I am a relitive newcomer to computers at this point, about 4 years since I first started. After I had been useing windoze 98 for a little less than a year I attempted a installation of Redhat. What a PITA, I never did get it right and gave up on linux for a while thinking that after I had more general computer knowlege I woild give it another try. Back when ML 8,1 was new I got the urge to try it again. I did a lot of reading and decided Mandrake would be the way to go and purchased a 3 disk set of 8.1. It had it's share of problems for a newbie but it wasnt bad and was a huge step forward compared to the verson of redhat I had tried before. I also tried ML 8.2 for a while and have been useing 9.0 since it first became avalable from Mandrake store. While all this was going on I installed windoze 98 a number of times on quite a few machines and also played with win 95, 2000 and me a few times and have also been exposed to the newer releases of Red hat a few times. The other day I was helping a friend with some problems in win xp, this was the first time I had used xp. WHAT A PILE OF CRAP!!! My overall observations and opinions are while Linux in general is makeing vast inprovements in ease of installation, Operating ease and features Microshaft has added a few new functions and eyecandy and while doing so has made little or no real inprovement and for the most part has just made bigger bloatware that takes more and more control away from the end user and makes a otherwise good machine run like a snail ! If things in Linux and winblows both continue on the path they have been on it is just a matter of time before Linux in general and Mandrake in particular starts to take serious market share away from microshaft and all the FUD that microshaft can churn out aint goin to stop it IMHO. I seem to run accross more and more people that use some form of Linux or want to try it or have at least heard about Linux. Its kind of nice to see such a corrupt corperation slowly get their butt kicked. After being involved with some rather corrupt corperations for a number of years I seem to be enjoying watching the chain of events unfold. Just my 10 cents worth.
Marc
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