Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 29th Aug 2012 22:52 UTC
Miguel de Icaza: "To sum up: (a) First dimension: things change too quickly, breaking both open source and proprietary software alike; (b) incompatibility across Linux distributions. This killed the ecosystem for third party developers trying to target Linux on the desktop. You would try once, do your best effort to support the 'top' distro or if you were feeling generous 'the top three' distros. Only to find out that your software no longer worked six months later. Supporting Linux on the desktop became a burden for independent developers." Mac OS X came along to scoop up the Linux defectors.
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Member since:2005-09-01
The choice would be great if the pieces would actually be interchangeable. But the problem is they don't so the user is either presented with box of bricks that don't exactly fit together (aren't created to do that) with a non-trivial task of assembling them to make something functional (lots of hand made glue needed) or can get a someone else's puzzle with obvious all or nothing approach. While there's a lot of such puzzles none of those set aligns with 100% of given user needs. In other oses (of pre IPad era) , while the set of bricks one selects is definitely smaller ("less choice") they can actually be easile mixed and matched to generate far greater number of combinations that number of Linux distros.
Edited 2012-08-30 11:24 UTC
RE: Comment by ilovebeer
by Gullible Jones on Thu 30th Aug 2012 17:11
in reply to "Comment by ilovebeer"
Member since:2006-05-23
Thank you, that pretty much sums up my feelings.
Re too much choice, I do think it's worth mentioning that Windows offers a lot of choice for more experienced users - not just in terms of vast numbers of Windows applications, but also modifying the desktop's behavior (e.g. with TweakUI) or even replacing it wholesale (e.g. Litestep).
The difference with Windows isn't lack of choice, it's that Windows ships with a standardized (and quite sane) default setup. Choices do exist, but diving into them is not necessary for end users.
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/16/13 9:29 UTC
The day has finally come: Google has started shipping Google Glass to the lucky few early adopters. Now that it's shipping, Google has also unveiled a lot more about the API and the specifications of the device itself. While the company had already given out substantial details at earlier occasions, there are still a few surprises here.More Features »
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Member since:
2011-08-08
Just a few comments..
First, stop going on about how the Linux desktop isn't dead because "you" are using it to post how it isn't dead. It was neither said nor implied that the Linux desktop vanished or doesn't exist. The piece is about how it's never become a real success. Stop being drama queens about it.
Next, too much choice often IS bad for users because they feel overwhelmed and lack the knowledge to make a good decision. Couple that with the fact that many users don't actually know what they need or want and all that choice is even worse. It's no surprise that some of the most popular Linux distros are the ones that try really hard to be like Windows.
Also, arguing that Linux doesn't have compatibility and breakage problems is like trying to argue the Earth is flat. Everybody knows it's bullshit and they've known it for a long time. That being said, yes, in some use cases it can be very stable. Don't get too excited however, the same can be said for the competition.
Linux can be a great choice depending on what you need out of your OS, software, and hardware. BUT, it can also be a horrible choice as well. Anyone who doesn't understand that or is unwilling to admit it has their head in the clouds. Linux suffers from a whole myriad of problems that can easily make it a poor choice for Joe Average.
Lastly, OS worshiping/bible-thumping is moronic. The more "you" do it, the more of an idiot you make yourself out to be. There is no "best", only what works best _for you_.