You may or may not have heard about Lindows already.
Lindows (the company)
is a new Linux start-up, launched earlier this year by former MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson. The promise of Lindows (the Operating System) is to be an affordable alternative (Operating System) to Microsoft Windows. And, as an extra boon, this alternative to Windows (which promises to run all your Windows applications), will run Linux applications as well.
Lindows has the gift of a great name! And it looks like Microsoft agrees, with their attempts to
sue the new Lindows company because of the Lindows name.
With a name like Lindows, marketers can have a field-day. Lindows will stick in the minds of everyday consumers, when they hear it, because it sounds like Windows. It will stick in their minds when they see it, because it is looks like (the word) Windows. The link and association between Lindows and Windows can be made very easily, in the consumers’ minds. This is Lindows’ biggest strength, and best chance for success.
It is my opinion that Lindows does not go far enough to make this association. Take a look at the Lindows logo (which can be seen on the Lindows website). They
should get some professional artist to redesign this, so that they have something that gives you the same feeling as the Windows logo.
Look at the Lindows motto: “Bring choice to you computer.” They should get rid of that as quick as they can. This sounds like a motto designed by someone deeply engulfed in the Open Source Software or Free Software world. What Lindows needs is a motto that gives them a
strong association with Windows. How about: “Open Your Windows With Lindows.” (Lindows could probably get away with using this one too, and not get sued. Or at least, not lose the lawsuit. And a lawsuit can be a good thing, because it brings you publicity.)
But for Lindows to be marketed correctly, it must stick in consumers’ minds as an upgrade option for Windows users. (Which is where this article is going.) Lindows’ current policy seems to be that of marketing their product as an alternative to Windows. But this will not be enough. Most people and businesses purchase computers with
operating systems pre-installed. And that operating system is usually one of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. This will be a hard market for Lindows to break into. An easier market for Lindows to get into is the upgrade market: selling Lindows to those people wanting to upgrade their version of Windows to something newer.
It is my opinion that for Lindows to be truly successful, it must be pushed and marketed as a valid Windows upgrade! (And not just a Windows alternative. Although they should pursue the
Windows alternative angle also.)
Think of it, “Upgrade from Windows 95/98/ME/ME2 to Lindows” written in advertisements; written on the box that Lindows comes in. (The Lindows team should work hard to get their product into all the main retail stores, where everyday consumers can be exposed to it.)
Lindows could even give discounts to existing Windows users when they upgrade. (Discounts are always loved by consumers. I am always amazed at how people will purchase things just because they are on sale, or have a coupon for it, or get something free with it, or have some other
money saving gimmicks associated with it.)
Lindows could even have other value-added incentives. Like pre-bundling other software packages, with it; and giving the consumer a discount on the package as a whole. (Meaning, the combined price would be lower than what it would cost to buy each separately.)
Lindows has a lot of promise for success. The name itself gives it that. As soon as Lindows graduates from the vaporware stage, to a real product, things should get interesting.
I can’t tell if this is a joke or not
I think I’ll come up with a new category of software…Utopiaware. It is a lot like vaporware, in that it exists completely hypothetically. The major difference is that these software products promise to be the panacea we are all looking for. Lindows will not only run Linux software faster, it will run Windows software faster. And it will be cheaper. And it will require less hardware. And it will…you get the idea.
Utopiaware can eventually become alphaware, but it will rarely ever get out of the alpha or early beta stage because the cost is too high to actually get it working properly, or the task is actually too large to be tackled with current technology or programming resources.
I really wish this Lindows thing will work. I have to remain very skeptical however. I therefore official label this software the first Utopiaware to reach a somewhat critical mass in the news sector (been mentioned on major news sites now than Windows is suing).
Besides the ease of use factor (?), what’s the difference between this and a Linux distro running wine? Maybe the only difference is the $100 you’ll pay for it ?
“Besides the ease of use factor (?), what’s the difference between this and a Linux distro running wine? Maybe the only difference is the $100 you’ll pay for it ?
”
1) Easy Install process
2) Easy to use Desktop
3) Support from a commercial company
4) Over time, value added proprietary features and applications, not available on other distro’s.
5) More and Better compatibility with Windows, over time.
6) Easy user upgrading when new updates are available.
etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc………..
