Linux Desktop Readiness Thread

[kamaboko]

I've never seen Vista lower than $190

Last week Fry's had Vista Ultimate OEM for $146

[Frak]

Last week Fry's had Vista Ultimate OEM for $146

I've never seen Vista lower than $146

[freebird54]

What I want to know is when MS will pay people to use it? So far, none of the people I know that buy nothing (yes, I'm afraid I do know people like that) have even bothered to run Vista when they can get it for free...

Yes - they have the hardware to handle it...

And yes, sorry, I shouldn't put such things into this thread - it's supposed to be about how ready WE are for the desktop (not whether others are)

I'll be good now

[Feba]

HP is selling new computers for 300$. Overwrite that with good ol Tux and sell off the Vista license

[m.musashi]

I've never seen Vista lower than $146

Even if it was $100, who pays to upgrade windows (okay, millennium was the exception I guess)? Seriously, you'd have to an individual of less than average intelligence to buy another copy of windows. You will likely have slower performance than the OS your PC came with. Just wait until you buy your next computer (assuming you are one of 90% of computer users incapable of setting up a PC with a better OS).

[Frak]

Even if it was $100, who pays to upgrade windows (okay, millennium was the exception I guess)? Seriously, you'd have to an individual of less than average intelligence to buy another copy of windows. You will likely have slower performance than the OS your PC came with. Just wait until you buy your next computer (assuming you are one of 90% of computer users incapable of setting up a PC with a better OS).

I agree.

[Skeith]

The problem with desktop Linux in general is that it seems to fall just a little short every time. But everybody is ecstatic that it came just a bit closer this time. For Linux to gain any significant ground it needs to surpass Vista and OS X as a home operating system. Impress the users and Linux will start to gain momentum all its own with average users. Give them a reason to switch, and make the switch as painless as possible. Both issues applications that make up Linux and the people who create them need to be fixed before Linux can make the leap into a significant number of homes.

[m.musashi]

The problem with desktop Linux in general is that it seems to fall just a little short every time. But everybody is ecstatic that it came just a bit closer this time. For Linux to gain any significant ground it needs to surpass Vista and OS X as a home operating system. Impress the users and Linux will start to gain momentum all its own with average users. Give them a reason to switch, and make the switch as painless as possible. Both issues applications that make up Linux and the people who create them need to be fixed before Linux can make the leap into a significant number of homes.

Short of what? The expectations of the top 10% of windows users maybe, but the rest of the windows user population have only one expectation - to take a computer home, turn it on and it works. Of course, most of them already know how to do this with windows so they are fairly unmotivated to learn anything new. However, a good majority of the computing public is pretty computer illiterate. If someone held their hand and gave them a an hour into to Ubuntu (already installed and set up of course) they would likely be able to switch. My dad did and so did my mom - two very average and generally illiterate computer users. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough Linux users to go around and train windows users. While I'd like to see Ubuntu hit the 15% or more mark, in the end, I don't really care. Let all the windows user keep using windows. As long as they keep spending their money and funding IT development in general, I can enjoy my safe, secure, fast and generally superior OS AND take advantage of any tech advances I choose to. The world doesn't just need ditch diggers, it needs tech idiots too. Next time you are wandering around Best buy or similar store, take a moment to thank a few of the sheep there .

As for surpassing windows and osx, I'd say ubuntu already has. All the OS does is run the human-computer interface. Ubuntu does that as well / better than windows (not sure about osx as I haven't used it much). The gap is probably in the apps that run on top of windows, Linux and osx. People are hung up on their use of things like Office, Photoshop and other apps. If those ran in Ubuntu natively then I think many more people would switch (not that I'm proposing that). As for motivation, it already exists. There just isn't marketing. Most people need someone to tell them what they should buy. No one is telling them they should buy Ubuntu/Linux ready computers.

The mistake most people make is to think that we all want to see Ubuntu be on 100% (or even a majority) of desktops. While it's true that many of us would love to see this happen, it's not like we care if it doesn't. Many of us are happy in our knowledge that we run a superior OS. It works for us and we enjoy it. Many more people using it helps prove our point but in the end few of us really care. There is a certain amount of frustration in hearing people rave about how wonderful windows is or how poor Ubuntu is, but after a good rant, we all go back to enjoying our free, secure, fast, and downright enjoyable OS while the rest go back to downloading the latest virus definitions, fighting popups, and paying for apps to do the same things we do for free. Suckers.

[Feba]

Skeith, linux itself is fine, it's just a lack of applications, and the social stigma. I promise you, if we had even a quarter of the REAL PC games market, Linux would shoot off like a rocket.

[forrestcupp]

Skeith, linux itself is fine, it's just a lack of applications, and the social stigma. I promise you, if we had even a quarter of the REAL PC games market, Linux would shoot off like a rocket.

The only thing Linux can't do is run all Windows programs flawlessly. Well, neither can OSX, but people don't claim it falls short. They just say Mac has its own set of software, and if you buy a Mac, you have to realize that and buy Mac software. It's the same with Linux. It has its own set of software, and if you choose Linux, you have to realize that and use Linux software. No different than Mac.

Linux has most software that people need available natively.

I agree that having commercial PC games ported would help, but I don't think Linux would shoot off like a rocket.