Readers bang on about the state of Linux

Sensible article. But it isn't necessary to choose between Windows and Linux: use them both simultaneously... "I am keeping my dual boot system. I would love to lose Windows XP, but I need to lay stuff out using Adobe Creative Suite and play a few games." There is a useful best-of-both-worlds technique that avoids having to choose whether to boot Windows or Linux: virtualisation. Like you I need both, so I run VmWare's free (as in beer) VMServer as a Linux application, and inside that I run Windows on a virtual processor+disk+ethernet+display. Yes, it is possible to see wma/wmf videos running in Windows which is running in Linux. That's the "Linux host and Windows guest" operating system variant. It is also possible to do the reverse and have "Windows host and Linux guest" system. This whole thing is such a threat that Microsoft has changed the licencing for Vista so that it is prohibited (for some Vista variants).

TGZZZZ

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

Mr. Farrell, Thank you for reporting on your experience with Ubuntu Linux. However, there is not only the matter of ideology with respect to Ubuntu and proprietary software, but also a matter of legality. It is illegal in many countries, among them the U.S.A. and U.K., for Ubuntu to ship with proprietary codecs and offer the distribution for free without paying licensing costs. The included media players can play AVI files and DVDs, just not AVIs which rely on proprietary encodings and DVDs which are region locked. MP3s will play fine because MP3 is open for reading software, but not for creation. In fact, even Microsoft has learned that it isn't immune from lawsuits for shipping proprietary formats - oh the irony.

There has been a recent alliance between Freespire and Ubuntu. Perhaps in the future there will be a distribution with the ease of Ubuntu but which will have a paid-for edition which includes proprietary offerings, and a free edition with the option to pay for a download of the same.

I very much doubt any Linux distribution no matter how well engineered or funded will come within spitting distance of overtaking Window's market share. Economists seem to think a healthy market has a dominant player with around 60-70% share and two others splitting the rest of the pot, so if Linux can get to around 10% with Apple doing likewise, at least the consumer desktop will see some healthy competition.

Donny Bay

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

Hello, Mount the CD is for people who have a deep understanding of computer (and it's media). Stick a CD in the machine is for people who have reinstalled Windows multiple times. Put the thing in that thing is for users who can see a CD and know where to put it. Now ... Mount a what now? or Stick a what where? is for your average PC World computer buyer. Working now for about 8 years service side of the IT industry, my vision on computer users is greatly skewed. Windows users are mostly dumb (read: mostly), Mac users will try to convert you and Linux users are high horse (Salvador Dali's La Tentation De St Antoine is the image i'm going for). Every time I try to install a copy of Linux, there is this little gremlin on my shoulder telling me i'll soon be one of them, up on the horse. I don't want to be there. Ah well, another user is calling.

Laters
Sven

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

Good on ya for giving desktop Linux a try, Nick! I first put Ubuntu on an old Dell Optiplex GX1 at home over a year ago, and it's done well for me. I had a problem with the sound driver not working, but when I installed Win2K to check if the hardware worked, I had the same problem...no driver found for the chip! So, even though Ubuntu had problems with your video card, there seem to be some chips Windows doesn't know about as well. Overall, I'd say I have had a good experience with Ubuntu, through three releases. My daughter has it on her IBM Thinkpad, I have it on an old Dell at work, and it's now on a white-box SuperMicro motherboard at home. The Thinkpad actually works better with Linux than with XP, if you can believe it! XP couldn't see her iPod, Ubuntu sees it just fine...some XP USB driver problem, apparently. If nothing else, Linux is good for installing on recycled PCs without worrying about Microsoft the BSA coming knocking on your door and asking if you've got receipts for your OS purchase!

