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The ball is back in Apple's court. They seem to take the end user more seriously, but they've been mixed. I made a comment taking Microsoft to task when their s

The ball is back in Apple's court. They seem to take the end user more seriously, but they've been mixed. I made a comment taking Microsoft to task when their surreptitious telemetry came to light, and someone pointed me to proof that Apple was doing about the same thing. This is Apple's chance to continue to distance themselves from their competition. They've done well standing up for privacy, with the recent FBI demand to decrypt iPhones, but this is a chance to go further. Man, I really wish Google would release their desktop Linux. Ubuntu is OK, but someone with pockets like that could finish the job, and make a credible, consumer-accessible, 3rd alternative to keep BOTH #1 and #2 on their toes. If I could just run Linux-supported games with the same performance as under Windows -- I'm not even talking Windows games under Wine -- I might finally get rid of my Windows partition to get away from such things. Valve has got to be working on a Linux distro, which they will release on their SteamBox (along with Half-Life 3, mark my words), but who knows when THAT will be.

lake99 11y ago
SteamOS has already been released[1], but all they do is add some stuff on Debian. But Steam/Valve does not seem to be too committed to Linux. Their Linux games are often quite buggy[2], and in my experience, support is slow. [1] http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown [2] https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Dota-2/issues https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Dota-2/issues
- kibwen 11y ago
  I see SteamOS as a hedge against Valve's fear that Microsoft will lock down Windows in the same way that Apple has locked down iOS. Rather than a core of their strategy, it's a last-ditch lifeboat in case third-party app stores become verboten.
cm2187 11y ago
Would you trust google more than microsoft with your privacy? A google OS sounds more like a fox in the henhouse than a solution to the invasion of privacy.
- TheRealDunkirk 11y ago
  Point taken. I just assume that Google is harvesting enough personal info through search that they could carve out a space for a private OS. Maybe I'm being naive. Yeah, I'm probably being naive.
- barbs 11y ago
  I imagine the OS would be open-source, which would probably make it more trustworthy than Windows. Not saying it'd be completely trustworthy, however...
  - cm2187 11y ago
    But at the end of the day, chrome OS or whatever would be a desktop equivalent would just be another flavor of linux. Why chose a distribution managed by a known privacy "predator" over any other distribution then?
    - barbs 11y ago
      Practically, I can't see a reason either. But I imagine it would gain popularity by virtue of the Google brand and marketing.
r3bl 11y ago
I work in a medium sized organization and we let people choose which operating system they want to use, but we do let them know that we prefer Linux (we've created our own little custom Ubuntu ISO with the software that we need pre-installed and it took us like two hours). Today, we have like 10 Ubuntus, a couple of Windows PCs, a couple of Macs and a couple of Chromebooks (not counting our tech staff since we all know how to deal with whatever we're using). Ubuntu is by far the easiest to deal with (only had a single issue related to LibreOffice crashing Linux because of some DRM issue, but the fix was already released and all we had to do is to update the system). Chromebooks are by far the worst (it took me forever to figure out how to add a damn printer). That's why I think that Chrome OS will never be more than a toy. As for Valve, their OS is out for about a year now (don't know it it's stable yet) and you can already purchase some Steam boxes I think (I'll have to verify this). Edit: yes they are, for half a year now: http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines
JoshuaJB 11y ago
From what I've seen, Google's desktop Linux systems are just customized LTS Ubuntu images. (Source: visits to Google office) They appeared entirely normal, eg. Unity, Gnome Apps, etc. but I am sure they made some Google-specific changes. Also, Valve released their Linux distro awhile ago. [1] And Phoronix [2] has some good Windows vs Linux gaming benchmarks. My impression was that they were getting pretty comparable. [1] http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/ http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/ [2] http://www.phoronix.com/ http://www.phoronix.com/
brudgers 11y ago
Apple's short support life cycles for its operating systems is problematic for many organizations. Its constant churn of hardware specifications also presents issues for organizations seeking stability and standardization. Personally, I don't see Apple as likely to move away from either practice due to its business model and consumer device focus because both have produced substantial profits for a number of years. I don't see Google as likely to move into the space either, at least in a way that doesn't increase their cash flow from advertising. Their focus with business and enterprise sales has been on services, insofar as there has ever been such a focus at Google.
Grishnakh 11y ago
>They seem to take the end user more seriously Unless you're trying to keep music on your computer and use iTunes, in which case they upload all your music to the cloud and delete it off your PC. >Man, I really wish Google would release their desktop Linux. Ubuntu is OK, but someone with pockets like that could finish the job, and make a credible, consumer-accessible, 3rd alternative to keep BOTH #1 and #2 on their toes. Have they actually talked about doing this? It really wouldn't take much to make a "credible, consumer-accessible" version of Linux. Most of the pieces are already present, and Linux Mint for instance is already very easy for a non-expert to install and use. The main problems are 1) graphics drivers for non-Intel chips and 2) software compatibility. Lots of games already work on Linux thanks to Steam. A little more work with WINE maybe, and some improvements to Nouveau, and some more polishing and you'd easily have something that a casual PC user can install easily and use. It'd probably help too if they finally finished Wayland and got the whole systemd thing settled. Then they'd just need to use their influence to push other companies to do their part, such as stupid printer manufacturers who don't make Linux drivers for their winprinters (not a problem for good printers, but for the cheapo inkjets it still is). Hoenstly, I find it pretty disappointing that Red Hat hasn't done more in this area, particularly considering they're the ones who created systemd and employ many Gnome3 devs. You'd think they'd be pushing corporate Linux desktops hard, but they don't seem to be.
- TheRealDunkirk 11y ago
  > I find it pretty disappointing that Red Hat hasn't done more in this area Me too. Especially now that the 2 things that kept Linux from being a player in the corporate space were 1) Office, and 2) Exchange. Now you can get Google Apps or iCloud or any of a number of hosted applications for these things. Unfortunately, the last time I tried Fedora, a couple months ago, I got a couple of cryptic selinux-related errors, and quickly decided "ain't nobody got time for that," but if a company would get serious about an image (as they do for Windows, anyway), the path is wide open for a Linux desktop in the enterprise, at vast cost savings.
- tdkl 11y ago
  Also Ubuntu, they started a great thing for making Linux on desktop friendlier, then completely discarded the opportunity of Windows 8 being a shitshow and jumped on the mobile/tablet bandwagon. Now there's another opportunity with Windows10, but not much has changed for the desktop and I won't even mention their mobile success. Pity.

