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motang
September 30th, 2008, 08:18 PM
This (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331360,00.asp) is the second article I have seen recently that suggest us to build a inexpensive computer and install Ubuntu in favor of the other OS that I shall not mention.

I think this is great as a Ubuntu user for the past 4 years, and a Linux user since 2000 (not full time but as for school use), I have come to realize that what this article suggest is a wonderful thing as I have been saying for the past 3 years that Ubuntu is perfect fit for everyday use (not for gaming which we all know it's not Ubuntu's or any other Linux distributors fault and it's out of their hands). I run Ubuntu on two of my machines exclusively and Xubuntu on my eeeBox, though I still have a machine with Win XP Pro on it (it's an 5 year old computer) I have been lazy to replace the OS on it, but lately I have been thinking about OpenSolaris on that machine but that is going to be side project (sorry for going off topic).

So what do you guys think?

david_lynch
September 30th, 2008, 08:35 PM
This (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331360,00.asp) is the second article I have seen recently that suggest us to build a inexpensive computer and install Ubuntu in favor of the other OS that I shall not mention.

Ubuntu is perfect fit for everyday use (not for gaming which we all know it's not Ubuntu's or any other Linux distributors fault and it's out of their hands)

Linux unfit for gaming? where did you hear that? I'm a hard core gamer, mainly 3D FPS, and I don't do *******.

If it doesn't run on linux, it doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned - but no worries, there are lots of good 3D FPS games for linux, more than I could possibly even evaluate. From Quake 3 arena and it's modern day descendants, to RtCW and ET, ut2000, 2003, 2004 (still waiting for ut3), doom 3, quake 4 and more.

I find linux to be an excellent gaming platform, and I mean that: I do very well against the windows gamers. I often connect to dinks q3a free for all server, and get accused of cheating, of using a bot, yadda yadda. Almost invariably, within a few minutes, pretty much everybody has gotten angry, discouraged and quit the game, so I'm left battling with the bots til I get bored. :D

motang
September 30th, 2008, 08:40 PM
:-) Well I don't PC game so games on the PC are pretty much non existence for me, though I am interested in Spore but the DRM crap is discouraging me that the moment. I am still looking forward to Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 as I am long time fan of those series. I do all my gaming on the GameCube/Wii and PS2 and soon on the PS3. :)

Northsider
September 30th, 2008, 09:02 PM
Linux unfit for gaming? where did you hear that?

I wouldn't say "unfit", but definitely a pain. I have gotten SC4 to work, but with many errors and crashes. I can't get Battlefield 2 to work. I got Steam and DoD 1.3 to work, but again with errors and crashes. So yea, not unfit per se, just not the best in my opinion. Heck even native linux games (Alien Invasion comes to mind) sometimes crash out on me. I certainly wish more were made naively for linux

Jaxco
September 30th, 2008, 09:17 PM
There is no modern API for gaming in Linux. All of the native games I have seen for linux look like something from 1997. OpenGL3 was supposed to catch up to DX - It is doubtful that it will ever be released. Linux also has a problem with my video card that it didn't have with older distros/drivers - everytime my computer goes on standby it fails to resume and I must reboot it. I have gone through these boards and tried every recommended fix but the only thing that works is going back to 7.04 or so - no thanks because that hoses my wireless support!

The biggest problem with linux, as I see it (and I AM a linux fan) is that too many cooks are in the kitchen, there is no clear battle plan (or real incentive actually) to make it a player for the gaming machine usage. ...And what's up with all of the linux distros becoming so bloated with junkware??? Likewise windows has become bloated to the core with DRM garbage.

Linux has a long way to go as far as hardware and modernization before it will actually be a player in the mainstream desktop OS environment. Right now, especially for gaming, the best it can hope for is an "Also runs on..." tag. This is a shame, I'd sure like to see it improve dramatically.

cardinals_fan
September 30th, 2008, 09:21 PM
The biggest problem with linux, as I see it (and I AM a linux fan) is that too many cooks are in the kitchen, there is no clear battle plan (or real incentive actually) to make it a player for the gaming machine usage. ...And what's up with all of the linux distros becoming so bloated with junkware??? Likewise windows has become bloated to the core with DRM garbage.

That would depend on you're definition of "junkware". I consider GNOME to be junkware.

Jaxco
September 30th, 2008, 09:33 PM
And PLEASE dont anyone misunderstand me, I think the attention Ubuntu is getting is GREAT, I hope that it will spur development of its' shortcomings... I always hope for the BEST on these things!

david_lynch
September 30th, 2008, 10:15 PM
There is no modern API for gaming in Linux. All of the native games I have seen for linux look like something from 1997.

Wow - lots of flame bait in your posting - sounds like you really don't like anything about linux, and have hardware problems to boot - but let's put the rest aside and take this one statement of yours which I quoted above. Please explain it because it doesn't jive with anything I've seen. Are you saying that ut2004 in linux looks like something from 1997? What does ut2004 in ******* look like? Just curious - I don't do ******* games, or ******* for that matter, so I'm asking honestly, what are the differences?

LaRoza
September 30th, 2008, 10:21 PM
There is no modern API for gaming in Linux. All of the native games I have seen for linux look like something from 1997. OpenGL3 was supposed to catch up to DX - It is doubtful that it will ever be released. Linux also has a problem with my video card that it didn't have with older distros/drivers - everytime my computer goes on standby it fails to resume and I must reboot it. I have gone through these boards and tried every recommended fix but the only thing that works is going back to 7.04 or so - no thanks because that hoses my wireless support!


That is wrong. Modern 3d games are made by people other than OS developers. Linux is as good or better for a platform.

