Version: 2008

Comments on: Comfort zones: Windows vs. Linux

The comfort zone for consumers will determine whether operating systems like Google Chrome prevail over Windows.

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by lennie22 July 12, 2009 8:05 AM PDT
I think twice about handing my info over to google, so using their OS is a no go for me.....I need at least an ounce of privacy.
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by apple-pi July 12, 2009 8:33 AM PDT
Running Google OS does not automatically implies handling your data to Google. It all depends on the user contract that come with the OS, and given that they are going to open-source the whole thing, I do not think that will be a problem.
by jessiethe3rd July 12, 2009 10:44 AM PDT
@ apple-pi and anyone else who things Google is going to offer some type of flexible EULA for their OS
Let's face the music here - FREE implies you are going to get something for free. Fact of the matter is Google, Microsoft, and Apple are all in the business to make money. If you are giving away a "free" meaning, you put your money and R&D in developing a solution, do you think you expect to get paid for that solution? With this new Google Chrome OS I remind everyone out there who decides to deploy it and use it to read your EULA first to understand the implications of deploying / using their WOS (web operating system.)

Google makes money off advertising and selling your information. Google's OS opens up a new uncontrolled world of data collection - it's their own world where they own the base OS, they own the tools for connecting, and they own the applications on the web. Go no further than Android. When you turn on the phone you cannot get access to anything until you sign into your Gmail account. Once they have you authenticated they collect your every searching habit, your internet browsing habits. Look at the technology they put inside their Chrome Browser. Before you even hit enter the words you type into the browser are sent back to Google and analyzed and then they give you insight into search terms that are close to what you have typed. Yes it's helpful, kind of like an auto-word complete for the browser, however, Google has already stated that they will be collecting this information ongoing. That's like a key-stroke logger! No thanks...

Nothing's free in this world.
by beelzebub_trigger July 12, 2009 12:00 PM PDT
I think it's a bit silly to feel safe "handing all your info over" to Microsoft, vs Google. The fact is, Windows phones home with every meaningful bit of data you have. Plus, there are innumerable malware programs out there which are also targeting your info and run happily on Windows. Besides, with Chrome set to be released as open source, it'll be no time before there are apps and/or reworked versions of it available to safeguard your privacy. It's already happened with Google's chrome browser...
by DrtyDogg July 12, 2009 12:58 PM PDT
@beelzebub_trigger: " The fact is, Windows phones home with every meaningful bit of data you have."

You can't be serious.
by jessiethe3rd July 12, 2009 1:30 PM PDT
@beelzebud_trigger
Are you serious dude? Microsoft does not take any of the information on servers or desktop PCs. It is not allowed to root through your files, filter out keywords, determine search terms, and sell your information to partners - it's just possible. This phoning home stuff you are talking about - please give me some proof - just don't see it anywhere. And trust me if it did everyone would know about it except you.

In a centralized world the hacking target is guess what? Central. I am running Windows 7 and Windows Vista and guess what? No issues with Malware what-so-ever - it's the older versions of the OS which are unsupported by Microsoft that are causing the issues and headaches that everyone eludes to.

Google's Chrome browser? Are you kidding me? Google's whole reason for getting in the browser war, a.) to get customers use to its name from an application perspective, b.) to have a control based for collecting information where it can control the code - see my note about sending keystroke information back to Google prior to hitting enter on the address bar or whatever they call it in their version.

At least if I run with IE8 I can turn off everything and browse inPrivacy mode where my information is not sent to third parties.
by SteveMcQwark July 12, 2009 2:50 PM PDT
Sorry jessie, but you seem to be consistently reposting the same baseless attacks and ignoring responses. The software Google is making is going to be open sourced. What that means is that, if Google doesn't provide a decent privacy policy, the open source community can take the tech and run = Google makes no money from it.

Google learned form its mistake on releasing Chrome. Chrome now offers extensive privacy options, even on its Linux version where it isn't fully implemented yet. And if you want total blackout, you can use he private browsing mode (which came before inPrivate).

Please check your assumptions in the future. And not on conspiracy sites. Those things have laughable fact checking.
by forever4now July 12, 2009 3:14 PM PDT
@ lennie22

I don't understand why people make so many ridiculous comments about "handing their data over to Google". ChromeOS is essentially a browser. People can use it to get to Yahoo and all kinds of other online services, if they don't want to use Google services. Plus, it's open source so the whole world can see what is going on in the OS.

