[huskerlug] Re: Review of Linux's New Ubuntu and Moblin for Netbooks - WSJ.com
- From: adunlop <techworld.mail@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: huskerlug@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 22:57:07 -0500
The issue that Linux has is that it's easier to install device drivers
on Windows than it is on Linux. Most current distros come with a wide
base of supported hardware. For hardware that isn't supported or for
closed-source drivers you're forced to use your package management
system if you're lucky, or compile drivers or in the very worst case,
compile a kernel using new drivers.
With Windows it's typically as easy as throwing a disc in.
Aaron
On May 29, 2009, at 10:38 PM, Carl Lundstedt wrote:
> You're right that that piece isn't a hostile article, but the author
> does make the classic mistake: it's not the OS makers responsibility
> to
> provide any and all drivers. The manufacture is responsible to
> provide
> drivers for their users OR provide standards and API info so that
> drivers can be built by the community. I often point out to people
> that
> Windows provides almost NO device drivers. Microsoft doesn't support
> Cannon and Dell printers either, Cannon and Dell support Windows
> computers. Windows gets a free pass on this issue until you sit
> down to
> install Windows by hand and you start doing the driver CD shuffle.
> Linux supports way more devices 'fresh off the disk'. (Of course
> netbooks are OEM installs and should probably be held to a higher
> standard.)
>
> It's a chicken and the egg problem though. Manufactures won't provide
> drivers for a very small install base, but Linux won't catch on
> without
> good driver support.
>
> Microsoft was really smart (and evil) to keep XP in the line up and
> push
> it for netbooks. If Linux had dominated that market space and
> created a
> critical mass of users to where device manufactures might start to
> actually support Linux for their bright and shiny devices Linux might
> have really made serious strides to the desktop. As it is, Linux
> still
> has a problem where mom & pop users are concerned.
>
> Tigerdirect has refurbed Asus netbooks for $199. Tempting...
>
> Carl Lundstedt
> UNL
>
>> http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB124346723960760371-lMyQjAxMDI5NDIzOTQyNjk3Wj.html
>>
>> Not a hostile article towards Linux from a major news source, but you
>> won't like the conclusion he came to.
>>
>> I like Easy-Peasy on my Asus Eee PC 900, the screen layout is better
>> than XP, since I have a dual boot system. I can pick what I please.
>>
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