Re: [OT, FLAME] Linux Sucks
I think that what most people who clammer for a GUI installer really
want is a more easy-to-accomplish installation, not necessarily a
graphics-based installation. Of course, I could be wrong. (That'd be the
third time this year if I am - doh!)
My opinions:
First, I think some people were raised on WIMP interfaces and are just
plain scared of text-based interfaces. Call it a mental block, but I've
seen it.
Second, as far as easy-to-accomplish installation, I think what is
really lacking is two things:
1. better hardware detection
The recent proliferation of desktop distros (Lindows, Libranet, Xandros)
distinguish themselves by having better hardware detection and easier
configuration of things like Samba and NFS.
2. don't-ask-me-questions install
Coupled with better hardware detection, this seems to be one of the
first things reviewers comment on. "I just clicked a couple buttons, and
when I came back in 30 minutes it was installed." True, they are only
perpetuating the falicy that any idiot can run a computer, but an awful
lot of idiots run Windows ("Never underestimate the power of stupid
people in large groups").
I consider myself to be fairly computer-literate, but I still use a
commercial Linux distro (Xandros, which is based on Debian) because it
does what I have considered to be the more archane configuration stuff
for me (nVidia drivers, printing to Windows-shared printers, exporting
Samba and NFS shares).
Windows has succeeded by letting anyone do just about any stupid thing
they want. What I think people need is an OS that leads them in the
direction of doing intelligent things by _teaching_ them along the way.
The Windows approach seems to be "we'll make it easy for the user to do
stupid things (i.e. insecure things) and say it was their own fault."
--
Bobman
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