I think what many commenters here fail to consider is this: People trust Google. If Google were to start violating people's privacy, they would run the risk of breaking that trust & severely damaging their business. Thus, it is highly unlikely that they would ever knowingly do it.

Personally, I trust companies that have a lot to lose by violating my trust, more than companies that have little to lose by violating my trust.
by jessiethe3rd July 12, 2009 4:20 PM PDT
In regards to your comment Steve, please allow me to retort.

Steve I actually find my information in places like EPIC - The Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Here you can find out interesting tidbits like;

The Google and Doubleclick Merger - the fact that the FTC approved the merger when the Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras' husband worked for Doubleclick as their lawyer.

Google's working with CVS

Google's (and Microsoft's) push back from the 1996 HIPAA or Healthcare Portability Act - hence why organizations like the Cleveland and Mayo Clinic are reconsidering partnerships with non-forming HIPAA companies like MSFT and GOOG?

Running on open source means nothing Steve. Their privacy policy will be their privacy policy and users will need to opt-out versus opt-in on the collection of their personal information. Microsoft on the other hand does not track your every web move through it's OS or Browser and sell that information back to marketers.

Ask the common person how Google makes their revenues. I bet they won't know that they sell all their search information to marketers and they also make money on how they rank searches. Pay more and your searches rise in ranking. That's the slippery slope of adwords/adsense and the game they play. This is a company like any other company...

When revenues are to be made trust goes out the door. It's all about risk and reward. Risk losing your trust a slight bit for gaining more revenue reward.... hmmm... me thinks yes to Google. Wait and see...
by rtoennis July 12, 2009 5:19 PM PDT
Are You in Denial About How Much Privacy You Have?
http://over40innovator.blogspot.com/2009/07/are-you-in-denial-about-how-much.html
by solitare_pax July 12, 2009 5:57 PM PDT
If you value your privacy so much, I suggest you return to using a manual typewriter - everyone out there is collecting it, from Microsoft to Google, from Amazon to iTunes.
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by Pishkado July 12, 2009 8:13 AM PDT
It's not just consumers' comfort zones. Lots of consumers don't go into stores with a preconceived notion of what OS they want. They'll go with whatever a salesperson recommends. If Google can get Best Buy, etc., salescritters to treat their OS as a viable option, they have a chance. Identify the influencers, then go after them. That's the real battlefield, not the consumers themselves.
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by forever4now July 12, 2009 10:47 AM PDT
Sales people should at least understand the value propositions for both "thin" and "thick" OSes, before recommending solutions to customers:

e.g.

ChromeOS ("thin"):

Time Savings:
- bootup, shutdown, runtime
- software maintenance (configuration, debugging, updates, upgrades, virus & spyware scanning, OS re-installs, etc.)
- data backup & restore
- battery recharging

Cost Savings:
- reduced hardware requirements (CPU, memory, HDD, battery); presumably fanless
- less expensive total system cost, due to free OS (assuming vendor savings are passed on)
- reduced (eliminated?) need for virus, spyware, etc. programs
- lower electricity usage

...

Windows ("thick"):

...
by jessiethe3rd July 12, 2009 1:39 PM PDT
You forgot -
Security
- one company could potentially have all rights and access to your data, search activity, and would basically be allowed to sell all your private information to it's ad partners.
- one company to hack - instead of you getting the opportunity to protect yourself and your data you have to depend on another company - they will be responsible for it - if they are hacked them and all their users are hacked

Cost:
Less expensive cost if you are okay with having all your information shared with Google

