Why Linux will never be on consumer pc's.

Reading all the Linux is not this and that I decided to start this thread.
This is my view on not only Linux but the BSD variants out there.
Microsoft has advantages with their Windows,not when it comes to security but marketing. People who know 0 about computers don't want to spend hours learning how to use one but to get started right away. Sure, you got those mothers bragging about how well their brats use a PC/MAC. But that's all with a graphical user interface. Clickety click, in Linux it's not allways graphical, not even SuSE.
Sure *nix may appeal to some hardcore computer users or to be used on servers. But for home use it can be too difficult. Then you got those people who know so much about Windows and that want to start learning Linux (like many who visit this board). Well most of these people get disappointed and stop at some point (yes even people who have studied and know programming), wether they got it up and running or not. They may not see the beauty of opensource.
Many of you will disagree with this one, but even the most advanced users don't want to turn on their laptop and start recompiling the kernel just to get that wavelan they just bought to run, but want to get started right away. So those would choose Wintel or Mac. And yes offcourse compiling your own driver etc. will teach you a lot about Linux and your system.
So no Linux system in any household? not entirely, the past few years I have seen many non linux people use small Linux distro's that fit on one floppy to make that old box in the garage run as a router or firewall.
But then again, who am I to tell you this, who knows. Maybe SuSE 8.0 or Mandrake 10.0 will be so advanced and easy to setup that they can replace windows instantly. Marketing would then be the next step. For now Linux will play a small part, but the desktop? I doubt it.

i guess this could be a sad true but we have to accept the fact that Linux its not good in the begin and that takes a little time to configure to work nice, but when its done its the best OS

i think that Linux will become some day the new Windows, will take a while to all the manufacters create a linux easy to configure like windows but when this happen...


Linux its gone be the nº 1

i've been reading some related suff about what you're trying to point out but since then, linux is used entirely to acts like unix and the like. though, it is hard to understand but it is for the programmers os since. the fact that i am trying to point out is that you will never ever learned the true meaning of linux and unix alike as soon as you know how to program.

but since then, many distro's are trying there best to make linux acts like windows. there is caldera whom i have heard that it would best for office and home users. but who cares? as long as every computer science, computer geeks, etc. linux is still the best os created in the universe. the fact that it is reletasly free.

Well said Foc!

Let the arguments begin as well!! Honestly as a tool user, windows has way more to offer at the desktop. Even beyond the user friendliness there is much more use out of it. I dont see Pro Tools or Cubase for Linux yet.... or BSD for that matter.

But then again.... thats the desktop... and I do run multiple pc's (two 2k boxes, 1-98 box, two suse boxes, a freebsd box, an openbsd box... .oh yeah my G3, and my ultra30 ~running MacOS and Solaris respectively)

you dont see any of my win boxes performing mail services.... or web services for that matter..... and you dont see me editing A/V on the *nix boxes (gimp whoops some serious ass for still images though). I'm a tool user... I like my tools...

dont use a hammer when all you need is a screwdriver!!

~THEJRC~

is that why
Compaq
IBM
Dell
SGI
Va Linux Systems

all sell pcs with prefab linux

Quote:

---

Originally posted by oblio
is that why
Compaq
IBM
Dell
SGI
Va Linux Systems

all sell pcs with prefab linux

---

Yes, for corporate use that is. Or are you trying to tell me that your mother is a hardcore Slackware user or something? Seeing that you do not share any knowledge on this board I doubt you could teach her how to ditch anything for Linux.

Compaq does have great support for linux.... but then again I'm compaq biased....

for their professional workstations and their proliant servers... the corporate deskpro's arent packaged with linux, only the higher end workstations. They will support it on anything though... with the exception of the presario (why the hell would anybody ever buy a home pc from anyone??)

SGI as far as I know does not package linux, however it uses it's own unix version known as IRIX... I may be wrong on this one as it has been a while since I've played with SGI (Octane II days)

I can vouch for how hard it is to teach someone a new system... I have problems enough with showing end users aspects of windows.... god forbid I have to support my clients choice to make their receptionist learn Staroffice and Pine..... oh my how that would just not happen.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Focmaester


Or are you trying to tell me that your mother is a hardcore Slackware user or something?

---

rofl


Perhaps your Mom could teach me a few slackware tricks? I have to admit that I'm hopeless with Linux unless it has a nice GUI installed such as KDE...

http://www.sgi.com/workstations/750/

http://www.compaq.com/products/softw...x/clients.html most of these aren'high end' especially with their low end x86 processors.

