What is the lamest reason for giving up on Ubuntu/Linux you've ever heard?

[Dropbear]

No start button

[Moustacha]

it doesn't play css, but who'd want to anyway :P

[Swarms]

It plays css?

[vexorian]

"WINE is a hack"

[EdThaSlayer]

"Downloading, then double-clicking on the exe file and going through the tedious setup process is easier than doing that synaptic thing"

[metallicamaster3]

"I like Windows."

[vinodis]

No Notepad or Paint.

[Depressed Man]

It's not Windows. (well duh.. if it was we'd be using Windows).

[wersdaluv]

"Ubuntu is not ready for the desktop."

[Kymac]

'All my friends use windows, and it doesn't have itunes/AIM/IE' (doesn't like the alternatives)
-sister



'I've tried "linux" before, like 5-6 years ago'
-My Friend


"It runs kinda slow..."
-Same Friend When I showed him Ubuntu on the Live Disk

[vexorian]

"An old mp3 player I found in a park does not work on Linux"

[eilu]

"I can afford Vista," in an insulted tone. (well, it's your money...)

[vexorian]

It should be blue!

[Golyadkin]

"We have to use Microsoft Word in school."

[heathen]

It's hard....


most things worth doing are. Walking wasnt easy the first time you tried it....

[Depressed Man]

It's hard....


most things worth doing are. Walking wasnt easy the first time you tried it....

Luckily we don't remember trying to walk. ;)

[Polygon]

it cant run mIRC!

*i show him that mirc works perfectly in wine*

it doesnt run my mIRC scripts fast enough!

*hits head on desk repeatedly*

[xdarkxanarchyx]

"OS X pwns"
-Old singer

"It looks weird"
"It's different"
-Ex girlfriend

"No hard drive space"
-A friend

"I tried Red Hat like 6 years ago..."
-Ex girlfriends friend.

"I tried it once a long time ago, too difficult"
-Don't remember

[fuscia]

It's hard....


most things worth doing are. Walking wasnt easy the first time you tried it....

they gave up on toilet training, too.

[original_jamingrit]

Can a thread be simultaneously hilarious and depressing at the same time?

If so, I've found it.

[likemindead]

I'm not sure what the lamest excuse I've been given is, but I just hate the general apathy with which they accept M$. Free software is largely a philosophical endeavor for me, not that I don't love the pragmatic side too. I guess I really feel a bit sorry for all the sheeple that mindlessly refuse to think outside of the box....

[jrusso2]

I hate the brown!

[Beany]

I usually get as far as installing Linux, playing with it for a bit and then forgetting about it before I then download an updated version and go through the whole palaver again. I have done this with, in order: Slackware, Red Hat, Debian, SuSE and most recently two releases of Ubuntu! :oops:

I've just downloaded 7.04 and I've set aside a whole hard disk for dual booting and this time I really will stick with it. Honest. :lol:

[Beany]

Just remembered a classic excuse from a chap I used to work with. For the record, I've pretty much always evangelised Linux even though I didn't use it a great deal. I was in a discussion with a Unix sysadmin I used to work with, he was promoting FreeBSD and I was behind Linux.

The other bloke comes over, listens to us talk for a minute or two and then pronounces to us both, "there's no point in using either - anything that's free can't be worth using. If it was any good they'd be able to make money on it". With that he walked off with a smug grin on his face.

[vexorian]

"there's no point in using either - anything that's free can't be worth using. If it was any good they'd be able to make money on it".

we got a winner, that one is very frequent and it is pretty ridiculous, so it is the lamest excuse.

[MedivhX]

LAmest reason i've ever heard is "It's free, so it must be retarded"

[TheWizzard]

I usually get as far as installing Linux, playing with it for a bit and then forgetting about it before I then download an updated version and go through the whole palaver again. I have done this with, in order: Slackware, Red Hat, Debian, SuSE and most recently two releases of Ubuntu! :oops:

I've just downloaded 7.04 and I've set aside a whole hard disk for dual booting and this time I really will stick with it. Honest. :lol:

make installation notes.

[yuvlevental]

internet explorer rules

[Omnios]

A clasic

Its not normal like windows!

[whynotchevron]

to hard to learn , as I,m fixing their blue screen of death](*,)

[jdrodrig]

"I can get Windows free too (illegal copy)"

[xdarkxanarchyx]

"I can get Windows free too (illegal copy)"

Yeah, I was just going to say that Windows is 'free' too.

[FuturePilot]

"My OS is more expensive than yours"

Oh please. What a waste to dump $500 into an OS:roll:
And an annoying OS at that too.:p

[BOBSONATOR]

"Linux is gay"- some deuch in my english class.

[phenest]

I like the way my computer is set up.

[oldos2er]

I have to TYPE into a command line?!? Icky poo!
[paraphrased slightly]

I always want to ask, "How many wpm do you type with your mouse?"

[steveneddy]

But in Windows you just have to.....


Free software? We don't run free software here. It's full of bad stuff.

We don't download software in this house.. :|

I like to call people when I need help. (my brother)

[cmat]

"Doesn't have photoshop"

Oh and this gem, "I read it's bad on Microsoft's site."

[Spr0k3t]

"I can't get my [completely unsupported] wireless card to work"

followed up with

"I don't want to spend money just to get Linux working wirelessly"

And we know the real reason is because of how expensive the software is.

[LowSky]

"why use this (ubuntu) when the old one (windows) work fine" ~ my dad

[tr4nce]

I want to play mp3s

[sstusick]

A friend of mine told me I run Linux because I can't afford Windows....

So his excuse "I can afford Windows."

[cmat]

A friend of mine told me I run Linux because I can't afford Windows....

So his excuse "I can afford Windows."

Most likely a gamer type, am I right?

[loell]

cause i want to drag my photos to the messenger to share them :popcorn:

[Technoviking]

"The guy at Best Buy told me Linux was dangerous and could damage my computer." Manager of a hotel my old LUG had meetings at

[sstusick]

Most likely a gamer type, am I right?
Yep, you got it lol

[karellen]

cause i want to drag my photos to the messenger to share them :popcorn:

I don't know, for me this is actually a good reason :)...

[ericesque]

I tried installing 7.04 twice. Both times after about 4-5 hours of setup apps start crashing at random. So I reboot and try to log in, but every time I press a key x restarts and nobody on the forum even bothered to respond to the post requesting help.

That would be my 'lame' excuse

Maybe my OS isn't free as in speech (free license from my university) but 90% of the apps I run on top of it are-- and as you can see, pressing keys doesn't cause explorer to crash-- so I guess I feel justified.

[laxmanb]

lacks proper hibernate support - Me

[goumples]

Theres another OS besides Windows?! /gasp

[loell]

I don't know, for me this is actually a good reason :)...

yeah, it is a good feature i might add, but giving up linux or bashing an foss program just so because he wants that feature, is lame.

needles to say you have got a gazillion ways to share your photos using a linux desktop.

[K.Mandla]

"I already bought Windows."

"The tech guys at work say it's not secure."

"The tech guys at work say it's not safe."

"But I can just call Microsoft if something breaks." (One week later, I get, "My computer is acting funny again, can you fix it one more time?")

[blithen]

THEE lamest reason is................I hate penguins.

[Luinar]

I'm sure I've heard someone saying somewhere once that they didn't want to use Linux because "it is illegal" and "made by hackers" (note the distortion of the word hacker, but hey ho).

Generally though it is usually along the lines of "my computer is already working fine as it is and lets me do all I need to do" and "I wouldn't know how to do things/fix things".

That's all very well and good and valid reasons and what not, but if they were really true then why is it that I always have to end up fixing peoples computers? :p

[wersdaluv]

cause i want to drag my photos to the messenger to share them :popcorn:

I have to admit that I miss the real Yahoo Messenger too. LOL

[sstusick]

I wish AIM would make a decent version of AIM for Linux. The one they have is just... pitiful. Same goes for Yahoo messenger... it doesn't even have webcam support. But I've been using Kopete instead and took care of that problem.

[DougieFresh4U]

I wish AIM would make a decent version of AIM for Linux. The one they have is just... pitiful. Same goes for Yahoo messenger... it doesn't even have webcam support. But I've been using Kopete instead and took care of that problem.

I set up AIM 5.9 through wine . Have not been able to get sound in AIM though:confused:

[TooRight]

I know a guy whose biggest whine was that he couldn't "naked cam" anymore... the chat program/site he used didn't support linux.

i was never so happy to see someone go backkk to using windows, lol

Hmmm... okay, that sounded bad... I was never so happy to HEAR about someone going back to windows :D

[em007a]

I know a guy whose biggest whine was that he couldn't "naked cam" anymore... the chat program/site he used didn't support linux.

Now there's a guy with too much time on his hands :)

[tille]

"Its so complicated"

[Chilli Bob]

"Linux is full of viruses because you download it off the net."

and

"I knew a guy who installed Linux, and it broke his monitor."

[TheWizzard]

"I knew a guy who installed Linux, and it broke his monitor."

actually, this used to happen!
nowadays monitors are protected, but before that a wrong x-server configuration would blow up your monitor!

[Spike-X]

Now there's a guy with too much time on his hands :)
I bet that's not the only thing he...er...never mind!

[steven8]

I haven't really heard any excuse yet here on the forum that I haven't felt to be at least a lame thinly disguised excuse for saying "I just like windows more." or some such. It's always lame in some way. . .to me. To put it better, the users who go back wanted to go back, and were looking for a reason.

[misfitpierce]

No Notepad or Paint.

Haha that would have to be it

[xyz]

I was very surprised to hear that one as it came from an intelligent, interesting person:

I don't like anyone that goes into any alternative ways!

[Salpiche]

It should be blue!

LOL! I had one telling me that it did not like the brown tones on it.

:lolflag:

[xpod]

How about the one that goes something like....

im an uber geek with more certs & experience than most on here so if i cant figure it out how the hell are mom & pop ever going to manage

There is no single reason for this typical FUD it seems but most of the common whoppers can be found a dozen times over in the LDRT(Linux desktop readiness thread).

Or even the..
I cant use smiley central

.....or similar](*,)

There are many good reasons for people not to use Linux of course but if people are at least trying the thing then i suggest they close them Dirty Windows for the duration and open their minds:)

Heres my reason though.......
I`m going back to Windows because i never got my automated birthday message compliments of the forum today,after waiting a whole bloody year for it

:popcorn:

[mrgnash]

'You get what you pay for.'