And don't assume your problems are everyone's.

zekopeko
September 30th, 2008, 10:33 PM
but it is his personal experience and he has the right to complain/comment.

davidryder
October 1st, 2008, 02:51 AM
Linux unfit for gaming? where did you hear that? I'm a hard core gamer, mainly 3D FPS, and I don't do *******.

If it doesn't run on linux, it doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned - but no worries, there are lots of good 3D FPS games for linux, more than I could possibly even evaluate. From Quake 3 arena and it's modern day descendants, to RtCW and ET, ut2000, 2003, 2004 (still waiting for ut3), doom 3, quake 4 and more.

I find linux to be an excellent gaming platform, and I mean that: I do very well against the windows gamers. I often connect to dinks q3a free for all server, and get accused of cheating, of using a bot, yadda yadda. Almost invariably, within a few minutes, pretty much everybody has gotten angry, discouraged and quit the game, so I'm left battling with the bots til I get bored. :D

You're a hardcore Linux gamer or a hardcore PC gamer? :confused: A hardcore gamer IMO is more than just someone playing Quake 3.

Real gaming on Linux is horrible - and that isn't really a fact that is refuted. There isn't a gaming scene for the Linux platform.

The newest games I have for PC: Spore, Alone In The Dark, and GRID. That's just the ones recently released. Give me a Linux alternative that even remotely compares to the Windows version and I'll gladly give them a try.

Corfy
October 1st, 2008, 03:17 AM
This (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2331360,00.asp) is the second article I have seen recently that suggest us to build a inexpensive computer and install Ubuntu in favor of the other OS that I shall not mention.

...

So what do you guys think?

Am I the only one who doesn't see PCMagazine as "mainstream press"? If you see it mentioned in your local newspaper (or USA Today) or mentioned on your TV nightly news, or even in general magazines like Time, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, etc., those would be examples of mainstream press. I just don't find it that impressive that a magazine that covers computer topics would mention Ubuntu.

And while PCMagazine does have a decidedly Windows slant to it, they do mention Linux fairly regularly.

zmjjmz
October 1st, 2008, 03:25 AM
Am I the only one who doesn't see PCMagazine as "mainstream press"? If you see it mentioned in your local newspaper (or USA Today) or mentioned on your TV nightly news, or even in general magazines like Time, Newsweek, Reader's Digest, etc., those would be examples of mainstream press. I just don't find it that impressive that a magazine that covers computer topics would mention Ubuntu.

And while PCMagazine does have a decidedly Windows slant to it, they do mention Linux fairly regularly.

PCMag is pretty popular in libraries I suppose.
On the other hand, I _have_ found a mention of Ubuntu in the NYT, though I doubt anyone really reads this part:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/technology/personaltech/29askk-002.html?_r=2&ref=personaltech&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

And a lot of the computer magazines I've seen don't seem to mind Linux. I mean, usually they don't even write about it, but rarely have I found an article saying that "Linux is the suckz0rz".

david_lynch
October 1st, 2008, 04:49 AM
You're a hardcore Linux gamer or a hardcore PC gamer? :confused: A hardcore gamer IMO is more than just someone playing Quake 3.

Real gaming on Linux is horrible - and that isn't really a fact that is refuted. There isn't a gaming scene for the Linux platform.

The newest games I have for PC: Spore, Alone In The Dark, and GRID. That's just the ones recently released. Give me a Linux alternative that even remotely compares to the Windows version and I'll gladly give them a try.
I'm a hardcore gamer, period. And I don't do ******* :D

I'm not sure what you mean by "real" gaming, but I'm guessing it means the games you personally like to play, right?

As for the games you mentioned above, I haven't seen linux versions - so they don't exist for me. But that's certainly no fault of the linux OS. The games that are available perform every bit as well as the mac and pc versions. And all it needs at this point is more games.

But you never answered my question: On games that have pc, mac and linux versions, or even just pc and linux versions, please explain what differences there are.

I asked about ut2004 as an example, and you never answered. Inquiring minds want to know :guitar:

Icehuck
October 1st, 2008, 05:27 AM
I asked about ut2004 as an example, and you never answered. Inquiring minds want to know :guitar:

UT2004 is old as were the rest of the games you mentioned. UT2004 was fun but it isn't half as good as COD4(Best FPS atm). UT3? I don't know anyone who actually cared to buy it.

david_lynch
October 1st, 2008, 07:49 AM
UT2004 is old as were the rest of the games you mentioned. UT2004 was fun but it isn't half as good as COD4(Best FPS atm). UT3? I don't know anyone who actually cared to buy it.
So, the question remains: Of the games that exist for inux as well as mac and/or pc, what are the differences? Please explain what the linux version is lacking compared to the pc or mac versions - I really want to undrestand what the original poster meant.

davidryder
October 1st, 2008, 09:21 AM
So, the question remains: Of the games that exist for inux as well as mac and/or pc, what are the differences? Please explain what the linux version is lacking compared to the pc or mac versions - I really want to undrestand what the original poster meant.

Depth, graphics, age...

Just because they don't exist for you doesn't mean they don't exist for the rest of the world. No offense, but you aren't a hardcore gamer if Linux games are all the games you play. A hardcore gamer is someone that is into the gaming scene, knows the developers, competes with others, follows the development on upcoming releases - all of this on top of playing the games.

The problem with that is there is no gaming scene in Linux. There aren't any developers creating games that can compete with ANY of the modern PC games being released.

frup
October 1st, 2008, 09:43 AM
My gamer friends really bore me.

Gaming is stupid.

davidryder
October 1st, 2008, 10:15 AM
My gamer friends really bore me.

Gaming is stupid.

My non-gamer friends bore me.

Non-gaming is stupid.