5 ms·

2012 is definitely the year of linux desktop

by zalew 15y ago

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- adolfojp 15y ago
  He was being sarcastic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_Linux#Year_of_Desktop_Linux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_Linux#Year_of_Desktop_L...
- hsmyers 15y ago
  While the current version of Ubuntu is trashed by many, its usability is no longer an issue---as near as I can tell the argument is what it looks like with a few quibbles over changes to some standard utilities---the app installer used to allow you to check off the ones you wanted and then install all at once. No longer (or if it does, it is cleverly hidden!) I'd suggest if a user has problems with this particular flavor of Linux, then their chances of success with Win7 or Win8 seem unlikely.
  - tikhonj 15y ago
    Definitely. As I mentioned, I installed Ubuntu on my roommates laptop. He is completely inexperienced in computers, and not only has he had no problems with Ubuntu, but he has also become more productive than when he was on Windows 7.
    - sukuriant 15y ago
      Could this be due to the lack of games? :P (long time linux user, also Microsoft employee. I take credit for the joke, though :P) [edit: I know there are games for linux. In fact, I applaud companies that go out of their way to make linux versions of their games. e.g. Unreal Tournament 2k4]
      - tikhonj 15y ago
        Hah, you do have a point though--even if there are great games for Linux, most of the popular ones (at least for my demographic ;) are Windows-only, and gaming is as much about playing with friends as it is about the quality of the games. However, my roommate, like a bunch of my other friends, is entirely an XBox person, so the games aren't the issue.
      - rbanffy 15y ago
        While you have a point - many games are Windows only - I think it has more to do with focusing on the work rather than on the tool. Windows is intrusive. Ubuntu, much like OSX allow me to just let it flow. On my case, Ubuntu has an edge because it resembles my servers more closely.
- tikhonj 15y ago
  I think the main reason, by far, that more people don't use Linux on their personal computer is that you can't easily buy a computer with Linux pre-installed. In my experience, something like 95% of all Linux problems are at install time--hardware support, drivers, necessary pacakges...etc. Once somebody has gone through the difficult bits at the very beginning, Linux systems tend to be very stable--after the first week or so, I've had less issues with my Linux computers than I have with Mac OS or Windows. I set Ubuntu up for my roommate, who is rather inexperienced in computers, and he has had no issues. In fact, some things worked even better than on Windows/Mac--he was able to use my printer without installing any drivers; my roommate last year had to spend several hours and get somebody else to help him to print from his Mac. Apart from the difficulty of installing, most people don't even realize that they can install a different operating system--they believe that whatever they have is a magical part of their computer. Or something. You'd think Mac people would be better--they are, after all, using the less popular platform--but they are, if anything, even worse in this regard. Thus, I think the immediate and most important prerequisite to widespread Linux use is not Linux's quality (which is already superb) but its presence in retail outlets. However, there are two big obstacles to this: Mirosoft and Apple. Microsoft has had a history of anti-competitive behavior in regards to Linux, and goes out of its way to strong arm OEMs into only supplying Windows; both companies ruthlessly market that Linux is not an option--the false Mac vs PC dichotomy is a perfect example. However, even if Linux isn't particularly popular, it already delivers the most compelling desktop and laptop environment to those who bother installing it; in that sense, it is already the year of the Linux desktop--I can be more productive on Linux than my friends on Windows and Mac OS; if less people use it, well, it's just less competition ;)
  - baby 15y ago
    It's not only that, it's the lack of drivers on Linux also. I just bought an asus x53s (pretty famous laptop) and it ubuntu runs really badly on it.
    - tikhonj 15y ago
      That's one of the problems you face only because you're installing Linux yourself. If you were a company that was going to sell a laptop with Linux already, you would not sell it with driver problems; you would either be sure to choose hardware that supported Linux or you would write your own driver. Thus, if Linux laptops were easily available, people would not have this sort of problem.
krobertson 15y ago
I think I've been hearing people say that for at least the past 10 years.
- tlrobinson 15y ago
  I think that was the joke.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - zalew 15y ago
    obviously :) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm7oor_you-should-install-linux_lifestyle http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm7oor_you-should-install-l...
gosub 15y ago
Well, I think that most of android devices spend their time sitting on top of a desk.