If it gets outta vapourware and into reality, it could well succeed. They are marketing it as a product; something key to attracted the lay-user. I mean, the linux distros out there are just that: distributions of lots of different software. They lack the abstraction to break the fear factor that keeps the Windows users using Windows. An easy install isn’t the only thing needed to make distributions look more attractive to the ignorant user. IMO a single package is always going to appeal more than a distribution… it implies simplicity. And the crazy thing is, people will pay $100 for that implied simplicity.
I have found a little-known OS that runs all your favorite Windows apps. It is called Windows!
Allowing the quality of Linux to be defined by how well it runs Windows apps is the same mistake IBM made with OS/2 starting with version 2.0. They said OS/2 was great because it could run all your Windows apps. Gee, Windows can do that.
I’m sure most people here were around then and remember it. Look at the old archives through Google in comp.os.os2.advocacy for some history among the other stuff that’s in there. Remember to dodge the bullets as you go in.
>1) Easy Install process
>2) Easy to use Desktop
>3) Support from a commercial company
>4) Over time, value added proprietary features and applications, not available on other distro’s.
>5) More and Better compatibility with Windows, over time.
>6) Easy user upgrading when new updates are available.
besides the Compatability with windows (number 5), what is listed there that Redhat does not curently do?
1)install is simple
2)desktop is simple(or could be set up that way id RH wanted to)
3)Duh….RedHat has the best support in existence in the Linux world
4) RH adds value added apps to their distro, they just make them open source.
6)ever hear of Red Hat netowrk? no user intervention needed
“besides the Compatability with windows (number 5), what is listed there that Redhat does not curently do?”
According to the RHL website, their product is described as follows:
“Improved device support, security and new graphical tools make Red Hat Linux 7.2 the platform of choice for your technical workstation. Red Hat services, including Red Hat Network and technical support, help you get started and keep your system secure and current.”
According to the Lindows.com website, their product is described as follows:
“What is the mission of Lindows.com™? Lindows.com is dedicated to bringing choice to the desktop computer…choice in operating systems, formats and applications. For too long there hasn’t been much choice for an operating system on your desktop computer, and that lack of choice, as with any market, has been unhealthy for the consumer. LindowsOS will be Lindows.com’s first product to help carry out this mission. Of course, Lindows.com knows that offering a reliable, easy-to-use, and compatible OS that can run both Linux® and Windows® software titles will not be an easy task. However, they’re confident they have the necessary resources, management team and vision to bring together the right people and technologies to offer a choice in computer operating systems. This job will require a lot more than just Lindows.com…many developers, companies, and even consumers, will hopefully join in this ambitious quest. ”
For a complete list of FAQ’s about Lindows.com, you can go to:
http://www.lindows.com/lindows_products_faqs.php
1)install is simple
Can’t attest to this in RHL, I have only installed Caldera OpenLinux 2.2 and it took 4 hours and as soon as I booted to the desktop, it crashed when I clicked on the screen.
2)desktop is simple(or could be set up that way if RH wanted to)
So why don’t they?
3)Duh….RedHat has the best support in existence in the Linux world
Also, since I haved not used RHL and then had a problem, I don’t know about their support. I do know that is for only 30 days, according to their website.
4) RH adds value added apps to their distro, they just make them open source.
That is probably why they can’t make a profit and seem to be going deeper in the hole, as it where. Also, Lindows.com wants to add PROPRIETARY value added software. This gives them IP ( Intellectual Property ) that has value to the company. From RH’s website on earnings:
“On a GAAP basis, the company reported a net loss of $15 million, or $0.09 per share, compared with a net loss of $55.3 million, or $0.33 per share in the second quarter fiscal 2002.
For the last nine months ended on November 30, 2001, the company reported revenues of $68.2 million, a decrease of 10% over the same period in year 2000. In terms of earnings, for the last nine months ended on November 30, 2001, the company reported an adjusted net income of $1,800,000, or $0.01 per share, compared to an adjusted net loss of $10,000,000, or $0.06 per share, for the last nine months of last year. On a GAAP basis, the company reported a net loss of $97.9 million – or $0.58 per share – for the last nine months ended on November 30, 2001, compared to a net loss of $62.5 million – or $0.38 per share – for the last nine months of last year.”
