[Gllug] EU patents

[Daniel Ahrens]

"However my novice
experience of trying to install mandrake 9.1 and get all my gear to work
makes me feel that linux has a way to go before it is truly accesible to
people who are less enthusiastic than I am."

Perhaps you should try the latest SuSE 8.2 Professional, it is a far cry
from Linux distros of yesteryear and was specifically made (actually...
compiled, but not in the sense of compiled program but compiled collection
of programs) with the average non-computer-buff type person in mind, i.e.
straightfoward click and point installation with amazing recognition of
hardware from vendors who have in the past been exclusively M$ compatible
hardware producers. Anyway, this doesn't mean that SuSE is the only distro
which has developed in this direction: the latest Debian install tool is
also quite respectable.  BTW: this change of heart by hardware vendors has
come about by relentless lobbying from Linux supporters. :)


Daniel Ahrens




dan at prankstersproductions.com
************************************
http://www.prankstersproductions.com




-----Original Message-----
From: gllug-admin at linux.co.uk [mailto:gllug-admin at linux.co.uk]On Behalf
Of Will Napier
Sent: 01 July 2003 01:24
To: gllug at linux.co.uk
Subject: Re: [Gllug] EU patents


Fantastic and specific proposal to have a law making illegal the
supplying of a system with a preinstalled OS. However my novice
experience of trying to install mandrake 9.1 and get all my gear to work
makes me feel that linux has a way to go before it is truly accesible to
people who are less enthusiastic than I am.

Christopher Hunter wrote:
> On Monday 30 Jun 2003 11:48 pm, Alain Williams wrote:
>
>>Quite.
>>
>>Can we have a volunteer (or a small group) to be a 'lead' on this ?
>>Rather than all of us working out the arguments, finding the nice
examples,
>>seeking out who we should talk to, draft individual letters to MPs/...,
>>we need a small committee to coordinate.
>>
>>The rest of us can then follow: devote whatever time we feel we can afford
>>...
>>
>>Volunteers ?
>
>
> Despite my gloomy outlook, I'm perfectly willing to get involved - it's
just
> that I'm probably more realistic about the chances of successful lobbying
> than you are.....  Been there, tried that, found it to be largely a waste
of
> time and energy!  I've tried "tilting at windmills" many times in the
past,
> and have the scars (of all sorts) to show for it.
>
> You have to remember - there are too many "vested interests" involved.
> Despite their relatively small size, M$ have virtually unlimited funds at
> their disposal, and are deeply entrenched in Governments all over the
planet.
>
> All the "advocacy" projects will make no difference as long as the mass
market
> home and business computer vendors only supply M$ products....  A really
> useful EU Law would be to make it illegal to supply a computer with a
> pre-installed operating system, and would require the buyer to purchase
their
> OS separately, and install it themselves!
>
> It's not that there's no hope - it's just that the OS brigade haven't got
> their act together - perhaps WE need 50000 Marketing people!
>
> Count me in - I'll help if I can
>
> Chris
>
>
>
>
>
>
>


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