[Darkhack]

'All my friends use windows, and it doesn't have itunes/AIM/IE' (doesn't like the alternatives)
-sister

I consider that to be a very valid excuse. All her friends use Windows, the software she desires most is on Windows and sometimes the Linux alternatives just aren't up to par.

I like the way my computer is set up.

This is lame? Don't fix what isn't broken. Some people just don't think it is worth it to go through the hassle of switching operating systems. My parents still run Windows and I don't force Linux on them. I always despise Linux geeks that act like a pushy door-to-door salesman claiming how much better their stuff is.

I always want to ask, "How many wpm do you type with your mouse?"

How many times do you have to push a button on your keyboard to accomplish a task? One click of the mouse versus twenty on a keyboard. I wonder which is easier? Granted this isn't always the case, but a GUI is very useful and saves a lot of time.

"Doesn't have photoshop"

If you consider this a lame excuse then you must not use your computer for professional work. Some people have real lives and real uses for software. Again, this makes Linux users sound like pushy salesmen, "But but... it's BETTER!!!". Let me ask you, what is your favorite console video game? Let's say for the sake of argument that it is a first person shooter like Halo. How would you feel if a pushy N64 fanboy pushed Goldeneye 007 as an alternative?

"I don't want to spend money just to get Linux working wirelessly"

This is fair. Not everyone wants to go out and spend money on new hardware. Especially if they are new and have never heard of Linux. Why spend money for something that you have never even heard of before? Besides, if Windows works well and Linux doesn't, there isn't a critical reason to switch.

"why use this (ubuntu) when the old one (windows) work fine" ~ my dad

My father said the same thing. You know what? He's right.

I tried installing 7.04 twice. Both times after about 4-5 hours of setup apps start crashing at random. So I reboot and try to log in, but every time I press a key x restarts and nobody on the forum even bothered to respond to the post requesting help.

That would be my 'lame' excuse

Maybe my OS isn't free as in speech (free license from my university) but 90% of the apps I run on top of it are-- and as you can see, pressing keys doesn't cause explorer to crash-- so I guess I feel justified.

That's valid and justified. I would have quit LONG before 4-5 hours.

lacks proper hibernate support - Me

That's fair. I used Windows until just recently when 7.04 finally supported hibernation on my computer.

"I already bought Windows."

Hey K.Mandia. I know you just bought a new cell phone, but trust me, this one is better. You'll have to re-learn how to use it and import all your contacts again and some games or applications may be missing, but trust me it's better. You can ditch that $100 phone you just paid for. Some people just want to use what they paid for. Especially if Windows works just fine for them.

I know a guy whose biggest whine was that he couldn't "naked cam" anymore... the chat program/site he used didn't support linux.

If your guy friend was a female then I would consider this to be VERY valid. *drools* =P

But let's not forget the female Linux users (All three of you) and the gay geeks. They might begin to miss their special online friend after a while. ;-)

[TheOtherLinuxFreak]

LAmest reason i've ever heard is "It's free, so it must be retarded"

I get that same excuse.

[gaspar]

I got a bunch of lame excuses when I tried to help a co-worker with Linux. We tried for about a week, and was always like this:

- Gaspar, I can´t make the XXXX app to work!
- Did you search for it? Like, Google, or the forums?
- No...

- Gaspar, it doesn´t have/do blablabla...
- Okay, do me a favor: go back to windows. You don´t search, you just complain, and I just don´t care.

C´mon, I like to help, but I don´t need someone trying to convice me that I need to follow the crowd (as said in other thread). I keep doing whatever I can to help anyone REALLY interested in migrating to Ubuntu, and yes, this guy was not the only one who heard a go-back-to-the-pit kind of answer from me :P

[oldos2er]

>One click of the mouse versus twenty on a keyboard. I wonder which is easier? >Granted this isn't always the case, but a GUI is very useful and saves a lot of >time.

I've never seen a GUI program that only requires one mouse click. I do agree that GUIs are useful, but as for saving time, give me the terminal.

[mech7]

it's brown the color of poop..

[Ice_Dragon]

it's brown the color of poop..

It's also the color of chocolate. :)

[kubaknopp]

I want a universal OS.
Funny - in this particular case this famous universality emerged as a blue screen with white letters on it.

[FuturePilot]

"Linux sucks"
That's what someone told me without anything to back up their claim.
Actually it was a Windows fanboy.:roll:

[karellen]

"Linux is ugly"...
plain simple, without even seeing gnome or kde or whatever

[happysmileman]

Dunno if this was a joke or not but when in a shop I saw that the machine that gives credit uses Linux (or X at least) by looking at the mouse when I dragged my finger on screen.

I said "Hey it looks like it uses Linux", a friend of mine said "What's that, I heard it's a replacement for all your Microsoft stuff", I said "Yeah in my opinion it's better", then my friend who's never used it says "He likes to say that but he knows it's not true".

[GFree678]

Cos it doesn't play... BIOSHOCK!!!! AHHHHA!!!

Alright that's enough. :)

--------

Seriously though, the lamest reason is the simplest to understand:

Windows costs money, hence it has worth.
Linux is free, hence it is worthless.

People are naturally suspicious of anything free, "get what you pay for" and so on. A natural instinct; doesn't make it any lamer in this case however.

[Dimitriid]

"I dont want to dual boot, I dont want to choose anything at start up"
-Says an owner of a cyber coffee shop with 10 freakin computers.

"I can void my warranty"
-A guy using his pc on a room with no ac at 45 C

"Linux is crap"
-A guy who gets paid to troubleshoot windows pcs all day long and KNOWS how shitty it is. Its so aggravating that after sending an average of 2 replacement hard drives per day, per agent ( this call center has something like 180 agents ) and he still thinks NTFS is superior to ext3 ( he said that and then walked away to go do more hard drive self tests over the phone with customers )


I have a fair share of arguments like that, but the main reason I think is misconception, another co-worker told me today "You're running Linux on a Laptop? WITH wireless working? Wow you're a guru!". He seriously didn't know it took me something like 20 min to get wireless working just by doing forum searches and googling, he still has Post-Traumatic Slackware Disorder :)

[Chilli Bob]

actually, this used to happen!
nowadays monitors are protected, but before that a wrong x-server configuration would blow up your monitor!


WTF???? How could that work????

[kiddo]

people, I have an idea. What if we combined the serious replies we get here in a wiki and work towards creating powerful, compelling answers to those insane "reasons"?

The goal is not to force linux upon everyone, but at least stop the FUD by allowing those interested in spreading the FOSS love, to have a knowledge base of good rethorics to work with.

Anyone with me? :) I can create a simple pmWiki space on my server if anyone is interested.

edit: as most people do not notice, I did create that wiki: http://anti-fud.ecchi.ca

[init1]

No Notepad or Paint.
I can run both in Wine. I've tried :D

[_duncan_]

"Linux is so incomplete it doesn't even have a defragmentation tool."
- an IT professional.

[cookies]

"Communists/Facists/et cetera use Linux"
--Seen on various forums
They also drive cars and eat food

"There is no way to get support on Linux"
--"Tech" articles

"Windows is working fine, now I just have to go run my virus scanner and my spyware cleaner. And figure out why IE takes 5 minutes to open"
--From an IRC channel I go on

"What's an 'OS'?"
--That darn IRC channel again, remind why I go there. :P

[Fonon]

The lamest reason I got from someone refusing to use linux was..."It can't read and write .doc, .ppt, etc." I went and opened OO.o, and then he just went "pfft! It probably sucks!" and walked away...then he knocked on my door asking me how to fix his computer.

[GFree678]

WTF???? How could that work????
A common problem with many older monitors was they didn't have any protection against invalid frequency/timing settings. If you tried to run a particular resolution at a refresh rate higher than could be handled by the monitor, it could burn out the CRT/electronics. It wouldn't exactly "explode" I don't think, but it would render it dead.

All modern monitors though have automatic protection against such things, instead switching to a screen saying "Out of range" or something similar if such a thing happens.

[Spike-X]

"There is no way to get support on Linux"
--"Tech" articles


Translation - "You have to search a forum full of helpful, experienced people who actually know what they're talking about, rather than sit on hold for half an hour to be connected to somebody who'll just read the manual at you."

[Dimitriid]

Translation - "You have to search a forum full of helpful, experienced people who actually know what they're talking about, rather than sit on hold for half an hour to be connected to somebody who'll just read the manual at you."

Is not only that, I have another translation

"I dont want to read manuals that tell me how to do it myself and realize what a moron I am, I rather make poor descriptions over the phone to a foreign guy so I can yell at him and tell him what a moron he is cause he cannot figure it out over the phone while trying to decipher my redneck accent"

[original_jamingrit]

people, I have an idea. What if we combined the serious replies we get here in a wiki and work towards creating powerful, compelling answers to those insane "reasons"?

The goal is not to force linux upon everyone, but at least stop the FUD by allowing those interested in spreading the FOSS love, to have a knowledge base of good rethorics to work with.

Anyone with me? :) I can create a simple pmWiki space on my server if anyone is interested.

I think we have an idea here. It could be an easy way to give users some staright answers about Linux.

[Moustacha]

not having itunes/msn is bit a joke now, the OSS altervatives are better IMO, or at least for me. Granted I don't buy music online, amarok > itunes, it keeps songs in the order i load them onto my ipod (shuffle), and doesn't run slow. aMSN is a pretty good replacement for MSN too, same with Kopete and Pidgin.

+1 for the wiki, the FUD gives makes me create ubuntu coloured logs.

[eentonig]

Now there's a guy with too much time on his hands :)

Time?

[bigboy_pdb]

I initially wasn't going to post to this thread, but while I'm at it I will give a poor reason for giving up on Ubuntu/Linux.

"Linux is for geeks/nerds".

There is nothing wrong with being knowledgeable and/or intelligent when it comes to a useful system.

---

Darkhack, I think that your responses are not good ones. People were stating responses that were given by specific people, meaning that there are a number of hidden assumptions. You know nothing about the people making those statements.

