Desktop/LX is now available on Microtel PCs at WalMart.com. After undergoing the Desktop/LX Certification process to ensure consumer satisfaction, nine different Microtel PCs from $228 and up are now available. Buy it from WalMart.
WalMart.com Selling Lycoris Desktop/LX Pre-installed on Microtel PCs
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
A company with only 3 employees taking on Lindows and Mandrake! If I was to buy any of this machines – which would be the last thing I would do, and the idea of not going for the “No OS” option, I would choose Lycoris. While yes, I do hate its approach on cloning Windows XP, but among the three, IMHO, Lycoris is the most polished. There are plenty of bugs on Lycoris no doubt – but all I have experience is installation-related ones…. there isn’t any installation here, is there?
Ahhh, this is what I’ve been waiting for with Lycoris – finally, an OEM deal!!
Wal-Mart has quite a little computer business going now. Very interesting!!
you can’t buy these computers in canada…only in the USA.
it’s too bad really…
Let’s see…
Mandrake 8.2, Lindows 3.0, and Lycoris Desktop/LX all on Wal-Mart Microtel PC’s. I think if I needed a new computer with preloaded Linux, I’d wait for one with KDE 3.
Other than that, I think it’s fabulous and it looks like Linux is making big strides in a forward direction!
This is great. With Microtel offering Lindows, Mandrake, and now Lycoris, anybody can get a cheap Linux box to suit their needs.
Which would you recommend for your parents?
IIRC, Lindows 2.0 comes with KDE 3.0….
Shawn: Which would you recommend for your parents?
<almost trollish> The one with Windows XP
Who really thinks a $228 computer will last more than 12 months without several parts failing?
Not me. Matters not which OS is installed, if the hardware is poop.
how cool would taht be?
“<almost trollish> The one with Windows XP ”
You must not like your parent very much.
>You must not like your parent very much.
Why is that? WinXP offers way more kind of the applications parents would like to run. Lycoris and Linux doesn’t. The only alternative to a Windows PC, would have been a Mac.
gimme a break. Lycoris has all this stuff included in a base install. xp can’t touch that.
* Simplified KDE Desktop
* Mozilla Web Browser
* Koffice Office Suite
* KWord Word Processor
* KSpread Spreadsheet
* KPresenter Presentation Software
* 10 games, including Solitaire, Tetris [tm], Asteroids [tm], and Galaga [tm]
* Desktop/LX Update Wizard
* Gimp Photo Editor
* Digikam digital camera software
* Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 4.05
* RealPlayer 8
* Shockwave Flash
* Java Runtime Environment 1.3
* Kooka Digital Scanner Program
* Desktop/LX Network Browser
* Desktop/LX Install Wizard
* Desktop/LX Remote Access Control
* Koncd CD Burning Software
* KAddressBook
* KOrganizer Time Management Software
* KDict Dictionary Client
* XawTV Television Viewer
* XMMS MPEG/MP3/Ogg Vorbis Player
* KSCD Audio CD Player
* Xine DVD/DiVX Player
* Gftp FTP Client
* KSnapshot Screen Capture
* KIT AOL Instant Messenger® Client
* KSIRC IRC Client
* LICQ ICQ Client
* Konqueror File Manager and Web Browser
* KMail E-Mail client
* KNode News Reader
I recently set up a Windows XP based PC for my father (he was on Windows 98). The built in digital camera/image managing/printing software was much better than the crap that came with his Canon camera.
Inflicting Linux (any distro) on him in its current state would have been much more cruel.
Rockwell: Who really thinks a $228 computer will last more than 12 months without several parts failing?
Well, there are still quite a few C=64s hanging around in heavy use. (I have mine, but these days it does spend most of its time unplugged).
Remember that computers have come a very long way. There were quite a few multi-million dollar behemoths in the 1950s that measured their uptime in hours. The $228 machine’s MTBF is probably competitive with a $1000 machine a few years back.
