Linux Desktop Readiness Thread

[bwallum]

Could we start a new thread please? Ubuntu has come on leaps and bounds and it would be really useful to take another 'satisfaction' poll and compare it with the previous one.

[frankwakeman]

I won't bother anyone by putting this in the testiminial section, as I know there's nothing really new here, but despite the following words I'm still interested in Ubuntu, and hope in 2012 or so I can come back and be satisfied...

Take it away, me...

"I’ve spent a year trying out Linux, mostly Ubuntu (8.10 first and then all older and newer versions), Mint and Xubuntu. For quite some time it was novel, and I’ve enjoyed the convenience of not being concerned with viruses. I like the apparent philosophy of open source, while seeing it as something complementary to paid for stuff. Some attitudes expressed are a bit naive, about how an economy can work, and how talent might be rewarded and encouraged.

I like an operating system to look as good as it can as well as function well. Like many people, I’m dissatisfied with the presentation of most versions of Linux. Kubuntu looks great but I gave up on it because of its bugs as far as current versions go - a dead icon that should have allowed my Mobile Broadband to start up and poor font rendering compared to Ubuntu or Windows.

I’ve now put Windows 2000 on my 1.3 ghz pc, XP on my netbook, and my laptop which had dual-booted Vista and Ubuntu 8.10-9.10 now just has Windows 7 on. The W2K machine still suits that OS better than, e.g. Xubuntu, performance-wise. I have very little money, but I’d rather put some aside and spend it if it’ll get me away from tinkering. I will look in on how Ubuntu develops, and I think once Windows 7 is long in the tooth both Ubuntu and I might be ready for one another. Then again I might be out of my financial doldrums and just buy a Mac.

I find by the evidence the people working on Ubuntu to be either stubborn or oblivious. I respect very much the talent and thought required to program and sort out bugs, to the xtent of never using words like 'geek' which seem lazy and dehumanising; and if someone can’t get hold of Windows or is otherwise unable or unwilling to use that, Ubuntu may suit them. But there is not a single finished professional-grade theme available for Ubuntu/Gnome, with the possible exception of Redmond if like me you like and can periodically tolerate a ‘design classic’ - all the others are either garish, tasteless colour mismatches like brown with grey (would you dress in those?), or some combination of buttons and colours that clash or are shoddy. The minimum we should expect is that Open Office and Firefox look fine, but there are all these boxes that are the wrong shape for where they’re situated, as with 'Human', or dirty great black sections that offened your eyes, e.g. 'Dust'. The main programs like Totem ought to have a default skin befitting 2009, not just look like a folder window with a couple of sketchy buttons tacked on that are available in any other distro. It’s not just a superficial issue either. A satisfying looking work environment puts you in a good frame of mind. It's an important part of the psychology of technology. Well designed skins - the ones for VLC are a barely functional mess - make you feel like you’re not just dealing with a cold, alien bit of technology, with the skins having the psychological effect of making you feel you’re operating something real. An illusion but a functional one.

The libdvdcss2 decoder is unfinished, showing flaws on four different computers I’ve used it with, including with the Windows version of VLC. I would think the problem was mine if were just one machine. The new boot-up splash screen for Ubuntu is a step back from the professional, finished look of 9.04’s. The new default icons, while an attempt to not rely on stock Gnome icons, are half-realised. I’d be unable to comment on how efficient the kernel and other under-the-bonnet aspects of Ubuntu are, but they don’t belong to Canonical, and I wonder how hard it can be to tack four or five ready-made sections of an operating system together. If Ubuntu is going to distinguish itself, it needs to be what it’s always claimed to be, Linux for human beings. Before 9.04 came out, Mark Shuttleworth mentioned employing a design team from that point on. I see no sign of any offerings with any flair or capacity for finishing a job so far, unless things are being held back for a staggering improvement with the hopefully LTS 10.04. I wouldn’t blame anyone for buying a Mac or a Windows pc even if they get a fresh bit of credit card debt going to do so, rather than end up stuck making enquiries on forums several days a week either because something doesn’t work or to find out how to stop their machine looking like Windows 95, and developing a wish to get their life back. None of us deny that Windows people have troubles. This alone is only one part of my dissatisfaction and it’s on Ubuntu fans’ and developers’ own heads if they seize on it and not the other criticisms. Open source ideology aside from both my experience and observing forums, Windows problems are still far fewer, and more banal, and it doesn’t matter to the average computer user that this is partly because manufacturers tweak their kit after installation - why should a customer give a toss about that, they just want to use the thing for something entertaining, not tinker. All well and good that Dell and Canonical might be courting, but I can’t see Dell putting much into their Ubuntu side of things if the actual product needs so much tweaking to be a serious competitor. Analogously, on the Open Solaris site there is a link to info on a Toshiba netbook that apparently sports Open Solaris. When you go this Toshiba site, there is no evidence of anything but Windows 7. (What is it with the Sun people too - they own Open Office but don’t bother putting this thing of theirs on the OS which would make the thing a few codecs away from instantly useable all round for many people - for God’s sake...)

