[Wylug-discuss] advice on ebook reader or similar...

[Smylers]

Paul Brook writes:

> > On Thu, 22 Sep 2011, Paul Brook wrote:
> > 
> > > You mean using get_iplayer ?
> > 
> > I'm assuming he means actual BBC Iplayer Desktop for linux.
> 
> I have to admit I didn't know such thing existed.  I'm also pretty
> sure it wouldn't work on many of my machines,

That's possible, and is a problem with distributing pre-compiled
software.

> and I wouldn't want to use it on the rest.

Fair enough. That's your choice.

> A quick google shows that:
> (a) You can't even get at the installer unless you also have flash
> installed.

True.

> (b) The list of supported systems is comical (OpenSUSE 10.3, Ubuntu
> 8.10 and 9.04).

I didn't believe that, and successfully installed it on Ubuntu 11.10.

> Maybe a vaguely recent OS will work, maybe it won't.  The FAQ implies
> it's an Adobe Air application, at which point I lost the will to live.

I hadn't heard of Air before, so it didn't mean anything to me.
Fortunately I simply ignored that, naïvely downloaded and installed the
software, and used it; it turns out that it runs fine without me needing
to learn anything about what Air is.

Obviously it's your choice to shun Air software if you wish. Personally
there's all sorts of development technology I find distasteful, but if
software is helpful to me then I'm prepared to run it.

And as Martyn has pointed out, the BBC's choice of Air put them in a
position where Adobe was able to pull the rug out from under them. It
may be that Air wasn't a wise choice for the BBC, but that doesn't
prevent me from running the software for the time that it does work.

Smylers