On Wed, 27 Sep 2000, you wrote:
I think you'll be surprise.
> Pardon my heresy, but I don't think Linux will make it as a viable
> alternative desktop for the masses (no offense intended) for the following
> reasons:
>
> 1) the Linux community is too decentralized.
>
> 2) there are no such things as standards, even defacto standards - Cut &
> Paste is an example - there is not even any social pressure for developers
> to adhere to a standard.
>
> 3) window managers make things too different - a nightmare for the corporate
> world, even though you're running Mandrake (or Debian, or whatever) your
> window manager makes the environment foreign to anyone that doesn't run that
> window manager.
>
> 4) Linux developers work for free and are not subject to the same QA that
> Apple is subject to.
>
> 5) Linux developers work for free; consequently their incentives to create
> and contribute are different
>
> 6) Linux users in general would probably balk if they had to actually pay
> for software
>
> 7) the average computer user is *required* to make *a lot* of effort
> understanding how to "operate" the machine. The complexity is not
> sufficiently hidden from them when needed
>
> 8) there is a certain amount of elitism within the Linux community in
> general which distains the stereotypical "aol/microsoft" user (no offense,
> just an observation)
>
> 9) Linux is inherently a programmers/developers environment and
> *specifically* geared to those kinds of folks
>
> 10) talk like what I'm doing here is not well received by the Linux
> community in general
>
> Again, don't get me wrong I really, really like Linux (& window managers)
> and I would really like to see it be a viable alternative desktop. But from
> my personal observations & (painful) personal experience and knowing the
> expectations & abilities of my friends & family, it's not there yet. I
> don't expect it to be there in the next 5 to 10 years (even considering
> internet time). I think there will need to be a broad change in perception
> among the Linux folks about the "computing world for average folks" before
> that will happen. Unfortunately, I think Linux will have to be backwardly
> compatible with MAC and Windows - whatever that means.
>
> ps: I've just installed HelixGnome (www.helixgnome.com) and it looks really
> good though I haven't had a chance to use it yet!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jay [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2000 2:56 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: Re: [newbie] Microsoft and George W. Bush
>
>
> On Tue, 26 Sep 2000, you wrote:
> --
> Pardon my French, but who gives a s**t. Let Microcrap do what they want.
> Let's face it, they have had ZERO innovation since the release of Windoze
> 95.
> Each "upgrade" is basically cosmetic with a few OEM packages thrown in for
> added "benefits". Windoze ME is worthless and not necessary. Let them act
> how
> they want, they will get theirs in the end. Once other OS's (Linux, the new
> OS
> X) start to take off in the desktop market, they will be forced to
> react....but
> remember, everything Microsoft has they bought or stole from
> somebody...let's
> see 'em try to buy Linux. I think Gates might have to look up Open-source
> in a
> dictionary.
>
> Jay
> "May the sound of happy music, And the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your
> heart with gladness, that stays forever after."
> "May the enemies of Ireland never meet a friend."
> http://www.mrsnooky.com
