Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 18th Oct 2010 21:54 UTC
Well, it's been a while since we've opened this particular jar (box is not historically accurate) owned by Pandora. Desktop Linux... Yes, that ever elusive readiness of the desktop that is Linux-powered. Some story on ComputerWorld argues that the desktop Linux dream is dead, and apparently, the story is causing some stir on the web. Well, paint me pink and call me a lightbulb, but of course desktop Linux is dead. However - who gives a flying monkey? Linux is being used by more people than ever!
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Member since:
2005-11-14
Although they run Linux, they're hardly free computing platforms. My Sony Ericsson's bootloader is still as proprietary as ever, and the phone is still stuck at a functional but somewhat old 1.6. It's a fun device, but no more open than Windows.
What I do care about, is my ability to use my computer as I see fit, with no dependency on frustrating proprietary operating systems or any of the pieces of software that keep consumers tied to them, and we're actually there already, thanks to a far more standards-compliant web. There's hardly a web site I can't read, I can watch DVDs and play whatever media format I can get hold of -- and the last time I had trouble with an Office .doc, it would crash Microsoft Word as well. Pretty much everything works (except Silverlight, possibly: I've never cared to test the Mono version). What this means is that although Linux may have lost the hype, it's actually big enough and functional enough to thrive.
To a tech "journalist", who feeds on hype and hype alone, that is of course death itself.
The only thing I miss is games, but if I'm going to waste a couple of weeks playing Fallout: New Vegas, I don't feel I miss out all that much by booting into a pirated Windows 7 install.