[Ilugc] How far we are going to Compromise ?
- From: mdshah82@xxxxxxxxx (Hassan)
- Date: Sun Aug 20 22:56:36 2006
Hi Chaks,
Great to see a post from you on desktop computing.
My only concern is why does the linux community always tries to eat someone
else' pie ? Desktop is/was/will be microsoft's arena - unless ofcourse someone
like Redhat/Novell tried to build a worthy linux desktop - Frankly I don't see
that happening anytime soon.
Redhat is nothing short of a traitor - They gained immense popularity due to
their free (as in cost & freedom) desktop version. But once they were under
limelight, they abandoned their desktop users for their enterprise customers
(If you think FC is any good - think again - it could have been the coolest
distro - something that could have challenged MS - But not anymore). The truth
is many adopt linux because it is free of cost and not because of its
ideology.It is only the community that feels that way. To the normal user in
India, it is just the cost factor that matters.
When companies like Novell,RedHat have decided their target are Desktop
Users, why would they not get exclusive rights like how M$ has ?. Sure,
there should be a way. If M$ is able to do things, why not WE.
As for this, all that I can say is no company is going to put money into a
business that won't pay back. Lets assume Redhat (highly unlikely) buys all the
rights for these patented technologies & releases it for no charge to the
desktop users. So far so good. But what is Redhat gaining ? A great user base.
But what is the point of an userbase that probably won't buy any of the desktop
software - as there are free alternatives for almost everything else.
Or maybe lets say Redhat releases the product and charges for each license
(most of the patented techs expect royalties for each copy - so it is only
natural)... do you think the average user will buy it ? No way. To him/her it
is just like paying for windows os. To them it really won't matter if it comes
with source or not - After all how many average users have you seen who are
willing to go in deep to the source level ? Maybe some in the linux community
might buy a few copies to show solidarity.... Or maybe redhat could give the os
for free and then run advertisements on your desktop :) But that would turn it
into another MS....
My point is why at all are we targetting desktop computing at all. Linux'
strength lies in the server market... and we have credible competitors there -
AIX & open-solaris. That is the place where linux can outshine MS, IBM & Sun.
Linux might become a victim of its own success. Concerted efforts in a specific
direction yields better results than trying to progress in multiple directions.
regards,
Hassan
Chakkaradeep C C <chaks.yoper@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: Hi all,
Before reading my mail, I would like you all to read Open Source guru
advocates ideological
shift
Thats running in my mind for more than 6 months. How far GNU/Linux is gonna
compromise on the Desktop Market ?
The people who are going to use GNU/Linux as their Desktop arent geeks(like
us). They do not even know what a "command line tool" and no way you can
make him/her to learn, as he/she would tell, why would he/she has to learn
!.
We do know that there are patent rights with Mp3,DVD etc., There are no
support for many plugin formats for the same reason too. If one needs such
things to be done, he/she is redirected to pages like ,
- For Ubuntu
- For Novell/SuSE
- For RedHat
Dont these have to work out of the box if you really want it to be used by
the normal people ?
Yes, companies need to compromise and thats what M$ had done during the
start (Gud or Bad,one has to admit).
I would say this is one of the reasons, people fear of adopting GNU/Linux
into Desktops.
When companies like Novell,RedHat have decided their target are Desktop
Users, why would they not get exclusive rights like how M$ has ?. Sure,
there should be a way. If M$ is able to do things, why not WE.
Take a GNU/Linux Desktop Oriented Distro, list out things what would be
required to make it still better(in terms of out of the box support), let us
prepare the list, take survey, and submit online the results.This will help
the companies understand that there are quite large number of people needing
these requirements.(I am sure they would know already)
There are many other things also that we need to compromise. There are many
proprietary products in Linux itself (like, CrossOverOffice) which are great
deal for Desktop Users. If we neglect them,and just strive for only FREE(as,
Free of Cost), I think the situation would be the same and sure normal
people would not be able to use GNU/Linux.
Am not at all telling that GNU/Linux is not growing or there are only
pitfalls. These issues are something we need to keep track of.And my kind
advice would be to spread the word FREE as in FREE TO USE/REDISTRIBUTE and
not as in FREE OF COST. That leads into a different scenario.
We are doing a good job in spreading about GNU/Linux by conducting LDDs at
various institutions. Is there any way to conduct LDD for the normal public
?. If so, then , it would be great show and sure our voices will reach the
Public, Media.
One of the main reason for me to be with Freespire ,
is their Vision on how to make GNU/Linux best in the Desktop Usage. They
have legal rights in giving out the restricted
formatsout
of the
box.Please dont think am here to spread about Freespire. These things are
the basic needs for a Desktop User.
The future of GNU/Linux is good if we make GNU/Linux the best in Desktop
Usage as stated by Eric Raymond.
--
Regards,
C.C.Chakkaradeep,
Novatium Solutions Limited,Chennai.
http://chakkaradeep.livejournal.com/
http://www.yoper.com
http://wiki.freespire.org/index.php/Freespire_Community_Board_Home
--
"Sometimes it's better not to ask - or to listen - when people tell you
something can't be done. I didnt ask for permission or approval. I just went
ahead and did it." - from "Direct from Dell"
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