[ale] Greetings and introduction

[James Sumners]

Okay. As a mathematics student who has a few computing hobbies, the
"Linux desktop" works for me. Truth be told, I prefer OS X. But I
don't like using a laptop as my main computer so my work machine, when
I am at home, is a Linux box. That is all I was saying. I agree with
you, there are plenty of "desktop" areas where Linux falls short. If I
feel a need to do some audio work I certainly don't use Linux. There
are no comparable audio production packages for Linux. Maybe some
decent trackers, but no hardware emulators and such that are worth the
time.

On 4/18/06, Jim Popovitch <jimpop at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- James Sumners <james.sumners at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I don't want to scare you off, but I have to make this observation. It
> > sounds to me like you are looking for some magic distribution that is
> > going to "let" you do everything you did in Windows exactly the same
> > as you did with that operating system. I have seen this sort of
> > mentality among my personal friends and watched it fail. When people
> > talk about the "Linux desktop" they are, most typically, not talking
> > about the same sort of "desktop" most Windows geeks are familiar with;
> > that being a business system that excels at playing games and various
> > other "home" applications (e.g. iPod management). No, the "Linux
> > desktop" is one where work is accomplished. Casual surfing, writing
> > papers, developing programs, etc. There are a select few big name
> > games that have Linux ports (UT2004, Quake 3/4, Doom 3, etc.), but for
> > the most part it isn't a gaming platform like Windows.
>
> I don't want to start a flame war.... but not all work is simply vi'ing
> files and writing papers.  Musicians need *advanced* software.  Application
> developers need *advanced* (cough, non-java, cough) GUI design, debugging,
> and testing tools.  Finally, the same people that work all day on word
> processing applications appreciate things like Weather Bug, CNN Pipeline, Cisco
> IP Communicator, GPRS via Bluetooth, Skype w/ Bluetooth headsets, iPass, Google
> Earth, Delta Flight Schedules, QuickTime videos, WPA2, etc.  Oh, and those same
> people appreciate the way Microsoft Windows File Association really works with
> installed applications, whereas with most Linux distros it is just a *complete*
> pain to maintain even with lots of finger crossing.  What Linux lacks is
> massive application vendor support... mostly due to all the different ways that
> things are done between Linux desktops and distros.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I love Linux.  I just still (in 2006) haven't seen a Linux
> desktop that even comes close to the flexibility of what Microsoft produces.
> You can make all sorts of claims about your environment being different and how
> you don't need application xyz, but in the end the lack of massive worldwide
> adoption speaks for itself.  I work for IBM, arguable one of the worlds leading
> Linux supporters.  Yet IBM's own internal corporate Linux desktop distro (based
> on RHE4) is still a long way from being what Windows 3.1.1 was.  Sorry if I
> strike a nerve, I am just giving you opinions based on years of professional
> *developement* and "on the road, in the field" experience with *both* OS'es.
>
> If I need to setup a server I use Linux.  If I need a usable desktop I use XP.
> I would love to go back to a Linux Desktop, but not if it still takes away
> nights and weekends to make useable.
>
> -Jim P.
>
>
>
>
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--
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59