Cheers,
Peter Simpson

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

Try Ubuntu again in 2 months time. 7.04 is released in April and this really will be the one to end the Linux ready for the desktop argument. e.g. If you try and play a video file with a codec that isn't installed, it will check the codec and ask if you want to install the codec package containing it. I'm running the beta now and it rocks. It pops up whenever it detects a new wifi network and asks for the WEP/WPA stuff and generally is very slick now. p.s. Just because I'm a fanboy doesn't mean what I'm saying is wrong ;)

Darren

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

You need to realize that users purchase computers, not operating systems. So, these hardware problems you mention wouldn't exist if Linux was main stream or available through a tier 1 manufacturer with support. If you purchase a tier 2 computer with Linux support today these issues shouldn't be so prevalent although I don't know how competent these companies selling Linux really are. LinuxCertified was probably the most Linux friendly, although not of very high quality in terms of hardware (I know, I owned one, but no worse then Dell in quality of the hardware). Reviewing a computer pre-installed with Linux from a manufacturer who supported it would be the only way I can see to do a fair review unless you ignore the non-Linux problems. Now, Freespire may be slow but it is one of the few that comes with and supports numerous commercial software titles, video codecs, and devices. That is what is needed for Linux to get off the ground with users. That and easy installation. Freespire 2 will be based on Ubuntu's core so many or all of the mentioned issues may be resolved given you purchase a Linspire 6 computer (Linspire 6 is the commercially supported version of Freespire 2). In the meantime system76.com sells Ubuntu laptops that (assuming they didn't mess it up) have good support and presumably very "open" hardware. Ubuntu and a number of other distributions will also be getting Click-n-Run. I'll give in and say Linux is not ready for every user due to proprietary software needs which don't have Linux support yet. However, I work with getting users up and running on Linux. It isn't everybody who can live without Microsoft, but many proprietary software companies are releasing for Linux. Here are just a few ports: IBM Lotus Notes (business), FirstClass (education), MainConcept MainActor (video editing, arts), CiscoVPN (business), Pixel Image Editor (Replacement for Jasc Paint Shop Pro/Adobe Photoshop), Skype (VoIP), Nero (CD Burning), LimeWire (P2P), Picasa (Google, photo organization), Cyberlink PowerDVD, Opera, SipPhone, Aol's AIM (Instant Messaging), StarOffice (Office Software), OpenInsight (Software Development), ThinkFree Office (Office Software), REALBasic (Software Development), AVG (anti-virus), etc. That's 18 fairly recent ports, and that doesn't include tons of other commercial titles that are available. I could probably name a few hundred more off the top of my head and tons more exist I can't name. I'm not as familiar with the games but here are a few... Gorky17, X2, Postal 2, Soul Ride, MindRover, Tribal Trouble, Majesty Gold, ThinkTanks, Creatures 3, Inherit the Earth I've seen a ton of others, a number of IDSoftware titles have been available to Linux users for years. That is without getting into software like Cedega, which will let users play other popular games like HalfLife 2, Star Craft, War Craft, etc. Several hundred quality commercial / proprietary applications exist for Linux + thousands of quality open source titles. Apple on the other hand claims Mac OS X in comparison has around 2000 software titles.

Chris

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

Thank you for taking the time to do more investigation. It's good to see you not rejecting the possibility of Linux on a destkop out of hand, and with only the experience of one distro. Imagine if the first and only OS from the Vole you ever tried was Windows Millenium Edition. Might leave a sour taste in your mouth, no? The thing I might argue about your review is installation issues. Let's face it, how many novice windows users actually install their version of windows, rather than getting it bundled with their Dell, Compaq, or E-machine? Is ease of installation really the biggest problem for a PC user? I suggest the user is more worried about how the PC runs their apps and plays their movies. If linux doesn't do that well, then you have a solid reason to complain. Thanks for taking the time to look at this.

D Lapine

Subject: Linux almost desktop ready

I'm surprised about your sound experience with PCLinuxOS. I have used it for a couple of years now and the most I have ever needed to do getting sound working was run alsaconf and/or run kmix to unmute. What sound card/motherboard/chipset do you have?

Dennis Veatch