Buchan Milne ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote*: > >On Sun, 22 Sep 2002, SI Reasoning wrote: > >> I have heard this argument before but don't buy it. I am not talking about waiting >> years here... Just taking the time to release the product when it is ready instead >> of forcing a deadline. Mandrake 8.2 was released despite a known serious issue with >> smb with the kernel. > >That bug was also picked up in final beta or the RC, which of course meant >too little time to reliably fix. Plus, initial bug reports were very bad, >and the bug difficult to reproduce. >
Then why not revert to the package before the bug? It is a pretty serious bug to ship with if it creates issues inter-connecting with other windows computers. However it may be handled, it was a mistake to ship a final version with a major bug like that, regardless if you are microsoft or mandrake. >FYI, SuSE also shiped with the same bug, and maybe RH did too (can't >reproduce, so I can't check for sure). > >> That was something that definately should have been fixed >> before release. This is not to say you don't aim for a deadline, but even Microsoft >> will fearlessly delay release, often for months. >> > >If Mandrakesoft had $30 billion in cash in the bank, they would also have >this luxury. We all can remember buggy releases from MS, even when they >had approximately this luxury (show me one laptop running win98se that >shuts down reliably all its life). > It was the lack of stability of the dos-based windows that fueled the initial surge toward linux. However, since win2000, a lot of stability issues have been addressed and they are not as obvious to the consumer (although they are still obvious as a server). The Microsoft OS and Office Suite are very expensive but mature software right now. Sort of like Novell was when Microsoft released NT4. Linux is still in the rapidly maturing stage so it will still be a little rough around the edges with its productivity packages, etc. However, Mandrake can still make all of the pieces work well together for each release. It is often the little things that get lost in the rush to release that has kept Mandrake from becoming a desktop app at our office. I maintain both systems, and I can tell you that every little issue that comes up gets magnified by users who are rushed and don't get the rsponses they expect (this is beyond user ignorance issues). If you get too much of these, then everyone is slowed down and the heavy grumbling starts. I remember installing NT4 and having it available for the office staff. It was (and still is) a nightmare to install, had major bizarre quirks (including one major one whenever switching video cards and it won't accept the new drivers). however most of these bugs were administrative ones and the users were relatively unaware of them. It is easier for administrators to deal with these things (but of course NT4 was for corporate desktops and not users). Mandrake is designed for both. It think it does a very decent job of it too, but have always been frustrated by the fact that each release seemed like an almost ready. That is why I am trying to encourage to take the extra step and fix the little things before release. >Buchan > >-- >|----------------Registered Linux User #182071-----------------| >Buchan Milne Mechanical Engineer, Network Manager >Cellphone * Work +27 82 472 2231 * +27 21 8828820x121 >Stellenbosch Automotive Engineering http://www.cae.co.za >GPG Key http://ranger.dnsalias.com/bgmilne.asc >1024D/60D204A7 2919 E232 5610 A038 87B1 72D6 AC92 BA50 60D2 04A7 > > -- SI Reasoning [EMAIL PROTECTED] gpg public key ftp://ftp.p-p-i.com/pub/si-mindspring-pubkey.asc The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. -Albert Einstein
