i love linux opensouce blah blah ........ but i still find it convinient to
boot windows when i have to listen to music .............i cant convert to
ogg my creative zen doesnt play that .......... and even after installing
plugin for mp3 the features arn't on par with windows .....so i think we
should stop the idea of trying to be pure ............... and i dont
undertstand whats the problem with patent then why is winamp ,wm9 not
getting sued ?
From: "Chakkaradeep C C" <chaks.yoper@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Chennai Linux User's Group" <ilugc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Ilugc] How far we are going to Compromise ?
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:32:16 +0530
Hi all,
Before reading my mail, I would like you all to read Open Source guru
advocates ideological
shift<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/17/eric_raymond_linux_compromise/>
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 <https://wiki.ubuntu.com/RestrictedFormats>
- For
Novell/SuSE<http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT7527984757.html>
- For
RedHat<http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/ForbiddenItems#head-480f1c231662c4279ebc75f7298db407ee0a5593>
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 <http://freespire.org> ,
is their Vision on how to make GNU/Linux best in the Desktop Usage. They
have legal rights in giving out the restricted
formats<http://wiki.freespire.org/index.php/Summary_of_Proprietary_Components>out
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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