On Friday, August 11, 2006 10:39 PM -0500, Anthony M Simonelli wrote: > > > > That's a reasonable goal, even a good goal, if you are > > > > willing to remain a small, exclusive club. > > Actually, Debian is one of the fastest growing distribution > according to Netcraft: > > http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2005/12/05/strong_growth_for_debian.ht ml > > and Linux in general is making it's mark with companies such as HP, > IBM, and Google and around the world.
The first line of that article is: "Debian is currently the fastest growing Linux distribution for web servers, with more than 1.2 million active sites in December." This reinforces my point, which is that Debian, in its present form, will find use primarily among technically adept users, which are a minority in the computer market. The same goes for its adoption at large IT companies. The fact that Debian is taking web server market share from Red Hat does not indicate that it is making any inroads into becoming a usable desktop for average users. > > > > I'm arguing to consider the point of view of would-be Windows > > > > defectors. > > I don't believe the Debian project is not meant to be a Windows > replacement. I don't even think it exists to compete with MS > Windows, but to provide a free(dom) operating system for everyone. It may be free for everyone, but they can't use it. You can, I can, but the average Windows user can't. That's like saying that anyone is free to buy a Mercedes, all you need is the money. > > Here are a couple of cases for things that casual users can > > manage in Windows PC's but would have great difficulty in Debian. > > The following is not meant to say that Windows is good. It's > > not: it's crap. But they did do some things right, and we ought > > to take notice. > > You can get books that help. In fact, the Debian GNU/Linux 3.1 > Bible (ISBN 0-7645-7644-5) is a great book for those just getting > started with Debian and Linux and answers the first two common > tasks they'd need to know as well as installation help and getting > a desktop up and running. They also discuss Internet and Intranet > services such as web servers, printing, file servers, FTP, etc, and > it's only $40.00 (hey, you're not paying for the operating system!) I don't need books like that because I can read the documentation. The average Windows user is not going to read it. They don't need to read books to fire up their Windows boxen, and they don't expect to read books to move to Linux. If it were up to snuff, they wouldn't need to. You're preaching to the choir by telling me that a technically adept person can make Debian do most common tasks without inordinate difficulty. The average computer user, OTOH, is a completely different story. > I just get a little upset when people want to mold Debian into > something like a Windows clone. If you want that, try a > Debian-derivative such as Linspire or Xandros. Linspire wants subscription money to keep it maintained. I don't know about Xandros. Ubuntu exists by the pleasure of a single individual. Knoppix is a live system and isn't meant for permanent disk installs. This request is not for me, it's for people who are stuck on Windows because they can't deal with a very old-fashioned and arcane command line interface. Computers for them are a tool, not a hobby and definitely not a way of life. They're not going to study manuals, memorize command arguments and the eclectic organization of the file system. How can we say we've made a free operating system for everyone, when less than 10% of the computer users are capable of running it? > I also don't like > it when people completely ignore the accomplishments of Microsoft > with Windows and rip them to shreds as if their operating system is > non-functional without considering that MS made the PC and an > office suite so prevalent. I don't agree with their business > tactics, licensing nightmares or their monopoly in the desktop > world though. They are outright predators, and their bloated code requires faster hardware every year just to break even. However, they have made an incredible contribution by making computers accessible to people who are not technically inclined. More than accessible, people (sometimes) enjoy using them. Building in that degree of user accommodation does not make something a Windows clone. It just makes it a better product. Especially if you can still drive it from a terminal to do things no one ever thought of. -- Seth Goodman -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
