Ubuntu now more popular than Mac OS X!

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Err which Windows OS is that one, as far as I know,all WMP's can burn/copy

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Hi dalek,

I think he meant an ISO image, windows needs an additonal plugin to do that - something which has irked me for a very long time!

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installing a printer in linux is 10x faster and easier than windows too.
computer picked up the printer (usb), all that was needed was root's password and it was added.
thats with cups enabled btw.
no drivers or software installation or anything.

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I am no Linux expert but I would have thought that even Linux would need a driver of some kind......

It may have been included by default so appeared to not actually install it, as in you didn't have to put a driver CD?

Hmmmm,

Dalek has a good point, I distributed a number of Ubuntu CDs. Several of the people have since moved on to other distros, so I think it is used as an entry into the World of Linux?

I always try to load the printer manufacturer's software so as to get the help, troubleshooting, ink levels and head cleaning programs.

As for CD and DVD burners, I have never bought one that did not have the software bundled with it...........at least for whatever flavour of Windows I was running at the time.

It is worth looking at the Distrowatch site. They have a big table of "popularity" and give a clear warning just like HT~ that the results are based on search parameters rather than actual installations and users.

It is very difficult to get a feel for Linux penetration as the users tend to be natural experimenters and have a number of current distros to play with.

Windows is rather more simple because you either have the current version or an obsolete one, and you have a pretty good idea of the number sold.

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Originally Posted by Nokia

I am no Linux expert but I would have thought that even Linux would need a driver of some kind......

It may have been included by default so appeared to not actually install it, as in you didn't have to put a driver CD?

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i'm assuming it has a database of drivers i'm sure, but i've installed a photosmart and scanner/copier all in one printer deal both no problem.
with windows, it needed the cd's for the drivers.
same with my digital canon rebel.
i'm not meaning to sound like a fanboy or zealot, just wanted to make the point as those two were arguing about which one was easier to use & what not.
some things in linux work easier than some people would expect.
i wish i could make a video of adding one of those printers, i was impressed.

Just popping in again to say yes Nokia is correct, I was talking about ISOs. I know Windows Media Player can burn CDs, or at least the version on this XP machine can, as I don't think the one before it could.

Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled thread :)

I’ve used Windows since the 90’s, Red Hat, SUSE, Mandrake, Gentoo, Ubuntu. Out of all of the distros Ubuntu is the fastest and smallest OS. Sure you can tweak things to make any OS faster but out of the box Ubuntu has given good results. It has the best setup tool, Apt. Yast (SUSE) is horribly slow and Yum(Red Hat) tries but doesn’t reach Debain’s Aptitude.

As far as Linux compared to Windows you got to look where they’re coming from. One is driven by money, and it likes to keep parts of its OS secret from the users. The other is free, transparent, and made by a community, just like this one. If anyone who has tried to install Windows without the manufacturers system CDs will tell ya’ it’s a pain to install all the drivers and have Windows functioning correctly with the hardware. This is after the drivers that have been provided by the manufactures through their support sites. Where as in Linux the drivers are recognized by the most of the OS, Ubuntu does this very well. Keep in mind the manufacturers didn’t hand the drivers to Linux community on a plate like they did to Windows.

If major PC manufactures started installing Linux and you’d see a good price difference between a Windows system and a Linux. That’ll be more than enough for consumers to drop Windows. Btw MS Office isn’t that much of a big deal. Look at the Open Office project and with Web2.0 MS Office on systems are going to be the talk of yesterday.

If anyone who doesn’t know what their doing and starts deleting critical files will leave their systems nonfunctional. This is regardless of OS.

Most Linux distros have a 6 month cycle where a new version of the OS comes out every 6 months. Did I mention this was free? Windows doesn’t even come close to it. The best improvements in Windows are actually borrowed from other operating systems. Yet people can’t get over the fact that there are more prospective OS’s than Windows.

I guess I would also be a staunch supporter of an OS if its flaws are what makes my bread money.

Ubuntu is the fastest and smallest? That's strange, Slackware and FreeBSD run circles around it on the same machine.

And Yast being horrible slow... Hmm, that's odd, try shutting off X, it runs faster that way. Also note that FreeBSD has a more advanced package manager than apt.

Wow... This is turning into a My OS has a bigger dick than your OS thread.... That was never my intention when I replied... I tend to be fairly OS Agnostic...

I will reply to people however..

Gore: As for burning CDs... You can drag and drop files to burn them.. for an ISO itself... there are plenty of free burning apps for Windows... Linux does't including burning software either.... Linux distributions (packages of software do)...

