Brian Boyko
[H] Consumer Editor
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2005
- Messages
- 345
Video editing is actually getting better - try Kdenlive.
Your iPod should work if it's formatted as a Windows iPod.
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Ubuntu 7 - A Viable Windows Desktop Replacement?
- Thread starter Rich Tate
- Start date
Video editing is actually getting better - try Kdenlive.
Your iPod should work if it's formatted as a Windows iPod.
xX_Jack_Carver_Xx
2[H]4U
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2005
- Messages
- 2,542
At least the download was pleasent.... 9 Mbps from NorthEastern.
Hope the install goes as well.
Hope the install goes as well.
Jeff Foley
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2002
- Messages
- 361
After using it for ~24hrs now I'm still pretty happy. I completely do not understand how to do some things that seem very simple in a Windows environment... but I'm game at trying to learn. 
(for now at least)
(for now at least) "Great, but can it play any game or run any application straight out of the box? I doubt that, unless you tell me otherwise."
Many people have problems with installing programs in Linux and yes if you download a random program on the internet it most likely won't be as easy as double-clicking an exe file under Windows. Windows is not however the ideal situation.
The 'average user' everyone speaks might actually be better off with Ubuntu when it comes to software management. Ever do end user support? Or at least have one of thoses friends who wants you to fix their computer? Installing random 'crap' is a great way to turn a Windows install into a useless POS. Spyware and general crap that ends up on people's computer is not what Ubuntu/Linux should be shooting for.
Ubuntu's repositorys have over 20,000 programs all easily available that anyone can easily installed... but more importantly they're actaully tested and managed by someone and known to work. It is much harder to destory a Ubuntu system when you stick with software from the repositories.
If some new program comes out, yea you might not be able to get it that second but if its decent software it will end up in the repositories. IMO its actually alot nicer than the Windows method.
Linux is lacking in certain software areas, people point out games and such, this isn't a problem with how things are installed. The software that is availalbe is very smooth to install and use.
"I've been told that Ubuntu is pretty good. But my previous experience with linux is really bad due to the fact I'm not quite to sure what i'm doing in it. I'm so used to dos commands to really get around in dos, but in Linux -- Even the help command is hard to manage."
I actually remember having the same problem when I started using Linux years ago. Its sorta like the problem when you didn't know how to spell a word and the teacher would tell you to look it up... if you could look it up you would know how to spell it.
'man' can tell you how to use a program but it doesn't exactly tell you what program to use. Google is proabably the best tool for that. The best way to learn is by doing. Google something you'd like to do, find a how-to, go through the steps and after a few how-tos you'll start to see patterns or common commands that are used. Eventually when you want to do something you might have an idea of what to do and thats when `man` comes into play. When you just want to reference exactly how to make a command do what you want it to.
"I rarely use the DOS Prompt in Windows and when I do it is usually b/c something is isn't working properly."
Okay it is true that Ubuntu/Linux needs to not rely on things being done in the command prompt and should be able to do everything from the GUI interface to make it more appealing/usable to more people.
However I REALLY cannot stand the command prompt in Linux being compared to the DOS prompt in Windows. The command prompt is a useful tool that can do anything and is very easy to use. The DOS Prompt is a useless joke in comparison.
Its not that you use the DOS Prompt when things do not work, you simply don't use it becuase it doesn't do anything.
Perhaps a more accurate discription of the problem would be "Linux/Ubuntu needs to stop relying on the all powerful command prompt and create more useable GUI tools".
Oh yea and one more general comment on this entire topic. I think one problem Linux has is its stuck in a catch 22. For example no one wants to switch because they want games and no one is going to release games unless theres someone to buy them. One day Linux is not going to suddenly be able to play ever game out there it'll be a slow transistion. More people switch, more games get released which causes mroe people to switch. I would still say Ubuntu 7 is the first viable alternative or whatever label you want to give it. Replacing XP with Ubuntu 7 would be a very resonable move to make for many people. The biggest thing stopping Linux from becoming a major threat to Windows dominance is the lack of the 'average users'. Soon as that starts to grow the other shortcommings will be resolved on their own.
Many people have problems with installing programs in Linux and yes if you download a random program on the internet it most likely won't be as easy as double-clicking an exe file under Windows. Windows is not however the ideal situation.
The 'average user' everyone speaks might actually be better off with Ubuntu when it comes to software management. Ever do end user support? Or at least have one of thoses friends who wants you to fix their computer? Installing random 'crap' is a great way to turn a Windows install into a useless POS. Spyware and general crap that ends up on people's computer is not what Ubuntu/Linux should be shooting for.