I consider that to be a very valid excuse. All her friends use Windows, the software she desires most is on Windows and sometimes the Linux alternatives just aren't up to par.
...
If you consider this a lame excuse then you must not use your computer for professional work. Some people have real lives and real uses for software. Again, this makes Linux users sound like pushy salesmen, "But but... it's BETTER!!!". Let me ask you, what is your favorite console video game? Let's say for the sake of argument that it is a first person shooter like Halo. How would you feel if a pushy N64 fanboy pushed Goldeneye 007 as an alternative?
...
That's valid and justified. I would have quit LONG before 4-5 hours.
...
That's fair. I used Windows until just recently when 7.04 finally supported hibernation on my computer.


If someone decides not to give Linux an honest try because of one piece of software that has good alternatives, unnecessary software, or he/she doesn't want to try harder then this is a poor reason for not giving Linux an honest attempt. For example, most people that I know of pirate software such as Photoshop, they are not professionals, and other software such as GIMP and Inkscape could easily meet their needs. They just don't want to learn how to use the software. Also, people were able to use their computers without any problems before hibernation came along (they just turned off their computers when they weren't using them).


This is lame? Don't fix what isn't broken. Some people just don't think it is worth it to go through the hassle of switching operating systems. My parents still run Windows and I don't force Linux on them. I always despise Linux geeks that act like a pushy door-to-door salesman claiming how much better their stuff is.
...
My father said the same thing. You know what? He's right.
...
Hey K.Mandia. I know you just bought a new cell phone, but trust me, this one is better. You'll have to re-learn how to use it and import all your contacts again and some games or applications may be missing, but trust me it's better. You can ditch that $100 phone you just paid for. Some people just want to use what they paid for. Especially if Windows works just fine for them.


Actually most people who switch to Linux are more tech savvy then their friends and family members who insist on using Windows. Also, they often fix those other people's problems, meaning there is something broken. Thus, it's understandable why most people try to push Linux on other people when those people continue to break their systems no matter what you tell them to avoid doing it. For example, I set up Windows for my family with only one administrator account that is only meant for installing legitimate software and performing upgrades. All other accounts are limited user accounts that are meant for everything else. I tell them not to install illegal software, but they insist on doing it, and the older of my younger brothers logs into the Administrator account for regular computer use (even though he has a computer background and understands why he shouldn't do that). Furthermore, some people use old unsecured versions of Windows. If a person is using an unsecured version of Windows that's a zombie or likely to become one then the issue isn't necessarily about what works but about what harm is being done by his/her computer.


How many times do you have to push a button on your keyboard to accomplish a task? One click of the mouse versus twenty on a keyboard. I wonder which is easier? Granted this isn't always the case, but a GUI is very useful and saves a lot of time.


Why do you assume that GUIs and mouse use are strongly affiliated? I can use a GUI far quicker with keyboard shortcuts than with a mouse.


This is fair. Not everyone wants to go out and spend money on new hardware. Especially if they are new and have never heard of Linux. Why spend money for something that you have never even heard of before? Besides, if Windows works well and Linux doesn't, there isn't a critical reason to switch.


This was in response to the comment that a person thinks that he/she should buy a new wireless networking card. There was no statement indicating that the person actually needed a new wireless networking card. You assumed this.

Finally, I consider this response of yours to be on the list of poor reasons for not giving Linux an honest attempt (based on my first response):
That's fair. I used Windows until just recently when 7.04 finally supported hibernation on my computer.

[~~Tito~~]

"Linux sucks because windows is easyer" - A actual quote from my friend!
He was going to swich to linux but when he tryed it he said that. . . .

Here is another one:
"Its to complicated. . . . . . and you need to learn a whole new system and its hard"
Well you have to learn a new system because you switched to it :p.

[Chilli Bob]

A common problem with many older monitors was they didn't have any protection against invalid frequency/timing settings. If you tried to run a particular resolution at a refresh rate higher than could be handled by the monitor, it could burn out the CRT/electronics.

Well, I learned something today!!

[Puru]

"I need photoshop to make stuff like THIS (link to an artist that actually uses Gimp!)"
:D

[Dropbear]

Steve Ballmer says it's cancer

[conphara]

I have had a lot af excuses from varies people.
A guy from a poor country in North Africa: Why change, Windows is free (well, illegal copies are "free").
With that mentality, I dont have any respect for people in Africa supporting Microsoft. It's fair to say that so many people in Africa (and the Middle East) would benefit a lot from using Open Source Software.
Another guy from the Middle East who HATES everything coming from the US, but uses Microsoft products. To his defense, using Windows because he doesnt know any better.
When I showed him how easy it was to have another language on the desktop (in his case, Arabic), he only shrug his shoulders, like saying: is that a feature? Therefore not respecting a lot of people who have used a lot of time translating all of this.

One guy from a rich European country: I dont want to use something where I cant be certain that I cant use an Office file on that PC. Apparently he doesnt know anything about the feautres of OpenOffice, but he sure as hell loves and respects Mac, mainly because of Microsoft Office for Mac. And of course, Windows is free or not an issue if he really had to buy a copy.
And the most stupid/ignorant comment: only macs are free of viruses.

[ThrobbingBrain66]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm pretty sure I have the winning quote:

"The names are stupid and don't make sense" - my fiance

You can reference the whole story here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=283554

[Darkhack]

Finally, I consider this response of yours to be on the list of poor reasons for not giving Linux an honest attempt (based on my first response):
That's fair. I used Windows until just recently when 7.04 finally supported hibernation on my computer.

Yes, I could still use Linux without hibernation support, but why should I cause my self more headaches when I have a perfectly good Windows system? I know what I am doing when it comes to Windows XP, so maintaining it, isn't difficult, and I would much rather do that and save on electric costs for when I leave without powering down the entire system all the time.

There was also a comment I made about giving up long before 4-5 hours like another person had spent on Linux. If Linux is so superior, why would it take 4-5 hours to set up? I'm not trolling here, I realize it is a hardware issue and that some venders are more stubborn than others, but for a particular person's needs, Linux is not the solution. Hell, I have supported hardware and I know for a fact that even a power-user from Windows wouldn't be able to get Ubuntu 7.04 working on my machine unless they were familiar with the internals of Linux.

It almost seems like the fanboys would shoot themselves in the foot and bleed just so they can proclaim that they shot themselves using a Linux bullet. Windows is more like an itchy rash. Annoying, but at least I am still able to get work done instead of bleeding to death and acting like I am better than Windows users.

[Arwen]

A friend of mine after my suggestion to use ubuntu or even kubuntu with XP-like KDE:"It took me 2,5 weeks to apply the cr@ck on vista and get it work,I ain't changing anything"
Bump :-P

[vexorian]

There was also a comment I made about giving up long before 4-5 hours like another person had spent on Linux. If Linux is so superior, why would it take 4-5 hours to set up?
windows XP takes me 6 hours to setup, Linux 2 hours. IF you were right, why would it be so easy to find a counter example? 4-5 hours setting something up is by far a low amount of time anyways.


Yes, I could still use Linux without hibernation support, but why should I cause my self more headaches when I have a perfectly good Windows system? I know what I am doing when it comes to Windows XP, so maintaining it, isn't difficult, and I would much rather do that and save on electric costs for when I leave without powering down the entire system all the time.

Well, I just shut the computer down... not like hibernation takes less time than turning it off... but the power management is getting fixed afaik gutsy will improve this one.




It almost seems like the fanboys would shoot themselves in the foot and bleed just so they can proclaim that they shot themselves using a Linux bullet. Windows is more like an itchy rash. Annoying, but at least I am still able to get work done instead of bleeding to death and acting like I am better than Windows users.
well there you go, you sound like a fanboy yourself, anyways to me ubuntu is confortable to use, I wouldn't be using it otherwise.

could you please change your "XXXX user" text on your profile, It doesn't sound accurate.

How many times do you have to push a button on your keyboard to accomplish a task? One click of the mouse versus twenty on a keyboard. I wonder which is easier? Granted this isn't always the case, but a GUI is very useful and saves a lot of time.

The keyboard, of course. Using the mouse requires graphic memory + time + click, the keyboard requires typing something. But could we stop the myth, anyways? you'll only need the terminal to paste commands given to you in tutorials in the extreme case you need to set up something that didn't work out of the box. It is not true anymore that you need the terminal for everything, although I use the terminal all the time because it is 100 times more efficient than the mouse, sorry but if it saves my time then it is good.

(in response to "dousn't have photoshop") If you consider this a lame excuse then you must not use your computer for professional work. Some people have real lives and real uses for software. Again, this makes Linux users sound like pushy salesmen, "But but... it's BETTER!!!". Let me ask you, what is your favorite console video game? Let's say for the sake of argument that it is a first person shooter like Halo. How would you feel if a pushy N64 fanboy pushed Goldeneye 007 as an alternative?

Ok, get real, how many people are actually professional artists? Cause you seem to imply that everybody is a professional artist... besides, it is a lame excuse since... linux runs photoshop. Also to dismiss the other tools is lame, since they are good anyways, for people that like to pay for software there is Pixel, there is also xara extreme, etc and the gimp is good once you get used to it and will get a lot of fixes in the next versions..

(in response to : "I don't want to spend money just to get Linux working wirelessly") This is fair. Not everyone wants to go out and spend money on new hardware. Especially if they are new and have never heard of Linux. Why spend money for something that you have never even heard of before? Besides, if Windows works well and Linux doesn't, there isn't a critical reason to switch.

It is a lame excuse, because you don't really need to spend money for that.

( in response to : "why use this (ubuntu) when the old one (windows) work fine" ~ my dad) My father said the same thing. You know what? He's right.

It is a lame excuse, because: - windows is not the old one. - windows does not work fine - That attitude is only harmful to evolution of mankind.


(in response to : "lacks proper hibernate support - Me" ) That's fair. I used Windows until just recently when 7.04 finally supported hibernation on my computer.
I think the guy misunderstood the intent of this thread and went to give his own reasons instead of lame excuses he heard...

That's valid and justified. I would have quit LONG before 4-5 hours.
that was yet another guy that didn't understand the purpose of this thread.

[original_jamingrit]

Hey guys, how's it going?

[hiway]

Because that little dohickey won't work with my thingamajig, and the whatyoumaycallit doesn't do the thing when the whoseitmaywhat is supposed to do what it's supposed to.... of course it doesn't work in windows either, but I can't live without my AOL and pc games.

