Toby Richards wrote an opinion article for NewsForge, claiming that for him, Linux won't get mainstream until Evolution - or another capable Outlook-like client - gets optimized and offers 100% compatibility with Exchange. In the comments section of Newsforge readers offered more reasons as to why Linux is not mainstream, offering a view on their needs. My take: While for my personal, home usage of Linux my needs are different, I agree with Toby that companies won't switch their desktops if full Exchange compatibility isn't reached and if Evolution stops being the memory beast it currently is.
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Member since:2005-07-07
While I appreciate your comments, can we agree to share some professional respect?
Yes, post true and non-obsure things (more on that in my two examples). At the same moment you have my respect. Vice versa logic.
I agree that Linux isn't there yet for average Joe Sixpack. And as contrary as it sounds, on right conditions it can become something where everyones jaws drop on the floor, no matter how sophisticated other OSes are.
The points I made were to bring some ideas to the table regarding why linux isn't mainstream... and I think most of them are valid considerations or hurdles for a predominantly Windows IT world.
No, you should try thinking more granma like. Problems you named are either solved long ago or geekish nature problems, where you even disputed your self in some of your arguments.
Few nice examples of unfair bitchin' for ya.
User puts new drive in computer and nothing happens. Ok, so what? Windows offer to format in NTFS by default. Meaning it won't be read on other OSes. OSX offers UFS+ by default, again nothing on other OSes. But if linux would offer ext3, everyone would be bitchin' how it can't access these files when it connects this drive to their OS.
Then again, no one seems bothered by the fact that Windows don't support any non-MS fs, while everyone bitches how linux doesn't support NTFS.
MP3 support? How can you get something for free, but they have to pay for it? There are commercial distros that come with mp3, but all those lamers that bitch how there is no mp3 support aren't prepared to pay?
And yours were just unfair as these ones. Now answer these questions:
Why no one expects corporate and commercial to support something, but then they expect everything from free?
Why are people expecting always more from free (I mean they expect all proprietary and free, but all for the price of free)?
I'm perfectly happy where linux is now, on most of my desktops and all my 70 servers (except two). I don't expect someone to wave a magic wand and all proprietary problems will go away. But there are cases when linux is more perfect on desktop and where some other OSes are more perfect. As long as you choose your best hammer, it will rock, be that linux, windows, OSX or any other OS.
Yes, there are solutions or alternatives, and yes, some of them shouldn't be show-stoppers for Linux platform integration or even migration. I'm not standing behind these with a pitchfork as arguments against GNU/Linux platform. Did it really come across that way?
Yes, it simply sounded arrogant, and the same tone in my answer for that reason. Granma is not interested where X is installed and not where realplayer is installed as long as it works when she clicks associated file and she can select realplayer from menu. Be that on Windows, OSX or Linux.
Member since:
2005-12-16
While I appreciate your comments, can we agree to share some professional respect? It's not my intention to insult you -- whatever league you're in. I'm well schooled, fairly well experienced, and a darn good Linux S.E. There will always be others with better insite and more experience. You may be one. By "I'm with ya", I meant, "I agree with you". No insult intended. The points I made were to bring some ideas to the table regarding why linux isn't mainstream... and I think most of them are valid considerations or hurdles for a predominantly Windows IT world. Yes, there are solutions or alternatives, and yes, some of them shouldn't be show-stoppers for Linux platform integration or even migration. I'm not standing behind these with a pitchfork as arguments against GNU/Linux platform. Did it really come across that way?
Regards,
shane