6)ever hear of Red Hat netowrk? no user intervention needed
I saw it mentioned on their website. I was talking about a CD that you put in and click “Update” or “setup” or something simple like that. Also, a CD can be “purchased”, providing some additional revenue and the CD is easily archiveable, since you don’t have to download the update and then burn it to a CD to archive it for later use, in case your system gets toasted from a dying hard drive or something similiar. Also, downloading updates takes time and a lot of users are very impatient.
im sorry but their website is _ugly_!
A typical Windows user probably won’t care at all, just like they didn’t care about XP. “Windows XX is working fine for me, why bother?” And unless they copy box designs and logos (which they would probably get sued for), they won’t be taken seriously by Windows users.
http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT2152579590.html
I mean, has anybody seen/played with the OS at all? I refuse to engage on a battle of words on an alleged OS that nobody outside the company has even seen, not even a fake screenshot. Please, it sounds good but, doesn’t is sound too good to be true?
Anyway…
“Please, it sounds good but, doesn’t is sound too good to be true?”
What’s so good about it? As Doug said, if I want to run Windows apps, I’ll run Windows … duh.
If I want to run Linux apps … well, I don’t run any server software so I have no use for Linux apps
WorknMan said: “Besides the ease of use factor (?), what’s the difference between this and a Linux distro running wine? Maybe the only difference is the $100 you’ll pay for it ?
“.
The difference is how Lindows is, or could be, preceived in the minds of Normal People. With Lindows, I am reminded of Dr DOS; and how it almost took over the OS market; which, at the time, was dominated by MS DOS. I see Lindows as having that same potential too. (If it weren’t for the introduction of Windows 95, Dr DOS would have very likely taken over the OS market.)
To better understand this, you have to put yourself in the minds of everyday people; these everyday people are the Users after all.
And remember, WE — the computer elite — are NOT users. We do not think the same [in terms of computers] as normal everyday people. We do not look at things the same way.
Put yourself in the shoes of a truck driver. Of a mechanic. Of a cashier at the supermarket. Of a person who is intimidated by the idea of Configuring a computer. And always gets that “computer genius” friend of theirs to install new hardware for them. Put yourself in the shoes of a normal person. And try to think like them.
Dr DOS almost took over the OS market because it was preceived as a possible upgrade to MS DOS (and any other DOS). People perceived MS DOS and Dr DOS as interchangable things.
With that perception [or interchangability], people started to evaluate them on other merits. People heard of Dr DOS’s superiorness to MS DOS (from magazines and other sources). Some people made the switch (from MS DOS to Dr DOS). Some people were planning to make the switch eventually.
My Father actually planned to make the switch from MS DOS to Dr DOS, but didn’t because he saw a “Dummies” book that came with a free MS DOS upgrade. (Never underestimate the power of “free” stuff!… even when it is not really free.) And, if Window 95 didn’t come out, and totally do away with DOS (in the minds of consumers), he too would have switched to Dr DOS too.
With Lindows, if you can make people perceive it as equivalent to Windows, then you have this same power. Having Lindows be cheaper could make some people switch. Having Lindows run Linux applications too (in addition to running Windows applications) could make some people switch. Having Lindows come with free stuff, or have a coupon, or having some other money saving gimmick, could make some people switch. Having Lindows bundeled with other stuff could make people switch.
Yes, technically, Lindows is basically a Linox distribution with WINE on it. But that’s not the point. A sad, but true fact is that “technilogical superiority” does not determine it success or failure. (Look at VHS vs Beta. Look at the IBM PC vs the Mac.) Often it is marketing and politcs that decides this. And Lindows has some great marketing potential!
Doug said…
——- BEGIN QUOTE ——-
“I have found a little-known OS that runs all your favorite Windows apps. It is called Windows!”
“Allowing the quality of Linux to be defined by how well it runs Windows apps is the same mistake IBM made with OS/2 starting with version 2.0. They said OS/2 was great because it could run all your Windows apps. Gee, Windows can do that.”
“I’m sure most people here were around then and remember it. Look at the old archives through Google in comp.os.os2.advocacy for some history among the other stuff that’s in there. Remember to dodge the bullets as you go in.”
——– END QUOTE ——–
I remeber OS/2. (It was about a year or two after I got my first computer.)
OS/2 had alot of potential to succeed. And, in fact, a lot of people switched to it. But the problem was that IBM never really fully got behind it.