Yours truly,
Jeffrey Boulier
* Simplified KDE Desktop //HA! Easier to use than Windows? Are you on crack?//
* Mozilla Web Browser //<sarcasm> Yah, it would suck to use IE 6. It renders pages horribly.</sarcasm>//
* Koffice Office Suite //For Ma and Pa, I’ll give you this. They could use it, *IF* their printer is working under Lycoris. For real business? Please.//
* KWord Word Processor //Double dipping with this one, junior.//
* KSpread Spreadsheet //Make that triple-dipping.//
* KPresenter Presentation Software //Wow. Okay, quadruple-dipping.//
* 10 games, including Solitaire, Tetris [tm], Asteroids [tm], and Galaga [tm] //Actually, lame knock-offs of those. And Ma and Pa could care less about games.//
* Desktop/LX Update Wizard //Er…Windows Update?//
* Gimp Photo Editor //Ma and Pa don’t care about this.//
* Digikam digital camera software //Okay, this one counts. *IF* your camer is recognized.//
* Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 4.05 //Sheesh. A two-minute download for Windows, in the off-chance they’ll hit something on the ‘net needing it.//
* RealPlayer 8 //Who needs it? WMP.//
* Shockwave Flash //A two-minute download. Automatically installed. Piece o’ cake.//
* Java Runtime Environment 1.3 //pointless for ma and pa.//
* Kooka Digital Scanner Program //Riiiight. Good luck getting it to work with most scanners.//
* Desktop/LX Network Browser //useless for ma and pa–don’t have a network.//
* Desktop/LX Install Wizard //Installing anything under Windows is harder than using this? HA!//
* Desktop/LX Remote Access Control //useless for ma and pa.//
* Koncd CD Burning Software //Okay, this might be helpful. *_IF_* it recognizes your CD-ROM//
* KAddressBook //Outlook Express//
* KOrganizer Time Management Software //Feh. big deal.//
* KDict Dictionary Client //most likely useless for ma and pa.//
* XawTV Television Viewer //once again, useless. Ma and pa are gonna switch on the TV, every time.//
* XMMS MPEG/MP3/Ogg Vorbis Player //WMP//
* KSCD Audio CD Player //WMP//
* Xine DVD/DiVX Player //WMP//
* Gftp FTP Client //useless for ma and pa.//
* KSnapshot Screen Capture //useless for ma and pa.//
* KIT AOL Instant Messenger® Client //yet another two-minute download-auto install on Windows//
* KSIRC IRC Client //useless for ma and pa.//
* LICQ ICQ Client //useless for ma and pa.//
* Konqueror File Manager and Web Browser //Explorer, anyone?//
* KMail E-Mail client //Outlook Express//
* KNode News Reader //useless for ma and pa.//
Remember something called the Soviet Union? You know, where there’s no competition and one entity makes everything.
That’s windows. It’s a monopoly. True to form, it sucks.
Other examples abound. Local phone service. Overpriced and sucks.
Cable before Directv. Sucked. Still sucks to a degree because a certain segment of the market won’t use satellite.
The only thing that will change this is Linux. It’s going to. Sorry, Microcrap.
rockwell what is wrong with you parents buying a computer they have no use for and can’t possibly understand. Most people could use Lycoris just as well as XP. There are people like your parents that won’t even understand how to use XP. True Lycoris is not quite up to par but that is OK. It is still a valid alternative at a much more attractive price.
