Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Tue 9th Nov 2004 20:49 UTC
"Desktop Linux is almost soup. We only have a few items left on the short list. Will we do it? If history is an indicator, the answer is yes." Read this article at LXer. Read more for a short list of my personal needs before I could say "yes, I can switch to Linux or FreeBSD full time".
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This is a huge problem for Linux and open source right now. And there is no easy solution. While it's possible to play just about anything using mplayer or Totem and the right windows codecs, this isn't legal for many of us as it involves using unlicensed technology that is not free software. But what is the alternative when someone sends you a link to a quicktime or windows media video? I'm not going to just miss out or give some lame excuse about how I can't play it because it would involve using proprietary software. So I go download the plugins and make it work with mplayer or Totem. Combine that with mplayerplug-in and there has never been a video someone has thrown at me that I haven't been able to play on Linux.
But the problem still exists. Obviously we need to advocate the use of free codecs. Ogg Vorbis/Theora rock. But, the other formats aren't going to go away. Aside from some company like a Novell or a Real licensing the codecs for use with GStreamer, I'm not sure what the solution is.
I think the market will eventually solve the problem, while we continue to advocate free software, free codecs, and improve the "workarounds". Continue to improve Desktop Linux and the number of users will continue to grow at an alarming rate. At some point you reach a critical mass where people distributing content really really really want to make sure their content is viewable by that mass. And they'll find a way to do just that.
And go Ogg!