The only thing free in using Chrome OS is Google getting to market your remaining internet activity to its market partners for free. Check out how Google makes its money...
by ckh1272 July 12, 2009 2:06 PM PDT
I think it's kind of funny how people don't want to give "all of their info." to Google, all the while they are most likely typing using an OS by a certain other company. Too funny!!
by SteveMcQwark July 12, 2009 2:51 PM PDT
And even in the web browser, you don't have to give all your data to Google. You can choose not to. And since its open source, there can't be any back doors.
by The_Decider July 15, 2009 7:28 AM PDT
That is very true. The vast majority of computer buyers(and cnet readers) couldn't tell you what an OS actually is.
by sparrowhyperion July 12, 2009 8:36 AM PDT
Let Google run my machine..... Yeh, Right..... LMAO........ (Sound of thunk as I drop to the floor and go cataleptic...)
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by bimmin July 12, 2009 8:42 AM PDT
Aren't we all already subject to way too much advertising already???
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by myles taylor July 12, 2009 9:06 AM PDT
I think this is what the Linux community needs to make it more mainstream. Currently there is no advertising for Linux out there and too many distros and complexities for casual users who want to get into it. Linux needs a powerful company like Google to mainstream and advertise it in order to get it adopted and this is just what will happen. As pointed out in the article, consumers are fickle and will jump onboard the latest trend. While most CNet readers (or commenters at least) are already aware of the options and have made a choice, the majority of consumers only use Windows because that's all they know. It's only more recently that Mac OS has become mainstream enough for it to be commonly recognized.

The OS wars have been firmly between Mac OS and Windows since Linux has stayed in the technological savvy group. Throw in Google with the Linux crowd and we have a new Big Three. I think this is just what both Apple and Microsoft need to force them to make their OSes easier and more streamlined. Two levels of competition aren't enough.
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by phatose July 12, 2009 4:39 PM PDT
A successful Chrome would be apocalyptic for the linux crowd. Having it proved to them first hand that OSS fails miserably until a big corporation steps in and enforces some kind of order would essentially devastate the philosophy they run on - the bazaar fails. Plus, being beholden to a big corporation makes it real, real hard to give microsoft flack without looking hypocritical. Those two things are essentially the glue that keeps the already fractured and segmented linux community resembling an actual whole.

They might end up with chrome on the desktop, but no one will recognize it as linux, and the average user certainly isn't going to be embracing the communistic philosophy the movement is about.
by PhilipPeake July 12, 2009 6:09 PM PDT
So you don't remember all those IBM ads for Linux?
Seems that some people have a short memory.

The Linux issue is the same one that kept Unix off the desktop -- the 1001 different variants, all of which have compatibility issues with the others.

Its fine for the OpenSource community to say that this is the way it should be, and that there should be multiple desktop systems and distributions, and that the best one will win -- and when is that? In the year 2097 its way too late.
by odubtaig July 12, 2009 6:09 PM PDT
Phatose: completely failing to understand the actual point behind F/OSS. Oh look, he equates i to communism. Clearly a deep thinker here.
by phatose July 12, 2009 10:11 PM PDT
Oh look, a personal attack from a sanctimonious OSSer. I'd be much more surprised if hate wasn't half the glue that holds you guys together.
by odubtaig July 13, 2009 1:39 AM PDT
Your entire original comment wasn't a baseless broad smear on a whole group of people? The only reason that can't be called a personal attack is that it's about more than one person.

It's not a personal attack when I say your comment is lacking in any understanding of the philosophy behind F/OSS, drags out the most tired old saws and has all the substance of a failed souffle. You wrote garbage. That you try to claim I'm making a personal attack instead of backing up anything you wrote nicely underlines this.
by jerrymacGP July 14, 2009 4:15 PM PDT
Linux lacks a couple of other major points before it can become more mainstream. One, it needs to be available preinstalled on OEM machines bought at retail or online. (Dell USA offers this with its Inspiron line, but Dell Canada only offers it with its Inspiron Mini netbooks). Indeed, it ought to be possible to take the retail price of a desktop or laptop that is normally supplied with Windows, subtract the cost of the Windows license, preinstall Ubuntu or another user-friendly Linux distro, and sell the same system at a fat discount over its Windows-loaded twin.

Two, OEMs' warranties need to be unconstrained by what OS is installed. In other words, deleting Windows & installing Linux ought not to void the warranty. This limitation has stopped me from buying an inexpensive laptop, wiping Windows off of it, and installing Ubuntu.

Until these two issues are resolved, Linux in all its flavours will remain for hobbyists and "geeks". Too bad, really; it looks like a fine OS.
by The_Decider July 15, 2009 7:29 AM PDT
"Having it proved to them first hand that OSS fails miserably until a big corporation steps in and enforces some kind of order would essentially devastate the philosophy they run on"

LOL

Every major corporation depends on Linux every day, even MS.
by The_Decider July 15, 2009 7:31 AM PDT
"The Linux issue is the same one that kept Unix off the desktop -- the 1001 different variants, all of which have compatibility issues with the others."