* Simplified KDE Desktop //HA! Easier to use than Windows? Are you on crack?//
* Mozilla Web Browser //<sarcasm> Yah, it would suck to use IE 6. It renders pages horribly.</sarcasm>//
* Koffice Office Suite //For Ma and Pa, I’ll give you this. They could use it, *IF* their printer is working under Lycoris. For real business? Please.//
* KWord Word Processor //Double dipping with this one, junior.//
* KSpread Spreadsheet //Make that triple-dipping.//
* KPresenter Presentation Software //Wow. Okay, quadruple-dipping.//
* 10 games, including Solitaire, Tetris [tm], Asteroids [tm], and Galaga [tm] //Actually, lame knock-offs of those. And Ma and Pa could care less about games.//
* Desktop/LX Update Wizard //Er…Windows Update?//
* Gimp Photo Editor //Ma and Pa don’t care about this.//
* Digikam digital camera software //Okay, this one counts. *IF* your camer is recognized.//
* Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 4.05 //Sheesh. A two-minute download for Windows, in the off-chance they’ll hit something on the ‘net needing it.//
* RealPlayer 8 //Who needs it? WMP.//
* Shockwave Flash //A two-minute download. Automatically installed. Piece o’ cake.//
* Java Runtime Environment 1.3 //pointless for ma and pa.//
* Kooka Digital Scanner Program //Riiiight. Good luck getting it to work with most scanners.//
* Desktop/LX Network Browser //useless for ma and pa–don’t have a network.//
* Desktop/LX Install Wizard //Installing anything under Windows is harder than using this? HA!//
* Desktop/LX Remote Access Control //useless for ma and pa.//
* Koncd CD Burning Software //Okay, this might be helpful. *_IF_* it recognizes your CD-ROM//
* KAddressBook //Outlook Express//
* KOrganizer Time Management Software //Feh. big deal.//
* KDict Dictionary Client //most likely useless for ma and pa.//
* XawTV Television Viewer //once again, useless. Ma and pa are gonna switch on the TV, every time.//
* XMMS MPEG/MP3/Ogg Vorbis Player //WMP//
* KSCD Audio CD Player //WMP//
* Xine DVD/DiVX Player //WMP//
* Gftp FTP Client //useless for ma and pa.//
* KSnapshot Screen Capture //useless for ma and pa.//
* KIT AOL Instant Messenger® Client //yet another two-minute download-auto install on Windows//
* KSIRC IRC Client //useless for ma and pa.//
* LICQ ICQ Client //useless for ma and pa.//
* Konqueror File Manager and Web Browser //Explorer, anyone?//
* KMail E-Mail client //Outlook Express//
* KNode News Reader //useless for ma and pa.//
hehe… very well said Spiphy. We should be realistic here. We all like alternative OSes, but we should be realistic. If Windows didn’t do all that the right way, people would have already switch to (at least) the Mac.
Plus there are so many jewel case apps for a fiver that ma and pa would be buying, that Linux simply does not offer (eg. encyclopedias, “best 5 Mahjong games”, “Make your own Labels, brain-free”), and Lycoris asks money from users to buy additional “Paks” that include open source software. Ma and Pa have very specific needs, they need no-brainer apps, no Paks containing Free software that only a few would be used by them, while other packages could be only be usable by them only if they were truly no-brainer (for example, the Gimp and PainShopPro can do most of what these $5 jewel case apps do for labeling and photo-retouching, but Ma and Pa really need stupid/brain-free apps, no complex apps that need to extract the information from them instead of being presented to them).
Sorry, as it is today, Linux has absolutely no luck to attract Ma and Pa.
You and me, who know our way around and who read this web site, sure! But for the rest, Linux is just not there. And the VERY dissapointed thing is that companies who offer Linux software are offering server/advanced software mostly, none of these jewel case companies want to port any of their apps to Linux.
Chicken and the egg problem. Fact is though, this is how it is and people over here should start be realistic.
Yes, we should be realistic. The reality is that most Linux Linux distributors offer what most computer users need: e-mail clients, web browsers and word processors. They also have plenty of other stuff, if the user perhaps wants to listen to MP3 music or play a card game. As advanced computer users, we tend to think that common computer users do stuff they really don’t. Let’s face it, it’s not the truth. Most users only use their computer as a typewriter.
I know many home users who get P4 computers, install AOL and that’s the end of it – they never get past that.
So, yes, these Wal-Mart computers with various distros of Linux are not ready for Joe User yet. They’re getting there though. I would be fascinated to see who is buying these computers. Wal-Mart keeps expanding the options. I don’t know if that’s because they’re enjoying success or trying to boost sales with more options because they aren’t having much success.
So a Linux desktop system can take home users at least this far and that should be good enough, then?
I keep hearing people here say that “home users don’t need this” and “home users don’t need that” but even if there was some truth to these statements, which I seriously doubt, I think you will find that no home user anywhere wants to limit themselves by default because of their OS choice.
