Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 5th Oct 2005 12:05 UTC, submitted by Magnum
"So how's that look-like-Windows thing working for the Linux community? Is the wave of desktop adoption far ahead of where it was in 2001 and 2002 when this started? And, if not, why don't we stop doing it? Is it because we're stuck on stupid?"
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Member since:
2005-07-18
...that "Linux is not ready for Desktop". I suppose that is how one defines "ready". In all my past experience with Linux distrobutions since 2001, it worked on the Desktop. Was I able to run the apps I use on Windows? Not really, no more than I was able to run them on a Mac, so I suppose if Linux distros were not ready for Desktop, neither was any Mac OS.
I suppose the real thing that people are saying when they say 'not ready for desktop' is that it is not Windows. I would pretty much switch over to Linux completely except for 3 details: the need to be compatable with my work, the desire to play a wide variety of games, and a significant investment in windows compatible software. Of course, the same argument applies to switching to Mac and even future versions of Windows depending on backwards compatability.
Innovation on a large scale is more difficult than innovation on a smaller scale. As a larger percentage of a population adopts an innovation, the more difficult it becomes to switch them to something similar but more innovatove unless there is a direct force to give them momentum to move over. The adoption of the metric system outside of technical and scientific fields in the USA went no where. 100% of the population was using (adopted) the Imperial system, and the external force to push them to the metric system was insufficient. On the flip side, the push to use smaller and more fuel effient cars in the '70s was given good momentum by the Oil Crisis. It was not 100% conversion, but such are the laws of thermodynamics.
So, for non-Windows OSes to get more of a user base, there has to be sufficient force to give users momentum for change. Since the user base is larger than it was in the '80s, it will take a lot of force to make a significant dent. That force, however, may exist in the form of user inertia with the current installs of Windows - if it works, why upgrade to Vista? The comparable out of box insecurity of Windows was/is a good force to make change, but MS is working on dampening that. ...anyways, I am going to stop talking now...