80% Giving Up

[mahlerfan]

You mean Intel hardware? nothing special inside a Mac anymore.

No I'm talking about peripherals. I know that's confusing because then I switch immediately to talking about architectures in the next sentence. So I was trying to say this--

(a) You can't use all Mac peripherals on a pc. I know they're moving away from that it, but hey it was worth mentioning.

(b) How many architectures does Windows support? Contrast that with Debian. Maybe you don't realize that not all computing is done on Intel x86, x86_64.

I think it is fair. You don't need to have a monopoly to pressure hardware manufacturers, just a large enough base so that the manufacturer says, "Oh, maybe it would be profitable for us to supply docs & drivers."

That's a fictional case-- non-MS OSs are only 10% of the market. In a fair market where each OS has no more than like 30% of the user base, then yeah you'd be right. As it stands there is only one operating system that can do that, the one with the monopoly. The reality is that it's not profitable to supply drivers for other OSs, and full disclosure of proper documentation and specs for linux coders to write their own drivers is too compromising, it can show too many of their tricks to the competitors. MS had an advantage when it started and then it used unethical and illegal practices to achieve vendor lock in, and you think that somehow that is the fault of linux?

[dfxdeimos]

I do not think it is the fault of Linux.

My only point is that it is too bad that there isn't more of a single force in the Linux world that can put pressure on the hardware makers to provide docs to at least allow the community to build drivers.

[Freston]

Windows is still where Slackware is.

You're a Slackware user yourself, so I know where you're coming from. But Slack deserves a little more credit, so allow me to nuance this statement.

Slackware is so by choice, it's a trade off. Ease is traded in for power and flexibility. And if you don't feel like compiling, rpm instead. Windows is so by default, without choice. There is one way of doing it. And only hints towards ease, IMHO... although they are getting better

And Slackpacks are easier to install than anything really.




That said, it comes down to taste, again...

[oz]

I gave up on both Windows and Linux a long time ago, but I still use Windows every day at work (forced), and then Linux every day at home (want to). Giving up on them doesn't stop me from using either of them.

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

You mean Intel hardware? nothing special inside a Mac anymore.



I think it is fair. You don't need to have a monopoly to pressure hardware manufacturers, just a large enough base so that the manufacturer says, "Oh, maybe it would be profitable for us to supply docs & drivers."

I am on my way into school so that is all your getting out of me this morning!

Regards

this is already happening. research, my friend.

[hazel]

My suse 10 Linux os does nothing. It expects me as the user to do everything.

I suspect that's a SuSE thing rather than a Linux thing. SuSE is intended for use in offices where the sysadmin is a professional IT manager with perhaps rather rigid ideas on what should be done, so it takes the ultra-conservative option and does nothing it isn't explicitly asked to do. I haven't noticed anything of that sort in Red Hat or Ubuntu.

[dfxdeimos]

this is already happening. research, my friend.

I hope you are correct.

[DrEntropy]

I gave up on both Windows and Linux a long time ago, but I still use Windows every day at work (forced), and then Linux every day at home (want to). Giving up on them doesn't stop me from using either of them.

My attitude as well. I am required to know Windows for my J-O-B but prefer to have Linux in my hovel. Luckily I've convinced a few of my clients to allow me to put Linux in place as their server. They won't look back thru a Window for that now.

[cousinlucky]

Thank You Hazel!

I also suspect that Novell is geared toward collecting money from its customers for tutoring and assistance. Their " plans " for such service are quite expensive.