Re: Linux needs sprucing if it is to gain a mainstream spot
From: Circuit Breaker (bagboy6437_at_shipaol.com)
Date: 04/25/04
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Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 16:29:59 -0400
Johan wrote:
> Fools, all of you.
> Follow Jesus
First you sin to call us fools, one name the Bible specifically states is
a sin to call anyone, and then you say to follow Jesus?
PLEASE, if you're going to witness, witness. Just not here. If you're
going to be an idiot, be an idiot, just NOT HERE! Above ALL else, if
you're going to do one, PLEASE don't do both at the same time!
> and leave Linux behind because after 4 years it's still less
> than 2 percent of the desktop and a virtual unkown in mainstream
> computing.
>
> johan
4 years? Where you been? I read that it was in 1991 when Linus wrote
what became Linux. That was 13 years ago. Give or take a few months.
And regardless, it being a virtual unknown in mainstream computing depends
on what you consider mainstream computing. Anyone who gives a flying
rat's arse about computers or computing in general has heard of Linux and
many have explored its possibilities, and the options they have in using
it, and have decided either to use it or not based on the undoubtedly
biased opinions they have read. Furthermore, the only people I have
spoken to recently who have never heard of Linux are those who have never
had a computer in pieces on the
desk/kitchen-table/coffetable/endtable/workbench/toybox. Of those who
have heard of Linux, the only ones who didn't like it at least in SOME way
were those who had never used it. Of those people, most of them simply
had gotten flat wrong information.
That was the case with my sister's fiancee. He's an I.T. specialist for a
major grocery chain's headquarters locally, and had no idea that it was so
similar (read: similar, not identical) to the UNIX boxen he works with
every day. Once I got him to use it a few times, he decided to hold on to
a copy. It wasn't until he visited my house and saw that I had my
internet connection on my desktop routed to three other computers via two
network cards and a hub that he really got interested. Then, I explained
how my firewall was set up too, and how I can serve SAMBA shares and even
do everything he does on a regular basis -- natively at that -- including
POP e-mail, read the news, browse the web (well, DUH), play MP3s and
videos, do filesharing, and yes, even office productivity. It didn't hurt
that I was running WindowMaker with a gradient background, about a half
dozen variations on network bandwidth monitors including GKrellM, and no
"start" menu or taskbar. Oh yeah, I also opened XawTV and demonstrated
the support for my ATI All-In-Wonder Pro.
He hasn't converted yet, but he has been playing with PHLAK and Knoppix a
lot more lately. The only reasons he hasn't converted yet is that we had
trouble getting an IBM Thinkpad's internal modem working (so instead of
being smart and getting the /correct/ driver /properly/ installed, he goes
and buys a PCMCIA modem. At least it works now) and we haven't found a
suitable audio recording suite yet (i.e., something for semi-professional
recording, mixing, dubbing, CDing, etc.).
So yeah, if by "Mainstream" you mean my 12-year old nephew who doesn't do
anything but play games and surf the internet on his parents' computer,
then yeah, "mainstream" users haven't heard of Linux. But, if instead you
mean people who use computers on a daily basis, and actually get involved
in taking care of their own systems, then I'd say you're wrong, and of
course I'm basing this solely on my own opinion and I have no scientific
polls to use as a resource of information. But, of those people I know
who I consider mainstream, they all have heard of Linux, most have used
it, and many have installed it. And, no doubt, two percent is a bit low
of a number. Perhaps you're thinking of Macintosh? I don't know.
Oh wait, I still have to plonk you...
-- --x _x | CJ Chitwood | | |_|___ _ _ ____x | Unregistered Linux User # 18,000,002 | |_| | , | | |\ \/ | |____|_|_|_|___|/\_\ | Sink the ship to reply by e-mail
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