OSNews

Did I hit a raw nerve? whilst you're whining there, why don't you address the terrible multi-tasking in regards to my wireless connection screeching to a halt when ripping a music cd.

Er, that's YOUR whining. Why don't YOU address the issues of viruses, spyware, and ever-increasingly draconian EULA's in Windows? (Not to mention bloat). Applying a well-known software program to a year-old midrange laptop running Windows, in order to make it look more Mac-like, slows the machine to an unreasonable crawl; the equivalent theme-changes in Linux make no difference whatsoever to performance on a three-year-old bog-standard desktop.

I've never heard of the problem you describe, however, the -ck patches to the kernel are supposed to improve Linux performance for desktop use. You could give those a try.

(No, I won't bitch about the fact that you need to patch a kernel to do this, since no operating system can sensibly include defaults usable by everyone, as everyone has different needs. If you want a premade kernel with these patches then I suggest you contact your distribution vendor about it.)

So instead of addressing the issue at hand, you verbally abuse me.

Yeah, like you can take the high ground on verbal abuse. Gimme a break. (You're more subtle about it, I grant you, but whilst I'm no great shakes at insulting people with subtlety, I'm very good at spotting when other people do it.) You want me to address the issues? Fine. Whilst there is software for Windows for which there is no Linux equivalent, the opposite is also true - and despite your accusations, there is no shortage of Linux software in most areas.

They've already said that they're not going to negotiate with companies; Sun has already said that as well, they'd sooner sit on a pile of money than actively going out and getting third parties on board.

I have no idea where you get this from, either.

Who said "DIY jobs"? they're local computer stores, non-multinationals; in New Zealand we have 100s of these little stores selling assembled computers with their own logo's attached to the box.

By "whitebox" I understood "DIY jobs". Regardless, most people who buy computers are going to buy them from places like PCWorld, which most certainly - the last time I went there - do not give you the option of a machine w/o Windows.

Laptops, you can actually buy a laptop kit, IIRC ASUS sell it along with an LCD screen; the assembler can choose the board from ASUS and customise the components like hard disk and memory - then attach their own brand to the machine.

Well regardless of the fact that I can't see many people doing this when they can buy a perfectly good - in hardware terms - Windows laptop preassembled from, ooh, whomever. I've also no doubt that they charge more for these babies than they do for preassembled laptops, preinstalled with Windows - as Dell do with their n-series machines.

Where is Creative Suite, where is MYOB, where is Quicken, where is a Microsoft Office equal - not equivilant, but EQUAL in features.

When I say "equivalent" I MEAN "equal". What does Creative Suite provide that k3b doesn't? (Incidentally, you can get better programs free with KDE than Nero's pitiful Linux offering, I hear.) Who uses MYOB? What happened to your "non-USA-centric" approach when you were asking about Quicken? Given that MS recently designed their interface on the basis that people were missing features - and also took some out - your argument that people need features that exist in MSOffice but not in OO.org is looking about as strong as the "we don't need no stinkin' commandlines" argument looks in the face of the imminent arrival of PowerShell.

Since I don't want these things and you do, why don't YOU get off whatever part of your anatomy you customarily sit upon and request them?

Oh, and btw I'm posting to you on my ubuntu laptop.

Oh, yes, the ever present, "no matter how much I slag off Linux, I want you to know that I love it dearly and use it daily". You really should quit that; it doesn't fool anyone.

Bullcrap; Adobe could work with Wine, and when there is an error Adobe can say, "hey, there is a problem with how you've implemented that particular API; the way which we've used it in our application, it expects zyx result when executed".

Adobe now how they've used a particular API call, Wine need to know how they used that particular API in their application, so why don't the two team up and ensure the API is implemented so that Adobe applications work flawlessly; replace Adobe with any other company if you want.

Sounds like a great idea, if you want it or need it. I don't, so why don't you suggest it? Or are you, in reality, as lazy as you like to accuse others of being?

Pardon? selling clipart, fonts and templates to fundraise money to future development - you consider that evil and wrong? you consider the very idea of trying to bring in more money to improve a opensource project as a terrible move? I'd have to say, thats news to me, as an end user, I would have thought that more money for opensource applications could improve the said application for end users, but I guess I'm wrong.

There is a BIG difference between "bringing in more money for opensource applications" and blackmailing users for functionality that should be there in the first place. Your approach also suggests a mindset geared towards the proprietary approach, which you are free to stick any place you like except under my discerning nose.

Who said anything about 'penis extensions'? could you please refrain from that sort of immature rhetoric; the idea of selling clipart, fonts and template then the funds being used to further the development of the said project is what I would hardly call 'proprietary penis extensions'.

Yeah, like you have the upper hand on "mature rhetoric" too. I don't know if you have ever used PrintMaster or (a certain Windows screensaver application whose name has deserted me just at the appropriate moment. typical) but the last time the people I know who used to use it did so, all of the artwork included with those packages was proprietary. Besides, paying for EXTRA artwork is immaterial since as I've already pointed out to you, people WILL pay for stuff they actually want.