Re: free vs commercial
Hi,
I'll reply in a one-to-many style.
Jerome Benoit wrote:
A very good idea is to get a computer box totally
supported
by the Linux community. And do not forget that Debian
does not run only on PC
(as WinXP).
Where to get those information e.g. how to know if a
particular device is supported?
Ron Johnson wrote:
The bottom line is that not all s/w & h/w works, or
works easily,
with Linux+GNU+X. For example, there's no Shockwave
player for
Linux, and the Acrobat Reader is a major version
behind the Windows
version.
That's a reality we have to deal with, just as a Mac
user can't
use every bit of h/w, and won't run Windows s/w.
Kent West wrote:
I understand that Linux still needs some work to make
it easier for manufacturers to support their devices
in Linux, but the bottom line is that the
manufacturers simply don't support their hardware on
Linux, making it more difficult to use those devices
in Linux.
Ron Johnson and Ken West touched on an important
point. Whether h/w manufacturers and s/w developers
will come out with Linux-compatible product is a
business decision. One factor to consider would be the
market size i.e. the Linux user-base. This is a
chicken-and-egg situation. Moreover, very few
companies would want to use their paid developers to
development products that would be used freely. One
way to get out of this is: the Linux developers liaise
with the commercial people to get hold of the product
specs and work from there on.
Steve Lamb wrote:
I think it is best to remember that one should not
look at each piece individually and judge Linux
wanting based on one individual part or another.
But let me ask this question, which do you do more
often: upgrade complex devices such as ASDL routers or
upgrade/install software?
Its one piece now but more later; and with time they
will form a bigger picture for a better opinion.
In my case, referring to WinXP, I tend to upgrade
devices more than the software.
To be honest, so far I have always carried out a new
installation of my Windows rather than upgrade it. I
am aware that upgrading is a strong case for Debian.
But still, reading through the mail archives, there
are problems encountered.
I'll continue to compare and contrast.
Ken
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