Seasons greetings, all. Now, there are multiple problems with Ubuntu we'll need to find a way around. As I've just had to do an essay on the level of knowledge required for Ubuntu vs. Windows vs. OS-X, I think I've got a good idea of some of the major problems.
1. Multimedia playback: The Ubuntu-restricted-extras package has always been most user's source for the various plugins needed to play virtually every item of media. But, it is not highly mentioned (indeed, as a newbie, I found very little info on how to get Flash or MP3 support working, which almost pushed me away till I found the previously mentioned package.) However, this package is, at least in some countries, either illegal or in a legal grey-area (IE: you can use it, but cannot distribute it) 2. DVD support: Granted, it relates to 1. but the problem with DVD support is that it does require the user to head to the terminal to enter the command to install the libdvdcss script. This is extremely unfriendly to any user, and highly unsettling if your new to the terminal. 3. Anti-Linux In the UK, our main gas and electricity supplier; British Gas, only accepts online payments from either OS-X or Windows machines. There are other companies that won't even load for you unless you've got Internet Explorer, or, more commonly, Flash. We need to figure out a way to bypass this; hopefully our work in promoting Ubuntu will get companies to stop thinking of Linux as "that Hacker system", but we'll still lose users if they come up against such hostility. Even ISP's are prone to this, refusing you service unless you run Windows (or, increasingly, OS-X) 4. 'Not-supported' Some file formats, such as Microsoft Publisher files, are simply not supported. (Supported in this context means you don't have to jump through hoops to get it working, and that it's as easy as opening a webpage) There are numerous other problems which will affect Ubuntu, and we need to assist in identifying them and offering alternatives; an alternate solution for multimedia/DVD playback could very well have a script that adds all the non-free bits on, with it simply requiring you accept responsibility for doing so In short: we've got a lot of problems, and our work will result in thousands (if not more) of users joining Ubuntu, but also thousands who have been let down by these problems, and others. Some of these problems are ones we can rectify and work with others to do so. Likewise, other problems are outside of our control, and we'll simply have to hope that someone comes with a plugin/program to deal with formats and other such nasty items. -- -Danté Ashton Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici Sent from Ubuntu
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