There are no real compatibility issues, everything runs ever distro. Without extra work. Any extra work comes into play if you want your app to integrate into KDE and Gnome, although I don't think there is any reason to bother with that. They run on top of it with no work, it is just the look and feel that takes time and is a waste of time.
by HlLLARY CLITON July 12, 2009 9:59 AM PDT
I thought a year from now we would all be Cloud computing, no need for an operating system
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by SergeM256 July 12, 2009 3:02 PM PDT
We still need OS to connect to the Cloud. And this OS will be not much different from a regular OS. Currently, only small fraction of computer resources is used to run applications, most of the resources (perhaps 90-99%) is used:
a) networking - like reading and processing output from network adapter;
b) graphic - like showing movies (i.e. drawing a sequence of pictures).
Nothing would really change when applications move to Cloud, "dumb terminal" for Cloud computing will be not much different from normal PC.
by Renegade Knight July 13, 2009 8:45 AM PDT
Even if we all computed in the cloud, the servers hosting our info need an OS.
by July 12, 2009 10:03 AM PDT
Let Microsoft run my machine... Yeah, Right. LMAO.
Let Apple run my machine... Yeah, Right. LMAO.
Let Linux run my machine... Wait, "Linux" doesn't "run" anyone's machine. In any given Linux PC, the USER runs the PC. Which is precisely why it doesn't appeal to "every day folk". People WANT some 3rd party company "running" their machine and they WANT it to be a familiar and/or trustworthy name (Microsoft being the former but not the latter).

The reason why Google is such a threat to Microsoft on the desktop OS front is because Microsoft HASN'T been doing a good job of "running" people's computers. Not only is Google a serious threat to Microsoft but Google's entry into the desktop operating system market will legitimize Linux as a desktop OS in the minds of a great many non-technical people. If millions of non-geeks start using Chrome OS then the monopoly/platform lock-in power of Windows will be diminished to what I'd call an, "anti-selling point". When that happens the Windows market share on the desktop will collapse and the OS will exist as yet another legacy platform that lingers forever because it is so hard to undo that kind of vendor lock-in.

-Riskable
"I have a license to kill -9"
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by ckurowic July 12, 2009 6:11 PM PDT
You need your head checked dude.
by Vegaman_Dan July 12, 2009 10:44 PM PDT
If millions of non-geeks start using Chrome OS then the monopoly/platform lock-in power of Windows will be diminished to what I'd call an, "anti-selling point".

Unfortunately there are not millions of non-geeks out there willing to take the steep learning curve it requires to run a Linux based system. They want something simple that they know and can get support anywhere if they need it. They want to be able to run software they buy at the local box store. They want something that someone has heard of in their own circle of friends.

Linux is none of these to those prospective end users. Linux has, and will continue to be largely an OS for geeks. Google has a chance to better increase visibility, but they have a very large uphill battle- and they have to fight the internal Linux OS holy war of different distros. Ubuntu fans aren't exactly thrilled that they got pretty much tossed aside by Google. That sort of treatment isn't going to encourage Linux fans to promote the product. :/
by odubtaig July 13, 2009 1:41 AM PDT
Vegaman_Dan: in no way personally invested in MS staying a monopoly.

Noooo.
by rnaoncfixd July 13, 2009 8:44 AM PDT
Agreed with Vegaman_Dan.

The average customer will want to know where he/she can get customer support for google OS. Will the Geek Squad guys be certified fast enough for them to work on a quick enough solution? My sister's friend just bought a computer because her old one broke down, and really, she just wanted something to just do some basic word processing, surf the internet, and work on some family photos. While true, she could obviously get a Google Cloud oriented PC, but her main concern was that since her previous computer broke down, where will she get support if it happens? She's not exactly the most tech savvy person.

I tend to notice that when a Linux user has problems, he asks other Linux users. There is no real go-to place for a problem. Apple was smart in their implication, because they have tutorials and classes a consumer can take to help them integrate into the OSX system. You can find ads for people who even sell tutorials on Windows. I have yet to see an ad or any widely installed program used to teach people about Linux. Yes, people can go and research online and educate themselves, but most people need a teacher to help them out with things. To relate, it's much easier to take guitar lessons and fully know how to play than just reading guitar tabs off the internet.