With a name like IBM attached to OS/2, it could have really taken a huge part of the OS market. (If IBM started making toasters, people would probably buy it just because it had the “IBM” name on it.)
IBM had a large part of the PC (computer) market back them. And having a “Genuine IBM PC” (and not a clone) actually meant something, at that time. (Nowadays, people don’t even use the word “clone” anymore, and most [normal] people won’t know what you are talking about if you do.) IBM should have pre-installed OS/2 on all their PCs. IBM should have gotten other PC producers to do the same too. (This could have led to software producers putting “Made for Windows and OS/2” on their boxes. Which would have driven the point of the interchangability in the public’s perception.)
You should have been able to go into your local computer store an seen computer after computer with OS/2 installed on them. But this was not the case, and part of OS/2’s failing.
Also, at least in the eyes of normal people, OS/2 was not seen as a Window replacement. (Even though it could run Windows apps.) This was a problem with the way OS/2 was marketed. Public perception is extremely important.
So what does this say about Lindows? Well, I think it says that it says that Lindows could (obviously) fail as well. But Lindows still has its great name! And with that, they have a better chance at having the public perceive it the way they want them to perceive it.
Listen up guys, alot has been going on in many of the open source operating system developments especially BoxOS and as far as i have heard OWP is posible changing paths to compliment other projects… If the open source community or some of it’s occupants such as BoxOS, OWP, and some others pull together the projects that look forward to fullfilling the linux-windows-mac compination faster. As i see it websites like lindows don’t offer enough. They offer what everyone has called vaporware and that is exactly what i believe it will become. A vapor amungst the online and offline community why would a consumer wait for a so called $100 os that “is corporate” woohoo that’s really wonderful for them but the fact remains no proof has been posed. If lindows is so real they would atleast have some proof atleast a screen shot of some sort or some indepth details. I have a feeling that projects like reactos and boxos and owp have much more likely hood of making it big. No one will pay for what they can easily get for free! Can’t we all see the falling started all of a sudden in 1 day lindows becomes this huge craze of critisism and analysis and as soon as they are realeased look at the pounding their already starting to take from microsoft. I have a feeling between Vapor Theory’s, Micrsoft and open source i have a feeling that lindows isn’t that much of something to look forward too until we see some fine results…
BTW Since when do alpha/beta tests have to be paid for? As i recall beta testing is a priveledge awarded to certain people that are willing to test the programs for the questions. Lindows needs to start analysing the way they are acting towards the public.
why not start something called – Lacintosh LOSX
With Lindows, KDE, Gnome, coming up with GUIs that flog the MS Windows interface in some form or another, has serious thought EVER been given to developing GUIs that closely follow a more Mac OSX approach (without the patented Aqua interface, of course)?
From a well written http://www.applelinks.com/mooresviews/xvslin.shtml“ article, it has been debated that “OS X, reportedly, is seducing more and more desktop UNIX fans away from the Linux orientation.”
So instead of companies, distros and GUI API authors striving to be more like Windows, shouldn’t the strive be towards the Macintosh OSX?
The benefits of such a Linux distro would be enormous – it could possibly launch desktop Linux into being a serious contender to Microsoft Windows, the overly dominant x86 platform OS.
It has been debated before that, as long as KDE, Gnome, and other Linux GUIs pursue the Windows approach, Microsoft will have nothing to worry about. General desktop users may never settle with Linux because of its Windows clones that look and function worse than the oringal product. However, having elements of Mac OSX’s user-friendliness, beauty, power and functionality in a Linux distro/GUI could possibly draw much needed attention of the mass market towards Linux, possibly causing Microsoft to start quivering with anxiety!
Why “borrow” bad elements from Microsoft when you can “borrow” the good stuff – OSX or even BeOS?
Aren’t we already sick of seeing one form of Windows or another?
How well does WINE do games?
That (in my mind anyhow) is make-or-break for Lindows.
Partial DirectX support for games
not looking good….
I’m just thinking of other nice possible utopiaware names that contend with MS instead of have a suck up name like Lindows
LeOS
Lapple
Lacintosh
LinOSX
LireWire – new form of connection
LiPOD – new MP3 player
ok… I’m going a bit off now…
Extra points for Simon!
why not start something called – Lacintosh LOSX
How about LacWinTosh, or MacWinux/2?