A HUGE number of these otherwise humble home users like to play games of some kind, or they have kids that want to, and the most popular games (especially the online ones) still run on Windows PCs, not on those consoles. Over 40% of the gaming industry’s customers are age 35 and over, so they say. Linux has absolutely no hope of getting a substantial foothold in the home PC market because everybody loves PC games, and that means Windows.
“Most users only use their computer as a typewriter.”
Does Lycoris pack the latest version of OpenOffice?
I’ve been using Open Office for a while now and it does pretty much everything Office2000 did if not a bit more (the Formula editor is more extensive for one). Its been at least a year or more since I’ve used any form of MS Office (too damn expensive :-p).
“Ma and Pa really need stupid/brain-free apps, no complex apps that need to extract the information from them instead of being presented to them.”
I disagree. Not everyone is one of these hypothetical ‘mom and pops’. Whatever happened to the flexability and speed factors in the Ease of Use catagory?
windows is better for mom and pa right now but linux has nothing but time and can get better, also makes microsoft work harder on there stuff xp home much better then stupid 98 why do you think they did it?? scared of linux. liunx has a real shot in a few years
>I disagree. Not everyone is one of these hypothetical ‘mom and pops’.
Of course not. But right now, the discussion is about this kind of users.
> linux has a real shot in a few years
Yeah, I hear that since 1996…
The only thing that will change this is Linux. It’s going to.
Riiiight. Well, mabye in 5 years. Linux is no competition for mom and pop users. It’s not. Sure, for webservers, your experanced computer users, etc it’s fine. But for mom and pop users? No way.
I’m not saying it will never happen, but it needs a lot of work.
“Of course not. But right now, the discussion is about this kind of users.”
Why? A lot of users out there (and I would like to say most) don’t fit the brain dead catagory. I run into a lot of users that are very educated in various areas and are trained up in a piece of software say like Excel or SPSS but don’t really want to change over because they’re afraid they’ll have to relearn a new piece of software. Yes we should be concentrating on writing software that is as similar to traditional window brands as possible so as to minimalize the relearning curve but at the same time we should provide convient features that traditional software lacks. Something that will have the user use the software and say “You know I couldn’t do this before, but here with this program I can and it saves me time.” The added configuratbility and options is one of the things that makes (and should make) Linux standout besides its low price. Designing apps using the “stupid/brain-free” philosophy destroys this and makes Linux no better the Windohs (one of the reasons a lot of users change over to Linux in the first place).
For example Gnome2. The original Gnome rocked simply because you could do what ever you wanted to with Sawfish and Gnome itself. Gnome2 roles around and it seems like it takes longer time to load and it has by far fewer configuration options avaliable at the mouse click (maybe they’re hidden in that monstronsity gconf?). Anyways this was all done in the name of attracting users. Pah. I can tell you right now it chased one user away.
Who’s ma and pa are you talking about? Yours or in general?
Cause many of those you have listed as “useless” are commonly used by the general Ma and Pa. Like solitaire and tetris for example, since when is games only for kids? heck, even my father got hooked on Medal of Honor Allied Assult
My parents could easily switch to linux and do the same things they are doing now just as well, except for one thing. My dad uses Photoshop, along with the software for his scanner and printer. And this can’t simply be replaced by linux software at the moment. However, this is not something the general Ma and Pa does anyway
But.. even if there was a replacement for that software in linux, why would I recommend them to switch? They are really happy with Win2k, and I doubt that Linux would make them any happier since it doesn’t offer them something Windows doesn’t have in their case. So the only reason would be a political one, but they don’t seem to care about that, even though I try to beat it into their heads.
I don’t see a reason why the general Ma and Pa couldn’t be as happy with a cheap linux box as with a slightly more expensive windows box.
Bill: “<almost trollish> The one with Windows XP ”
You must not like your parent very much.
If that was true, I would suggest Mandrake 8.2. 🙂
lycoris user:
* Simplified KDE Desktop
Which clones Windows XP’s UI.
