[peeskieeskie]

The change hasn't even taken place yet and already people forget. I'm trying to draw a coralary beween cload computing and digital TV. Once they have controll over everything but your mouse and keyboard, we have no choice but to bend over and accept whatever is offered. I for one am not looking forward to the monetarey side or the Orwellian aspects of such a move.

[swccman]

I hate to say it, but I am married to both OS's. I use Windows for my desktops and Linux for my servers, I broadcast the shares via SMB, hey whatever works.

One hour with Gnome or KDE windows managers will turn all but the stupid to Windows Vista or now 7.

[swccman]

I too have defaulted to alsa, it seems to meet all my needs, and soundblaster even created some rudimentary driver software for Linux, I prefer Vista Ultimate for the desktop, as I have always found Gome to be a little less than a good windows manager. I hate having to make my own scripts to do stuff that is built in to Windows. So I use WIndows for the desktop and Linux on the server side.



I don't like to speculate as to what is in store for us, this is not the country I grew up in and defended for 23 years.

[jboustani]

couldn't agree more...

[jcastle]

Choice of an OS is kind of cultural. Most on the older set grew up on DOS and Windows. Unix and Linux were pretty much elitist OSs mostly for those hard core computer fans and hence the average user stuck to Windows. Those that want to join the Linux crowd usually do so for one or two reasons. Cost or the idea that Linux performance is better but there is a steep learning curve.

[WinTard]

jcastle said:

Choice of an OS is kind of cultural. Most on the older set grew up on DOS and Windows. Unix and Linux were pretty much elitist OSs mostly for those hard core computer fans and hence the average user stuck to Windows. Those that want to join the Linux crowd usually do so for one or two reasons. Cost or the idea that Linux performance is better but there is a steep learning curve.

I beg to differ. I grew up on CP/M computers in the days of the oddball Apple II series. Then cut my teeth on Microsoft's Xenix and QNX. Then DOS. Then Windows. Then Linux. Then Solaris, HP-UX and AIX, and all the oddball variants. But still prefer Windows 7 to all of them... (Except perhaps for QNX)...

The point is hard core computer fans will most probably use Windows FIRST by choice, then everything else as well, in addition... Why not? It's free... But I would never exclusively switch to Linux/Unix only. No way! Too limited. Too restrictive.

[rasmasyean]

Most people who use Unix / Linux are not "elitists". The group who prefer these are usually IT professionals who find more comfort in something they are both familiar with, and offer the kind of control / apps that they need. Chances are that they also use Windows (if only at work to interface with the rest of the company) so they know what that offers as well.
However, a SMALL percentage of *nix enthusiasts who often have little experience with the broader spectrum of computing have come to appreciate Linux to the point where they think that because they are "soooo good" at manipulating the OS, they come off as "elitists" because they identify themselves with the "super geeks" you read about in Fortune magazine. It's sort of like the "God complex" where they can do anything to their computers. In contrast, you can't really do this to Windows because it's closed source AND its way more complicated and involves so many components that very few people in the world would know everything about it. Most "tweaking" in optimization tip sites like registry edits, would actually send your Windows installation to hell. It's like a Stealth bomber vs. a Cesna. There are "specialists" for each part/market sector of Windows, etc. You can tell a lot by some of the Linux enthusiasts' rants that they don't really have a clue what's really out there and how an environment more complex than a one-man control center works. And they love themselves so much that they think everyone else who doesn't choose to be like them is an idiotic buffoon. Ignorance often breeds arrogance. What's more to say! ;)

[Grr8008]

I agree. There is no reason to have only one system. I run Linux and Windows and combined they do something that Windows alone could not. Together, I can help people with problems and I have the ability to clear viruses off anything I might come across.

[swccman]

WinGirl, I am in accord with you. My first computer experience was in College, at first it was MVS/OS (JCL included :-( ), then we got Dec Vax/VMS for my other computer courses (all 4 of them), this was back in the late 70's. I adopted Linux around the time of Red Hat 6.2, even then, I thought of it as a server/network OS. I maintain that 1 hour with Gnome will make you a WIndows lover. My first desktop was a TI (yep Texas Instruments 99A)...I knew it could only get better.

At some point of depravity I wanted to take advantage of ivtv and mplayer so I wrote a small script to set the channel with an ivtv-command, in the next line I piped the output of /dev/video0 to mplayer, giving me good output on my tv set. I found that sometimes when I killed the script, the ivtv command wouldn't die, nor would it allow me to share the device. Since it was a zombie process I had to kill it manually, this is part of what makes me a Windows lover. I don't have to write scripts although with powershell I could. The amazing thing is that I know virtually nothing about computers, but I've had to learn tasks as challenges present themselves.

Eventually I got a Windows desktop to use while I was in the Navy, and purchased a windows box for the home. I game on a console, my console runs through my receiver, as does my computer (through a Creative IO module) , I hate toy speakers. Since the days of RH 6.2, I have always used Linux as a server, the desktop experience has always been less than pleasurable. As Gnome grows the speed of Linux slows, so I don't run the X server or a desktop manager, I don't have to, I have a nice Windows desktop.