[3rdalbum]

"I installed unbunti over my windowz but i didnt lyk the brown so how do i uninstall ubnutu plz"

But I also have to give a vote to the people who complain that their pirated version of Photoshop CS3 won't run.

[kiddo]

damnit, this is going nowhere. I will try setting up a basic wiki in the following minutes, copy-paste some of the arguments I see here, and allow you guys to edit the page.

Unless it is suggested that editing the pages should be restricted to certain accounts? I will, in any case, put a spam checker (url approvals and spam words) in the meantime.

[skwishybug]

Is not only that, I have another translation

"I dont want to read manuals that tell me how to do it myself and realize what a moron I am, I rather make poor descriptions over the phone to a foreign guy so I can yell at him and tell him what a moron he is cause he cannot figure it out over the phone while trying to decipher my redneck accent"


Oh, you've had him call you too? Granted I'm not a foreign guy, and he didn't have a redneck accent, but the rest is. He even told me to go f*** myself when he wasn't getting a refund either.

[cookies]

Translation - "You have to search a forum full of helpful, experienced people who actually know what they're talking about, rather than sit on hold for half an hour to be connected to somebody who'll just read the manual at you."

Is not only that, I have another translation

"I dont want to read manuals that tell me how to do it myself and realize what a moron I am, I rather make poor descriptions over the phone to a foreign guy so I can yell at him and tell him what a moron he is cause he cannot figure it out over the phone while trying to decipher my redneck accent"

Hahha, thanks for the translations. :p

[karellen]

It is a lame excuse, because: - windows is not the old one. - windows does not work fine - That attitude is only harmful to evolution of mankind.

you say windows does not work fine, other says exactly the opposite. different opinions, everybody should understand this and not go any further with assumptions

[kiddo]

I set up the wiki and did a chunk of the work: http://anti-fud.ecchi.ca. You currently don't need to be registered at all to edit (hopefully I'll keep it like that) and spam words should be blocked.
http://anti-fud.ecchi.ca/anti-fud%20small.png




...ATTACK! :)

[bigboy_pdb]

Yes, I could still use Linux without hibernation support, but why should I cause my self more headaches when I have a perfectly good Windows system? I know what I am doing when it comes to Windows XP, so maintaining it, isn't difficult, and I would much rather do that and save on electric costs for when I leave without powering down the entire system all the time.


The last comment in my first/previous post was out of frustration so I'm sorry about that. I was frustrated that you were making assumptions about everyone else, but then I made a statement that made assumptions about you (even though I knew better than to do that).


There was also a comment I made about giving up long before 4-5 hours like another person had spent on Linux. If Linux is so superior, why would it take 4-5 hours to set up? I'm not trolling here, I realize it is a hardware issue and that some venders are more stubborn than others, but for a particular person's needs, Linux is not the solution. Hell, I have supported hardware and I know for a fact that even a power-user from Windows wouldn't be able to get Ubuntu 7.04 working on my machine unless they were familiar with the internals of Linux.


Most people get Windows pre-installed in their computers and pay money to get it fixed, meaning they're getting people who already know how to fix their systems to get it set up or get it back in working order. When a person attempts to remove a virus or re-install the operating system (or perform other complicated tasks for a beginner) him/herself, it takes a long time to do this. I've installed Windows on many machines and even with a lot of Windows expertise and knowledge if a person doesn't already have all of the software available for his/her system it can be a pain to re-install everything and most of them don't have up to date drivers so I have to go search for everything anyway. I'd say setting up a Windows operating system is easy only because I have a strong background with using Microsoft operating systems, but I have encountered computers where I cannot get Windows working properly. For example, in some cases the drivers for the system are not available online (and the person didn't have CDs or is missing some of them) or there are no drivers for the version of Windows that the person wanted installed. Furthermore, (for the general case) the time that is required for setup with a Linux user is lost elsewhere with Windows users (i.e. correcting problems with malware).

Linux and GNU software has many states. Drivers, modules, and software (in general) initially start off in a stage when they aren't stable or have little support, and many of them have to be compiled from source. Later there is better support and setup might require nothing more than installing a package that's in Synaptic. Thus, there's a number of different instructions out there telling people what to do (and this can be confusing). I found that often the solution was far simpler than the instructions people gave, but the extra setup time was consumed by finding the proper (and often simple) solution. The fact that Linux is constantly changing is what makes it take longer to get things setup (as well as poor commercial driver support). Furthermore, this has nothing to do with whether or not one piece software functions better than another piece of software.

In response to the power user comment, Windows is different from Linux so it doesn't matter if you're a Windows power user or not. In fact most people don't want to learn anything that requires effort. This is why they like analogous statements and arguments, and it is also why many people refuse to learn outside of an educational institution (or if they do learn then they'll only learn what they think is easy). For people who don't think they fall into that last category, they only need to think about the last time they wanted to progress their skills with higher level learning in complicated subjects (especially in subjects involving mathematics). In other words, a Windows expert may find learning Linux harder because he/she doesn't want to accept that he/she has to start from the basics.


It almost seems like the fanboys would shoot themselves in the foot and bleed just so they can proclaim that they shot themselves using a Linux bullet. Windows is more like an itchy rash. Annoying, but at least I am still able to get work done instead of bleeding to death and acting like I am better than Windows users.


Your comments like this are what got me frustrated in the first place. Who particularly are you assuming are the fanboys that feel the way you stated in this thread? I haven't seen anything indicating that anyone here thinks that way. As I said before, the people posting the "lame" responses know the person who made it (as far as we can tell in most circumstances). You (most likely) don't know the person. Thus, the magnitude of how "lame" the comment is (in those cases) is only known to the person stating it.

Most people aim their attacks at Microsoft because it's affiliated with software (and Linux and GNU are affiliated with software) and it's one of the world's richest most well known bureaucracies (so it's an easy target). If you pay attention to what a number of people who embrace Linux and open source software say, you'll realize that a number of them think the bigger problem isn't really Microsoft, it's capitalist society (as a whole) and the ideologies that go with it.

Windows can be secure if a person knows how to set up their user accounts properly (and I mentioned this in first/previous post) and it works quite well for the average user, meaning it can be a safe and useful system. The only reason why I usually encourage people to try Linux is because a number of years down the road their operating system won't be supported because of Microsoft's greed and affiliation with hardware manufacturers. I don't think that it's fair that the person should have an insecure OS (because there will no longer be updates) and have no other alternatives other than buying new expensive hardware when it isn't necessary. Personally, I switched to Linux because it's a system that encourages people to develop and educate themselves, the lack of development tools that were freely available in Windows (and the price of proprietary tools), the more powerful scripting environment in Linux, and the attitudes that people have about freely supporting and educating other people (and I like to do this myself).

[Chymera]

Neah... i can really understand the ppl not using linux/ubuntu because of various reasons i've seen listed here, in fact, the only thing that made me end up on this forum is that i needed some free&legal os FAST at the beginning of the summer...

But here's one reason for not using it that really got me laughing my head off:

"Ive seen some compitz videos on youtube, linux is for pussies who are addicted to eye candy and dont care about functionality, i mean who the hell would use multiple desktops?, - me (in a vey immodest, self-descriptive tone) - i'm rather the practical type, i like it minimalistic but very functional, like vista"

he later told me that linux users dont know how to do anything without their user interface, because there's no command line in linux....
when i asked how he got to that conclusion he told me that last time he was on a linux system he couldnt even find msdos...:lolflag:

[sci-fi guy]

I couldn't decide whether I should laugh myself hoarse, puke, or cry at this one:

"Nobody gives anything out free anymore, so it must be a hoax. Either it is no good, or they (they being the the non-existent company that "owns" Linux) are trying to get up a lot of hype about developing free software so that developers with free time on their hands will code valuable programs for them. Then They will take it off the current license that requires them to share their code back with the community, and repackage all the code and sell it M$- style: in a box with a price tag." (this is only an approximation of what they said)

Right. And the government is hiding the truth about aliens, Bigfoot, Loch Ness, Elvis, (insert common conspiracy theory here)...

[stchman]

The lack of professional software written even though my friends use the following:

utorrent
Limewire
notepad++
Firefox
Thunderbird

They pirate stuff like
Photoshop
Office
Nero

[stchman]

I set up AIM 5.9 through wine . Have not been able to get sound in AIM though:confused:

You do know that Ubuntu has Gaim installed by default.

[stchman]

actually, this used to happen!
nowadays monitors are protected, but before that a wrong x-server configuration would blow up your monitor!

So the monitor would actually explode?????

[stchman]

I consider that to be a very valid excuse. All her friends use Windows, the software she desires most is on Windows and sometimes the Linux alternatives just aren't up to par.



This is lame? Don't fix what isn't broken. Some people just don't think it is worth it to go through the hassle of switching operating systems. My parents still run Windows and I don't force Linux on them. I always despise Linux geeks that act like a pushy door-to-door salesman claiming how much better their stuff is.



How many times do you have to push a button on your keyboard to accomplish a task? One click of the mouse versus twenty on a keyboard. I wonder which is easier? Granted this isn't always the case, but a GUI is very useful and saves a lot of time.



If you consider this a lame excuse then you must not use your computer for professional work. Some people have real lives and real uses for software. Again, this makes Linux users sound like pushy salesmen, "But but... it's BETTER!!!". Let me ask you, what is your favorite console video game? Let's say for the sake of argument that it is a first person shooter like Halo. How would you feel if a pushy N64 fanboy pushed Goldeneye 007 as an alternative?



This is fair. Not everyone wants to go out and spend money on new hardware. Especially if they are new and have never heard of Linux. Why spend money for something that you have never even heard of before? Besides, if Windows works well and Linux doesn't, there isn't a critical reason to switch.



My father said the same thing. You know what? He's right.



That's valid and justified. I would have quit LONG before 4-5 hours.



That's fair. I used Windows until just recently when 7.04 finally supported hibernation on my computer.



Hey K.Mandia. I know you just bought a new cell phone, but trust me, this one is better. You'll have to re-learn how to use it and import all your contacts again and some games or applications may be missing, but trust me it's better. You can ditch that $100 phone you just paid for. Some people just want to use what they paid for. Especially if Windows works just fine for them.



If your guy friend was a female then I would consider this to be VERY valid. *drools* =P

But let's not forget the female Linux users (All three of you) and the gay geeks. They might begin to miss their special online friend after a while. ;-)

I only tell people about Ubuntu when they bitch at me about Windows. I tell them and then they still won't try something different.

