Never ceases to amaze

[Randy Weidman]

Linux=Light Side
M$=Very, very dark side
:)

On Tue, 8 Apr 2003, Patrick Thurmond wrote:

> 	Well hate to break it to you but that's how ALL OSes deal with
> CD-ROM installs and replacements (unless its external, but that's a
> different story). Not trying to diss Linux but buddy, I have never had
> trouble with any of my Windows boxes taking CD-ROM drives right off the
> bat without any reboots or anything. The only Windows version that would
> have even the most remote of chance of having trouble with it would have
> been 95. 
> 	On the other hand I have been playing with Linux for about 4 or
> 5 years and good solid plug and play has only been available (from what
> I have seen) on Linux for about a year. Up until about RedHat 7 or 8
> have I seen any real no fuss plug and play with device variety on any of
> my systems. Before 7 my system was pretty much hosed if I had to change
> any major components. Linux is making its way to the top and seems to be
> progressing quicker than Windows in the last few years but I am sorry to
> say this... There are just some things WINDOWS is still BETTER at.
> Course there are also some things that Linux is much better at than
> Windows but in some cases its merely circumstantial.
> 	In the case of security, yes Linux is better, but then again the
> user base of good and bad people is MUCH larger for Windows so the
> frequency of security breaks is in turn going to be more frequent (kinda
> like the larger the city, the more crime you will see). As Linux users
> become more and more common, so will the malicious users of it and then
> so will viruses and security threats become more common.
> 	In the case of being just downright user friendly, Windows takes
> the cake here. Sure its nowhere near as customizable, and sure it can't
> be tweaked or stripped as easily, but when it comes to the bottom line
> Windows just reacts better to the user presence. Windows XP is the
> perfect example. In most cases, within a few seconds of plugging
> something in it pretty much installs it for me, unless it's a rare case
> that it doesn't have suitable drivers for the device. Try the same thing
> in RH8 and I have to reboot and go through clunky prompts that are not
> straight-forward and don't actually explain what will happen between
> each option. Now I have yet to try RH9 (because I don't have a free
> system at this time) but I doubt its improvements are that drastic,
> considering its quick introduction after the upgrade to 8.
> 	Another example of those clunky menus and install process is
> using RH8 on my laptop, when I decided to disconnect my USB mouse, when
> I rebooted it started asking me about keeping the device, updating the
> profile, removing it, etcetera, I just wanted it to keep the driver for
> future use so I selected that option and I lost my touchpad completely
> and was unable to use the mouse unless I had the USB mouse connected.
> Also if I installed RH8 with the USB mouse on I would have to reinstall
> just to be able to get it to use the touchpad. However when they both
> did work, they worked great and at the same time. I like its new program
> manager, which still needs work but is a major improvement. It still
> gets tiring when you install a program and have no idea where on the
> file system it installed to, no links to it, and not even being sure
> which file to run it with. That's a major pain.
> 	In all I am not a die-hard Windows fan, nor am I a major Linux
> player either. Both are good operating systems, and I really hope that
> Linux enters the mainstream PC user market, and it can, but it is still
> not ready for the everyday user. I am in tech support and I get enough
> retarded calls on Windows machines, I don't even want to think of what
> nightmare it would be to support ordinary users on Linux. The phone
> calls would be never-ending. Currently Windows has its place for the
> mainstream market, its slowly getting booted from the server market
> which is good, that is not where it belongs with all its problems,
> that's where Linux comes in. Linux is a great server. I love the
> versatility and the power, but just like Windows is not right for
> servers, Linux is still not right for most end-users.
> 
> Keep an open mind, open up to the possibilities! There are always light
> and dark of all things.
> 
> -Patrick
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-kclug at marauder.illiana.net
> [mailto:owner-kclug at marauder.illiana.net] On Behalf Of Jim Herrmann
> Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 12:41 AM
> To: KCLUG
> Subject: Never ceases to amaze
> 
> It never ceases to amaze me when I put in a new piece of hardware and 
> boot linux.  At least, when I replace a piece of hardware.  No drivers 
> to install, no hassle, no reboot two times to unistall the old hardware 
> and twice more to install the new.  It's times like these that I really 
> feel justified in tumbing my nose at the winblows die hards.  This is 
> plug and play baby!
> 
> My CD-RW has been acting flakey for about a month now, and it was 
> getting worse.  So, I went down to Best Buy and got one of those 
> $20-after-rebate burners.  I came home, shutdown, took out my old one, 
> stuck in my new one, booted up, fired up CD-bake oven, and burned an 
> ISO.  No muss, no fuss.  Is this a great OS or what?!
> 
> BTW, if you go buy one of those $20 burners, be very careful on the 
> rebate forms.  There are two of them, clearly designed to confuse, so 
> that if you muck it up, you don't get your $50 bucks back.  Just a 
> warning.  I was being very careful, and almost stuck the original UPC in
> 
> the wrong envelope.  Doh!  I caught it in time, but I was thinking how 
> easy it would be for an ever so slightly less attentive person, myself 
> included, to screw this one up.  I think I have it right now.  I should 
> probably check one more time before I seal the envelopes.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for listening to my glow.  :-)
> 
> Peace,
> Jim Herrmann
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Randy Weidman
Linux Systems Administrator
University of Missouri
Dept. Of Chemical Engineering
 
Don't tell me what you dreamed last night for I've been reading Freud.