Why should a secretary learn Star Office or Pine, it is comparable to being trained to use the companies in house software suite, or filing system

unfortunately I would disagree oblio...

Deskpro EX, the Professional workstations, and the armada series (especially the E500 and M700 series) are considered upper end corporate systems...

By high end I was meaning the Professional workstation SP750's (which by the way I am extremely happy with ~running dual xeon 1Ghz~) and the proliant Generation 2 systems.

I was not aware that they were pushing suse across the Evo's or the Ipaq's but this is a happy thought!!!

Thanks for the update on the SGI deal though, like I said it's been a while. I was a bit off on the staroffice comment as well.... I do know of two companies who run without a single M$ product. However I do notice that the learning curve is much larger after an end user has become familiar with standard M$ products. (lets face it, although I like it more... when compared to M$ office, openoffices interface is... well.... klunky)

In all reality, it doesnt matter what the network admin wants to run client side... it's up to the bigwigs.... I've fought with this throughout my entire career... but then again it's our job to support whatever it is they want to run....

such is life.... eh

~THEJRC~

When a user can do a reasonable
job of installing, configuring and
maintaining a system with GUI tools
and no tech support, it will begin
to be competitive.
When windows users reach the limits
of their abilities, there's always a
friend or co-worker who can help.
People are afraid to try an OS
that appears rare and exotic.
If they have one or two enthusiastic
friends they can turn to, maybe they'll
take a chance.
There was a day when one didn't
drive an automobile unless he was
a mechanic.
Some were content with that state
of affairs. It kept the stupid people
off the road.
Likewise, there was a time when
you had to be a programmer
to operate a computer.
Personally, I enjoy editing configuration
files, but most people have other things
on their minds and important work to do.
:cool:

In my experience with the users in various companies, their knowledge of computing is so limited that the OS is of no concequence. Merely showing them what to do is. Whether something is done harder or easier from platform to platform, the user doesn't really know or care of alternatives and will do what is told to him or her.

good point Oblio.... good point

but when a user wants to install something to view some strange document... and they whine to management constantly about getting it...

then I have to fight with it.... M$ is simple enough that most users like these can install apps on their own without bothering me.... (this is just as bad as it is good though)

Really it all boils down to apps.... most businesses have their documents circled around M$ office... so to keep the compatibility problems to a minimum it makes sense to use office...

~THEJRC~

Star Office is now offering Ms Office compatibility. This is besides the point anyways. The fact remains that all these computer manufactures offer machines with linux pre-installed. These, with the exception of SGI are available as non-business gered machines. Va Linux especially, and they are by all means no small company. Dell as well...

hmm,

I was under the impression(from an article I read not long ago) that dell had stopped supporting linux. A brief search just now disabused me of the misconception.

Thanks Oblio.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by oblio
Star Office is now offering Ms Office compatibility.

---

You'll find that three major "alternatives" to M$ office ( PC suite 602 PRO, the above mentioned StarOffice and even EasyOffice 2001 ) have offered compatibility for quite some time now but as you stated, this is beyond the point..

PC suite offers M$ compat??!! nice to know....

The largest problem I've had with the compatibility of M$ is quite simply M$ access.... Staroffice doesnt do the trick.... and unfortunately I need to be able to run both M$ access and the other client side by side on the same database...

Anything out there that anybody knows about?? Might as well learn something I can use from this argume--uhhhmmm discussion

~THEJRC~

Most major vendors are offering linux on their machines....SGI is using Debian btw. The majority of those systems are either servers or high end workstations. That is still a long ways from a few years ago. I have heard many people say that linux will never be a desktop OS. Well, look at the advancements in KDE and Gnome in just the last couple of years also. The configuration has become much easier. Also, many companies, like Creative Labs, are creating linux drivers for their devices. I don't know of many servers that have a use for a good sound card. It is all a mater of time before linux becomes more common. It may never take over as the primary desktop os, but who no one says it has to.

There are always two opposing views. It is all or nothing. People say that either linux will NEVER be a desktop OS, or that it will be THE desktop OS. There is always a grey area. Mac has been around a long time. No one syas that it will be THE os, just that it is a desktop OS. Linux will be the same way. It will never have 100% market share, but it will get its share.