If they want to use an OS that they don't like then that is their choice.

[stchman]

No Notepad or Paint.

Yes because notepad is the GREATEST text editor on the planet.

Paint is so kick butt that I cannot see using anything else.

My sarcasm.

[aysiu]

Believe it or not, people actually have posted on the forums that they can't find a "good" text editor in Ubuntu or a paint application like MS Paint.

It's ridiculous, but I guess they find Gedit and GIMP too "fully loaded" and overwhelming.

For those people, I recommend Leafpad and Kolourpaint.

[picpak]

Believe it or not, people actually have posted on the forums that they can't find a "good" text editor in Ubuntu or a paint application like MS Paint.

It's ridiculous, but I guess they find Gedit and GIMP too "fully loaded" and overwhelming.

For those people, I recommend Leafpad and Kolourpaint.

Hey, I had the exact same problem (with the GIMP, that is).

I even found my old post:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=37092

[xdarkxanarchyx]

01011001011011110111010100100000011001000110010101 10001101101111011001000110010100100000011000100111 10010010000001101000011000010110111001100100001011 00001000000110111101110010001000000110001101101000 01100101011000010111010000111111
.

I cheat ^.^
http://www.nickciske.com/tools/binary.php

[Darkhack]

windows XP takes me 6 hours to setup, Linux 2 hours. IF you were right, why would it be so easy to find a counter example? 4-5 hours setting something up is by far a low amount of time anyways.
Ubuntu took me about an hour to setup. Only 15 minutes of that was actually spent in front of the screen. The rest of the time I was away while the install was taking place.
Well, I just shut the computer down... not like hibernation takes less time than turning it off... but the power management is getting fixed afaik gutsy will improve this one.
Hibernation takes about 15 seconds each way on my computer compared to around 3-4 minutes to boot.
well there you go, you sound like a fanboy yourself, anyways to me ubuntu is confortable to use, I wouldn't be using it otherwise.
I'm not a fanboy. I just understand that a computer is more than a tool for nerds to stroke their ego to. Thankfully this kind of stuff is very limited in Ubuntu (that's why I love this community) compared to Gentoo or even Debian purists. I'm not saying that you're one of these kinds of people, I'm just saying that there is a lot of them out there that would battle to the death to defend their choice of operating system.
could you please change your "XXXX user" text on your profile, It doesn't sound accurate.
I don't know what you mean? What is "XXXX user"?
although I use the terminal all the time because it is 100 times more efficient than the mouse, sorry but if it saves my time then it is good.
I use it all the time too. But only if I know that a terminal is going to make the task easier. Which do you think is easier? Setting up iptables or cupsd via a command line, or a GUI? Read the man pages for iptables and look at Firestarter and tell me which is easier. Because NetworkManager is so buggy in Feisty, I had to set up my wireless manually. If NetworkManager worked the way it was designed to, I could have been online in seconds rather than minutes. These are examples of where a GUI is quicker than the CLI.
Ok, get real, how many people are actually professional artists? Cause you seem to imply that everybody is a professional artist... besides, it is a lame excuse since... linux runs photoshop.
Versions CS2 and CS3 don't work with WINE. I don't know if any of the other ported library tools are any better at running Photoshop. Most people aren't professional artists in which case The GIMP or Krita would be just fine. I wasn't implying that everyone is a professional artist, just that professional artists need Photoshop. If I was going to spend several hundred dollars on an application, I would want to run it on the native OS, not through WINE. That's just me personally though. If you're okay with running it through WINE, then Linux is great!
It is a lame excuse, because you don't really need to spend money for that.
Is there some landfill filled with wireless devices that I am not aware of were you talking about shop lifting them?
It is a lame excuse, because: - windows is not the old one. - windows does not work fine - That attitude is only harmful to evolution of mankind.
Normally I would agree, but if the evolution is to something that does less, then it isn't exactly helpful. Most people don't want to switch. This is especially true if their hardware doesn't work or their required applications won't run. For those people, it does less for them. For me, Linux does more and that's why I use it, but not everyone is in the same situation I am in. If my wireless device doesn't work, or my printer is a brick, or my graphics card only works in VESA, then Linux would do less than Windows on my computer.

[diesel1]

'My dog likes windows'!

Diesel1.

[xdarkxanarchyx]

'My dog likes windows'!

Diesel1.

Show him/her Puppy Linux! :)

[sci-fi guy]

I cheat ^.^
http://www.nickciske.com/tools/binary.php

So did I :-\"
http://www.roubaixinteractive.com/PlayGround/Binary_Conversion/Binary_To_Text.asp

[diesel1]

Show him/her Puppy Linux! :)

I think he might prefer Yellow Dog or FoX Desktop!

Diesel1.

[toupeiro]

OMG!! Linux never crashes .. I can't work with an operating system that WORKS!? No rebooting makes me VERY nervous!

*inserts random dilbert characters*

[gatewayasteroid]

No start button

"linus (sic!) doesn't play mp3."

[Geeke]

funny thread :lolflag:

[~~Tito~~]

01001001001000000110110001101111011101100110010100 10000001110100011011110010000001110011011011010110 00010110001101101011001000000110111101101110001000 00011100110110100001101001011101000010000001100001 01101110011001000010000001101001011101000010000001 10011001100101011001010110110001110011001000000111 00100110100101100111011010000111010000100000011010 10011101010111001101110100001000000110011001100101 01100101011011000110100101101110011001110010000001 10000101101100011011000010000001100010011100100110 11110111011101101110001011100000110100001010000011 01000010100100000101101100011100110110111100100000 01100001011011100110111101110100011010000110010101 11001000100000011001010111100001100011011101010111 00110110010100101100001000000010001001001001001000 00011001000110111101101110001001110111010000100000 01101100011010010110101101100101001000000111010001 10100001100101001000000111001101101001011110100110 01010010000001101111011001100010000001110100011010 00011001010010000001100010011011110111100001100101 01110011001010000111011101101001011011100110010001 10111101110111011100110010100100101110

Do that one ;). It has a funny remark and a excuse ;).

[stchman]

Believe it or not, people actually have posted on the forums that they can't find a "good" text editor in Ubuntu or a paint application like MS Paint.

It's ridiculous, but I guess they find Gedit and GIMP too "fully loaded" and overwhelming.

For those people, I recommend Leafpad and Kolourpaint.

I guess it is too difficult to open gedit, type your text, then save it.

[sstusick]

Must be too hard to look in APPLICATIONS > Accessories > Text Editor.

[ericesque]

windows XP takes me 6 hours to setup, Linux 2 hours. IF you were right, why would it be so easy to find a counter example? 4-5 hours setting something up is by far a low amount of time anyways.

that was yet another guy that didn't understand the purpose of this thread.

Vex, It's not fair to compare how long it takes to set up XP to Ubuntu. How would you define when the computer is set up? When you hit the desktop for the first time? When all your fav apps are installed? When all your preferences are set? I could keep going. A person who has spent more time in XP tuning which applications and preferences they like will know how to find/install/edit these things much quicker than someone who has spent their time doing the same in Ubuntu-- as such the reverse is also true. So don't start trying to make counter examples. Truth be told, I can setup XP in 5 min-- that's how long it takes to push an image of a fresh install with all my apps and prefs onto my hdd. But then I'm sure there's a way to do it in Ubuntu too. So there we have it! XP and Ubuntu take exactly the same amount of time to setup. Argument resolved.

And yeah, I understand the purpose of the thread. I was making a point. Just because you enjoy problem solving or find inner peace because you can see the source of all the software you use (not that half of linux users could even comprehend that code), doesn't mean that it has to have any significance for another person. To say that their reason is lame, is--in fact-- lame. Get off your high horse and try to understand for a moment that not everyone has the time or the inclination to change their current work flow in the interest of free software ideals.

AND YES, I was also venting a bit because I was excited at the prospect of using Ubuntu full time. But I also have a full time job (currently with an additional 10 hours of mandatory overtime)-- as such, I do not have time to work through issues that will cost me literally 10s of hours of my valued free time. It amuses me that linux advocates have lines like 'open your mind'. In many of my encounters, these people are quite closed minded towards others' perspectives on computing.

Last but not least, I'd rather spend 6 hours setting up XP than spend 4-5 hours setting up Ubuntu knowing that in 4-5 hours, I may need to start all over again.

[sci-fi guy]

Must be too hard to look in APPLICATIONS > Accessories > Text Editor.

It's much easier for them to go Start Menu>>All Programs>>...??? (Goes and checks parent's computer) Accessories>>Notepad. They can actually find the Start Menu on Windows.

I seem to be getting rusty in Windows. :) Finally!

[sstusick]

It's much easier for them to go Start Menu>>All Programs>>...??? (Goes and checks parent's computer) Accessories>>Notepad. They can actually find the Start Menu on Windows.

I seem to be getting rusty in Windows. :) Finally!
Kinda sad Windows newbs need a button that tells them to "start."

[il-luzhin]

Vex, It's not fair to compare how long it takes to set up XP to Ubuntu.


When I first went ubuntu (first time linux) it took me four days to get my machine to a usable state. When I acccidently baked my OS two weeks later setting up took me 36 hours. When I bought a new pc two months after that, I was completely setup in 90 minutes.

When my mom bought a new vista machine last week it took me 5 hours to setup.

IMHO setup time is irrelevant. Every system is unique, every user is unique, and the time needed to setup either OS has far too many variables (OS preferences, file transfers, preferential software, hardware requirements,....) to be a useful argument.

[Noodels]

"Linux is gay"- some deuch in my english class.

I was going through all of them in utter bemusement. This one made me cry.

[jbizz8]

The government made him do it.

http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-admin-monitored-by-us-government-forced-to-dump-linux/ (http://http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-admin-monitored-by-us-government-forced-to-dump-linux/)

[sstusick]

I didn't know software could be 'gay.'

[picpak]

I didn't know software could be 'gay.'

Did you forget to compile it with --enable-homosexuality?

[Noodels]

Seriously though, the lamest reason is the simplest to understand:

Windows costs money, hence it has worth.
Linux is free, hence it is worthless.

People are naturally suspicious of anything free, "get what you pay for" and so on. A natural instinct; doesn't make it any lamer in this case however.