* Mozilla Web Browser
* Koffice Office Suite
* KWord Word Processor
* KSpread Spreadsheet
* KPresenter Presentation Software
The first one you can get on Windows quite easily (with TechTV actively supporting it :-). For KOffice – so? (Besides, KWord, Spread and KPresentation is already part of KOffice).
* 10 games, including Solitaire, Tetris [tm], Asteroids [tm], and Galaga [tm]
Solitaire is available on Windows, while those other games can be gotten in the Plus! or PowerPack (or whatever they are calling this release) or downloadable at http://www.download.com
* Desktop/LX Update Wizard
Windows Update Wizard. It is what Desktop/LX Update Wizard clones.
* Gimp Photo Editor
Please, leave my parents alone! They don’t deserve this!
GIMP is far more cluttered than Photoshop, yet way less more featureful that Photoshop Elemets. The total UI is crap for a newbie.
* Digikam digital camera software
Wow! Big deal, especially since Windows Xp comes with better stuff (and more digicam support).
* Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 4.05
Acrobate 5.0 here.
* RealPlayer 8
Comes with WMP, but downloading and installing RealOne is much easier. In case you didn’t know, RealOne is way better than RealPlayer. Way way better.
It takes Real out of the “sucks” zone
* Shockwave Flash
And those aren’t available on Windows?
* Java Runtime Environment 1.3
Fine, you hit me. Early adopters of Windows XP gets to install Sun’s VM via Windows Update. SP1 users get Microsoft’s VM 1.1.1 (which is way faster than what Lycoris is using).
* Kooka Digital Scanner Program
*Big* deal.
* Desktop/LX Network Browser
* Desktop/LX Install Wizard
* Desktop/LX Remote Access Control
All similar to Windows’ equlivents.
* Koncd CD Burning Software
Built in burning software in Windows Explorer.
* KAddressBook
* KOrganizer Time Management Software
Windows for a long time has a address book, while for Organizer – you hit me. But you could easily download a free one off the net.
* KDict Dictionary Client
Finally something my parents have no use for yet I can’t find an altenative on Windows.
* XawTV Television Viewer
* XMMS MPEG/MP3/Ogg Vorbis Player
* KSCD Audio CD Player
* Xine DVD/DiVX Player
*Sigh* have you ever use Windows XP to begin with? It can play everything to mention except DivX and Ogg.
* Gftp FTP Client
* KSnapshot Screen Capture
Yes, this is plenty useful for a Windows user (as in parents)…. NOT.
* KIT AOL Instant Messenger® Client
KIT sucks and you know it. Windows Messenger, IIRC connects to AOL accounts, plus installing AIM is plenty easy (unless you can’t read, that is)
* KSIRC IRC Client
* LICQ ICQ Client
Windows don’t have these, but ICQ can be easily downloaded, while IRC is a little overkill for my parents.
* Konqueror File Manager and Web Browser
* KMail E-Mail client
* KNode News Reader
And this is better than Windows Explorer, Internet Explorer and Outlook Express?
appleforever: That’s windows. It’s a monopoly. True to form, it sucks.
Yet to varriying degrees, it is much better than its cloest competitor, Mac OS X and Linux. For me Windows XP is a great OS.
FUD: I’ve been using Open Office for a while now and it does pretty much everything Office2000 did if not a bit more
Really? Does it do macros? Does it have more extensive templates?
Kevin: Riiiight. Well, mabye in 5 years.
Right time prediction. However, Linux would slowly get the corporate and education desktop, and this would change the consumer (ma and pa) market almost immediately. Linux as of now is good enough to get the desktop market.
The funny thing is this group of people (meaning all of you) are the last people I would go to, to find out what is good for a home user and what is not. Including Eugenia, no offence baby keep up the good work. The reason is your perspectives are skewed. you are gear heads or faithful followers of your favorite Distro. you are experienced in Technology and most in Linux. Windows users: You are a lost cause when it comes to these forums it is just a bunch of Linux bashing(barring the few open minded ones.). The fact that Linux is finally making an effort is wonderful. Three companies; Lycoris, Lindows and Xandros are bring attention to Linux like no other Distros have. (Besides Red Hats IPO.)People who buy at walmart and people in general now have a choice. you can buy what you have always bought or you can now buy something that is different. Better in some ways not as good in others, but different.
