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As far as I know, you can still order free copies of the CD if you don't have a way to download and/or burn them.



Which default (installed from the CD) programs require broadband internet access specifically? Email, basic web browsing, instant messaging, and posting to blogs can be accomplished very well on dial-up speeds. OpenOffice/LibreOffice, games, graphics programs and such do not require internet access at all to function properly. Even simple online games like MUDs and multiplayer strategy games can be played via dial-up. I used to use my phone company's backup dial-up line when the DSL service went down to play World of Warcraft back in the mid 2000s, and I never had any issues except in really large raids.

Speaking of, we didn't have DSL in our area until 2001, and cable broadband until 2003. And that's on the outskirts of Atlanta, one of the largest and most tech-friendly cities in the U.S. Not everyone was flying the broadband skies in 1998, as apart from businesses no one needed it. Broadband only became really popular around here due to Napster and other P2P services.



That's actually a great idea! Ubuntu turns its back on dial-up users, they definitely should find a distro that still caters to their needs. We all do that anyway, right? I use Arch because it suits my needs better than Slackware did. I don't hate Slackware, I just rarely use it anymore.

When I say lightweight, I'm not talking about the general lack-of-heavy-network-use that you seem to be thinking.

When I say that the programs are not lightweight, I mean they are not some tiny 2MB programs that, when compressed into packages, can be downloaded in relatively no time even on 56K. These are big, often bloated it could be argued, programs to begin with... and certainly updating the programs alone will not be done in an instant. Consider just the sizes of the programs alone and you can expect an occasional system update--even without the 16MB repository sync--fetching quite a few megabytes worth of packages.

Edited 2012-06-18 07:58 UTC

Also, until very recently, I used Freedom Toasters [http://www.freedomtoaster.org/] in my area to get every Ubuntu distro as they come out. Freedom Toasters are all over South Africa. The Freedom Toasters also contain other distros, OpenOffice etc etc... Simply take your blank CD/DVD and burn whatever you want free of charge. Some Toasters are located in restrictive WIFI areas too, so you can even bring a laptop, connect to the toaster and download what you need.

Another brilliant idea by the Shuttleworth Foundation.

Yes a lot of half working programs or programs that are already available for Windows.

Drat.. couldn't resist..

Not likely what they meant but I've often felt the same way; comparing equal objects. The Windows repository is Windows Update. Looking at the Ubuntu repository, Windows Update pales by comparison. Especially when you consider what benefit Microsoft could provide the end user if they used the repository properly. Seems that MS is actually trying to do so with the new app store for Windows8 so we'll see how it works out.

And yet also a ton of solid working programs that are not available for Windows. But, you have a specific personal agenda to promote so; hate on good sir!

I lol'd.

Well, technically Microsoft isn't offering much software, but neither is Canonical. I mean how much software Canonical has actually written? Some package manager for GUI? That's an achievement.

My point is, you can have all your Ubuntu open source repos (and I'll even throw FreeBSD's ports, lol), I'd rather have my software that runs on Windows and not on Linux.

So yeah... "makes look like a joke".

"The Windows repository is Windows Update. Looking at the Ubuntu repository, Windows Update pales by comparison."

This was exactly my point--congrats for probably being the only one to get it. It's ironic how few people actually read and comprehend a post when it goes against their bias--like, oh, honest jabs at Microsoft for example...


"I lol'd.

Well, technically Microsoft isn't offering much software, but neither is Canonical. I mean how much software Canonical has actually written? Some package manager for GUI? That's an achievement."

The fact is, the programs are obtained by Canonical and compiled for and supported by them for the Ubuntu distro. Sure, primarily it's technically "third party" but face it... even Microsoft can't make everything. It's certainly not unheard for them to outright BUY a company or product to obtain exclusive rights, access and ownership of it. So no one else can use it.

With free/open sourse software, all distros--including Ubuntu--are legally allowed to go grab the source code for such various programs, compile it for their distro, and package it for fast and simple installation and use. And there is no suing if someone takes the code and decides to integrate it in their product in some way.

Edited 2012-06-18 20:42 UTC

There are lot of countries where the dial-up connection is still used.