Well, I have to admit, I haven't been on top of this as I previously thought I would. I just don't have time... or I am unwilling to commit time to really learn. However, I persist.
I really have gotten a lot more comfortable working in Linux. The command line is no longer as daunting as it once was, although there are a lot of commands not at my command. I even took a class on this in "college" and it still hasn't come back to me yet. It is fun. Especially getting things to work and solving issues. I guess my main goal, if it has been hazy in the past, is to get a machine up and running and then see if any tweaking is needed. I do believe that if anyone wants to install any windows software on this thing, more likely than not, you are going to either need good internet searching skills and patience or a linux guru. Wine is getting better, having released another version in the past couple of days, but it still is not window user-friendly. But it's getting pretty good. If I knew someone, who didn't want to spend a lot of money and only used the computer for internet (email) and writing papers and they didn't expect to install any other software (yeah right) I think I could recommend Linux. But right now, you can go to any Best Buy, Office Depot, or Circuit City and pick up a sub $400 box and satfisy that group of people pretty easily. Windows included. You could put together a $200 box and put linux on it and you have one cheap computer though, especially if all you ever do it internet and type papers... oh then there's watch a movie, play music, edit music to make ringtones, rip that dvd, edit video from the camera, etc, etc. The more I look at linux the more is strikes me as the OS that you get when you have a bunch of systems around the house and only 1 Windows license. It does the job, but if you are a every-man computer owner I'd just as tell you to get a system (if you are not gaming or editing audio/video) from your local retailer.
However...
If the guys working on wine ever get it good enough that it will handle any windows software installed without having to tweak everything... well, that's a whole other story.
Frankly, I think most people buy what they are told, either through friends (who heard it from a friends who know a guy that used to dabble in computers) or through mass media (tv, radio, internet). I have been asked by at least a dozen people about putting together a system but they always mentioned, "What about windows? I heard Vista is horrible, I want XP". Vista now runs faster on modern hardware than XP does. And they don't even make XP anyways (you are seeing leftover stock, once it's gone-it's gone, kinda.) so that's easy to say.
I think mostly, people like to seem like they know something about what they are asking you about. I know when I go to get my car fixed, I act like I change my wipers, or I know what oil I put in, etc. The fact is I don't know squat. But I try to come off like I got vested information on the subject. So I'll say, "Yeah I'll change that air filter myself or I'll change out that light bulb." when really I'm thinking," Aw crap, there's so much broken stuff this guys finding, he must really think I'm an idiot... better get this stuff fixed elsewhere."
And for those who skipped all that and are ready just the last sentence: Linux is pretty good. Wine is getting better. Many people are just absolutely clueless when it comes to computers.
Alex
3 Comments:
not that i dispute your claim of vista running faster than xp on modern hardware, but, uh, any proof? I just had not heard that before so was wondering if you had done tests yourself or whatever.
As for wine, it seems cool, but for me, using linux would be to leave windows behind, not to convert it to a linux-based windows environment. unless of course I gamed.
No, I don't have proof (benchmarks or a website). But from what I'm reading on some boards and such is that Vista just handles things differently, especially RAM. Basically from what I gather, is that you put together a low end system, say 2GHZ processor single core, 2 Gigs of ram and XP will outshine Vista. But putting together a multi-core post 2.5GHZ processor with 4 Gigs of ram (32bit will only detect 3.2) and Vista will out perform XP. There are gaming benchamarks out there that back this up. It's not staggering, you are not going to see a 50 FPS increase but it's there. Vista has been coded to readily accept and use increases in RAM and Processor Cores when XP really hasn't, it's been patched in. Like I said, it's not staggering but to people who won't get Vista on a NEW machine because they "heard" it's crap, Vista is equal or better in performace to XP, especially once you use it alot and get superfetch going.
As far as linux/wine goes... I'm really just writing down my thoughts. A lot of people like the applications written on windows. They get the job done, and they like them. Plus a lot of them work where as many open source/linux substitutes are lacking. I just feel if they can get Wine down solid, you have a much better case to go Linux instead of Windows. You can bring your apps across and be happy. There are a lot of apps, open source even, that are only written for windows but are awesome (virtualDub, AutoGK just to name a couple). It's in Linux' best interest to create this bridge. Instead of having to have a dual book environment to switch back and forth. If all a person wants to use is internet and email, then they shouldn't have a problem. But all those who use Photoshop because Gimp isn't powerful enough and Adobe won't create a Linux installer would have to switch back and forth. It wouldn't be a "linux-based windows environment" it would be Linux and software that runs on Linux.
you would know better than me as far as vista is concerned, i just hadn't heard anything in the way that people were seeing performance games.
I see what you are saying with wine. personally, i think issues stem more from unfamiliarity rather than functionality. of course things seems "buggy" when it doesn't work the exact same way you are used to. but of course that is what wine is for.
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