Re: [COMP] Windows 2000: 65,000 bugs

> Linux has a long way to go before becoming user friendly and widely accepted
> by the market.  Desktop environments like gnome and KDE are helping this
> process along, but the basic infrastructure of the operating is built around
> UNIX, an operating system that is just not meant for the average everyday
> users.  In my opinion Linus copied the wrong operating system.  UNIX is a
> pain, and thus since Linux is a clone of UNIX, it is a pain also.  He should
> have just started from scratch and made something without incorporating
> UNIX.  Despite Windows' bugs it is still a much better operating system then
> Linux for most users, because everything in it is intuitive.  It will remain
> that way until developers for Linux do something to make the operating
> system easier to configure and the programs more professional (Although
> there are quite a few exceptions, most programs written for Linux look
> cheesy are generally featureless).  For example, try to find a good file
> manager for Linux.  Linux development is not standardized and it really
> needs to break away from the command line.  This is getting better every day
> and eventually I believe Linux will be just as common to users as Windows.
> For now, however, if you are not interested in spending days and even weeks
> trying to get everything in your computer to work with Linux, you should
> probably just stay with Windows and tolerate the bugs.

If, by "file manager," you mean one like Windows Explorer, look no further than
Xplore or Kexplorer.  Both emulate the Win95 explorer, and even add some
features.  I really only use them to help people make the transition.  The
thing about the Unix command line is that it's much more powerful than the Dos
command line, while at the same time being less user-friendly.  However, I no
longer use graphical file managers, because so much more can be done from the
command line, done more quickly, and really done more easily, once you've
learned what commands to execute.  The Unix filesystem is also much more
logical- "Drives" are a baffling misconception- seamlessness is good.

That's the problem though, and here's where I agree with ya- there's still a
learning curve.  No one picks it up *right away,* it does take some effort.
For those willing to spend a bit of time learning though, it's well worth it.
You never look at a computer in the same light.. Or at least, I never will. :)

As for the apps that are cheesy and featureless, you're probably thinking of
programs that are early in development.  Try the GIMP, Licq, Xmms, Gnome
Toaster, GQview, or Star Office.  <shameless plug> And if you're a network
admin, try LANdb </shamless plug ;)>  And as for "standardized development," as
you put it, I think we've got a difference of point of view: the whole point of
Linux is choosing the best method of doing things, or writing the program the
way you want it (and if someone doesn't like it, they can fix it).  There's a
lot more freedom involved, but to some outsiders, it looks like a bunch of
chaotic hackers in their own little worlds.  The truth is quite far from that.

Have you seen screenshots of KDE 2.0 yet?  Most of the dialogs look
EXACTLY like stuff in Win9x.. So much so that it's a bit scary.  I have to
admit, I really dislike the Windows interface- it's slow, you can't easily do
things, there are no dockapps, miniwindows, the start menu's only in one place,
you can't shade windows, and there's only one desktop (workspace)!  Ack!  :)
The concept of a "common user interface across the board" is a bad idea, imo,
because again, it's against the whole concept of Linux.  If you want things to
look like Windows, then fine, use KDE.  For me, I gotta have Windowmaker- can't
live without dockapps.  It's a matter of freedom.

John



--
# John Madden  weez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ICQ: 2EB9EA
# Sys-Admin / Webmaster, Avenir Web: http://avenir.dhs.org
# LANdb: Network Admin Database - http://avenir.dhs.org/landb/
# "A kernel compile a day keeps the blue screens away."



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