I was listening to the local morning talk show radio a while ago when the G1 was first coming out and the DJs had made fun of it because it was for geeks. They didn't understand what was so great about it and just wrote it off as something that only nerds would understand. The DJs then went on to talk about whatever movie Hillary Swank was in or something they saw on Perez Hilton. This is the so-called normal, casual base that Google has to appeal to, to really make bank.

You guys can be real snooty about what operating system you're running and laugh at the "casual user," but they're the ones who's money really matters.
by odubtaig July 13, 2009 10:21 AM PDT
Funny thing, every issue of Linux Format has a directory of UK Linux User Groups which provide exactly the direct contact, tuition and seminar sessions you claim don't exist.

http://lug.org.uk/

All for free.

Once again, claims that support is not there when it is. I wonder if rnaoncfixd has any vested interests? I know Dan has. Who want's to bet £50 that if an Epson scanner didn't work on Windows it'd be Epson's fault for not providing the drivers? I'm not saying hardware compatiblity isn't a valid reason to stick with Windows but moaning and whining about how the Linux community should be doing Epson's job for them just stinks of double standards as is to be expected from this one.
by Vegaman_Dan July 13, 2009 11:16 AM PDT
@odubtaig:

" Who want's to bet £50 that if an Epson scanner didn't work on Windows it'd be Epson's fault for not providing the drivers?"

You're right, I would blame Epson. However that is because Epson would claim that it did work with Windows. Epson doesn't make that claim for Linux in any way- that's the claim that Linux enthusiasts such as yourself make instead both here and in other stories... how Linux has huge support for hardware. That's all great and good until you have hardware that doesn't work and then who do you go to for support? Not the OEM. Perhaps that guy in Tulsa who might be working on a driver, or a college group in Phoenix- well, that is until they had an argument and the club disbanded which caused the whole thing to be abandoned.

There's a lot to be said for having professionals behind a product doing their research and release drivers as needed. That's something an average non-geek consumer needs to be able to rely upon and Linux currently just doesn't offer that level of support.

As a side question of note- how many people will have this Linux machine as their only machine? What happens when it doesn't boot? Where do those people turn for support? Geeks usually have several machines, so the downtime of one isn't that big of a deal as you whip out your second laptop or SSH into another system to do your research on the affected machine. The consumer who doesn't know about Linux isn't likely going to have these sorts of resources... or even know where to go looking for them in the first place.

Chrome could help to change this. I just don't see it being a game changer to the level that you seem to however.
by Vegaman_Dan July 13, 2009 11:20 AM PDT
@odubtaig:

" Funny thing, every issue of Linux Format has a directory of UK Linux User Groups which provide exactly the direct contact, tuition and seminar sessions you claim don't exist.

http://lug.org.uk/"

If a consumer has bought this Linux based system as their new machine, will the know that there are user groups out there for them? If their machine cannot boot, how exactly do they get to the internet to search, hmm? They will need to take it to the local computer store where they will be told that nobody works on those machines- sorry, we only work on Windows and Mac systems. A great impression that will leave for the consumer, and a very realistic one.

You've demonstrated perfectly one of the biggest limitations right there.
by Forked_Tongue July 13, 2009 12:29 PM PDT
This will also open a whole new world for linux users, hardware support from vendors who might now see it might be important enough to come out with drivers for linux if this market takes off. This is good news for everyone because if this does happen it will put pressure on MS to constantly improve their product and give us a reason to pay for the "window's experience". Whenever companies must compete it is always a good thing for consumers, it shouldn't just be the Linux crowd cheering this, but also the Windows and Apple crowd as well, it will force our favorite OSes to take each system up a few levels.
by odubtaig July 13, 2009 1:30 PM PDT
Dan,

"There's a lot to be said for having professionals behind a product doing their research and release drivers as needed. That's something an average non-geek consumer needs to be able to rely upon and Linux currently just doesn't offer that level of support. "

Just reinforced my point there. That last sentence should read "that's something an average non-geek consumer needs to be able to rely upon and Epson currently just doesn't offer that level of support".

Now, find me where it's claimed Linux specifically supports your scanner. While you're at it, explain to me how 'supports a wide range of hardware' means the exact same as 'supports the same hardware Windows does'. Show me where, exactly, it is claimed that this scanner of yours is supported. Even better, since you say I've made such claims, show me where I've claimed this.

