[Gllug] [OT] while we're flaming anyway.. (was: Erratic Mouse Behaviour)

[James.Rocks at equant.com]

Hi Mike,

> That's a good way to start out. I'd be surprised if you can't use
> it as your primary OS - what sort of tasks are you trying to
> get it to perform?

Yes I feel that it has potential (lots of it) ... as a friend of mine says
computing should be without boundaries and Linux (to my mind) gets closer
to that ideal than MS. It isn't perfect though, game support (by vendors at
any rate) is pretty poor but in other respects I am, so far, fairly
impressed.

The stuff I typically use my computers for are:

* Word processing & other office related tasks inc. contacts & e-mail
(obviously).
* MP3 ripping & playing (I currently use Audiograbber to rip, WinAmp to
play) ... also editing in terms of ripping from tape and sectioning WAV
files and saving them as MP3, editing ID3 tags and such.
* Web browsing and web site design (I design and update an E-Zine that is
updated monthly) ... that includes some graphics handling.
* Games I suppose but I have a system with removeable hard drives so I
still use Win2K and can use Win Me for games (I don't play games much but I
do rather enjoy games like Wing Commander [G])
* Data sharing ... sad to say I DO have a home computer network (based on a
2K domain server) and use it to provide proxy mail & browsing services to
the other machines on my network as well as storage of data (documents,
MP3's etc.) & its backup.

I suppose voice dictation would be quite cool too ... I don't use it a lot
but I guess it would be interesting to see if Linux has anything like that?

> Most people on this list are pretty reasonable most of
> the time. Disagreements do occur, but that's par for the
> course anywhere. OS preferences do bring out the zealot in
> all of use from time to time, but I don't think that situation
> is much worse here than anywhere else.

Most of the list are, I agree, reasonable but it only takes a few to spoil
it for the rest ... I think a key difference is that when I go to a forum
to debate (as I do to debate religion and such subjects) I expect to argue,
to advance a point of view, defend it & concede another's arguments over
mine if necessary. Here, however, whilst I expected it, I didn't think I
should have to i.e. I had hope that Linux users would be keen enough to
gain converts that they'd be only to willing to help someone with a genuine
desire to find out about their favourite OS :-(

> As far as MS goes, I don't consider Bill Gates evil either.
> I do consider him to be a monopolist, and in that sense,
> he is neither better nor worse than any other monopolist.
> History has shown that the actions taken by monopolists
> to preserve their monopolies are usually deleterious to
> the interests of their customers, and again, I believe MS to
> follow the rule in this case.

I'm not sure I'd say monopolist as I think he and his company are just
following unbridled business practices inasmuch as all companies want to
dominate and make a shed load of money! Nor do I support any of the "look &
feel" & he stole this from that OS or vice versa arguments ... much of the
stuff vendors claim ownership of was PD in the first instance and shouldn't
be part of anyone's patented or owned software. In such respects I do not
view Gates business practices as unfair or anti-competitive. In respect of
his company forcing vendors to supply Windows with hardware (as I
understand he has done) I DO think it is wrong and should be stopped.

Yes I very much think a Windows monopoly (any monopoly) would be bad for us
all.

> As far as the quality of the systems goes, it's as good as it needs
> [SNIP quality argument]


I agree with that to ... I wonder if its just the nature of the beast i.e.
with H/W technology continually advancing and OS & others apps being such
vast projects (not the efforts of one or two exceptionally bright people
that they used to be) that to expect reliability in computing is some3what
of a pipe dream?

> From a personal perspective, I choose free software
> wherever possible, as, in my experience, mature
> free software products exhibit better reliability
> than any commercial equivalents.

I have to admit that the one really big thing I like about Linux isn't
really Linux and GNU or rather the GPL i.e. you can use "our" patented code
but by doing so your entire codes must be made completely open ... how cool
is that?

> In the technical respects, Linux is IMO far superior.
> Microsoft have invested far more heavily in the GUI, and
> this shows - Linux GUI's are not yet as good, on the
> whole - though there are some areas of brilliance.
> Pretty interfaces sell software to the masses - good
> kernel architectures do not. Regrettable though this might be, it's
> a fact, and the good and bad points of Microsoft's software
> are entirely a reflection of the economics in the market.
> Personally, I believe that the economic ties
> virtually gurantee that commercial software for the
> mass market will *always* be poorly
> engineered and sloppily implemented - this will change
> only if consumers stop buying it.

I think this is something that could be debated at length (though not with
me, I don't understand the Linux or UNIX kernel in sufficient depth) ... a
friend of mine considers the UNIX and Linux to be incredibly poorly
designed. He is, however, about to try out the Darwin variant of UNIX.

> Don't be too hasty. It's not that bad here :-)

Perhaps ... if I get "attacked" I defend (I'm just not the kind of person
to sit back & "take it" ... why should I?) so if I get many more of these
"attacks" I will have to start looking elsewhere for my advice.

I think Williams suggestion of a Linux Newby forum is a good idea.

James

James C. Rocks,
Technical Development Consultant
Archway House,
Canary Wharf.
EQUANT
E-Mail:    james.rocks at equant.com (work)
Phone:   07771-767405 (mobile), 0207-5226856 (work)


-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug