Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 19th Nov 2007 21:22 UTC, submitted by irbis
"Linux has proven amazingly flexible: after nearly 10 years of use, I'm still impressed by how the Linux operating system does exactly what I want on any type of hardware. Desktop customization is no exception; from the ultra-modern KDE and GNOME window managers to with the likes of Fluxbox and AfterStep, there's a Linux desktop to suit everyone."
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Member since:2007-02-17
To windows users - rather than look for a reason to use Linux, try the approach of trying Linux for a while (try PCLinuxOS live CD), try the different DE's and try to find reasons to use windows. Give Linux a good, serious try - you may find a pleasant surprise
I remain quite mystified about the apparent attitude of Windows supporters towards Linux.
Linux has a longish list of important advantages and cost savings and "lack of hassle" time savings for the users over Windows ... yet Windows users seem to be in denial about that, and seem desperate to try to put down Linux and bolster Windows ... and one has to ask to what end?
Do they actually want to hand over their hard-earned money to Redmond year after year for no good reason? Do they really want to yield control over their own hardware and their own IT spending to a large American corporation of known untrustworthiness? Do they really want to spend considerable time, effort and money constantly trying to keep their systems secure? Do they really want to be dependent on the whims of one foreign firm to continue to have access to their own digital data? Do they like being spied upon and dictated to? Do they want to be inundated with obnoxious advertising and spam?
Exactly what gives with all that anyway?
One suspects there is some mis-representation here of what genuine computer users actually think.
Can we mention the word "astroturfing" perhaps?
Edited 2007-11-20 09:35
Member since:2005-06-29
Linux has a longish list of important advantages and cost savings and "lack of hassle" time savings for the users over Windows ... yet Windows users seem to be in denial about that, and seem desperate to try to put down Linux and bolster Windows ... and one has to ask to what end?
Maybe because they simply LIKE Windows? Not everyone shares an interest in openness and more of that stuff - for them, Windows is what they know, and despite its shortcomings, it's what they like. Can you please LEAVE it at that, instead of trying to make it seem as if Windows users are complete idiots? Stop generalising, lemur, it's REALLY starting to work on my nerves.
And I even find it offensive. I had my parents try Linux for a few weeks, and they simply DID NOT LIKE IT. Can't you just accept that?
Do they actually want to hand over their hard-earned money to Redmond year after year for no good reason?
Year over year? My parents bought Windows XP 5 years ago, and Windows 2000 8 years ago, and they're still using them. What is this "year over year"?
Do they really want to yield control over their own hardware and their own IT spending to a large American corporation of known untrustworthiness?
Oh, cut the nonsense already. Microsoft is no worse than any of the other big companies of the world - what car do you drive? Do you really think Toyota or GM is any better than Microsoft, or any other company? Yet you easily trust those, and step into their cars every day.
Do they really want to spend considerable time, effort and money constantly trying to keep their systems secure?
No they don't, and so they don't do it. The machines are set up YEARS ago, once every year or so I do some maintenance, and that's it. No virus, no spyware, nothing.
Do they really want to be dependent on the whims of one foreign firm to continue to have access to their own digital data?
Cry me a river. We're not all paranoid.
Do they like being spied upon and dictated to?
Spied upon? Dictated to? In what world do you live?
Do they want to be inundated with obnoxious advertising and spam?
You mean like your comments on OSNews?
One suspects there is some mis-representation here of what genuine computer users actually think.
Sure, everybody else is wrong, and you are right. Maybe, just maybe, it's YOU who is wrong? No, that couldn't be, could it? I mean, you use Linux!
Can we mention the word "astroturfing" perhaps?
Yes. That's that thing you are doing.
Member since:2005-08-11
"Linux has a longish list of important advantages and cost savings and "lack of hassle" time savings for the users over Windows ... yet Windows users seem to be in denial about that, and seem desperate to try to put down Linux and bolster Windows ... and one has to ask to what end? "
I got a couple of problems with this statement:
1. I don't think there is any "lack of hassle" with Linux. The hassles are different, but they are there. I use both, and have never really noticed a big difference in tinkering time between Windows XP and Linux. Luckily, problems with either are the exception, not the norm.
2. Most Windows users couldn't care less about Linux or about bolstering Windows, they just want their stuff to work, so they can get back to downloading porn.