These three companies I have mentioned have gone after this desktop linux solution 3 different ways both technically and on the business side as well. Personally I give Lycoris the advatage because they have the least to lose and the most traditional business structure.
Aside from this we should be happy for all of us instead of tearing each other down.(not you, Windows people, you can tear away…that’s what you do.)
Sure Lycoris is behind in most categories for the desktop, but we have other advantages which I don’t want to repeat at this time because we have all heard them before.
This is the direction that will validate Linux and help other distros become more attractive to the end user and the business user. It is not going away and I can tell you this: look soon for a lot more big announcements about Desktop Linux they are coming…
Thanks for listening to me spew my single opinion.
No spell check
“Sure Lycoris is behind in most categories for the desktop, but we have other advantages which I don’t want to repeat at this time because we have all heard them before.”
I miss typed I meant “Linux is behind in most categories.” I must have Lycoris on the brain from all of their press releases today. I am going to watch classic Saturday night live. John Belushi is a genius.
Preinstalled Linux is ready for most users and has been for quite a while. As many others have pointed out, most of the software that the average user needs comes as part of the distribution, whereas with Windows, he has to carefully go through a few dozen “two minute downloads” (something the first time user actually cannot do, by the way) and click through the same number of EULAs to set his system up to be even half useful, probably messing it up with spyware in the process. If he uses Windows XP, the first time he connects to the Net, he will be “reminded” to create a Microsoft Passport[TM] account, and the first time he boots his system, he will be required to “activate” it. From a usability perspective that’s a sad joke, and it says a lot about Microsoft’s monopoly that people are willing to swallow this kind of bullshit and still believe MS is more “usable”. Ballmer would be proud. Let’s not even talk about the monopoly / content control implications of some of the recommendations (“use WMP”, “use IE” ..).
There are only two serious problems with preinstalled Linux: Games, which even many adults play nowadays, and Windows CD-ROMs that are sold or given away everywhere. But that’s the problem of a monopoly, and every competitor would have to deal with that, including the much beloved BeOS. Unlike BeOS, however, Linux already has Transgaming, which keeps getting better and will be included in the Lycoris GamePak. Same goes for WINE — most simple Windows apps will probably run out of the box in a couple of distro generations.
If you sell a Linux-preinstalled system, you have to tell your customers that they are only going to be able to run the software that comes with the system, or that can be downloaded through the package manager, and nothing else. Then give them a list of the existing Debian packages. Which would be more like a 400 page catalog .. And watch their eyes go wide when you tell them that it’s ALL FUCKING FREE.
A few years ago, if you’d brought up a Linux vs. Windows argument Windows protagonists would go on about “Where’s the remotely useful applications?”. Honestly, there wasn’t much there outside of the Server and Science market, and nothing that the average user would want to use to type a letter, or generate a spreadsheet, play an MP3, browse the web, or get e-mail with (most every e-mail product was via CLI).
The interfaces were as industrial as X-Windows had ever been. True KDE and GNOME tried to take things a little prettier than Motif and Afterstep, but they were still difficult, unevolved, and archaic.
Now…
The biggest argument is matters of preference. Most on the Mac side would tell you that Windows Media Player is a hunk of crap (it is if you compare it to iTunes on the Mac for MP3 playing, and I still find myself using WinAmp for MP3’s on the PC)). They’d say “so what?” to Real One. Flip-flop platforms, and Linux platform users will have their favorite apps. of choice. Some even “LOVE” Gimp, as funky and crazy as it’s interface is, just because it “IS” an alternative.
Let me make it more clear to you Windows drone drabble-mongers and naysayers…
The gap is shrinking.
I’m a Mac user, have an XP-equipped PC, and even I can see it. It’s just common sense. Linux is moving faster than Apple or Microsoft can, in the same manner that the PC market moved faster than Apple via cloning. Linux is like cloning at the software level. How can you keep up with 20 distros when you’re a single company over the course of time?