Ubuntu's repositorys have over 20,000 programs all easily available that anyone can easily installed... but more importantly they're actaully tested and managed by someone and known to work. It is much harder to destory a Ubuntu system when you stick with software from the repositories.
If some new program comes out, yea you might not be able to get it that second but if its decent software it will end up in the repositories. IMO its actually alot nicer than the Windows method.
Linux is lacking in certain software areas, people point out games and such, this isn't a problem with how things are installed. The software that is availalbe is very smooth to install and use.
"I've been told that Ubuntu is pretty good. But my previous experience with linux is really bad due to the fact I'm not quite to sure what i'm doing in it. I'm so used to dos commands to really get around in dos, but in Linux -- Even the help command is hard to manage."
I actually remember having the same problem when I started using Linux years ago. Its sorta like the problem when you didn't know how to spell a word and the teacher would tell you to look it up... if you could look it up you would know how to spell it.
'man' can tell you how to use a program but it doesn't exactly tell you what program to use. Google is proabably the best tool for that
. The best way to learn is by doing. Google something you'd like to do, find a how-to, go through the steps and after a few how-tos you'll start to see patterns or common commands that are used. Eventually when you want to do something you might have an idea of what to do and thats when `man` comes into play. When you just want to reference exactly how to make a command do what you want it to."I rarely use the DOS Prompt in Windows and when I do it is usually b/c something is isn't working properly."
Okay it is true that Ubuntu/Linux needs to not rely on things being done in the command prompt and should be able to do everything from the GUI interface to make it more appealing/usable to more people.
However I REALLY cannot stand the command prompt in Linux being compared to the DOS prompt in Windows. The command prompt is a useful tool that can do anything and is very easy to use. The DOS Prompt is a useless joke in comparison.
Its not that you use the DOS Prompt when things do not work, you simply don't use it becuase it doesn't do anything.
Perhaps a more accurate discription of the problem would be "Linux/Ubuntu needs to stop relying on the all powerful command prompt and create more useable GUI tools".
Oh yea and one more general comment on this entire topic. I think one problem Linux has is its stuck in a catch 22. For example no one wants to switch because they want games and no one is going to release games unless theres someone to buy them. One day Linux is not going to suddenly be able to play ever game out there it'll be a slow transistion. More people switch, more games get released which causes mroe people to switch. I would still say Ubuntu 7 is the first viable alternative or whatever label you want to give it. Replacing XP with Ubuntu 7 would be a very resonable move to make for many people. The biggest thing stopping Linux from becoming a major threat to Windows dominance is the lack of the 'average users'. Soon as that starts to grow the other shortcommings will be resolved on their own.
DeathFromBelow
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2005
- Messages
- 7,315
Ubuntu is great for most non-gaming stuff. That's the problem. The average user doesn't know what it is or how to use it, and most advanced users play games or need apps that only run under Windows. Simple as that.
I love Ubuntu, and I think it's a viable alternative to many people. It's worked great for me on several machines and I very rarely have to mess with the command prompt. Hopefully Dell distribution will get more people to try it out.
I love Ubuntu, and I think it's a viable alternative to many people. It's worked great for me on several machines and I very rarely have to mess with the command prompt. Hopefully Dell distribution will get more people to try it out.
Honestly, it'll take a helluva lot more than games ported to do the job, but you've sorta touched upon the real obstacle.
If there was ever such a thing as a 'cintest' going on here it was won long ago. Windows sits on about 93% or more of desktop PCs, and other OS's make up the niche markets which fill the remainder. They aren't 'competitors' to Windows. the only competitor a Windows version has is another Windows version. If anything is going to oust Microsoft Windows from its dominance it'll be a Windows clone, not an alternative OS.
As long as lInux distros (like Ubuntu 7.04 which I tried last weekend) make setting up your video card and monitor a struggle it will not be ready as a desktop replacement. It's one thing for someone like me to dig through some config files and manually input the sync constraints for my monitor, it's another for say, my parents.
Jeff Foley
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2002
- Messages
- 361
As long as lInux distros (like Ubuntu 7.04 which I tried last weekend) make setting up your video card and monitor a struggle it will not be ready as a desktop replacement. It's one thing for someone like me to dig through some config files and manually input the sync constraints for my monitor, it's another for say, my parents.
After 2 days with Ubuntu, I have to agree. I actually like the O/S and have it on my main PC and my notebook now.
BUT, I can't imagine most, if not all, of the people I help out on their PCs using Ubuntu/Linux.I honestly like it though.
JBavousett
Gawd
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2006
- Messages
- 684
Once mainstream apps will work with it...people will buy it. There are more games for Linux every day, and most companies are starting to offer drivers, but the learning curve is so steep that it's just not viable for most people.