I think one of the things that the linux community does not understand
about ordinary users is that:
1) Installing new hardware and setting it up is still a very geeky
activity on Linux. Regular users want to buy and use a new printer, web
cam, scanner, mouse, monitor, DSL connection etc without having to monkey
around with CUPS, monitor modprobing, kernel recompiling etc. Most users
are not even keen on reading the installation manuals that come with their
DSL connections. They want to pop in a CD and click on "setup" and be done
with the installation of the software, drivers etc.
To ask them to go through some obscure site on the net and wade through
some discussion forums just to get their new monitor/printer/DSL modem/etc
recognized properly is asking for too much.
And even for those few users who actually bother to read installation
manuals that come with their hardware, the manuals are mostly targeted at
windows users.
2) For most people, OS is not a religion. Most users won't even know what
is an OS and neither do they care to know. They don't really care about
this so called FREE-as-in-FREEDOM OS if their printer is not ready to work
in 5 minutes after they have connected it to their computers.
3) You get very little support if you call up BSNL/Airtel etc and ask why
your DSL modem is not working with the Linux distro installed on your
machine.
4) Games. Need I say more. To say that OpenGL on Linux is any comparison
to DirectX is to be totally deluded. OpenGL covers a minute subset of the
functionality that is there in DirectX 9. And now DirectX 10 is out and
there is no comparison at all. For those who disagree, please consider
looking at the Crysis Engine 2 or any other upcoming DirectX 10 titles.
If someone wants Unix, but yet wants to run their usual desktop app, then
I would recommend Mac OSX and not Linux. If money is a problem, I would
ask them to compromise and go for Linux.
regards,
PK