The answer: You won’t.
It’s inevitable. Think the big companies aren’t finding this out? Ask Apple, why do you think they pushed out Darwin and adopted a Unix kernal? Common sense, if Linux apps. are out there in masses, and you have an OS that with some alterations can run *nix apps, you have an advantage.
If anything, Apple’s one area of advancement over the other two is that they have a staff of interface people that are stringent and stick to the idea that continuity in U/I design is a strong point. I’m surprised that a Linux distro hasn’t yet found a way to ditch copying Microsoft, which opts into 50 trillion variations and faults in interface design, often finding 1 or 2 decent improvements and the rest are steps backwards or sideways, and start working to reinvent. With some common knowledge, and a good hired-on staff of interface designers and themists, or a concerted open-source effort to do such, instead of dumbed down industrial grade x-Windows we can have a “minimalism” inspired interface that is empowering in it’s options, but simplistic enough that it’s not a cumbersome pile of garbage at *MOST* tasks.
*NEWSFLASH*
Not even the Mac interface is perfect… I’ve taught classes with people that couldn’t even operate a mouse or fathom to understand the desktop metaphor and the directory structure. That said… Windows is even further removed and far more inconsistent. Apple’s iApp’s are all about good, simple, clean design. Yeah, they’re not themeable… but have you honestly looked at half of the themed interfaces out there? Horrible is an understatement.
I like some aspects of the desktop metaphor, but I think we need to look at a bigger picture and help take the media-centric nature of computers, and make it an objective container metaphor, linking the files, applications, and basic i/o elements and fuse them into a GUI that empowers users, rather than stupifies them.
Overall though, Linux underpinnings and their heading is going the right direction… but with an interface that hits the proverbial homeerun rather than mimics it’s competition so closely, it might well defeat the alternatives “RIGHT NOW”. If you build the better mouse trap, it’s sold at the right price, and you develop a userbase big enough, the applications will come. Whether from outside sources, or within the community itself. It’s just common sense.
The Drunken Master: It’s inevitable. Think the big companies aren’t finding this out? Ask Apple, why do you think they pushed out Darwin and adopted a Unix kernal? Common sense, if Linux apps. are out there in masses, and you have an OS that with some alterations can run *nix apps, you have an advantage.
No, it wasn’t common sense because Linux was growing. When Rhapsody was started, or even when the deal to buy NeXT and appoint Jobs as the interim CEO, Linux was nothing – even in the server space.
Why they choose that route? It was the fastest most quickest way to do that. Why? NeXT was based on BSD, why create something different and spend 10 more years with that crappy platform they were using?
As for the rest of your post, I 100% agree.
Xirzon: If he uses Windows XP, the first time he connects to the Net, he will be “reminded” to create a Microsoft Passport[TM] account, and the first time he boots his system, he will be required to “activate” it.
Well, firstly, since SP1, I haven’t been bothered with the Passport thing. Besides, most new users would either end up getting an AOL account or a Hotmail account. Some might find their way to Yahoo….who cares about them (which includes me 🙂
As for the activation, a lot of OEMs do that for you. If the OEM didn’t do that for you…. you would really consider getting a different OEM for your next PC. For branded PC, you would never need to see that screen, because on the motherboard is the identification of the machine. Well, you might see it when you are installing a new version….
Personally, i don’t think this is much of a hassle.
Xirzon: Linux already has Transgaming
Of whom is at least 2x slower than Windows itself, while many games don’t work properly.
Xirzon: Same goes for WINE — most simple Windows apps will probably run out of the box in a couple of distro generations.
My mum got a CD to learn german, french, italian, and spanish. Never got it to work on Wine. Well, yeah, I could have tweaked it to work with Wine, but I couldn’t be bothered with it.
Let me let you on a little secret: Wine is attempting the impossible! 1) Microsoft took years before it got most Win32 apps to work on WinNT, even with full documentation and source code. 2) Linux, in architecture, is very different from Windows, both 9x and NT. It would be extremely hard to make a compatiblity layer, if not impossible. 3) Even if Wine manages to finish its job, there is the problem with patents.
