogance and monopoly).
Only now (with W2K and WME), M$ is starting to ship semi-stable OSes, 6
years after the release of W95, the crappiest of all the OSes ever installed
on a PC!
Is beyond doubt that Windoze, right now, is a better desktop than Linux. So
what? Linux is not about the desktop (at least not originally), it was and
still is about the technology, a open technology that will grow no matter if
it will become a better desktop or not.
I suggest you to install Slaris for Intel (only $75 from Sun) if you really
want a stable desktop and you won't have any crashes or "disappearing
windows" to worry about.
BTW: my home LAN gateway/firewall/server is a Linux one and I've never seen
a crash or "disappearing windows".
regarding the hardware drivers, take my example: I'm a "power user" and a
avoid gamer and my personal box is a 1.3GHz Athlon "Thunderbird" with 256 of
DDR RAM, 60GB UDMA 100 IBM HD and a 64Mb DDR GeForceII video card, assembled
by myself 3 weeks ago. I don't consider my system to be old and yet I
haven't had any problem installing Linux Mandrake 8.0 or Red Hat 7.2.

With this email I don't mean to criticize you, I know that you like Linux
too and that we are on the same "side" but I just wanted to put my "two
cent" on what you wrote.

Ciao
Federico

-----Original Message-----
From: slug@nks.net [mailto:slug@nks.net]On Behalf Of Travis Walls
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2001 12:57 PM
To: slug@nks.net
Subject: Re: [SLUG] Microsoft backtracks

Heres how i feel about the whole thing. I grew up on Microsoft. Maybe in
another life, I'll be fortunate enough to have parents who use UNIX and not
MS-DOS. So anywho, I feel more _comfortable_ with microsoft software, and it
makes sense too. 10 years with MS vs. 4 yrs with linux on and off. MS has
indeed gotten to the point where no one wants to upgrade. either they are
happy with the current software or they suffered from a previous upgrade and
never want to do it again. but once one has an os installed its gonna take
alot for them to throw it all away and start fresh. Linux is nice, but not
perfect. I can ignore the bugs like broken fonts and occasionally
disappearing windows. and the fact that you have to use three different
progs for every task to get all the features you want.... and occasional
system lockups. I can put up with it, i did for windows. but howsa bout
hardware. when i buy hardware i dont rant and rave if theres no linux
support. i just get an os that supports it. now most of my stuff works with
linux. but it just so happens the really expensive stuff doesnt. which means
im not throwing away anything. i guess what im trying to say is linux is
great and getting better, but until the industry openly accepts it aka
writes drivers for it, and more quality software is made i think i am goin
to stick with windows on my desktop. of course my server will still be
powered by redhat and my laptop just might stay with caldera, but i think im
gonna go back to MS. afterall, an amazing thing has happened. MS is actually
trying to listen to people, and people are tearing into them. and if youve
ever beta tested windows you kno what i mean, every dialog ask was this
dialog necessary why or why not. and there are tons of user surveys being
conducted who have used XP. so as far as im concerned im a happy MS user
because finally a balance has been found and its called linux



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Fri Aug 01 2014 - 15:48:51 EDT