My minor Ubuntu victory

[pahbi]

My job frequently requires me to travel, and like so many other travlers, I carry a laptop with me when I go on travel. My laptop is a Dell Inspiron 8200. I recently installed the Ubuntu operating system and KDE.

On my upcoming trip, I've been tasked with documenting the installation of our research lasar on a DC-8 aircraft.

I was provided with a digital camera, a Canon Power Shot S45 (I think is the model)

Not wanting to leave anything to chance I visited our computer guy to make sure the camera would work on my Kubuntu laptop. He reluctantly agreed to help me make sure it would be ok. He was expected a difficult challenge to get it to work, and suggested I carry an extra laptop with me that had windows installed.

Just to test the camera he plugged it into his MAC notebook, the camera worked and within a minute he was able to download images from the camera.

Being the geeks we are, we decided to try it on a windows laptop. The camera wouldn't work until we visited the Canon webpage and downloaded and installed special drivers.

Confident the camera worked, we plugged it into my Kubuntu laptop. Nothing happened until I loaded up the digiKam software. Instantly the digiKam software was able to configure itself to work with the camera, and within seconds we were downloading image files into my home directory.

Our final score for the day:

Windows - Unable to get the images without the special driver CDs or a internet connection.

Macintosh - Able to correctly configure and download images without a install CD or internet connection.

Kubuntu - Able to correctly configure and immediately download images from the camera without a install CD or internet connection.

The computer guy was very impressed overall with Ubuntu and KDE, and I will be able to go on travel without having to reinstall windows or carry a extra laptop.

- Pahbi

[bruce89]

It's usually what happens. Windows needs 3rd party drivers (which are usually rubbish), and Linux needs kernel support. If it isn't supported by the kernel (or gphoto), it won't work at all.

[ubuntoy]

believe it or not, i cant put songs on my ipod shuffle in itunes windows. writing errors

and on ubuntu with banshee just write it perfectly.

i really like gnome, but i noticed non-linux users are attracted to kde, they always ask things when im using kde.

[H.E. Pennypacker]

He was expected a difficult challenge to get it to work, and suggested I carry an extra laptop with me that had windows installed.

You have to admit there is a general expectation amongst people that the less well known an operating system is, the more difficult to use it must be, and the less hardware support it provides. Linux fits this description, but in many ways, its not Linux's fault.

[kop316]

Yea something similar happened to me with my mother with a printer. THis printer would refuse to work, even with the software given. I plug it in to my computer (Ubuntu), and after going through the printers preferences, it worked right away.

[GuitarHero]

believe it or not, i cant put songs on my ipod shuffle in itunes windows. writing errors

and on ubuntu with banshee just write it perfectly.

i really like gnome, but i noticed non-linux users are attracted to kde, they always ask things when im using kde.
KDE looks more like windows and has the cool blue look people are used to. After a short period in ubuntu, i prefer the brown GNOME flavor because its different and feels friendly.