Comments on: Mark Shuttleworth Strikes the Right Tone On Windows 7

By: Andy Bishop

Andy Bishop — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:37:00 +0000

@Mike (#12) – Mac has a distinct advantage over linux here – they control the hardware as well as the software, so it had better work perfectly! I think it’s astonishing how good linux has become at the hardware game.

In 7.04 (my first Ubuntu, but not my first linux) all sorts of stuff was broken and took days to figure out.

In 8.04, my wireless needed a little help getting started (about 5 minutes) and my tablet needed significant help.

In 9.04, everything worked immediately – no configuration at all.

When I first started this very laptop in Vista, I had many many configuration issues – and it came preloaded.

I think linux is doing very well for itself. Mac and Win certainly have their places, but it’s not on my desk.

By: donnna

donnna — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:55:00 +0000

Maybe Ubuntu will be the new market leader. May not be as popular now but give it time. I think it will take off in the right direction, as long as their are backers. Problem is, that the OS is free off their site.. so why will developers work for this??

By: Theunis

Theunis — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:17:58 +0000

As far as the comment about Ubuntu and sound drivers go… one of the desktops where I installed MSDN Vista Ultimate still cannot play music to all surround speakers with all latest drivers and updates.

By: zen

zen — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:23:55 +0000

Windows seven is a revamped XP. They’ve just improved some few things but the thinguie is still the same.

By: Jarno77

Jarno77 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:50:36 +0000

“Since Linux is getting almost no love from the manufacturers, it will be some time before you see something at the store labeled ‘Works with Linux’.”

Good idea, it could be a great beginning. The problem is that it would probably be something like ‘Works with Linux kernel 2.6.28+’, and that’s not understandable for most people.

Things would be easier if drivers were open source…

By: ciborium

ciborium — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:35:16 +0000

The comparisons between OSX and Linux are laughable. If I make my OS only work on my hardware, and then sell my hardware with the OS preinstalled, of course everything will work. It had better!

Windows and Linux don’t do that. Neither one are hardware manufacturers.

Windows mainly relies on the hardware manufacturer to make their stuff work with windows, and having Windows preinstalled on 90% of new PC’s, the hardware manufacturers make sure their stuff works with it. With Windows having such market share, if something doesn’t work, they can just say “We don’t support that company’s hardware.”

Linux, with their limited market share, have to try to make their OS work with as much hardware as they can, otherwise new users have too many problems getting things to work and give up. It sounds like a losing battle from the get-go, but support is growing with every release. Since Linux is getting almost no love from the manufacturers, it will be some time before you see something at the store labeled “Works with Linux.” All this gets fixed when PC manufacturers preinstall it. Then, they are responsible to make it work before it gets to the customer.

Most of the problems people have with Linux would happen if you tried to install OSX on a regular PC, or Windows on a Mac, or actually like trying to install either OS on a hybrid of Mac and PC parts. You might get lucky and have everything work, but you probably won’t.

Is Linux ready for the masses?
That depends on who you consider the masses.

If the masses buy computers with the OS preinstalled, then yes.

If the masses are looking on the internet for an OS to replace the one their computer came with, then no.

But how many people even upgraded from Win XP to Vista or OS9 to OSX themselves? The masses just buy a new computer, and use what comes on it, or call a geek to fix/upgrade it for them.

If the stores gave the same shelf space and support to each OS (this is considering Linux as one,) While Windows would still be #1, I am sure that Linux would break free of the “geek only” label.

By: donnna

donnna — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:04:55 +0000

I read articles like this and amaze me, i work selling computers and I never have a single customer asking me for a different OS ( meaning linux and ubuntu etc…, they just ask when the next version of windows is coming..

By: InTheLoop

InTheLoop — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:12:00 +0000

That’s an interesting prediction. Only a few years ago I would have said it would never happen, but I think that may have changed. In fact, all the articles discussing how Windows will crush Linux or netbooks (or vice versa) may be an early sign of this. I will certainly be watching to see.

By: Jarno77

Jarno77 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:18:23 +0000

“Similarly, the mainstream media — yes, even outlets like The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek — will mention Linux alternatives as they review Windows 7. Trust me: this is going to happen”.
Are you sure of that? Currently in France, vendors sells netbooks with Windows XP or .. netbooks (I mean they write “with Linux” in very very small fonts).
It’s true that main french newspapers talked about Linux once or twice last year, but that’s all. Personally I don’t know any “no-geek guy” nor using Linux, neither knowing Linux. Newspapers will talk more about Linux when vendors assumes to sell PC without Windows. True, Dell started this, but only on its online store. And what about Packard-Bell, Toshiba or HP? Nothing.
About what Mark Shuttleworth said (so Linus Torvalds did too), I think they’re fair-play about Se7en. I really like Ubuntu and the way Gnome goes, but I find a bit too sad (I’d like something beautiful like OS X). That’s a great reason why that, if you’re right, Se7en will be the winner in these reviews.
Without Linux and OS X, Se7en would have been only a Vista R2 more heavy than ever. Competition is very important.

By: emarkay

emarkay — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:00:16 +0000

Gnu/Linux, and Ubuntu specifically is “ready for the masses’; but only if the masses understand that “Microsoft” and “computers” are not one and the same. Most folks have no clue that “hardware” and “software” are a separate entity, other than maybe the latest “Wheel of Fortune” CD, or the latest anti-virus update.

Just as they followed the SUV trend, and Michael Jackson, they follow the Microsoft “show” – Ubuntu has not become something to envy or master; maybe because it’s masked by the same 20 year old mantras as the Gloved One or whatever drives the populace.

I have not booted into XPSP3 in over a year, and integrate seamlessly with fellow “Microsofties”. I just have to be adept at knowing what I want and how to make it work in the rare cases that there’s some proprietary impediment or ignorant source who chooses to hinder those that do not play their games.

People! These tools are not proprietary, only the “brands” are. You buy a hammer you buy nails, but if you acquire nails for free, are they any less able to build a business with?

Well maybe you can’t sue the nail maker, but (and that has been told to me many times why open source is not ready to Capatalist Business…) that does not make those nails inferior. Bend one, heat one, test them out for yourself, and then decide – why buy the nail when there are free ones that do the job just as well?

I know all of this, but the clueless masses need to be told/sold on this; this is the sad fact of the general public, and one which Canonical needs to attend to.

MRK