[Gllug] Microsoft was distributing Ubuntu

[Christopher Hunter]

On Sat, 2007-06-30 at 08:17 +0100, Peter Childs wrote:
> 
> The real problem is that linux is still only getting there in some
> important key areas. Mostly desktop stuff. And mostly because we
> impose a high entry point for beginners.

Have you tried a really modern distro, like Ubuntu or PCLinuxOS?
Installation is trivially simple - even for Windows users who haven't
ever installed an operating system before.  In my fairly wide
experience, all hardware (with the exception of Canon printers) works
without intervention.

>  If the only think microsoft has done right is to keep in simple then
> that is a good thing. 
> True is does not always work and has is quite difficult to put right
> when it does not just work. But most of the time is does.

A Windows install is now usually MUCH more difficult than a Linux one -
you seldom have all the right driver disks, drivers conflict with each
other, there's no actual software provided, and the endless reboots will
drive you mad!

> Point two Microsoft is the only provider is certain key areas.
> 
> 1. Games (Yes there are Linux and OSX Games but not in great numbers)

That's market driven, of course.  As Linux becomes more prevalent in
domestic use, (especially with Dell offering Ubuntu), the games
manufacturers will spot another potential market.  It's just a matter of
time.

> 2. Presentation Software. (nothing competes with Powerpoint
> unfortunately)

The "flakiness" factor in Powerpoint makes it mostly unusable in
reality.  There are many other, better options.  A senior executive of
my acquaintance argues that if Powerpoint is "necessary" to explain an
idea at a meeting or seminar, either the idea's rubbish or the person
presenting the idea isn't sufficiently articulate to continue in his
employ...

> We are getting there slowly in a lot of other areas but this has only
> happened recently some of it within the last year....

Correct.  The last year or two has seem major advances.

Chris


-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug