Dr. kitteny berk wrote:It really didn't strike me as something for, like, real people.
Words below are what I experienced, I'm not trying to say linux is good or bad, just, well, different, and not particularly windows user friendly.
Well yeah, it IS different, and I don't think Windows is Mac user friendly either. As someone said above, apples and oranges.
"Made for real people" is completely subjective. You stick anyone in front of a Windows, Mac or Linux machine as their first experience and they'll get used to it. Put them in front of something else after a period of time and they'll fall over themselves telling you how unintuitive the new system is.
Dr. kitteny berk wrote:could be Narnia for all I know.
big lols
Dr. kitteny berk wrote:Look at the top to see if it found my soundcard... Nope, it tells me something complicated, so I ignore it.
Complicated? To you?
I reckon that's just laziness!
If it was something about restricted drivers you just needed to click a checkbox saying you understand the drivers have been made by the manufacturer and are not open, and that Unbutu doesn't know what the hell is inside.
Another point is, without any windows experience, do you think someone with a fresh Windows XP install that didn't detect the sound properly would be able to install the drivers without a manufacturers CD right next to them? (and quite often, in my experience of support, WITH the manufacturers CD right next to them)
Dr. kitteny berk wrote:What about multi-monitor support? this clone setting is fucking with my mind... Not in right clicky desktop type place, moved screens about a bit, no change, poke around in other options... No change.
Ah yeah. Probably THE biggest downfall of desktop linux today, and probably the biggest turnoff for Windows Power Users looking to switch.
Possible, but it's quite often a huge faff, and I'll grant you this is idiotic. Again though, this is not helped by the fact that nVidia and ATi just provide binaries for their graphics cards and no specifications.*
A quick search for "nvidia dual monitor ubuntu" shows that the situation (at least on the surface) is improving since I tried last time, with a single command.
Dr. kitteny berk wrote:Oh, look, a big red button that looks like it might take me somewhere comfortable and warm.
At least you had a look, fair play to you. As a gamer and dual-monitor though I'd say you were stuffed from the start anyway
<small>* Apple achieves it's (variation of) stability by controlling all the OS software and hardware. I think for most people it's a nice experience if you just want everything "out of the box" and working. By starting to realise this in the last 5 years Apple have made quite a bit of headway (as well as them managing to make owning Mac's "cool", whatever that means)
Windows achieves it's variation of stability by controlling the OS -and then with it's significant marketshare- the hardware drivers by "certification" processes. Considering that they have to build for every PC out there, with every conceivable combination of hardware known to man, I think they've done a pretty good job.
Linux gets it's stability (or variation thereof) by being as open as possible, and asking the hardware makers to be open - no mean feat. If they are, everything (in theory) should work perfectly. I'd say Linux does a great job of reverse engineering or making itself compatible with as much as possible. My Ubuntu installation worked with my Dell XPS M1710 out of the box, everything detected and working (sound,wifi, bluetooth, gfx etc). Later I realised I needed to add were proprietary Dell fan drivers/controls.
Anyway, I guess I should shut up about this. But while Windows kicks ass on the desktop, I'd say that's more due to the support by commercial developers (games, software and hardware drivers) that sets it apart these days from Linux, and in most other areas I'm convinced that Mac,Windows and Linux are all in the same ball park, even if they aren't playing the same game on the same pitch.</small>