6 ms·

I remember installing BeOS a long time ago, when I was fiddling with old linux distros which were almost impossible to install (what is the model of your RAMDAC

I remember installing BeOS a long time ago, when I was fiddling with old linux distros which were almost impossible to install (what is the model of your RAMDAC? which is your interrupt controller? manually configure your modem!) I was absolutely amazed at the ease of install, running the software and the powerful GUI. I even ran it for some months as my only OS, since it had a web browser and e-mail client and the dialup config was very straightforward. After that time, I started missing a lot of software, especially browser updates, so I tried linux again and found that it had improved a bit, so I stuck with it. But I'll never forget how probably the best OS at that time failed into misery for the lack of software and a bit of promotion.

ab5tract 12y ago
Hey carlesfe, see my previous post -- it was not a simple lack of promotion but a complete lockout from pre-installation for any PC vendor who didn't want to get royally stomped on by Microsoft.
- carlesfe 12y ago
  Well, same as Linux, but since the later had a big community, it was more vocal and that lead to a larger userbase in the end. Yes, pre-installed Windows (and the lack of drivers) used to suck back in the day, but BeOS was in an awkward middle point between being Microsoft and being Linux. I guess it was a bad time for that, it would have done better nowadays with an equivalent product.
  - ab5tract 12y ago
    Linux never had a chance with the average consumer at that time. Shall I pull up some GNOME 1 screenshots to show you? Do you know all of the refresh rates of your monitor, per resolution? "If you get this wrong, your monitor may become inoperable or explode" BeOS was a consumer OS, and was denied any access to consumers. Ignore vertical dynamics if you want, but the writing is clear as day to me.
    - 72deluxe 12y ago
      I remember trying it back in the day and was mighty impressed with it; pity that more consumer applications weren't ported, as that would have given it more momentum. You were right about it being a consumer OS (other than the fiddly titlebars - too small!) I remember running XConfigurator under RedHat 5 and taking days to get my rubbish VESA card working. Such was life without the Internet (or with £££ dialup). I thought GNOME1 looked squishy and nice but when you look back on it and the KDE2 screenshots, you realise how dated it was back in the days when mice with scrollwheels didn't exist.
    - optimusclimb 12y ago
      LOL - Thanks for the reminder of what fun Xconfigurator was, and setting up XFree86 in general. 2016 will be the year of the linux desktop though ;)
    - pjmlp 12y ago
      You at least had GNOME 1 already. When I looked into GNU/Linux for the first time, my options were twm, fvwm and OpenLook.
      - Zardoz84 12y ago
        SuSE Linux 5.3 -> fvwm95, twm, KDE 1.x, and I remember playing with GNOME 1. Also was weird times, I remember that I manage to run GNOME using KDE as window manager.
nailer 12y ago
I remember Debian asking these questions for years after PCI was mainstream ( PCI has device IDs that Red Hat would simply look up in the PCI map file to get the proper kernel module).

ab5tract 12y ago

Hey carlesfe, see my previous post -- it was not a simple lack of promotion but a complete lockout from pre-installation for any PC vendor who didn't want to get royally stomped on by Microsoft.

carlesfe 12y ago
Well, same as Linux, but since the later had a big community, it was more vocal and that lead to a larger userbase in the end. Yes, pre-installed Windows (and the lack of drivers) used to suck back in the day, but BeOS was in an awkward middle point between being Microsoft and being Linux. I guess it was a bad time for that, it would have done better nowadays with an equivalent product.
- ab5tract 12y ago
  Linux never had a chance with the average consumer at that time. Shall I pull up some GNOME 1 screenshots to show you? Do you know all of the refresh rates of your monitor, per resolution? "If you get this wrong, your monitor may become inoperable or explode" BeOS was a consumer OS, and was denied any access to consumers. Ignore vertical dynamics if you want, but the writing is clear as day to me.
  - 72deluxe 12y ago
    I remember trying it back in the day and was mighty impressed with it; pity that more consumer applications weren't ported, as that would have given it more momentum. You were right about it being a consumer OS (other than the fiddly titlebars - too small!) I remember running XConfigurator under RedHat 5 and taking days to get my rubbish VESA card working. Such was life without the Internet (or with £££ dialup). I thought GNOME1 looked squishy and nice but when you look back on it and the KDE2 screenshots, you realise how dated it was back in the days when mice with scrollwheels didn't exist.
  - optimusclimb 12y ago
    LOL - Thanks for the reminder of what fun Xconfigurator was, and setting up XFree86 in general. 2016 will be the year of the linux desktop though ;)
  - pjmlp 12y ago
    You at least had GNOME 1 already. When I looked into GNU/Linux for the first time, my options were twm, fvwm and OpenLook.
    - Zardoz84 12y ago
      SuSE Linux 5.3 -> fvwm95, twm, KDE 1.x, and I remember playing with GNOME 1. Also was weird times, I remember that I manage to run GNOME using KDE as window manager.

nailer 12y ago

I remember Debian asking these questions for years after PCI was mainstream ( PCI has device IDs that Red Hat would simply look up in the PCI map file to get the proper kernel module).