Briefly I was a 100% Linux user, rarely booting into my Vista partition and then deleting Vista altogether. But apart from the effects of the dreary aesthetics of Ubuntu, I needed to use a free bit of software - not even something elaborate - which there is no competitior for in Linux, despite some half-useable attempts. This is audio software to record guitar and songs. The Linux alternatives aren’t even half as good as this one simple free program I use, let alone any expensive commercial alternatives. And no, ‘Kristal’ doesn’t work properly with Wine, and its own highly Linux-literate community have tried, believe me.

I use the Windows word procssor Jarte, which starts up quick, is Word-compatible and does offer ‘smart quotes’. Abi Word doesn’t, and Open Office can take fifteen or twenty seconds to start up. How long should it take for a simple function like smart quotes to be rectified in Abi Word? We’ve been wating years, when it’s a couple of days’ bug-fix, surely, if its writers care about and are motivated towards what they’re doing at all, otherwise why didn’t we all just keep our Atari ST’s, or DOS?

I’ve been interested and open-minded - a full yesr of trying, and filling 50 with CD-r’s with distros - but I’ve been more productive since going back to having these three versions of Windows going. Criticisms of Linux rile many people here and elsewhere, but a mere operating system is too small a thing to invest passion for most people, and if developers don’t listen, or maintain this stubbornness about where Ubuntu may go, or are in denial about what might constitute progress, the project will stagnate, or some competitor will take the Ubuntu basis and tack on top of it what it needs, and they’ll rightly be the ones to attain wealth and kudos.

Lastly, that dreadful, cheesy and tinny startup jingle has got to go. Even the brief ‘ambient’ chord that began Ubuntu 5.04 was better (and the KDE equivalent is fine). I’m sure there are thousands of musicians who’d offer to do something like Robert Fripp and Brian Eno have for Windows - something acoustic and ‘live’, not built from tinny samples, would suit Ubuntu’s alleged aesthetic."

[nerdy_kid]

it shouldnt need to get 'configured' after its been installed.

[mechanic]

<snip>
Analogously, on the Open Solaris site there is a link to info on a Toshiba netbook that apparently sports Open Solaris.

http://www.shopopensolaris.co.uk/suntoshiba/home.htm

Looks like a customised Tosh, not a standard product from them.

[KayleL]

I am going to say that I am quite impressed with Ubuntu. These were problems that I was expecting because I had trouble in windows.

1. Wireless adapter
2. Printer
3. Raw files from my Nikon D60
4. Confusing my family

Lately, I been having problems with my crappy wireless adapter on Windows, but not only it's working better in Ubuntu, I need no drivers! The wireless adaptor is still crap, so I would have to replace it soon anyway. Till than, My whole family is using Ubuntu. This was a true test of the system because my family had very little experience with Linux, and only used it at times I was just playing around with it.

Well, my sister had to do homework, so I was preparing for printer driver problems to come up, but she printed her paper with no problems. No drivers needed once again.

My sister needed to upload some photos. I was sure that this is where Ubuntu would break the user friendliness, but the only problem was converting the photos into jpg for facebook. The importing to computer stage didn't need my assistance.

So after a week of Ubuntu, my family came across few to no problems, which is astonishing for me. Hell, my family has a harder time converting to Mac.

The only problem is Adobe's lack of flash support. Yes, with do have the latest version of flash, but it runs noticeably slow, and sometimes crashing Firefox if it's a HD youtube video.

Other than that, I think I could safely install Ubuntu on my grandma's computer with few to no problems.

[bwallum]

Other than that, I think I could safely install Ubuntu on my grandma's computer with few to no problems.

Done just that, 86 years of age, bless her. Skypes, emails and surfs with the best of them. Gimp is a mystery to her, granted, but general online stuff is easy (and safe) with Ubuntu.

I can't agree with frankwakeman but I can see that if you explore every little backwater of linux you will find software that is, errr..., not quite mature yet. Stick to the mainstream however and the software is really good. OpenOffice loads in two and a half seconds for me, for example.

[J V]

Could we start a new thread please? Ubuntu has come on leaps and bounds and it would be really useful to take another 'satisfaction' poll and compare it with the previous one.

+1, if everyone thought this 5 years ago, perhaps a simple "Which distros are ready for the desktop" poll?

[Frak]

+1, if everyone thought this 5 years ago, perhaps a simple "Which distros are ready for the desktop" poll?

I would vote "none". Many people still think Linux isn't ready for the desktop.

[djchandler]

I would vote "none". Many people still think Linux isn't ready for the desktop.

Not to be a troll, but are you saying you base your opinions on what other people think?

How many is many? Many people won't use Windows. Many people won't use Mac OS X. Many people have never even heard of BSD, yet it exists.

Are your using any Linux distribution? If so, how does it work for you? Isn't that all that really matters?

[Frak]

I would vote "none". Many people still think Linux isn't ready for the desktop.

Not to be a troll, but are you saying you base your opinions on what other people think?

Maybe? Anyways, Linux works fine for me. Though, when I'm on, I use programs that only work on Windows (re: CS4, Maplestory, etc).