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View Full Version : Netbooks and Linux: A Complicated Story



sulekha
April 10th, 2009, 03:06 AM
Hi all,

see this:- http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/04/09/netbooks-and-linux-complicated-story

toejamfootball
April 10th, 2009, 03:21 AM
They should include a better Manual with the Linux netbooks that explains this stuff (video codecs, flash etc.) for the average user.

knattlhuber
April 10th, 2009, 03:34 AM
Just read some of the netbook reviews on the Dell website.. Joe Average hits a problem with Linux, and XP's on the netbook faster than you can say Open Source.
I don't think you can bring Linux to the masses by forcing it upon them. And to be honest, if I have to troubleshoot Ubuntu on my eeePC my patience runs out fairly quickly, too, with the tiny screen and the tiny keyboard... ;)

Giant Speck
April 10th, 2009, 06:06 AM
I read this today.

Kier Thomas is one of my favorite Linux bloggers/journalists.

Kareeser
April 10th, 2009, 06:22 AM
Hmph. I say let Windows have the netbook market for now. They're earning far too little in profit to make it worth their while, so they can keep the buyers entertained while we work our way up :)

Mokoma
April 10th, 2009, 06:26 AM
windows needs codecs too, so thats junk. windows is the coke of o/s. linux is the dr pepper. you either love or hate it. or youve never tried it.

samrat1985
April 10th, 2009, 06:27 AM
Something MUST be done:( & yes you cannot force linux.

The first time I used ubuntu 6.06 I reinstalled it the second day because my gnome panel was deleted & I couldn't get it back!!

But that is history:) I am a registered linux user & still daily use ubunutu 8.10 on my box.

Ofcourse dualboot. I cannot live without Call of Duty Series

Mokoma
April 10th, 2009, 06:28 AM
Something MUST be done:( & yes you cannot force linux.

The first time I used ubuntu 6.06 I reinstalled it the second day because my gnome panel was deleted & I couldn't get it back!!

But that is history:) I am a registered linux user & still daily use ubunutu 8.10 on my box.

Ofcourse dualboot. I cannot live without Call of Duty Series

call of duty always bored the crap out of me :S

samrat1985
April 10th, 2009, 02:50 PM
LOL;) Mokoma

LowSky
April 10th, 2009, 03:40 PM
it the same reason Walmart $200 Pc (that Ran on a Via Processsor *Cringe* ) failed. No one wants Linux.

Its the same reason the US still uses Imperial measurment
The same reason why Vista is considered crap
The same reason why many poeple don't believe in evolution
The same reason Teachers still teach kids that Pluto is a planet

CHANGE SCARES THEM -- These people think that the old ways are best and see no reason to upgrade for the sake of upgrading, including knowlege

xir_
April 10th, 2009, 03:55 PM
Just read some of the netbook reviews on the Dell website.. Joe Average hits a problem with Linux, and XP's on the netbook faster than you can say Open Source.
I don't think you can bring Linux to the masses by forcing it upon them. And to be honest, if I have to troubleshoot Ubuntu on my eeePC my patience runs out fairly quickly, too, with the tiny screen and the tiny keyboard... ;)

I'm to total opposite i love my eee with ubuntu on it, optimising (read: breaking) it is a lot of fun. I like to squeeze the best i can out of the little bugger

terry_gardener
April 10th, 2009, 04:25 PM
sorry but when i read this story i thought what a load of crap.
since when has video/audio codecs been included in windows by default.
when has flash been included by default.

every pc that i have used that has had windows installed either by OEM or by the user has never had these installed by default and has to be installed manually.

so for the person who wrote the story, complaining that flash doesn't work or video files dont work is just daft.

just my opinion

xir_
April 10th, 2009, 04:27 PM
bakedbeans4life


...... disturbing

Methuselah
April 10th, 2009, 04:56 PM
Pre-installing linux on a few pieces of hardware one can opt to buy or not != forcing it on consumers.
If that's the case, what the hell would you say about windows that comes on even more stuff.