No alternative OS will go anywhere as long as it looks to Redmond for its identity. That is a “second place” mentality that guarantees failure.
Jeremy said…
——- BEGIN QUOTE ——-
>1) Easy Install process
>2) Easy to use Desktop
>3) Support from a commercial company
>4) Over time, value added proprietary features and applications, not available on other distro’s.
>5) More and Better compatibility with Windows, over time.
>6) Easy user upgrading when new updates are available.
besides the Compatability with windows (number 5), what is listed there that Redhat does not curently do?
1)install is simple
2)desktop is simple(or could be set up that way id RH wanted to)
3)Duh….RedHat has the best support in existence in the Linux world
4) RH adds value added apps to their distro, they just make them open source.
6)ever hear of Red Hat netowrk? no user intervention needed
——– END QUOTE ——–
Number 5 is the important one though, in terms of getting the general public hooked on it.
If Red Hat is going to get more wide spread use with the general public, they should market all those points (that you listed) so that they know about it.
Also, I should be able to find Red Hat Linux in my local stores. I used to be able to, but I can’t find it anymore. (I end up downloading and burning Red Hat Linux CDs because of this.)
But getting back to your points. Point “6”…. The “Red Hat network” definitely needs to be advertised more! For the longest time, I didn’t have a clue what it was. I had to go out (all by myself) and look for the information to figure out what it was. This is not good. The normal consumer will not do that! Red Hat should be actively marketing the “Red Hat network”. Telling everyone what it is. Tell everyone how great it is. But they are not. (At least, their message is not reaching me, if the are.)
Point “2”…. The desktop definitely needs work. In fact the whole Usability of Red Hat Linux needs work. (Disclaimer: I consider myself to have some expertise with HCI and User Interface analysis, prototyping, design, and testing.) But this could be (if I choose to write it) the subject of a whole series of articles, so I won’t write it here (in this reply). [Not enough space.]
First, just in case anyone (like me) didn’t know (after reading Chris’ reply), the URL for BoxOS is: http://boxos.sourceforge.net/ . And the URL for OWP (Open Window Project) is: http://sourceforge.net/projects/owp/ . (The OWP really needs a homepage other than this.) But anyways.
Chris said: “No one will pay for what they can easily get for free!”.
Well, the concept of what is “easy”, is the thing. What is “easy” for a everyday normal person? Finding a boxed OS in a local computer store, with some simple instruction, and a no-brainer instillation would be what most everyday normal people find “easy”.
Having to discover and hunt for these new OSes isn’t what a everyday normal person consider easy,… or even desirable. Having to “figure things out” isn’t what a everyday normal person finds easy, or desirable either. These
everyday normal people want something that just works!
Businesses and people still have opportunities to make money of free software.
mlk wrote:
——- BEGIN QUOTE ——-
How well does WINE do games?
That (in my mind anyhow) is make-or-break for Lindows.
Partial DirectX support for games
not looking good….
——– END QUOTE ——–
You brought up a good point. The quick answer is TransGaming, http://www.transgaming.com/
The long answer is that to get better DirectX support, Lindows should (like Mandrake did) team up with TransGaming. TransGaming is implementing DirectX support in WINE. But they’ve only release part of it (so far) as open source software.
TransGaming business model (as I understand it) is to release more and more of their DirectX implementation into Open Source as they get more and more “subscribers”. So the more subscribers they get, the more code they release.
Lindows could make arrangments with TransGaming to include the DirectX implementation in Lindows.
Lindows will lead to Loffice, a combination of Lord, Lexcel, LowerPoint, etc. What’s next? Livo, the Linux-based Tivo? Oh…wait.
People perceived MS DOS and Dr DOS as interchangable things.
No they didn’t. I worked for a major [regional] software retailer when DR DOS was reaching it’s peak. Don’t get me wrong – I think it was a wonderful OS, but people wouldn’t touch it. Because it didn’t say “Microsoft” on it. We even had a hard time selling [IBM’s] PC-DOS in those days.
You have to consider the type of company that would actually use the name “Lindows”.
They could be just stupid (they are already being sued by MS for trademark infringement). Or just happy to ride the wave of hype that the name will generate. Now if the excutives of a company are plain stupid, then you really should have second doubts about their products.