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/19/13 23:02 UTC, submitted by M.Onty
"Microsoft has sensationally abandoned its controversial plans to restrict the sharing of XBox One games, and has also removed daily online authentication requirements for its forthcoming console", reports The Guardian. They had no choice. Still a good move.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/19/13 22:28 UTC
"A snippet of code in the Steam digital distribution platform has revealed that Valve may be planning to let users easily share their games with friends in the future. The Verge has verified the code's authenticity, which was originally spotted by a member of the NeoGAF gaming forum; the code references a 'shared game library' and a notification that would alert a user when their games are currently in use by a borrower." This would change the, uh, game.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:33 UTC
Official Apple statement on PRISM and privacy: "Regardless of the circumstances, our Legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities. In fact, from time to time when we see inconsistencies or inaccuracies in a request, we will refuse to fulfill it." This is basically Apple re-publishing their earlier statement in a more official manner. You either believe it, or you don't.
Linked by Anonymous on 06/18/13 22:26 UTC
The open source Contiki operating system and its commercial Thingsquare distribution are making strides towards the connected home. According to a Computerworld article, a new LED light bulb manufacturer is putting small computers into their light bulbs. Each computer runs the Contiki OS, which gives each bulb an IP address and allows them to be controlled with a smartphone application. To connect the bulbs to the application, the bulbs use both Wi-Fi and the much lower power IEEE 802.15.4 mesh technology.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:25 UTC
"Google asked the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on Tuesday to ease long-standing gag orders over data requests it makes, arguing that the company has a constitutional right to speak about information it's forced to give the government. The legal filing, which cites the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, is the latest move by the California-based tech giant to protect its reputation in the aftermath of news reports about sweeping National Security Agency surveillance of Internet traffic." Draining the ditch after the cow has drowned in it.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:45 UTC
"I can't find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn't seen a massive downgrade in performance. Just what kind of downgrade are we talking here? I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps." Fully and utterly agreed. My Nexus 7 was blazing-fast and awesome for a few months, and at some point, it just started sucking. Just like that. I've tried loads of ROMs, and nothing helps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:32 UTC, submitted by poundsmack
A new release of the hobby operating system MenuetOS! The release notes are a bit non-descript, but you'll have to take what you can get: "updates and improvements (picview, httpc, ehci, ...)".
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:58 UTC
"The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem. There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity - jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month's income. Solving these problems isn't simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today we're unveiling our latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access." Insane.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:52 UTC
"MineAssemble is a tiny bootable Minecraft clone written partly in x86 assembly. I made it first and foremost because a university assignment required me to implement a game in assembly for a computer systems course. Because I had never implemented anything more complex than a 'Hello World' bootloader before, I decided I wanted to learn about writing my own kernel code at the same time. Note that the goal of this project was not to write highly efficient hand-optimized assembly code, but rather to have fun and write code that balances readability and speed. This is primarily accomplished by proper commenting and consistent code structuring." Just cool.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 21:03 UTC
Jon Rubinstein, former CEO of Palm: "Well, I'm not sure I would have sold the company to HP. That's for sure. Talk about a waste. Not that I had any choice because when you sell a company you don't get to decide that. Obviously, the board and shareholders decide that. If we had known they were just going to shut it down and never really give it a chance to flourish, what would have been the point of selling the company? I think the deal we had with Verizon really hurt us, but who knew that at the time? These things are all hindsight."More News »
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Member since:
2007-07-04
When all's said and done the main point of this article was surely that when using Linux there exists a far higher degree of choice than when using other OS's. I mainly use KDE, but enjoy trying alternative DE's from time to time (mainly Fluxbox, the tab feature is a great feature - trust me).
When using Linux, not only can one choose almost any DE one wishes, it can also be configured (admittedly with some difficulty in a (very) few cases) to do exactly what you want it to do.
The choice to use an interface that looks, feels and does what you want it to do and not what someone else decides is the best way is very liberating when working.
As to using Linux on your PC (to Rockwell) the way I look at it is this, I've used Linux for 3 years now and I have found no need to revert to windows other than at work (we use modelling software for which there is no Linux alternative). I have no difficulties at all - I have never, ever had to revert to Windows to do anything - seriously.
With Linux I have choice in terms of how I work and use the computer.
To windows users - rather than look for a reason to use Linux, try the approach of trying Linux for a while (try PCLinuxOS live CD), try the different DE's and try to find reasons to use windows. Give Linux a good, serious try - you may find a pleasant surprise
Choice is good, choice is necessary, it drives the technology forward.