Why Linux is a desktop dud (ZDNet)
To refine the user interface and evolve more useful tools, development must move beyond creative cloning. To prevail over proprietary systems, it must take the lead in providing both ease of use and productivity for the desktop user."
Posted Nov 14, 2002 17:10 UTC (Thu)
by libra (guest, #2515)
[Link]
I think that innovation is already on the right way for a long time at the inner layers of the system, althought things like mirroring a boot partition or establishing a load-balanced application cluster can still be a great pain (I'm waiting for 2.6 kernel to check if things are really going better there; I could be waiting for HURD too, but I need solutions earlier than HURD 1.0). Anyway for most people what is perceived as innovation is just a new icon, a new gadget or a new way of doing a task by clicking on just a single button instead of two. Those people (real users) just really want their computer to do exactly what they want with a minimal input of information. This challenge is in some way passionating, and some projects are moving in that direction. I recently tried the latest beta from openoffice just because it natively includes a PDF converter. I was delighted (althought a bit submerged) by all the options and features that were available. Projects of that kind are in my opinion heading the right way, I just hope they will be enough to make the difference.
I must agree with most of this article, and more specifically to its conclusion that is quoted here by LWN. What can help convince people to use GPL softwares and OS is better innovations than cloning the gadgets of some would be innovators of Redmond.Why Linux is a desktop dud (ZDNet)