If you are in the Linux camp for ethical reasons or because you appreciate it’s technical qualities, you should ask yourself whether a hype driven business venture likely to be ethical and technologically focused.
Just a thought. You can ignore the warning signs, and simply quote, “A rose by any other name…”
Some examples of other unsound business ideas funded by greedy or ignorant investors:
Bleem! The Sony Playstation emulator. Sued. Their page says it all. http://www.bleem.com
Napster – Sued to hell. They were popular because the company paid the record companies for the music on behalf of everyone who wanted to download it free. What a great charity organization.
Ditto for mp3.com and scour.com.
And ofcourse all the opensource/Linux companies who gave up millions of investors dollars to help us further develop open source software, and in return all they wanted was bankruptcy or meager profits from a new business model.
We should thank all these naive companies for all the free stuff they have given us over the years.
Anyone want to start WinLinBSD with me. We’ll use the nice code from FreeBSD that already runs most Linux apps and add windows compability. It’ll be everything Linux is + the code follows the nice BSD standard. Hmm, come to think of it, maybe we can run OS X apps to (WinLinOSXBSD). Let’s start yesterday!
who in the fud would ever want to run any of that buggy m$ payper liesense crud on their linux box? not enough eXPloitation eXPerience yet?
happy happy gnu year, from all of <a href=http://www.scaredcity.com>us, to all of you.
linux freaks won’t use lindows cause it looks like windows and windows “newbys” and freaks won’t use it cause it’s based upon linux … how will lindows solve the to my mind difficult hardware (driver) installation under linux, so that it appears easy … ?
OWP I think I read about that a year or so ago I wasn’t going anywhere fast and was supposed to be open source but wasn’t.
6)ever hear of Red Hat netowrk? no user intervention needed
I saw it mentioned on their website. I was talking about a CD that you put in and click “Update” or “setup” or something simple like that. Also, a CD can be “purchased”, providing some additional revenue and the CD is easily archiveable, since you don’t have to download the update and then burn it to a CD to archive it for later use, in case your system gets toasted from a dying hard drive or something similiar. Also, downloading updates takes time and a lot of users are very impatient.
well, that is also what RH want you to do. buy a new release and use the Update feature. done.
mlk wrote: How well does WINE do games?
That (in my mind anyhow) is make-or-break for Lindows.
Partial DirectX support for games
not looking good….”
Transgaming Technologies is working on a version of WINE optimized for Windows based games called WINEX. Transgaming’s product comes bundled with the Mandrake Linux 8.1 Gaming Edition and includes The Sims. I installed it all a couple nights ago and it works just fine. The way it works is that you pay a $5 monthly membership fee to Transgaming and you get to vote on which games and features they will work on next. You also get access to WINEX updates. Right on the retail box for Mandrake Gaming Ed. they say it works well with games like Half Life CS, StarCraft and Baldur’s Gate. Their web site mentions other games that people have commented on working well. This weekend I will install Half Life and see how it all works out.
quote from keepinthegaith… “linux freaks won’t use lindows cause it looks like windows and windows “newbys” and freaks won’t use it cause it’s based upon linux … how will lindows solve the to my mind difficult hardware (driver) installation under linux, so that it appears easy … ? “
Precisely, the point that why they GUI and distros should start looking more original and move towards the functions and features of the rock solid, well researched, and better UIs like Mac OSX and BeOS. Why copy Windows? Copy Mac OSX or BeOS guys!
Why would you pay $100 for linux that runs SOME windows apps when you can get Win98 or XP for $100 or less and you dont have to worry about some things not working! I might consider it if they brought the price down or made it free, the way linux was meant to be!
-CJ
:alien:
.
That’s “Digital Research,” pronounced Dee-Ahr, not dok-tor.
.
“cj171” said, “Why would you pay $100 for linux that runs SOME windows apps when you can get Win98 or XP for $100 or less and you dont have to worry about some things not working! I might consider it if they brought the price down or made it free, the way linux was meant to be! ”
Well, if it was “free”, then what would be the point of having a commercial venture?
Also, Windows XP Home Edition retails for $199.00 and Windows XP Professional Edition retails for $299.00.