What actually happened is that you bought a scanner for Windows without checking it would work on Linux and when it didn't you blamed neither yourself for making assumptions nor the hardware manufacturer for their lack of support. I guarantee that if you were buying for Windows or Mac you'd do, at the very least, some basic research. In this case, it's quite obvious you didn't bother.

"They will need to take it to the local computer store where they will be told that nobody works on those machines"

Dan, dan, dan. That was with regards to "I have yet to see an ad or any widely installed program used to teach people about Linux", not getting it fixed you silly bonehead.

Now, do you really think that if these stores with in-store repair shops are selling these things they won't train their staff up? It's not like they don't charge for the privilege. Risk their business going elsewhere? I think not. Yes, I refer to stores selling Linux pre-loaded. Why? Because that's how non-geeks get Windows.

You keep claiming there's no support despite being shown many a time that it's actually equal to the support for Windows. Anyone'd think you had something to lose if the overall requirement for Windows support went down.

"What happens when it doesn't boot? Where do those people turn for support?"

Well, for one example my gf's three year old laptop carked it recently (motherboard) and, after her sister's experience with unscrupulous computer repair shops she called me. What, me, have a low opinion of computer repair shops? **** yeah!

Given that I'm the go-to guy for most people I know, some of whom insist on paying me (I don't even do tech support for a living) my opinion of paid tech support is already a bit **** low. Too many cowboys, not enough range.

PS

Despite what you've written (you miss your calling as a creative writer, Dan? Fiction seems to be your game) I haven't offered an opinion on Chrome O/S for the simple reason that there's not yet anything to form an opinion on.
by The_Decider July 15, 2009 7:35 AM PDT
I guarantee you that Linux supports more printers out of the box then Windows does.

Even when you only count x86 hardware, Linux still has Windows beat and it is no contest outside of x86.

Modern distros have all the bells and whistles that Vista and 7 have, but Windows can't run on all the same hardware that Linux does.
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by queticomn July 12, 2009 10:26 AM PDT
Cnet == a Joke.

Slashdot. :)
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by jessiethe3rd July 12, 2009 10:48 AM PDT
HAIL SLASHDOT!
by MrBoomshadow July 13, 2009 7:43 AM PDT
...and yet, here you are commenting. ;)
by cnetjoe999 July 12, 2009 10:38 AM PDT
Windows users are sheep that just want to be spoon fed. Lest we all forget the past "reasons" not to use Linux:
1) Too hard to learn a new interface (VOID- windows has changed its interface 3 times now).
2) Have to buy limit hardward (VOID - windows has forced users to buy all new hardware 2 times now).
3) Linux requires too much technical knowledge ( VOID - with the weekly patches due to viruses, bugs, crashes, and hardware incompatibilities, Windows users are exercising their technical side just to keep up!!! They just don't realize they have crossed the line and are at the same technical "digging" level as they would need to be with Linux.

But on the other hand, if Linux popularity increases, winDOZE will sue their way into a monopoly again - SO EVERYONE - KEEP USING WINDOZE! Go Team!
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by monkeyfun14 July 12, 2009 11:05 AM PDT
1) Windows changed the interface yes but not very much.
2) Alot of hardware does not work on Linux or works like crap do to bad drivers.
3) Linux requires quite a bit of technical knowledge installing a program requires manually typing in a command.

4) Trolls like you are the reason why Linux fails insulting your potential users doesn't make people jump ship. Its not like Ford got me to choose the Mustang over the Camaro by telling me my car is a piece of junk and i'm just a sheep.
by djrosen July 12, 2009 12:03 PM PDT
@Monkeyfun14
1) It does not matter how much it changed but you are full of it anyway its changed plenty. I use Windows everyday in an office environment. I had the 'privilege' of being exposed to Windows server 2008 for the first time recently. To say it has not changed very much is a joke! I have not moved beyond XP as I would venture many users, especially in the office, have not and if Vista/Windows 7 looks like what I just saw, and works like THAT, they will RUN not walk to something more familiar. Renaming a file required 2 confirmations?! ***! that was just the beginning. Oddly enough a current XP user would be much more comfortable with a current Linux OS look and Feel than any of the recent iterations of Windows.

