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How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine)

How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine)

Posted Feb 23, 2005 20:52 UTC (Wed) by NAR (subscriber, #1313)
In reply to: How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine) by hathawsh
Parent article: How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine)

It's more likely that Microsoft will create a syscall emulation layer that allows Linux-oriented binaries to run inside Windows. The emulation layer might be stable enough to sway desktop Linux users back to Windows.

I can't see this method working - I think people usually choose Linux because of stability or cost or performance, not because of a specific application...

Bye,NAR


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How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine)

Posted Feb 23, 2005 21:03 UTC (Wed) by emkey (guest, #144) [Link]

Exactly.

This article totally misses the point as to why people have migrated to Linux. Hint, it hasn't been the applications. In fact in many cases people have migrated to Linux inspite of the fact that device drivers are often missing, hardware support can sometimes be spotty and many of their favorite apps aren't available.

Choice, flexibility and cost are really the driving factors. And Microsoft would have to stop being Microsoft to ever compete with that combination.

How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine)

Posted Feb 25, 2005 17:09 UTC (Fri) by hathawsh (guest, #11289) [Link]

Many users switched to Linux for those reasons, but many others have switched because today's Linux desktop is superior in many ways. Right out of the box, the Linux newbie gets:

- office suites

- browser, email client, etc.

- lots of games, including educational games

- graphics, video, and audio editing

- tools for building web sites

- utilities

- secure remote access and management

- an extremely reliable command line, should you need it

Dvorak is talking about trying to sway the users who have switched (or are switching) to Linux because the Linux apps are better. Seriously--once you're accustomed to Linux, Windows apps seem immature.

How to Kill Linux (PC Magazine)

Posted Feb 25, 2005 20:13 UTC (Fri) by NAR (subscriber, #1313) [Link]

-Linux desktop is superior in many ways. Right out of the box, the Linux newbie gets:
- office suites - browser, email client, etc.

I believe people can by a PC with Windows, IE, Outlook and Office preinstalled.

- lots of games, including educational games

You're joking. You can't really compare the preinstalled Soko-Ban and Mahhjong with the vast amount of games you can by for Windows. And it doesn't really matter if it's not preinstalled, because the installation is usually "Put CD into drive, click Accept, click Next, click Finish, then click on the new desktop icon". Not to mention that it's not easy to get decent 3D performance and stability out of Linux...

- graphics, video, and audio editing
- tools for building web sites

Most desktop users are not interested in these topics apart from fetching pictures/videos from a digital camera and upload to some website.

- utilities
- secure remote access and management
- an extremely reliable command line, should you need it

People who need remote access-like functionality will value stability over the fact that what's preinstalled on their system.

Let's face it - most of the applications on Linux are clone of some Windows applications so I can't see people switching to Linux purely based on applications - they've got the originals.

Bye,NAR

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