lake99 11y ago

SteamOS has already been released[1], but all they do is add some stuff on Debian. But Steam/Valve does not seem to be too committed to Linux. Their Linux games are often quite buggy[2], and in my experience, support is slow. [1] http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown [2] https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Dota-2/issues https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Dota-2/issues

kibwen 11y ago
I see SteamOS as a hedge against Valve's fear that Microsoft will lock down Windows in the same way that Apple has locked down iOS. Rather than a core of their strategy, it's a last-ditch lifeboat in case third-party app stores become verboten.

cm2187 11y ago

Would you trust google more than microsoft with your privacy? A google OS sounds more like a fox in the henhouse than a solution to the invasion of privacy.

TheRealDunkirk 11y ago
Point taken. I just assume that Google is harvesting enough personal info through search that they could carve out a space for a private OS. Maybe I'm being naive. Yeah, I'm probably being naive.
barbs 11y ago
I imagine the OS would be open-source, which would probably make it more trustworthy than Windows. Not saying it'd be completely trustworthy, however...
- cm2187 11y ago
  But at the end of the day, chrome OS or whatever would be a desktop equivalent would just be another flavor of linux. Why chose a distribution managed by a known privacy "predator" over any other distribution then?
  - barbs 11y ago
    Practically, I can't see a reason either. But I imagine it would gain popularity by virtue of the Google brand and marketing.

