the future of the linux desktop

[karellen]

nice little article...so I thought it might be a good idea to share it
http://www.linuxtechdaily.com/2007/04/editorial-the-future-of-the-linux-desktop/
:)

[rai4shu2]

When sending out my resume, most employers requested it in Word format. Using Open Office and saving it as a .doc screwed up the formatting, something unacceptable to future employers. After trying a few things, I finally had to bite the bullet and use Microsoft Office. OpenDocument (.odt) is a great format, but it isn’t widely known and accepted. Did I sell out? Possibly. The way I looked at it, I had to use the right tool for the right job. I needed to create a perfect looking Word document, so I used Word to do it.

Use Microsoft or die?

[Swab]

Use Microsoft or die?

Screw that, my CV always goes out as a PDF.

[PurplePenguin]

“Linux will never be ready until my mom/grandma/aunt can use it!” It is funny to me that it almost always is a female. Linux is ready, since this mythical female only uses the computer to do email and browse the web. Linux isn’t ready because this same female won’t understand the package manager or this or that. Once everyone agrees that this female can use Linux, the heavens will open and finally, Microsoft’s monopoly will be over. This concept is fundamentally flawed.
My mother and my wife both use Ubuntu. My wife had never used computers before we got married, so it still shocks me that she knows to open up a terminal window and type "mogrify -resize 500x500 *.jpg" in order to resize her photos. :)

The only difference I've noticed since my parents switched to linux is that I don't have to reformat their drives after the inevitable viruses hit (usually every six months or so something would get past their AV software).

Linux is ready for my family. Just as with Windows, I have to set everything up, but it's nice with linux... once it's up and running, it stays running quickly and dependably - with no ugly viruses. I get far fewer gray hairs with Ubuntu.

[aysiu]

Here's my reply:
http://www.psychocats.net/essays/linuxdesktopmyth

[pulver]

“Linux will never be ready until my mom/grandma/aunt can use it!”

use it for what? linux provides the flexibility to make it user friendly whatever the users need.. thats not the same as saying the user should do all the system administration, setup and tweaking... no, windows users are the problem here for believing windows being a more user friendly system than it actually is.. one size fits all approach is not always the best fit. my experience is that when trying to setup a windows box to do something it wasn't designed for it usually breaks like a stick how is that for user friendliness. these people should keep in mind that grandma haven't spent the last 10 years in front of a teletubby world with a start menu up her *** like they have.. my guess would be she could need a little more automated system than that. go figure..

[aysiu]

Windows will be ready even if people can't use it. People will use Windows anyway even if they can't maintain Windows or install and configure Windows. Many people will be forced to use Windows by their employers or schools regardless of their personal preference. Many people don't realize there are any other options besides Windows and Mac OS X.

"Ready for the desktop" is a practically meaningless phrase, and a consensus on its definition isn't even close to being reached.