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Hmmm,
A bit of a reality check please?
1. Operating system repairs.
I would say that most Windows repairs are done in Windows, Linux in Linux and MAC OS in MAC OS. I would put the figure at 90% or better. It is relatively unusual to have to resort to an alien OS for the job, unless that happens to be your method of choice?
I have no idea other than a sneaking suspicion, so perhaps HT~ and other OS X users could enlighten me. Would it be reasonable that if you wanted another OS to repair both Linux and Windows with then OS X would be a reasonable bet?................particularly with the moves towards the Intel chipsets and processors?
2. E-mailing grannies and Moms
I have dealt with quite a few of these over the years............it is strange how infrequently I have been called to clean scumware and pr0n adverts from their machines, well compared to their son's grandson's and even husband's machines:D
When I have provided them with a machine (generally a second user device that I have upgraded/refurbished) I have hardened it and set it up to do just what they want. They want it to be as easy to use as the TV, DVD, VCR, Microwave, Telephone, and the like.
The problem with computers is that they are too user accessible, and user configurable. For that you can read "user screwupable":D
And it certainly is not Moms and Grannies who bring those machines to you in my experience;)
As I mentioned earlier, Linspire is the closest distro to this market that I have seen. However, with the recent partnership between SuSE and Microsoft, I have a feeling that this might change.
As I see it, the advent of Windows VISTA will result in a fair number of ex-corporate/institutional boxes coming onto the market. They will have been group licenced for Windows, so this will have been erased. SuSE will certainly run on boxes that will handle Win 2000 and XP, so there is a market opportunity there?
We all know that MS does dirty deals with the big OEMs, so I don't see it damaging their market for new computers. A development of SuSE into a more "Windows like" GUI for the second user and small OEM market might be their strategy?
1. They will be getting revenue in an area where they would otherwise have no hope of competing?
2. They would "appear" to be reconciling with open source?
3. It would kill Linspire?
4. It would attack Apple, particularly given their platform dependency and the fact that OS X is not significantly cheaper than Windows. You would now have a situation where reasonable performance (given intended user expectations) second user or small OEM machines would compete?
Just a few thoughts:)
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**sigh**
...apparently I'm metaphorically challenged.
Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised there's Windows tools for mounting Linux partitions. And thinking about it, I have used Windows disks when I was hellbent on deleting an ext3 partition or two. So much software, so little time. At my age, the Merciless Heropass is more merciless than ever.
I've run everything from ERD Commander to Ultimate Boot Disk to PE disks (Bart's and MS) to Hiren's to you-name-it (ok, no OSX boot cd's), and the Linux stuff always seems to work better than Windows disks for the most part (yes, that's a generalization). And there's none of that convoluted, guilt-ridden licensing that plagues 90% of the software world.
My point, literally speaking, was, or is, that Linux is of unique utility. At least for me. It's difficult in some ways to compare OS's.
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brokencrow,
Why do you seem surprised?
You are well aware that Windows is based on the philosopy that it is the only operating system on Earth?
Linux, on the other hand, is aware that there are at least other distros, if not OSes?
With Windows you load the CDs and can replace corrupt files, run a few utilities and do a repair install.................after that you have reformat and reinstall, which is Windows' "singleopseastic" view of life?
That is why I asked the question about OS X, although OS XI will probably be where it really starts to cut in?
Yes, people do use other utilities............like earlier versions of Windows that you had to start from a 3.5" floppy loaded "Caldera DOS"............errrr?
And Caldera are "SS"..............like "Scummy SCO" ? :D
I do not believe in these OS "wars" as they are fruitless distractions. Windows is tops because Microsoft marketed the best............it is as simple as that. I can remember "back then" it could just as easily have been Apple..............but they were locked into the obsolete IBM business model of hardware and software............. Gates went for the software only model, and won ;)
