Yeah. Ubuntu’s one of the ones that have gotten better. When I was still working with C++ for multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, …) I ran

Yeah. Ubuntu’s one of the ones that have gotten better. When I was still working with C++ for multiple platforms (Windows, Linux, AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, …) I ran an Ubuntu desktop with VMware Workstation to contain Windows in a useful (less dangerous) place. With the exception of some stupidity around hald with Ubuntu 8.04, it was pretty good (there were several other people who followed my lead on this) except that I still had to run a VM to read email (Outlook; no good connector, and the web access was suboptimal) and other stuff. I could probably switch much easier to a Linux system now, but most of the systems that I’ve played with just don’t have the same level of polish that I expect from a desktop system, and I don’t want to hack on kernel drivers—it just doesn’t interest me. Other people will make other choices. To make a slightly tortured analogy, I need a pre-assembled propane barbecue, because I have food to make. Other people want to go through the whole process of building their barbecue (or at least putting its pieces together), but I’d rather be cooking. De gustibus, ya know.