Dear Microsoft, thanks for the help, Linux

Interesting read from ComputerWorld:

http://blogs.computerworld.com/dear_microsoft_thanks_for_the_help_linux?source=NLT_PM&nlid=8

too one sided for me to take seriously.

contrary to launch time belief, vista has matured greatly and works fine if you have the pc to run it.

Linux will never ever ever ever ever EVER.............EVER take hold until alot more things are automated efficiently.

as in:
reading of second hard drives
wine not causing you to read wine forums for hours getting a particular application to work (registry imports and endless editing on some apps)
linux suddenly freaking the hell out because of its 3rd party special effects freaked out, so now you cannot see anything, hope you didnt have anything important open..


while linux users know how to fix these, alot of people want an os when you click install, it works. right now, linux is not that and it would take some serious funding and development to make a more complete behaving linux brand.

Im all for linux, I use it on my main pc for all that I can, but I am also experienced in it, the average home user is not and does not want to learn all the ins and outs of linux. It is this reason of everything just not working on its own that linux will not dominate the desktop market, but will just continue to grow in niche markets such as mobile devices, etc.. Id really love to see linux spring forth but there is just too many components of the os being developed in different camps.

ryanmartini said:

too one sided for me to take seriously.

contrary to launch time belief, vista has matured greatly and works fine if you have the pc to run it.

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unfortunately the problem is expecting people to have the hardware to run a new OS. For enthusiasts thats fine but reallistically the end user knows that his computer works fine with XP but when using VISTA WITHIN the RECOMMENDED specs it runs slower or is generally more irritating you can blame Microsoft for poor planning.

It is unrealistic to expect the majority of the people out there to upgrade (or in some cases buy new computers) just to run a new OS that you have to tinker with so it doesnt annoy you

The one thing that windows had going for it was that you didnt have to do anything to get it to work. Now with the odd little tinkering you have to do to the UAC and other tweaks so it is less annoying, you have to do *almost* more to windows then you do to setup say Ubuntu

I have used Vista 64 and its not that bad , But that said im running XP 64 bit right now =)

Again with the vista bashing. Coming from someone who hates microsoft, I am really hating all this anti-vista garbage.

I unfortunately use it on a daily basis, and I am willing to bet these guys played with it for an hour.

My view differs from that of the blogger in that: I don't care if most desktop users are using Windows, and furthermore, don't really care if Linux becomes more widely adopted, unless users are motivated to do so by their own convictions.

I DO use XP, I do not have a copy of Vista nor is it likely that I ever will as I have no need.


Other than M$'s business practices, I really don't have anything against MS or Windows.

They've got some talented people there... "the worse of all time"

Cheator said:

Again with the vista bashing. Coming from someone who hates microsoft, I am really hating all this anti-vista garbage.

I unfortunately use it on a daily basis, and I am willing to bet these guys played with it for an hour.

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I hope this was directed at the article and not me I wasn't bashing Vista just trying to give a voice to people like my girlfriend's family and what their experiences have been/are. And they aren't alone

Stratus_ss said:

I hope this was directed at the article and not me I wasn't bashing Vista just trying to give a voice to people like my girlfriend's family and what their experiences have been/are. And they aren't alone

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No its in general, not directed at anyone here. Really, anyone is allowed to hate it too ( I don't mind!) but many of the news stories and posts I see are from people that don't use it. Not that I wanna defend it, I am just sick of FUD back and forth.

After interviewing with microsoft, and interviewing with several other software company's, I think microsoft is quite selective. So I don't think its a talent issue. Compared to microsoft, Google is the only other company that really kicks your *** at an interview.

Places like IBM will just ask a few questions, and if you got them, your in.

Having struggled with Vista at work, I must say that it is not as bad as it is made out to be for regular use. But I would say that third party support for equipment is certainly lacking a bit. I'm sure it will improve, but then this OS was never designed to run on the bleeding edge of a pauper's hardware.

OTOH, I am very pleased with Ubuntu and I have indeed transferred a significant amount of instrument control routines to Ubuntu with zero issues. It is a lot more responsive and looks better too!

Super Nade said:

Having struggled with Vista at work, I must say that it is not as bad as it is made out to be for regular use. But I would say that third party support for equipment is certainly lacking a bit. I'm sure it will improve, but then this OS was never designed to run on the bleeding edge of a pauper's hardware.

OTOH, I am very pleased with Ubuntu and I have indeed transferred a significant amount of instrument control routines to Ubuntu with zero issues. It is a lot more responsive and looks better too!

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+1 to the Ubuntu comment. They have come a long way and put a lot of polish to the OS

I quit using Linux a long time ago... It's total crap and always will be, the only Linux can be used for is simple things. I love using a LiveCD to fix a Windows computer... The only uses I have for Linux now is DBAN and GParted, as those are written in the Linux kernel. Other than that, I will keep that crap off of my computers. Because I like stuff to be automated, I don't like typing 4 lines of code to install a video driver. This is why Windows and Mac prevail....

Your post makes it pretty obvious that you quit using *nix a long time ago, because it's completely the opposite of total crap.

My laptop has Ubuntu on it, and I very much like it.

As for drivers, the latest version of Ubuntu I installed detected and automatically installed every single piece of hardware in my laptop, including the 2 pcmcia cards.

I mean, the random (from the devs' standpoint) collection of hardware I have had drivers on the install cd.

I installed Ubuntu, everything worked.

2 days ago I installed XP on my newest tower build, and nothing worked. No sound, no video, no nics, nothing.

So uh... how is that easier?

I agree, Ubuntu is click and install OS, other than setting up the updates (pasting all the links and such into the console, everything is straight forward.

technoViking said:

I agree, Ubuntu is click and install OS, other than setting up the updates (pasting all the links and such into the console, everything is straight forward.

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you dont even have to do that unless you are seeking updates outside of the university repos and for most end users they have no need to do such things

Ubuntu is very close to being the polished Desktop OS we are looking for for free. Very easy on the system requirements. The nice thing is, you can also customize everything right from the kernel without destroying your existing setups. Vista ain't utter crap (at one point I thought it was), but it definitely puts severe limitations on hardware required. Not a poor man's OS by any means.

G3F0RC3<>R4D30N said:

Other than that, I will keep that crap off of my computers. Because I like stuff to be automated, I don't like typing 4 lines of code to install a video driver. This is why Windows and Mac prevail....

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Installing my 3870 took one click (and a reboot) in Ubuntu.



That said, I hate everything about fstab with an unholy passion.

Stratus_ss said:

you dont even have to do that unless you are seeking updates outside of the university repos and for most end users they have no need to do such things

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Ahh good to know.


I really admire linux and would be using it right now if I could play games on it without emulation but currently games is the only thing that keeps my home computer running vista.

At work all I use is linux an z/OS and trust me, after you use z/os any other OS will look amazing.

After interviewing with microsoft, and interviewing with several other software company's, I think microsoft is quite selective. So I don't think its a talent issue. Compared to microsoft, Google is the only other company that really kicks your *** at an interview.

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MS isn't really that selective. The highest paid computer scientists all work for investment banks and asset management companies, and the greatest minds work in universities as professors. They're not a totally unselective company, but they just don't really pay enough to qualify as being among the most selective companies, and their attitude of greed > all turns off the idealistic intellectuals.