If Linux’s fate depended on Wine and WineX, I would think Linux would fail. Linux would succeed for the very reason The Druken Master has said.
Xirzon: Which would be more like a 400 page catalog .. And watch their eyes go wide when you tell them that it’s ALL FUCKING FREE.
And then later explain when the controvesy boils saying these are just plain packages, not seperate pieces of software….. (anyway, I’ll bet they would say; “So what about 400 software for free…. I don’t even know what they are for!”).
Xirzon:
My mom was reading me to an add out of the Sunday paper for an el cheapo with Thiz Linux, and when she started listing all the software it came with I could virtually see her eyes bug out (we were talking on the telephone). “Oh, yeah,” I said. “Any Linux will give you that.” I don’t think she’ll truly believe it until she sits down in front of a Linux box and tries for herself. But dang, if that isn’t a selling point I don’t know what is.
Besides, most new users would either end up getting an AOL account or a Hotmail account.
Hotmail == Microsoft Passport.
As for the activation, a lot of OEMs do that for you.
I know that my OEM, the largest German PC seller, didn’t do it, and if I didn’t want to let XP send whatever it wants to send over the Net (or didn’t have a connection), I had to call a phone number and enter the activation number in 5 or 6 steps via the phone keys. Talk about user friendliness. Suffice it to say that I will have to do that again if XP ever decides to go nuts, which it already did once because of a display bug, which I could only get rid of by reinstalling. (My Debian partition of course keeps running without any problems — unstable no less.)
And for the record, I didn’t choose to buy Windows XP. The particular model, a relatively cheap laptop, could not be bought without Windows XP. MS OEM deals at work.
Of whom is at least 2x slower than Windows itself
I don’t know if that’s true for recent releases. It doesn’t matter — what matters is that WineX gives you a list of fairly recent games which *will* work under Linux. Since most games that run properly under it are a year old or so, the speed difference doesn’t matter much on modern hardware. Only fetishists care if their game runs at 50 or 100 fps, the human eye stops seeing a difference at around 30.
My mum got a CD to learn german, french, italian, and spanish. Never got it to work on Wine. Well, yeah, I could have tweaked it to work with Wine, but I couldn’t be bothered with it.
I’m not surprised — most Windows apps don’t work without tweaking with the current WINE branch, and I haven’t claimed anything else. But if you want to see what WINE is capable of, try Crossover Office. I have tried it — MS Word, PowerPoint, IE all work almost perfectly right out of the box, and you don’t have to reboot after installing them like you have to under Windows. MS Word starts in 5 seconds (faster than OpenOffice) with nice fonts, and I had no problems opening even multi-megabyte files. Crossover shows that WINE’s biggest problems is a lack of developers, not a fundamental problem with the approach. If you want it to get better, you’re free to help in any way you can.
And then later explain when the controvesy boils saying these are just plain packages, not seperate pieces of software….. (anyway, I’ll bet they would say; “So what about 400 software for free…. I don’t even know what they are for!”).
Um, I was not talking about 400 packages but a 400 page sized catalog. Debian currently has 8710 packages. Sure, some of those are dependencies or libraries, but even if you just listed isolated end user applications, it should be obvious that Linux by now provides a very, very large library of often high quality software for free. Many of these apps are for power users, but many others are just as easy/difficult to use as their Windows equivalents.
And yes, Debian and most other distributors do provide decent descriptions of their packages. What is missing is a rating mechanism to find the really good ones, but I have found that sorting Freshmeat’s category lists by ratings is often a good replacement.
The very real Linux desktop problems like font configuration, toolkit incompatibilites and X slowness are gradually disappearing. It seems like those fighting Linux are starting to make up problems in order to avoid admitting that they are losing the argument. If you want to make good use of your computer without pirating software and without paying hundreds of dollars, a Linux machine is your best choice.
Don’t forget that for an extra $50 Ma and Pa can buy the ProductivityPak: http://www.lycoris.com/products/ppak/