2) Based on your #3 you know little or nothing about Linux that said, it runs fine with most hardware, especially the stuff that will come pre installed on a box with Linux installed by the manufacturer. Since most consumers do not install OS's and upgrade hardware regularly (at all?), it is unlikely that they will encounter any issues. I just worked on a dell laptop for a buddy this weekend. Reformat and install the OS (XP) What a freaking nightmare! Nothing worked out of the box. No sound, no NETWORK and no pcmcia slot and only basic graphic card functionality. I actually had to go out to dell's website and had to wade through a bunch of crap just to get the right drivers and that was AFTER providing dell with the tag from the machine! Something a consumer would have a little trouble with, especially since multiple things were listed for the same device and dell 'recommended' a bunch of crap that was completely unnecessary bloatware. I had to burn them to a CD and then install on said machine. Every machine I have installed Ubuntu on (multiple desktops and laptops) just worked, everything. WIll that be the case for eveyone, probably not, but its not with windows wither. At WORST we have a tie here but in my experience, Linux just works, no CD swapping and without 4 or 5 reboots and multiple trips to the windows update site (Started with XP SP1)

3)No typing necessary, no multiple sites to visit, in fact, you dont even need to open a brwoser or command window to install anything. Speak not of something you know nothing about.

4) Trolls? Go reread your comment and see if that was not a blatant troll. The reason Linux 'fails' is simply becasue there isn't a major corporation spending billions to tell everyone that there is nothing to see over there------------> For heaven sake Bing.com inserted oh so cleverly into tv shows like the philanthropist! can you say running scared? Car companies dont comapre there wares to other cars and tell you theirs is better? Do you actually watch TV? Its rare to see a car commercial that DOES NOT do that. Hyundai compared to BMW anyone?
by ckh1272 July 12, 2009 2:11 PM PDT
@djrosen--Monkeys cannot comprehend the common sense you just laid out there. They have to justify their internet existence by talking short sighted gibberish in the hopes that someone will pay some attention to him/her. You made some really good points BTW.
by cnetjoe999 July 12, 2009 3:25 PM PDT
monkeyfun14,
Your responses on 2 & 3 show you are clueless. You are just parroting the excuses of 8 years ago - which was the point of my post.

I've been using Linux since 1999. In 2004 I finally dumped Microsoft and have been 100% Linux ever since.

You sound perfectly happy with Windoze, so by all means, shell out another $199.00 for the Vista upgrade and then another $199.00 in 2011 for Windows Gazelle. And don't forget to shell out another $149 for your MS Office upgrades for Office 2010. And of course, you'll need new computers for each upgrade if you can live with the performace hit.

Not meaning to insult anyone, but EVERYONE knows that when you or I decide to "just pay the piper" because we have more important issues in our lives than choosing an OS and dealing with it - We are sheep. I'm a sheep about High speed internet. I really should get off my butt and switch to DSL but I'm just too lazy to do so. So I continue to spend $5.00 more per month for nothing.

When the pain of viruses, bugs, patches and giving your hard earned money get bad enough - you'll do something about it.

One man's insults are another man's truths.
by myles taylor July 12, 2009 9:06 PM PDT
@monkeyfun14,

Did you seriously just call someone else a troll? Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?
by Vegaman_Dan July 12, 2009 10:50 PM PDT
@djrosen:

My Epson flatbed scanner works with both Mac and Windows without a single issue. Linux... well, there was this one guy who was trying to write a driver for it a couple of years ago, but then he got a job and gave up on the project. Since Epson doesn't support Linux for the product, I have been forced to use the hardware on the Macbook instead.

Linux simply couldn't do it due to lack of support and relying upon amateurs to *maybe* write drivers... or maybe not. That sort of support simply isn't acceptable to me. Thankfully my Mac could run the scanner.

There's lots of hardware out there that does require you to be a geek to hunt down drivers, figure out which config file the driver may be using dependant upon which kernel you have, then make the package, compile it, get it installed- only to find out that the version you are using actually got changed and the changes weren't documented. Oops, sorry, you need to create another config file in another location entirely, but there are sixteen different answers online on where to put it.

That's like being told the problem with your car is that it has a failure in the engine, but nobody can agree what sort of engine you have, what make the vehicle is, or even where the engine is physically located. Sure, most of it works exactly the way you want it, until you need to change the oil and find that the engine is mounted in the trunk even though all the MAN pages say it's up front.
by monkeyfun14 July 13, 2009 8:22 AM PDT
@Myles_Taylor


I challenge you to find something where I outright say Apple sucks. All I do is defend MS if people are uneducated.
by Inconnux July 13, 2009 9:37 AM PDT
1) Windows has changed its interface over the years... Win3.1, Win95-ME, WinXP, Vista-Win7 are all different interfaces. Ubuntu is very different from any of these.

