Re: Why is SP2 so big? It doesn't do much

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Dave C. (mdupre_at_sff.net)
Date: 09/09/04 

Date: Wed, 8 Sep 2004 23:51:28 -0400

> > The last time I installed a linux distro, the
> > installation when smoother, faster and easier than any windows
installation.
>
> Beside it not being as 'simple' as you suggest, 'installing' wasn't what I
> meant by easy enough for the typical user to operate.
>
> > That was a couple of distros ago, so the latest distros are probably
pretty
> > damned impressive from the viewpoint of a "typical user". Oh, and
clicking
> > a mouse in linux is just as easy as clicking a mouse in windows.
>
> That's like saying moving your feet is just as easy going uphill as it is
> on flat ground. It isn't the 'clicking' of the mouse button that matters.
>
> But before you even get to that point one has to figure out which GUI
> you're using.
>
> And then there's the ever fun "I just installed <insert whatever>. I
wonder
> where the hell it went." Doesn't always happen but it happens often
enough.
>
>

Yes, I know there are ways to tweak the open source apps. to match a
particular version of Office. But without a working PC *RUNNING* Microsoft
Office, you have no way of knowing if the software is working correctly
until it's too late. If you need to run Microsoft Office anyway, what's the
point of trying to coax linux to emulate it? Besides which, the typical
computer user wouldn't bother to even try, and therein lies the real
problem.

But linux really IS as easy as I suggest. Anybody comfortable with Windows
XP should find any recent linux distro a real breeze to both install and
operate. Note that's if their particular distro comes with all the software
they want pre-packaged. (I know there's still some software installation
headaches that need to be addressed).

OH, and it doesn't matter what GUI you want to use with linux. Last I
checked, there were only two major choices of GUI for linux (and some others
that the real geeks play around with). Of the two major ones, they both
operate identically, and they run each other's software seamlessly. From
memory, I believe the last major distribution I installed actually installed
BOTH GUI's by default, and then asked you to choose one to use at login. I
could bounce back and forth between the two if I wanted, but the one I used
(gnome) worked fine, so I stuck with that. And yes, I was running some KDE
apps. on that, no problems at all.

Before someone gets the wrong impression, I'm not a linux fanatic. I LIKE
linux, but I run Windows XP. Even if I wasn't "required" to run Windows for
telecommuting, I'd still run Windows XP. Eventually I'll be running linux
again. It might not happen until I retire, but it'll happen. Linux is just
too good to ignore indefinitely. And yes, I was dual booting linux and
windows for a while. I finally figured out that was a waste of time, as I
HAD to run windows but didn't have to run linux. Bouncing back and forth
constantly drove me nuts and Windows XP really isn't too evil, so I'm
running that exclusively now. -Dave

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Improvement in Freeview tuning functionality
    ... difficult in Windows too, of course, but, as my post and the following ... Sorry, but are you claiming that with all linux distros, etc, it isn't ... support to a limited number of models, ... The second method is to take all the installation mechanisms of the OS ...
    (uk.tech.digital-tv)
  • Re: Can HLA and X get along?
    ... distro using /bin, another using /usr/bin, another using ... Windows: "Documents and Settings" ... I can't understand why on earth the Linux users ... Herbert's Assembler is quite good. ...
    (alt.lang.asm)
  • Re: [SLE] Rant -- SuSE 9.1 is Not a Home Desktop solution at all
    ... I had been told by numerous people that SuSE ... I have to admit that installation was an absolute breeze. ... >found, and installed, everything in my box way better than Windows ever has. ... I like Linux. ...
    (SuSE)
  • Re: Improvement in Freeview tuning functionality
    ... Sorry, but are you claiming that with all linux distros, etc, it isn't ... easily or as well as with Windows? ... instead of in a single installation, ... as did the earliest editors and word-processing ...
    (uk.tech.digital-tv)
  • Re: Question about Red Hat Linux Enterprise
    ... we have is running Windows 2000 Server ... Luckily running Apache + MySQL on a Linux system is not a lot ... MySQL database and injecting it back into the MySQL installation ...
    (comp.os.linux.networking)