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Originally Posted by elch
The users how are preferring Windows and don't want to fiddle with the system when something isn't working, can stay with what they are currently using. But as far as I am concerned, there is no better system than Linux speaking from a developer-view. Linux was made by programmers for programmers. The "complexity" newcomers observe is just a matter of how much time you invest. I felt the same when I was first using Linux but then I started to play with the command line and discovered a whole new world and began to see things differently. Not only fundamental questions like: "What's the genuine value of a program?" Previously, I didn't think of programs as a "creation". I had the common mentality, to think of it as a "good" and "material" but in fact code belongs to our culture and is art. I also wondered about licensing. When using Windows, I didn't care about using a software that's freeware which I didn't had the source of. It's like you're getting used to the fact that you can simply browse the code, fix bugs, add features and it's a feeling like the application "belongs" to you. Of course, you're not the legal owner but compiling the source and applying optimizations just feels great.  |
Linux was made by programmers for programmers, but it is getting popular thanks to distributives like Ubuntu that are user friendly and because many things are similar to Windows.
I personally don't want to browse the code, fix it, add any feature. I just want to have an application that works, stable and easy to use. IMHO most of the rest should be done by feature requests and plug-ins.
Even I'm to code, I would like to earn money from it and spend spare time with with family, travelling, learning,...
Quote:
Originally Posted by elch
To sum up, nobody should be forced to use Linux. I did this with some friends and it failed miserably. They don't have the same view on computers as we have. They want it just to work, we want to understand things how they work and possibly make it better or make things easy (writing shell scripts etc.). There's no point in discussing Linux with them. They simply don't care on how much servers it's being used and how great it is. They even don't care that Microsoft spies them and that their computers are full of viruses. They don't care until something happens to them, until they get scammed.
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I disagree here. I persuaded my sister (and she is not computer savvy) to get a laptop with a trial version of Windows 7. Then I intsalled Ubuntu onto it. I didn't have any questions after that. She can browse the Internet, use Open Office for working with, watch videos, play games without any problem. Other friends and relatives ask me to help with Windows from time to time, because they need an antivirus, caught a virus, have some glitches,....
Quote:
Originally Posted by elch
Linux is so great because there's the freedom of viewing the source. Generally, developers don't want to make money with it. That's why there are so few GUIs. If we were so desperate in needing a GUI, we'd write it ourselves. That separates us from the "ordinary user". Commercial software does not necessarily mean that the software is bug-free or good but what I've observed so far is that these software are meant to be very easy-to-use having the side effect of losing advanced options. Yes, you're right, there is a customer-client relationship but remember, you bought a software. It's seen as a "good". The users expect to have it. Personally, I've never needed more than a tutorial or man page how to use an application under Linux. That's because the Internet is full of information. Nearly every question I've had so far has already been answered and they are all googlable. Yep, but I am talking again from a developer-perspective.
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The problem is that you can write a GUI for a simple program. One can hardly write MS Office, Autocad, Photoshop, Nero and even Total Commander.
- While freeware Open Office is OK, I still think that MS Office is much better.
- Freeware GIMP is OK, but it can't replace Photoshop.
- Freeware k3b is OK, but Nero for Linux still has sales and I do understand why.
- There are several freeware open source CADs, but they are not even close to CADs for Windows.
- There are several freeware open source torrent clients, but they are not as good as uTorrent for Windows.
- I can't replace Total Commander with an open source product either.
- And I haven't found anything that can replace image cropping of Fast Stone Image viewer (I've tried many programs, but all of them don't offer that easy of use).
- I've spent 2 days trying different approaches in syncing my Windows Mobile PDA with Evolution for Linux, although there are several open source programs that are supposed to do it and so many users need this feature. IMHO I didn't learn much while researching.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elch
Linux was never meant to be made money with. Companies like IBM or Novell tried their luck but digging deeper, you'll always notice that it's the passion with code that brings us developers to write applications and put them on the net for free. I've talked with non-geeks about it and they just can't understand it. I tried to explain it but most of them just see the computer industry as something to make much money with. They are not interested in technical solutions. They have no understanding why we those things and they give advices to rather sell your code for a lot of money etc. But these are also the people who actually buy the commercial software.
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I disagree. Companies always want to return their investments. The same thing is with IBM and Novell. They invest into Linux, but then earn money on selling software, hardware and services. Their contribution is great, but it is not just a donation.
I second selling code. The commercial product still can be an open source one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elch
It is but if they're not willing to learn, there's no point in doing all the effort. Remember, you need a license before you're allowed to drive your car. You've got to learn it first, experience some situations before you're ready for the "real world". That's the same with computers.
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This is really a good example. You need a license to drive your car, but you don't need to build your car from scratch, not do you have to be a mechanic to use a car. This is for enthusiast and professionals, other just want to get a car and enjoy driving. This is why I want Linux to be more user friendly and to have more commercial applications. I do not mind software to be open source.