[sudokode]

Whoa wait. ALSA and pulseaudio are two different things. You still need ALSA to interface with your sound hardware. Pulseaudio is just a sound server for controlling the sound between different sources (i.e. applications). Windows 7 (I'm not sure about vista, cause I haven't used it) has done something interesting. It's combined these two aspects. However, the hardware support still sucks. I can't even get my audigy 2's treble/bass options on windows.
And while most linux distros can't be seen as user-friendly by most people, that doesn't make windows better. Windows is a commercial OS. Linux is contributed to freely. And considering how customizable and usable most linux distros and desktops are, that's definitely saying something.
Windows hasn't even gone as far as to allow access to other filesystems, while linux now has read-write access to ntfs, along with almost every other filesystem.
Yeah, so linux makes a great server option, but you can't just dismiss as a desktop.
And you all should check out Xfce 4.6. Small, fast, and awesome panel plugins. Gnome is a waste for nothing. KDE was interestingly customizable until 4.0.
But, to each their own.

[innercr]

I disagree. Windows runs fine on AMD as well. Windows kernel contains drivers for most of everything, and speaking of Bluetooth, I have neve been able to successfully install and run my bluetooth adapter in Vista, nor any Ubuntu releases prior to 9.04, so there's some parity here as well. Windows 7 on the other hand identified and installed the appropriate driver in a matter of seconds, and so did Ubuntu 9.04, which left me quite impressed with both OSes. Currently running Ubuntu 9.04 and Windows in dual-boot mode on AMD architecture laptop, and am enjoying the best of two worlds. I just frankly don't understand why there's any need to really bash on Windows? Yes, Ubuntu is enjoyable, fast, stable and highly customizable, but there are some programs that have been written specifically for Windows and need to be run on it, like for instance, Adobe Illustrator and others. For this purpose it makes sense to keep Windows as a complimentary OS to fulfill that task, and there's no need to shun it. I do believe in advent of cloud computing and would likely try it, although perceive it as a potential trap. If everything moves to cloud, then we, as users would depend on cloud for programs, apps, and document storage. I, for one would not trust my docs nor would buy any apps online not to mention, that even now I still refuse to use Google Docs online..
B-)

[innercr]

I agree, its always great to have more than one choice. Not a purist, I am currently using Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.04 in dual-boot. Works great on both sides with no limitations in apps! :D

[swccman]

The right tool for the job, makes it easy.

[swccman]

Actually think of Linux guys as cool, they have the time and inclination to write scripts and with one of the various package managers make coo stuff. I like my linus box as a server, I have SAMBO worrking the way I want it to. I found the alsa server a little harsh, and the creative support for my card somewhat lacking. So my preference is Windows, To others it makes no difference, or whatever.

One day I was searching for ivtv scripts and low and behold, I found someting I had written. Me, I'm for the path of least resistance.

[innercr]

Yeah, easy does it! B-)

[swccman]

Yea, I second you on that one. SAMBA was simple enough. As I mentioned in another post, I was looking for a script to use ivtv and redirect the output of /dev/video0 into mplayer. I was shocked to find a script that I had written a while ago. One of the days I'll learn IPCHAINS rules and write myself one heck of a firewall. Heck, Linux is my internal DNS and DHCP server, it serves it SMB shares. Hey it's all good in the hood.

[rasmasyean]

uh...you can write scripts in Windows too. It anything there are more things to write...

[swccman]

Yea, but why bother....Last script I had to write was to write AD users to an ascii file, using Wscript. I don't work in the business, but hey, I'll always help a friend. bash, perl and I are aquantinces, doesn't mean I want to use them for my everyday home multimedia I/O center. Now that the Windows entertainment center has hooks into netflix, I am totally psyched. Hey, writing shell scripts are cool for those who want to think, but I just want to be entertained. If you can get konqueror and Wine or Cedega to run the activex control for the browser, good luck. Me, I turn on WEC and enjoy. MythTV and elisa don't get close to that level of ease. even with the debian package manager.



VU 64-Bit does everything I want right out of the box, I like that. I actually kind of like the Windows scripting languages, but I am an old time bash, sed, awk and grep junkie, and I really do kind of like vi....I am not a smart man, just a retired sailor. Linux actually runs my internal router and firewall, it provides IP services from DHCP to NTP to SAMBA (SMB/CIFS) shares. It also provides all my streaming video and music stuff, except for television.



Hey script away, I do it for extra cash occasionally, but it's for friends and some spare cash, but for fun, nyet.

[swccman]

I run an AMD 4800+ X2, darn thing has worked without a hitch for two years.

[WinTard]

Any script in Linux/Unix, I can do in Windows as well. Without using cygwin either. ;) Oh, and vice-versa...