And they would be correct in nearly every situation. There's something different about linux though. Nobody makes money off it because nobody really owns it, you can't own the internet, because it's made of what people are willing to share, if you can't own it, you can't sell it. They do this because they can, it costs nothing to copy a computer program unlike anything else, if it did, linux would cease to exist.

[Noodels]

"I can void my warranty"
-A guy using his pc on a room with no ac at 45 C

He probably needs it at that temp (if he can still use it).

WTF???? How could that work????

I've been electrocuted by computers in the past, seriously, they're using quite a lot of electricity, once I even crossed a live and neutral wire straight from the power supply (seriosly, why the hell do you need to take the live and the neutral into the switch when you have access to so many diodes?!) so I'd know that they use a rather high voltage.

[aysiu]

There's something different about linux though. Nobody makes money off it because nobody really owns it Tell that to Red Hat and Novell.

You can make money off of Linux without owning the kernel. The GPL allows you to sell Linux distros and support, and many companies do, including Ubuntu/Canonical.

[sci-fi guy]

I didn't know software could be 'gay.'

Or straight. Or Bi-sexual. I always thought it reproduced asexually.

[Noodels]

Must be too hard to look in APPLICATIONS > Accessories > Text Editor.

That's funny because in windows you have Start > Applications > Accessories > Notepad.

[dca]

That's funny because in windows you have Start > Applications > Accessories > Notepad.

I think you just pointed out one of the patents Linux infringes on with Windows...

[Noodels]

Tell that to Red Hat and Novell.

You can make money off of Linux without owning the kernel. The GPL allows you to sell Linux distros and support, and many companies do, including Ubuntu/Canonical.

That still eliminates the point I was making a point against though so meh. I wasn't sure about the history of linux and I knew there was someone bound to point out something wrong in my theory, but the principle is just about the same, the point is that nobody had total control over it or if so then not for money.

[Noodels]

I think you just pointed out one of the patents Linux infringes on with Windows...

Did I? I know a made a mistake, it was Start>All Programs>Accessories>Notepad, I didn't know you could patent a menu... Anyway now that I've got to the end I'm putting the most remarkable excuse for refusing to install linux I have ever heard.

"Linux doesn't have anti-virus."

And he went to the trouble of proving that linux could get viruses as well, anyone ever heard of the Bliss virus?

[stinger30au]

bliss virus

http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_100155.htm

[swoll1980]

Didn't like the wallpaper

[jamieh]

"Brown? What kind of an idiot has a brown computer???"
"JUST CHANGE THE DAM COLOR SCHEME!!!"

[tehkain]

The default save file type of open office was not one of the MS word types.

Drop down menus are to hard.

[Kiddalee]

It's hard....


most things worth doing are. Walking wasnt easy the first time you tried it....

Never mind that that person should learn to deal with difficulty. It's not hard.

[stmiller]

Believe it or not, people actually have posted on the forums that they can't find a "good" text editor in Ubuntu or a paint application like MS Paint.

It's ridiculous, but I guess they find Gedit and GIMP too "fully loaded" and overwhelming.

For those people, I recommend Leafpad and Kolourpaint.

Wow that is nuts.

I think those people are just suffering from the 'b..bu...but it's not just like Windows!' / 'it's different!' problem.

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

[Kiddalee]

A friend of mine told me I run Linux because I can't afford Windows....

So his excuse "I can afford Windows."

Bah. Anyone can afford Windows if they don't know there's a better option out there.

[Dropbear]

"Brown? What kind of an idiot has a brown computer???"
"JUST CHANGE THE DAM COLOR SCHEME!!!"

I personally don't like the brown as a theme. Give me grey and blue. I think the default colour scheme for XP is sickening but people are content to put up with it for some reason.

[Kiddalee]

Are you sure that's the right link?

[sci-fi guy]

The default save file type of open office was not one of the MS word types.

Drop down menus are to hard.

Simple fix: Tools>>Options>>Load/Save>>General>>"Always Save as:"

[Harpoon]

"Windows viruses don't work well with Linux, even with wine."

(I made that one up, just for fun)

[sci-fi guy]

Making this one up:

"I know I have a legal OS but with Li...uhh... What's Windows Genuine Advantage and why is it giving me an error message (http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/25/1819248)?

[Afoot]

"It sucks." Comes from a guy who hasn't tried it. o_O

[asmoore82]

Making this one up:

"I know I have a legal OS but with Li...uhh... What's Windows Genuine Advantage and why is it giving me an error message (http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/25/1819248)?

:lolflag: the comments on the article to fix the false positive make a
great point and a great headline

"A problem with Genuine Advantage has crippled some users' Operating Systems;
meanwhile pirated copies of the software remain unaffected."

[nonewmsgs]

'All my friends use windows, and it doesn't have itunes/AIM/IE' (doesn't like the alternatives)
-sister



'I've tried "linux" before, like 5-6 years ago'
-My Friend


"It runs kinda slow..."
-Same Friend When I showed him Ubuntu on the Live Disk

actually aol does offer an aim for linux. i prefer a multi-messsenger like gaim myself. and man has linux improved in the past 5-6 years!!

[whynotchevron]

Making this one up:

"I know I have a legal OS but with Li...uhh... What's Windows Genuine Advantage and why is it giving me an error message (http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/08/25/1819248)?

But did you see the quick fix for that ? :) http://www.linuxgenuineadvantage.org/

[vexorian]

Wow that is nuts.

I think those people are just suffering from the 'b..bu...but it's not just like Windows!' / 'it's different!' problem.

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
The thing is that the gimp can be too powerful sometimes, and gedit is very focused on code , it doesn't even have a wordwrap feature...

I know there is a nice simple GTK-based drawing program in the repos, and sometimes I actually use WINE notepad o_O

[vexorian]

Vex, It's not fair to compare how long it takes to set up XP to Ubuntu.
I am not sure if unfair is a good word, but I didn't begin the discussion about time it takes to setup it.

How would you define when the computer is set up?In my case it would be: a) all hardware works, b) got office software.

To set up windows XP I have to insert the CD type random serial number

When you hit the desktop for the first time? When all your fav apps are installed? When all your preferences are set? I could keep going. A person who has spent more time in XP tuning which applications and preferences they like will know how to find/install/edit these things much quicker than someone who has spent their time doing the same in Ubuntu--

I am one of both, and it does take less time on ubuntu.

as such the reverse is also true. So don't start trying to make counter examples. Truth be told, I can setup XP in 5 min--
that's how long it takes to push an image of a fresh install with all my apps and prefs onto my hdd. But then I'm sure there's a way to do it in Ubuntu too. So there we have it! XP and Ubuntu take exactly the same amount of time to setup. Argument resolved.
Yeah well it is always nice to see how easy it is to make a paragraph that adds nothing of relevance to the argument. But if you want to play like that, to set up ubuntu I only need to insert a CD and boot it, that's 2 minutes! Last time I checked Image recovering software required some time to modify the hard drive so maybe it is not 5 minutes, but 20 minutes, unless the things have changed, who knows?

And yeah, I understand the purpose of the thread. I was making a point. Just because you enjoy problem solving or find inner peace because you can see the source of all the software you use (not that half of linux users could even comprehend that code), doesn't mean that it has to have any significance for another person. To say that their reason is lame, is--in fact-- lame.

Not when their reasons are actually lame excuses. And this thread is for lame excuses, not reasons. There are reasons and lame excuses, to actually think that most of the things in this thread are legit reasons is ... .. just lame.

Get off your high horse and try to understand for a moment that not everyone has the time or the inclination to change their current work flow in the interest of free software ideals.

AND YES, I was also venting a bit because I was excited at the prospect of using Ubuntu full time. But I also have a full time job (currently with an additional 10 hours of mandatory overtime)-- as such, I do not have time to work through issues that will cost me literally 10s of hours of my valued free time. It amuses me that linux advocates have lines like 'open your mind'. In many of my encounters, these people are quite closed minded towards others' perspectives on computing.

Ever since I installed feisty I have not dealt with any large scale problem. But on my windows XP times... I have seen the recovery console so many times that I get bad memories whenever I see the case of my windows XP. I have spent weeks looking for a download of a CD burner burner software that is free (since I just friging wanted to use my hardware) , and it is actually able to burn stuff (I have barely found one that sometimes works) , yeah I guess my cd burner is to blame, but somehow on Linux it has always worked... ) I have been disrupted when printing documents on MSOffice, the printer driver pops up a dialog saying "System error, please reboot and try again" , and the printer doesn't print anything at all, and reboot just "may" fix the problem! (it is an hp printer btw) . I once installed an antivirus and it made windows XP hang during the splash screen, until for some reason I tried disabling the CD drive's service from the console and it worked again???? I have continuously wasted at least 2 hours everytime I wanted a certain kind of software but I had to try many since some turned out to be shareware, some don't install or some are simply malware!

In one case solving an XP problem took me 3 work days. Yet ubuntu doesn't do this in my computer, I am legitimaly saving time with ubuntu, so I must say I hate it when people just assume that one OS is easier to setup or to fix, when it isn't and I have dealt with XP so many times with so many lame problems that I seriously am unable to buy any tale about how XP is easy to set up or use.... ....But that's not what matters, the thing is that when **** is going to happen to your computer it will happen, and neither open source or familiarity will save you, you will have to waste time fixing it. Or pay someone to do it, but he will take time...

Well, I was lying. I did have a problem with this computer after I set feisty up, my brother installed a super virus to this computer by just plugging his mp3 player to it, I had to spend 2 hours cleaning it, but 12 hours later the virus was back, because you had to fully clean it else it sets up again, since this virus was created in this country and was only spread out here by flash disks the anti viruses and cleaners did not help me at all. That's 4 hours wasted on XP...

So yes, that's where my problem lies, I get bugged whenever someone asserts that using Linux is sadomasochism and that using windows is easy or friendly, because in my own experience ubuntu is much friendlies than windows in many ways, so I at least know that their 'facts' are not accurate or don't cover the totality of the world, then it bugs me when they talk as if it was fact. I would probably be using it anyways since it is open source, but it is not the reason I do, it simply works for me and does the job better than the alternative without giving me issues that take 10 hours to fix.

Last but not least, I'd rather spend 6 hours setting up XP than spend 4-5 hours setting up Ubuntu knowing that in 4-5 hours, I may need to start all over again.