You can get the XP Home upgrade for $99.00, but you must first have Win98/98SE or WinME which retails for about $179.00. If Win 98/98SE/ME came with your computer, it probably cost you about $100.00 as the computer manufacturers line item retail ( although they don’t show you that part, since it’s a bundle ).
Also, some things don’t work on WinXP either. Some Older programs written for earlier versions of Windows tend to crash due to software developers using unsupported API’s or supported API’s that MS has since “obsoleted”, which means that any bugs in them will NEVER be fixed.
Basically, no OS is a Utopia. We try to pick and use the OS that best fits our needs at the time. Sometimes the needs are financial (can’t afford that nice PowerBook), other times they are vertical ( Specific software ONLY runs on XXX platform ).
keepinthefaith wrote:
——- BEGIN QUOTE ——-
linux freaks won’t use lindows cause it looks like windows and windows “newbys” and freaks won’t use it cause it’s based upon linux … how will lindows solve the to my mind difficult hardware (driver) installation under linux, so that it appears easy … ?
——– END QUOTE ——–
Lindows isn’t being made to appeal to “Linux Freaks”. (And I don’t think it should be.)
If Lindows lives up to the claims they are making about it, then consumers can choose what they want to upgrade their system with. (Upgrade to Windows XP… or upgrade to Lindows.)
Also, consultants could suggest (to their customers) that they upgrade to Lindows (instead of one of the Windows products). That is if Lindows really will run all of the customer’s existing Windows apps. (Lindows would have to make their installer with this in mind though… as an upgrader of an existing Windows system.)
VAPORWARE
VAPORWARE
I’ll believe it when I see it. Right now, WINE isn’t there yet and the only viable solution is VMWare but that’s not there yet either. VMWare is still the slickest thing I have seen out there. Works great for business apps and support desks who need multiple OS virtual machines.
Makes you think if Lindows will produce their own propriatary version of the Windows API like WINE is doing or if they are going to port something like SoftWindows to Linux? Or maybe it’s going to be yet another Linux distro with a customized Wine implementation, etc.
Whatever happens, the Windows API is so screwed up and mostly undocumented that the task is remarkably daunting. I am actually surprise Wine has gotten as far as they have in compatibility.
VAPORWARE
VAPORWARE
I’ll believe it when I see it. Right now, WINE isn’t there yet and the only viable solution is VMWare but that’s not there yet either. VMWare is still the slickest thing I have seen out there. Works great for business apps and support desks who need multiple OS virtual machines.
Makes you think if Lindows will produce their own propriatary version of the Windows API like WINE is doing or if they are going to port something like SoftWindows to Linux? Or maybe it’s going to be yet another Linux distro with a customized Wine implementation, etc.
Whatever happens, the Windows API is so screwed up and mostly undocumented that the task is remarkably daunting. I am actually surprise Wine has gotten as far as they have in compatibility.
$5 a month, ouch that ups the price a big lump!
Wow, who ever thought of linux running linux apps… What an acheivement
If .net really takes off, will it be all worth it anyway ?
Linux is nice and all, and i use it for my desktop use, but for people that want games, its really not the way to go. WINE can play some games, but to use an “emulator” (quotes cause it really doesnt emulate) like that isnt worth it.
If this thing ever even becomes alpha i’ll be surprised. Heck, i’m suprised they dont say it will run on DEC Alpha processors and PPC, and while your at it…SuperH and Z80.
I think Lindows will hurt linux if anything. RedHat is doing a good job (i hate to admit it cause im a debian guy) at shooting for the everyday user, if people’s vision of linux is tainted by some guy’s impossible vision, it cant be good.
And… why run windows apps if you can get linux versions for almost everything. WINE is currently the last package im thinking of installing.
I think Lindows is an excellent idea. Most Linux users end up needing windows from time to time. And Linux isn’t always the best experience. A Linux fanatic I know went back to Windows. Why? Although he loved Linux, and the Offic app he used, he kept having problems making Linux work right, getting drivers, ect.
Lindows would offter Linux and Windows, and *ease of use* one of the main reasons people won’t try Linux or drop out quick. Having a company to back the OS, like Apple for OS X, does help.
Lindows is also meant to offer an alternative to the “Microsoft way” i.e. Windows. It would be nice to have an easy to use OS that runs Windows programs that isn’t Windows.
I have sneak v0.9 lindows and it works!!!!