I've always found this to be an unfair comparison... Windows is an operating system... it contains the basics and that's it... Linux is an operating system.... it's the kernel, however Linux has come to refer to Linux distributions.... These distributions have all the software you need... however this comes with a cost... Debian Full is how many CDs these days?? and SuSE... 6 CDs (including the Xtras CD).... That's why they contain all the software you need...

As for printer working right away... Sure.. why not... Now think about this.. XP was 2001... When was your printer made... post 2001... that's why drivers aren't included... but the odds are Vista will have the drivers... You can't expect an OS to magically have drivers for software that wasn't around when the CD was pressed...

Now for the issue of a 6 month release cycle vs say Windows...

95, 98, 2000, 2001, 2003 and now 2007... There's a reason it is lengthening... People didn't like it as much when it shortened... Businessses can't afford to constantly buy the latest and greatest software.. That's why they operate on these cycles. This push is to ensure a great product and yes.. there's been major delay this time around... but XP is still a solid operating sytem.. 2003 is a solid server, 2K is still solid on both aspects.. MS has released their planned OS release schedule...

As for Linux distros being on a 6 month release cycle??? Not the mature serious ones.. They would never commit to a timeline like that..

wh0rd: OpenOffice doesn't compare to Microsoft Office from a productivity stand point... and Linux isn't feasible yet in a business environment...

People need to realize that Businesses are Microsofts primary customer... wh0rd had other points but I see no need to address them... He's a linux fanboy plain and simply..... He doesn't get the big picture...

Peace,
HT

One of the points you brought up I want to touch on; Why doesn't Microsoft start including more CDs for Windows to install software people need. Obviously they won't include office stuff as that is a good chunk of cash flow they'd lose, but why not things like built in Cd burning, an AIM, Yahoo and ICQ client (They could include / customize a version of Gaim and just put a label on it about how they don't support it) and they could include a lot more than they do without hurting their cash strong points like Office tools.

I seen Windows Live OneCare on the shelf at best buy the other day so obviosly they are going for more, but things that I named off really wouldn't do anything to their current intake of money as they release MSN free and most of the things I'm talking about are free already, you just download them.

The 6 month release cycle is for people who want the latest of everything without a concern for stability. Regaurdless of what any vendor tells you, software isn't stable in such ashort period of time, that's why Novell doesn't release their business oriented products in that cycle.

Slackware doesn't follow that either, as the last two releases were over a year apart.

Am I the only one who doesn't use Open Office.org? I've used it a few times here and there but I rarely ever use apps in office suites. Unless I have to, which isn't often, I have full paid for copies of Office, Works, Corel, and a few others I install in case I need them.

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Originally Posted by gore

One of the points you brought up I want to touch on; Why doesn't Microsoft start including more CDs for Windows to install software people need. Obviously they won't include office stuff as that is a good chunk of cash flow they'd lose, but why not things like built in Cd burning, an AIM, Yahoo and ICQ client (They could include / customize a version of Gaim and just put a label on it about how they don't support it) and they could include a lot more than they do without hurting their cash strong points like Office tools.

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Think Administration.... Windows is for businesses first.... Linux is for people first.... That's why Linux doesn't make a great investment for the office yet..... and it's something that the Linux people still haven't realized.... As it is some admins dislike that Windows Messenger and the Games are installed with Windows and go back and remove them... For other things.... they are open source GPL... Microsoft can't include them.... If you include GPL'd "stuff" you ahve to release your source code.... MS doesn't want that... Lastly there's licsensing issues... I seem to recall MS wanting to include a PDF reader a few years back.. Adobe wouldn't hear of it... Linux doesn't always walk on the legal side of licensing (which is why some distributions, like SuSE removed MP3 Support at one point)...

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Originally Posted by gore

Am I the only one who doesn't use Open Office.org? I've used it a few times here and there but I rarely ever use apps in office suites. Unless I have to, which isn't often, I have full paid for copies of Office, Works, Corel, and a few others I install in case I need them.

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You also don't work in an office :) ... In my current position Excel is very important for tracking... Previously I've had jobs that I relied heavily on PowerPoint, Word and Access..... OpenOffice.org isn't a mature enough piece of software yet to deal with the stability demands of an office environment.... So things like MS Office, Corel, etc are much better positioned.

The games you don't have to install while the Os is being installed, but Windows Messenger, that's just a pain in the ass because of it not being easily removed. For office apps, there are options but most likely someone would be using Microsoft Office running over Wine or something as OpenOffice.org just isn't there yet.

I've actually passed a class for MOUS certification heh. Another area Linux could use improvement is in things like video calsl that MSN Messenger has.