You *may* need to resstart setting XP up as well.

[asmoore82]

The thing is that the gimp can be too powerful sometimes, and gedit is very focused on code , it doesn't even have a wordwrap feature...

:confused:??

[sci-fi guy]

it doesn't even have a wordwrap feature...

In gedit: Edit>> Preferences. Under the "View" tab.

[kiran_aryan]

One of the lamest reasons - "I trust Windows. Linux is free but I get Windows too free (pirated copy). So, I need not struggle with commands."

[jim_p]

A few years earlier, when the majority of users were on a simple 56k pstn connection, some guy was stating his problems with linux on a forum. Amongst the complaints, was this:

"... not to mention the updates. It takes AGES to update linux, and since I am on a 56k connection , it costs lots just to keep linux updated..."
(pstn connections are charged by the time you use them here in Greece)

And the instant answer from a linux guy

"You say that because your windows updates are free!?!? Or MS pays you for the time you spent to download them?!?!" :D

Anyway, this is the funniest thread I have seen here.:lolflag:

[Frak]

I bought Halo...

[Overbyte]

"It's got porn you see! That's why it's free! See, there's a lot of X stuff in there. I am in NO WAY touching that OS"
- hysterical friend (when I was configuring xserver-xorg)

"I need the XBox controller to work for the PC version of Gears of War"
- yeah baby! :guitar:

[Arenlor]

My favorite from a friend of mine was "Just because" no further answer.

And from a customer whose XP I was repairing, "what if I have a problem and need to hire someone to fix it?" Yes because I wouldn't be able to fix it...

[Virion]

My friends:
- I can't use Adobe products such as Dreamweaver, Photoshop etc.
- I can't use 3ds max, and I don't like Blender!
- Lazy download (request for free cd?) lazy as well (=_=)
- I need my visual basic .NET for my college assignments

[Taino]

A few ive heard over the years are...

"I need a codec or something to watch my porn? im outta here!"

"What do you mean i cant just run an .exe file! Stop offering me WINE!"

"But i want MS Office on this thing, OpenOffice is too foreign, im going back to Windoze"

"But i cant live without Dreamweaver!" (try wine) "im going back to windows!"

"I cant live without Photoshop!" (try wine or cedega) "Im going back to windows!"

"OMG theyre dropping PPC Mac support? Thats it im leaving!"

:mrgreen:

[markp1989]

i have herd "because its free so it must be illegal to download it"

[markp1989]

- I need my visual basic .NET for my college assignments

that a valid excuse, thats why i kept windows around for as long as i did

[Nevon]

A few ive heard over the years are...

"I need a codec or something to watch my porn? im outta here!"

"What do you mean i cant just run an .exe file! Stop offering me WINE!"

"But i want MS Office on this thing, OpenOffice is too foreign, im going back to Windoze"

"But i cant live without Dreamweaver!" (try wine) "im going back to windows!"

"I cant live without Photoshop!" (try wine or cedega) "Im going back to windows!"

"OMG theyre dropping PPC Mac support? Thats it im leaving!"

:mrgreen:

I think most of those reasons are pretty valid... Photoshop, Dreamweaver and MS Office 2007 are the main reasons I'm dual booting.

[Samhain13]

Seriously though, the lamest reason is the simplest to understand:

Windows costs money, hence it has worth.
Linux is free, hence it is worthless.

People are naturally suspicious of anything free, "get what you pay for" and so on. A natural instinct; doesn't make it any lamer in this case however.

I should just go buy myself a wife from one of those order-a-bride syndicates then; because following the logic of some people, it makes no sense spending free time with my girlfriend and falling in love with each other as we go along.

:lolflag:

[Wiebelhaus]

I almost got into a fist fight with an intern who said Ubuntu Desktop "Lacks Usability"

[LLauranzonIII]

"Ubuntu is not ready for the desktop."

:mad::mad::mad:

totally agree.

[misfitpierce]

I love microsoft??? Thats pretty lame.

Friend was like that and I actually got him to convert. He says gutsy is so fast and he likes it. So idk.

[proalan]

"if its so good why are they struggling to flog it"

(flog = slang term for give away for free)

[kiddo]

"I need the XBox controller to work for the PC version of Gears of War"

Just for the record, you do know that the xbox controller works perfectly out of th e box on ubuntu? :) I'm actually using one I borrowed from an aunt, and I can play all my games with that (and even use it as an xorg mouse cursor, geekness +1).

Screw the playstation dualshock + usb adapter!

[argie]

"It doesn't play all my games."

It's lame because all the games that person has are pirated.

[paintandswim09]

-It's too hard to install programs...
Honest about that one

-Linux is for hackers so if I use it [my high school the government better hackers] will come after me
Honest about that one too

-There's no customer support
UBUNTUFORUMS.ORG
-But no one will answer me there
I haven't even needed to use ubuntuforums.org for customer (community I guess) support
-But what if I need to?
They'll answer. I needed support in another poorly designed and maintained hog of an OS that starts with "win..." (my linksys card (which works perfectly with no configuration in Ubuntu) corrupted some drivers besides the nic drivers) and they wanted to charge me $30 for a call to tell me that I needed to call the networking help desk, which would charge me $60 for help. No joke. They call that customer support? Customer rape! Anyway, I've got to let my blood pressure and heart rate settle.

-Everybody uses Windoze..
:lolflag:ok... what do I say to that? Ubuntu will now read/write NTFS, Openoffice has saved in .doc and others for some time now... when this one comes up I don't typically continue helping them with Ubuntu.

[kamaboko]

they wanted to charge me $30 for a call to tell me that I needed to call the networking help desk, which would charge me $60 for help. No joke. They call that customer support? Customer rape! Anyway, I've got to let my blood pressure and heart rate settle.


God, can you imagine charging for customer support!!?!?! Only a corrupt, money grubbing company would do that.

http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid

Opppsss.....

[-grubby]

"I can't figure it out, it looks different"

[p_quarles]

These two reasons have already been mentioned, but I recall one case (in these very forums) where someone actually combined them:
1) You get what you pay for.
2) Windows (pirated) is also free.

This very confused gentleman was saying that FOSS couldn't be up to snuff because it's free-as-in-beer, AND that (a few posts later) that Windows wouldn't cost him anything if he got it off the torrents. Windows was better because it was "worth" $300, even if he wasn't shelling that out.

It reminded me of those cartoons where the character falls into the ravine only after they realize they've been in mid-air for several seconds. In this case, though, I see this guy's head exploding after he realizes how little sense that makes.

[joe.turion64x2]

"Because it is not Microsoft's"

I almost hit my head with the wall.

[GepettoBR]

people, I have an idea. What if we combined the serious replies we get here in a wiki and work towards creating powerful, compelling answers to those insane "reasons"?

The goal is not to force linux upon everyone, but at least stop the FUD by allowing those interested in spreading the FOSS love, to have a knowledge base of good rethorics to work with.

Anyone with me? :) I can create a simple pmWiki space on my server if anyone is interested.

Quoting because I thought everyone should read this post again.

[joe.turion64x2]

Quoting because I thought everyone should read this post again.
I think that is a good idea, it would be nice if the guy who started this thread created it (started it).

[Frak]

Quoting because I thought everyone should read this post again.
One of the BEST ideas I've ever heard.

[sstusick]

I'm glad this hilarious thread was brought back to life.

[sci-fi guy]

-Everybody uses Windoze..
:lolflag:ok... what do I say to that? Ubuntu will now read/write NTFS, Openoffice has saved in .doc and others for some time now... when this one comes up I don't typically continue helping them with Ubuntu.

This is where those "If your freinds all jumped off a bridge/cliff/stood in the middle of the freeway..." quotes come in handy.

I think that is a good idea, it would be nice if the guy who started this thread created it (started it).

One is already started. First post on this page (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=528687&page=12). Or a direct link (http://anti-fud.ecchi.ca/).

[Billy_McBong]

Quoting because I thought everyone should read this post again.
he did make the site http://anti-fud.ecchi.ca/Main/HomePage
it was posted somewhere in this thread.
EDIT:i didn't see the last post sorry

[fdrake]

i heard some users saying that they're not able to install IE and they don't like firefox as browser.

[potentia]

So, some people don't like your pet OS, eh?

[-X

[mellflores1]

"Downloading, then double-clicking on the exe file and going through the tedious setup process is easier than doing that synaptic thing"

same.

[Ehtetur]

"I don't want to have to do stuff on the command line."

I know they meant terminal.. but it's hard to talk to someone who's eyes are glazed over. :roll:

[ScrewdriverClock]

"I know more about computers than you, and Linux is just windows. Look it up, n3w|3."

My "1337" acquaintance. I seriously don't know why I talk to him, he acts like he knows more about graphics art, animation, ect, yet I'm the one who studies in it.

[-grubby]

"I know more about computers than you, and Linux is just windows. Look it up, n3w|3."

My "1337" acquaintance. I seriously don't know why I talk to him, he acts like he knows more about graphics art, animation, ect, yet I'm the one who studies in it.

I know what your talking about...I had someone INSIST that Windows ONLY applications would run under ubuntu (with no wine)

[kiddo]

"I know more about computers than you, and Linux is just windows. Look it up, n3w|3."

My "1337" acquaintance. I seriously don't know why I talk to him, he acts like he knows more about graphics art, animation, ect, yet I'm the one who studies in it.

Hahaha. I would laugh so loudly at that one, and reply:

show me proof. Right there, right now.
what is a "kernel"?


Oh and thanks to a few of you folks digging up my previous post announcing my anti-fud wiki (http://anti-fud.ecchi.ca) :) did not want to bump it myself. Enjoy, and feel free to add your thoughts.

[ryanVickers]

No Notepad or Paint.

I ran both successfully in wine ;)

You gotta love default (and of course, unchangeable :p) paint jpeg quality! :lolflag:

[FuturePilot]

No Internet Explorer

[KhaaL]

"3d desktop effects are just retarted, hogs system resources and add NOTHING to productivity!"

A guys i used to work with. Like windows' UI isn't cumbersome :roll:

[Arenlor]

"3d desktop effects are just retarted, hogs system resources and add NOTHING to productivity!"

A guys i used to work with. Like windows' UI isn't cumbersome :roll:
Vista Aero user?

