On Fri, Sep 28, 2007 at 12:04:24AM -0500, SOTL wrote:
<snip>
> At the4 current time there is a civil war brewing and is all but open out
> warfare in the Linux kernel group. Not certain of the details. It does not
> matter. The two sides are the traditionalists and the desk top focus people.
> I find this extremely fumy as for desk top usage the kernel has been better
> than the Windows kernel for years.
>
This isn't a war. It's tension that's been there a long time and will
continue.
> Why then is Linux not used on the desktop. The operating system is certainly
> as good as and in most cases better than the Windows operating system.
>
> The only reason for one not using Linus is that one can not. The applications
> and there are about 25 critical applications that different groups of desk
> top users find are required in their usage are not available. Out of that 25
> or so I am familiar with about 5 in my world. I have to have CAD. The only
> viable CAD package that allows me to interchange files like ones does word
> files is AutoCAD. Our account folks use Timberline. A package that I am not
> familiar with. Our document people who put together the prospectives and
> instructions manuals use page maker. There is no Linux equivalent to any of
> this. This means lock in to Windows.
>
This is incorrect. The reason Linux has not taken over the desktop is
because OEMs ship almost exclusively Windows on new computers. There are
a variety of reasons for this, but much/most of it has to do with
Microsoft marketing and pressure/extortion of OEMs. It's not easy to
find Linux desktop machines from the major players, and otherwise you
must put together a PC yourself, which most users will not do. Betamax
failed because VHS managed to own the market, not because Betamax was an
inferior product. Same here.
If desktop usage increased, the applications you wish were there would
appear. This is another point you're missing. Linux programmers
generally don't get paid for their efforts. Which means if they work on
something, they work on what *they* are interested in, at their own
pace. That means that some types of software simply don't get the
attention you might like. For example. Gimp is a great graphics tool,
but its support for PMS (print) colors is crappy. Why? Most of the
people who work on it don't do print graphics; they do *web* graphics. I
use KMyMoney to handle my finances. I can't get the programmers to
consider giving the program the ability to print checks. Why? Because
none of them do it. They all do their banking online. Which means that
it has plenty of support for online banking, something I have no use
for. How many people actually use CAD programs? Very few, when compared
to word processors. And taking a CAD program to the level of AutoCAD or
other popular Windows CAD programs requires a *lot* of work. There
simply aren't enough (unpaid) programmers interested in this to move it
along fast enough to catch programs like AutoCAD.
> I do not like Windows.
>
> I hate dual boot machines. I had my fill of them.
>
> I do not believe that one should have to run VMWare to run Windows to run a
> accounting program, CAD program et.
>
> I see no reason that all of this can not be done in Linux.
>
It *can* be done in Linux, but isn't there right now. If you compare
Linux five or ten years ago to where it is now, the progress is
phenomenal, even in the regular programs that run under Linux.
> Putting all this together I get rather pissed off when a senior editor of a
> top Linus publication spouts out such trash that Linux is ready for the desk
> top exactly as was stated 5 years ago. Linus is not desk top ready and will
> not be desk top ready in the next 5 years.
>
Of course it is. If you're doing email, writing letters, or any of the
activities *most* users do on a computer, it's more than adequate. If
you want to run CAD programs and other programs very few people use,
then no, it's not ready for you *in that respect*.
> Why?
>
> The first thing that has to happen is that there becomes sufficient push by
> Microsoft with its idiotic Vista or sufficient internal pressure to develop
> or make Windows programs available that the desk top user requires.
>
Microsoft's going to do something to benefit us? Never happen.
> The first step in that direction will come about when the Linus is great
> shrills admit that there is a problem.
>
The only problem is with people who want all the Windows software to run
on Linux yesterday. It takes *time* to get thousands of volunteer
programmers to code what you want the way you want it.
Paul
-- Paul M. Foster ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Fri Aug 01 2014 - 19:22:45 EDT