r3bl 11y ago

I work in a medium sized organization and we let people choose which operating system they want to use, but we do let them know that we prefer Linux (we've created our own little custom Ubuntu ISO with the software that we need pre-installed and it took us like two hours). Today, we have like 10 Ubuntus, a couple of Windows PCs, a couple of Macs and a couple of Chromebooks (not counting our tech staff since we all know how to deal with whatever we're using). Ubuntu is by far the easiest to deal with (only had a single issue related to LibreOffice crashing Linux because of some DRM issue, but the fix was already released and all we had to do is to update the system). Chromebooks are by far the worst (it took me forever to figure out how to add a damn printer). That's why I think that Chrome OS will never be more than a toy. As for Valve, their OS is out for about a year now (don't know it it's stable yet) and you can already purchase some Steam boxes I think (I'll have to verify this). Edit: yes they are, for half a year now: http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines http://store.steampowered.com/sale/steam_machines

JoshuaJB 11y ago

From what I've seen, Google's desktop Linux systems are just customized LTS Ubuntu images. (Source: visits to Google office) They appeared entirely normal, eg. Unity, Gnome Apps, etc. but I am sure they made some Google-specific changes. Also, Valve released their Linux distro awhile ago. [1] And Phoronix [2] has some good Windows vs Linux gaming benchmarks. My impression was that they were getting pretty comparable. [1] http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/ http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/ [2] http://www.phoronix.com/ http://www.phoronix.com/

brudgers 11y ago

Apple's short support life cycles for its operating systems is problematic for many organizations. Its constant churn of hardware specifications also presents issues for organizations seeking stability and standardization. Personally, I don't see Apple as likely to move away from either practice due to its business model and consumer device focus because both have produced substantial profits for a number of years. I don't see Google as likely to move into the space either, at least in a way that doesn't increase their cash flow from advertising. Their focus with business and enterprise sales has been on services, insofar as there has ever been such a focus at Google.

Grishnakh 11y ago

>They seem to take the end user more seriously Unless you're trying to keep music on your computer and use iTunes, in which case they upload all your music to the cloud and delete it off your PC. >Man, I really wish Google would release their desktop Linux. Ubuntu is OK, but someone with pockets like that could finish the job, and make a credible, consumer-accessible, 3rd alternative to keep BOTH #1 and #2 on their toes. Have they actually talked about doing this? It really wouldn't take much to make a "credible, consumer-accessible" version of Linux. Most of the pieces are already present, and Linux Mint for instance is already very easy for a non-expert to install and use. The main problems are 1) graphics drivers for non-Intel chips and 2) software compatibility. Lots of games already work on Linux thanks to Steam. A little more work with WINE maybe, and some improvements to Nouveau, and some more polishing and you'd easily have something that a casual PC user can install easily and use. It'd probably help too if they finally finished Wayland and got the whole systemd thing settled. Then they'd just need to use their influence to push other companies to do their part, such as stupid printer manufacturers who don't make Linux drivers for their winprinters (not a problem for good printers, but for the cheapo inkjets it still is). Hoenstly, I find it pretty disappointing that Red Hat hasn't done more in this area, particularly considering they're the ones who created systemd and employ many Gnome3 devs. You'd think they'd be pushing corporate Linux desktops hard, but they don't seem to be.

TheRealDunkirk 11y ago
> I find it pretty disappointing that Red Hat hasn't done more in this area Me too. Especially now that the 2 things that kept Linux from being a player in the corporate space were 1) Office, and 2) Exchange. Now you can get Google Apps or iCloud or any of a number of hosted applications for these things. Unfortunately, the last time I tried Fedora, a couple months ago, I got a couple of cryptic selinux-related errors, and quickly decided "ain't nobody got time for that," but if a company would get serious about an image (as they do for Windows, anyway), the path is wide open for a Linux desktop in the enterprise, at vast cost savings.
tdkl 11y ago
Also Ubuntu, they started a great thing for making Linux on desktop friendlier, then completely discarded the opportunity of Windows 8 being a shitshow and jumped on the mobile/tablet bandwagon. Now there's another opportunity with Windows10, but not much has changed for the desktop and I won't even mention their mobile success. Pity.