[linuksamiko]

Worst excuse I ever heard:
"It is legal to download"

(Wasn't that serious of course)

[KhaaL]

Vista Aero user?

don't know, but he's narrow minded and I suspect he's also against all forms of improvement

[Arenlor]

don't know, but he's narrow minded and I suspect he's also against all forms of improvement
In that case I know of the perfect book for him, the author hates improvement and technology and openly proclaims about five times a page that cars are the worst thing ever. http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Nowhere-Americas-Man-Made-Landscape/dp/0671888250

[dnns123]

The mouse looks too 3D.:lolflag::lolflag::lolflag::lolflag:

this is not made-up

[Nunu]

Lamest i have ever heard was. "But you can't get any anti virus for it."

Who needs it, i mean there is Linux shield by mcafee but still who needs it

[iPower]

linux is for commies

[GepettoBR]

Heard this one today:

"I want my drives to be divided by letters"

[perlluver]

I can't use Yahoo Messenger for Windows?



:lolflag:

[Bruce M.]

"why use this (ubuntu) when the old one (windows) work fine" ~ my dad

As a friend once said: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Well, Windows broke, I fixed it once and for all: with Ubuntu! :D

[Arenlor]

As a friend once said: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Well, Windows broke, I fixed it once and for all: with Ubuntu! :D
Eh, Ubuntu is broken in places too.

[elgilicious]

"I don't have the time to learn it."

"It's a Windows world"

[sci-fi guy]

"I don't have the time to learn it."

That is my mom's excuse. Even though she does not actually do anything on the computer but browse the web. A lot. Ridiculous.

[shijirou]

"It doesn't look like Windows!"

I get this everytime a random someone peeks over at my HP laptop thinking that its a MAC because of Beryl... Lol...

[cyberbuff]

"Something's missing! Windows has it all"-Bro
"Too complicated"-A friend
"That's not for me"-Girlfriend

[iPower]

i need frontpage

[jenhsun]

people, I have an idea. What if we combined the serious replies we get here in a wiki and work towards creating powerful, compelling answers to those insane "reasons"?

The goal is not to force linux upon everyone, but at least stop the FUD by allowing those interested in spreading the FOSS love, to have a knowledge base of good rethorics to work with.

Anyone with me? :) I can create a simple pmWiki space on my server if anyone is interested.

Good idea. Have you take a look at this site
http://worsethanfailure.com/
This site show most of the weired things related on IT.
Based on this thread's OP, you can make a site for it.
And you will be famous.

:guitar:

[GepettoBR]

Heard this one today:

"I want my drives to be divided by letters"

Heh, I broke the guy down (Edit: my neighbor, BTW)

I mounted all his extra drives/partitions to /E, /F, /G and /H. Now he says he actually likes his former C: to be the "absolute root folder".

Talk about moody :roll:

[osxcapades]

"That's not for me"-Girlfriend

On the contrary, that is probably one of the best reasons to use Ubuntu that I can think of. If you know you won't like Ubuntu, then using it is little more than a waste of time.

[gizmoarena]

Oh my god, where's Start menu? Where's My computer and Recycle Bin. Oh my god, why do I need two taskbars *faints*

[Arenlor]

Oh my god, where's Start menu? Where's My computer and Recycle Bin. Oh my god, why do I need two taskbars *faints*
Did you explain to them that the start menu is split into three easy to use categories, that you still have only one taskbar but now it's devoted almost wholey to having windows, that they have only a nice little icon for the recycle bin(trash) and that they don't need a my computer anymore, especially if they setup a keyboard shortcut for their home folder? It is a pretty lame excuse not to use it, but it's such a great one to counter, since it allows you to show them the possibilities. I forget what it is that I have running that allows me to reorder my taskbar, but being able to move the windows position on it makes it impossible for me to ever go back.

[Sutur]

Theres another OS besides Windows?! /gasp

LOL

[cyberbuff]

"I don't have the time to learn it."

"It's a Windows world"
i don't really know what's there to learn. i mean if you have a community like this, you don't really have to learn it: Ubuntu (or rather Linux) just happens

[sci-fi guy]

i don't really know what's there to learn. i mean if you have a community like this, you don't really have to learn it: Ubuntu (or rather Linux) just happens

My mom doesn't want to "learn" the change from the IE icon to the Firefox icon. Even though I have told her that I can change it.

[Arenlor]

My mom doesn't want to "learn" the change from the IE icon to the Firefox icon. Even though I have told her that I can change it.
Do it the hard way, change her icon on her computer right now to the FF icon, she'll quickly become use to it.

[sci-fi guy]

She actually went along with me adding Firefox and making it's icon look like IE. I even redirected all icons in the start menu to point to Firefox. She eventually asked me to turn it back because she had the "Firefox cannot connect to server" error. She didn't believe that the internet was down because the error message wasn't the same as IE's. Even when I showed her that IE wasn't connecting either.

It also seemed that FF was running very slow, probably because it was a version specially packaged to run off flash drives and other portable media (http://portableapps.com/news/2007-10-22_-_firefox_portable_2.0.0.8).

I am vaguely considering installing Ubuntu the next time she will be gone for several hours and applying XP themes to everything. But there is no way I could keep that fact hidden.

[Arenlor]

She actually went along with me adding Firefox and making it's icon look like IE. I even redirected all icons in the start menu to point to Firefox. She eventually asked me to turn it back because she had the "Firefox cannot connect to server" error. She didn't believe that the internet was down because the error message wasn't the same as IE's. Even when I showed her that IE wasn't connecting either.

It also seemed that FF was running very slow, probably because it was a version specially packaged to run off flash drives and other portable media (http://portableapps.com/news/2007-10-22_-_firefox_portable_2.0.0.8).

I am vaguely considering installing Ubuntu the next time she will be gone for several hours and applying XP themes to everything. But there is no way I could keep that fact hidden.
Use TLP to install it (Too Late Protocol)

[kiddo]

I am vaguely considering installing Ubuntu the next time she will be gone for several hours and applying XP themes to everything. But there is no way I could keep that fact hidden.

Yes you could to a certain extent. Just make her think that it's Microsoft's improved OS for a while. There was a guy who did that prank to his father a year ago or so, the website was degredo.net, but it's dead.

Hopefully, there is the internet archive! http://web.archive.org/web/20070203231920/http://www.degredo.net/

Now I will be able to archive it to my hard drive for long term retrieval :)

[sci-fi guy]

*snip*

She has an unnatural wariness of updates. So even if she thought it was updated, she would be upset.

[suziequzie]

"It's not like windows!!!"

Which is funny, because that is exactly why *I* like it.

[daynah]

I haven't personally heard any lame reasons for leaving but I've heard plenty of lame reasons for not trying it out.

Note: These were said by Computer Science majors.

"I'm going to learn linux before I install it." (this guy recently bouht a book on linux and is going through reading in front to back without a linux install in his possesion).

"I want Sabayon, and that will take a long time to install, so I'm going to wait till the summer." (presumably because there will be no classes. He's telling be this as he reinstalls Windows, which he does every month to keep it clean).

[ryanVickers]

"It's not like windows!!!"

Which is funny, because that is exactly why *I* like it.

exactly! :p

[Arenlor]

I love how stupid Verizon tech support is, they always ask me "So you're using the linux version of M$?" I then have to explain to them about OSs and that good stuff.

[sstusick]

I love how stupid Verizon tech support is, they always ask me "So you're using the linux version of M$?" I then have to explain to them about OSs and that good stuff.
LOL

[jgrabham]

"Linux is gay"- some deuch in my english class.

Thank god its not just me who hears that. Any argument I put forward he comes back with "linux is gay".

[jgrabham]

"Cos you have no life. Im normal, because I use all the stuff that came on my computer."

(the same guy who uses £17 ($34) a month AOL dial-up - probabally because it came on his PC lol)

I remember once talking to somebody about firefox, and he came over and says "what you guys talking about" I said "web-browsers, what do you use" his response - Internet explorer, because AOLs one doesnt work". Me - "you should use firefox, its faster" him - "I can only use IE or AOLs one,cos theyre the only ones which will work with AOL arent they?"

I pity him sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.

[sci-fi guy]

"Linux has to play catch-up to M$." -My dad

No elaboration on this whatsoever except for the fact that my brand-new laptop with a brand-new sound card didn't have sound until a few weeks ago, or that my siblings cannot play Shockwave games on Linux. The fact that Adobe and Realtek were responsible for making that software made no difference. If Linux were any good whatsoever, they would have made drivers/Shockwave for it (in his mind). I now have Shockwave running on the Windows version of Firefox under WINE and sound works with 'linux-backports-modules'.

[Frak]

"Cos you have no life. Im normal, because I use all the stuff that came on my computer."

(the same guy who uses £17 ($34) a month AOL dial-up - probabally because it came on his PC lol)

I remember once talking to somebody about firefox, and he came over and says "what you guys talking about" I said "web-browsers, what do you use" his response - Internet explorer, because AOLs one doesnt work". Me - "you should use firefox, its faster" him - "I can only use IE or AOLs one,cos theyre the only ones which will work with AOL arent they?"

I pity him sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.
:lolflag:

[daulex]

I couldn't be bothered to set up the drivers :D
then I did, then I really missed photoshop

[joe.turion64x2]

"Linux has to play catch-up to M$." -My dad

No elaboration on this whatsoever except for the fact that my brand-new laptop with a brand-new sound card didn't have sound until a few weeks ago, or that my siblings cannot play Shockwave games on Linux. The fact that Adobe and Realtek were responsible for making that software made no difference. If Linux were any good whatsoever, they would have made drivers/Shockwave for it (in his mind). I now have Shockwave running on the Windows version of Firefox under WINE and sound works with 'linux-backports-modules'.
Haven't you tried to manually install ALSA, ALSA LIBS, and ALSA UTILS? I mean, from source, not synaptic. That might help.

[limefire]

i find if you stick to linux long enough it will stick to you and more you look to windows you wonder what the 8888 was i thinking.

Limefire

[ryanVickers]

oh, yeah, "it doesn't have any good programs for it" and "it won't run windows programs", things to that effect, I'm bombarded with constantly... *sigh* ;)

I managed to significantly impress him with beryl, but it wasn't enough sadly :D

[Frak]

"I'm scared I'll make my computer blow up" I hear that alot.