But yes, people will tend to revert to what they're used to.
Apart from all its genuine flaws, this was part of the problem MS had with Vista adoption.

3rdalbum
April 10th, 2009, 05:52 PM
So we must remove the choice, and make people see that freedom is the only option! :-P

Methuselah
April 10th, 2009, 06:03 PM
So we must remove the choice, and make people see that freedom is the only option! :-P

lol

zmjjmz
April 10th, 2009, 09:49 PM
It was somewhat poorly researched. The Dell is not hopelessly underpowered, especially considering it has the exact same hardware as most netbooks on the market. Ubuntu comes with Dells, Toshibas, and now HPs too. Other, smaller netbook companies use Ubuntu on their netbooks.

The biggest problem is that most of the big netbook companies, especially the pioneers of the category, Asus, loaded their netbooks with Linux distros that weren't mature enough for the average user. It was just something cheap that they could slap on there without having to negotiate the resource usage of Windows.

bakedbeans4life
April 10th, 2009, 11:08 PM
bakedbeans4life


...... disturbing

Wow, I got an official warning about that comment and the language contained within. I did not include any "f" or "b" words as not to cause offense either, obviously their view of what is humorous is subjective.

It has since been deleted, so is life.

Giant Speck
April 10th, 2009, 11:16 PM
Wow, I got an official warning about that comment and the language contained within. I did not include any "f" or "b" words as not to cause offense either, obviously their view of what is humorous is subjective.

I think talking about oral sex on a forum where children could be present is pretty offensive. It doesn't matter how humorous you thought it was.

bakedbeans4life
April 10th, 2009, 11:33 PM
I think talking about oral sex on a forum where children could be present is pretty offensive. It doesn't matter how humorous you thought it was.

Was it what I said, or the company I said it about? Would you be so impassioned in your response if I said IBM or Apple for instance?

Marlonsm
April 10th, 2009, 11:37 PM
Another thing is that Linux distros that come preloaded in most computers aren't the best/most well known ones, and as the Average Joe doesn't know about distros, he will think all Linux are like that.

Here most computers sold with Linux come with "Satux Linux". Although it looks like XP (http://www.vivaolinux.com.br/imagens/artigos/comunidade/satux.png), there is no blue "E" to open the internet, and MSOffice isn't there either, so people will get a bad impression of it, as they aren't willing to learn new things.

One more thing many Linux computers sold don't even come with it configured, they just run the install CD and sell the computer. If they sold Windows that way, people also wouldn't like. They even include CDs with the drivers FOR WINDOWS. (As I say, all that is missing is a link for a site to download Windows)



sorry but when i read this story i thought what a load of crap.
since when has video/audio codecs been included in windows by default.
when has flash been included by default.


But people are already used to windows, they can install a flash player there by themselves, because it's likely that they've already done that before. But on Linux they are just too scared to read the instruction on the screen.
And IIRC Dell already preloads codecs and all that stuff in their Ubuntu computers. Too bad not all brands do it too.




If Linux wants to really compete with Windows and OSX, it needs to change its image to the average Joe.

Giant Speck
April 10th, 2009, 11:37 PM
Was it what I said, or the company I said it about? Would you be so impassioned in your response if I said IBM or Apple for instance?

Are you freaking serious? It's what you said! It had nothing to do with the companies involved in your filthy little text pornography. What you said was offensive and wrong, and yet you have the audacity to assume that I was taking offense on behalf of Microsoft and what was actually wrong with your post!

I am not discussing this any further.

bakedbeans4life
April 10th, 2009, 11:44 PM
Are you freaking serious? It's what you said! It had nothing to do with the companies involved in your filthy little text pornography. What you said was offensive and wrong, and yet you have the audacity to assume that I was taking offense on behalf of Microsoft and what was actually wrong with your post!

I am not discussing this any further.

You don't need to. I got you loud and clear.

ibuclaw
April 11th, 2009, 12:03 AM
May I remind you that this is a community forum, and as such we keep to a friendly nature and treat each other with respect.

Regards
Iain