2012 is definitely the year of linux desktop

by zalew 15y ago

2012 is definitely the year of linux desktop

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
adolfojp 15y ago
He was being sarcastic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_Linux#Year_of_Desktop_Linux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_Linux#Year_of_Desktop_L...
hsmyers 15y ago
While the current version of Ubuntu is trashed by many, its usability is no longer an issue---as near as I can tell the argument is what it looks like with a few quibbles over changes to some standard utilities---the app installer used to allow you to check off the ones you wanted and then install all at once. No longer (or if it does, it is cleverly hidden!) I'd suggest if a user has problems with this particular flavor of Linux, then their chances of success with Win7 or Win8 seem unlikely.
- tikhonj 15y ago
  Definitely. As I mentioned, I installed Ubuntu on my roommates laptop. He is completely inexperienced in computers, and not only has he had no problems with Ubuntu, but he has also become more productive than when he was on Windows 7.
  - sukuriant 15y ago
    Could this be due to the lack of games? :P (long time linux user, also Microsoft employee. I take credit for the joke, though :P) [edit: I know there are games for linux. In fact, I applaud companies that go out of their way to make linux versions of their games. e.g. Unreal Tournament 2k4]
    - tikhonj 15y ago
      Hah, you do have a point though--even if there are great games for Linux, most of the popular ones (at least for my demographic ;) are Windows-only, and gaming is as much about playing with friends as it is about the quality of the games. However, my roommate, like a bunch of my other friends, is entirely an XBox person, so the games aren't the issue.
    - rbanffy 15y ago
      While you have a point - many games are Windows only - I think it has more to do with focusing on the work rather than on the tool. Windows is intrusive. Ubuntu, much like OSX allow me to just let it flow. On my case, Ubuntu has an edge because it resembles my servers more closely.
tikhonj 15y ago
I think the main reason, by far, that more people don't use Linux on their personal computer is that you can't easily buy a computer with Linux pre-installed. In my experience, something like 95% of all Linux problems are at install time--hardware support, drivers, necessary pacakges...etc. Once somebody has gone through the difficult bits at the very beginning, Linux systems tend to be very stable--after the first week or so, I've had less issues with my Linux computers than I have with Mac OS or Windows. I set Ubuntu up for my roommate, who is rather inexperienced in computers, and he has had no issues. In fact, some things worked even better than on Windows/Mac--he was able to use my printer without installing any drivers; my roommate last year had to spend several hours and get somebody else to help him to print from his Mac. Apart from the difficulty of installing, most people don't even realize that they can install a different operating system--they believe that whatever they have is a magical part of their computer. Or something. You'd think Mac people would be better--they are, after all, using the less popular platform--but they are, if anything, even worse in this regard. Thus, I think the immediate and most important prerequisite to widespread Linux use is not Linux's quality (which is already superb) but its presence in retail outlets. However, there are two big obstacles to this: Mirosoft and Apple. Microsoft has had a history of anti-competitive behavior in regards to Linux, and goes out of its way to strong arm OEMs into only supplying Windows; both companies ruthlessly market that Linux is not an option--the false Mac vs PC dichotomy is a perfect example. However, even if Linux isn't particularly popular, it already delivers the most compelling desktop and laptop environment to those who bother installing it; in that sense, it is already the year of the Linux desktop--I can be more productive on Linux than my friends on Windows and Mac OS; if less people use it, well, it's just less competition ;)
- baby 15y ago
  It's not only that, it's the lack of drivers on Linux also. I just bought an asus x53s (pretty famous laptop) and it ubuntu runs really badly on it.
  - tikhonj 15y ago
    That's one of the problems you face only because you're installing Linux yourself. If you were a company that was going to sell a laptop with Linux already, you would not sell it with driver problems; you would either be sure to choose hardware that supported Linux or you would write your own driver. Thus, if Linux laptops were easily available, people would not have this sort of problem.

krobertson 15y ago

I think I've been hearing people say that for at least the past 10 years.

tlrobinson 15y ago
I think that was the joke.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- zalew 15y ago
  obviously :) http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm7oor_you-should-install-linux_lifestyle http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xm7oor_you-should-install-l...

gosub 15y ago

Well, I think that most of android devices spend their time sitting on top of a desk.