2) Hardware. One of Vistas largest mistakes was to not make hardware drivers compatible with a previous version. WinXP could use Win2k drivers. Ubuntu drivers work *most of the time* but when something doesn't work well, it becomes a major pain... Wireless network cards on a brand new toshiba laptop as an example of problems that I have encountered.

3) Linux DOES require technical knowledge for many things. As someone who has used Linux since kernel 1.2.3 (slackware!) I wouldn't give Ubuntu to people who don't have a decent computer background. Linux is great for technical users, but I wouldn't give it to my parents.

You lose all credibility when you call it Windoze...

People use windows because

1) it comes with most systems
2) it runs with most of the software on the shelves and online
3) it tends to maintain itself
4) there is relatively little learning curve.
5) when you buy hardware it is almost always installs and runs easily.

The reasons that Vista was hated so much was mainly due to problems with #2, 4 and 5. It looks like they have solved this problem with Windows 7.
by calmor15014 August 11, 2009 9:55 AM PDT
Dan,

The fact that your scanner drivers were not produced for Linux is hardly a fault of the community - apparently your scanner is either not very popular (and nobody cares about it) or complex in that it couldn't easily be reverse-engineered. Nobody is paid to write the drivers, and people probably had better things to do with their time (and bought a different scanner).

I realize that not every company cares to support Linux. Its low market share makes that a logical business decision, and I can't criticize them too much for not doing so. But, if you want to run Linux, you'll support vendors who support Linux. Just as if you want to run OSX, you'll buy things that work with OSX. Now that Apple is gaining market share, this is getting easier to do, but there was a time not so long ago that it was not nearly as easy to find compatible hardware for Macs.

Which turns back to you as the responsible party. I personally don't care if you run Linux or not. But if you do, don't buy a Lexmark printer and complain about the lack of support. This is NO different than Mac a few short years ago. Windows, with its huge market share, rarely has this problem... save for the known Vista legacy device issue.

My experience with hardware has been mostly good, and occasionally amazing. When was the last time you plugged *anything* into a Windows machine and it installed without requiring a disk? That said, there have been challenges. I had a Creative Webcam in the same boat as your scanner - drivers were started but never completed. What did I do? Sold it on eBay and bought one compatible with Linux.
by aeshraghi July 12, 2009 10:44 AM PDT
Two more important variables are price and the hardware. Being free and also being lightweight and supporting ARM can be great advantages for Google Chrome OS.
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by jessiethe3rd July 12, 2009 10:49 AM PDT
Nothing is free - certainly not my privacy.
by SteveMcQwark July 12, 2009 2:55 PM PDT
Yes it is, if you want it to be.
by Nataku4ca July 13, 2009 10:36 AM PDT
I just have to put this out there,

ARM processor is, great and nice and danty and stuff, but....

Regular consumers have zero clue what the hell that thing is and when they know nothing of it, especially in computers, they will opt for AMD or Intel because

1) they know it
2) they, at least, have a bit of idea how to distinguish their speed against each other
and
3) they know it...

well at least from my perspective ARM is gonna have a hard time making it's name in Netbook market as it is better known for smart phone and stuff...
by NM Glider Pilot July 12, 2009 11:15 AM PDT
The world will continue to use Windows and Microsoft products UNTIL there are VIABLE alternatives to them. Right now the business world revolves around MS. Linux is a geek dream (nice system, but there are TOO MANY VARIANTS and NONE of them are really mainstream - yeah - I know about RedHat - what's your point? Still just a pipe dream). Every aspect of our world revolves around those business apps that we all use and all of them work from Windows - Not MAC, not Linux, not Google. Make alternatives to office, Intuit, and other mainstream apps that WORK as good (or better) than the MS or Windows-based versions and the world _might_ switch. Right now those products don't exist so we keep on using Windows. Do MS all you want, but even those countries that have switched to open-source are mostly moving back to MS products because they work.
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by ceolceol July 12, 2009 1:04 PM PDT
So you know about a mainstream linux distro (one of a couple, I might add) yet you still assert that there are none? Do you read what you type or does it just kind of flow out like some avalanche of stupidity?

Linux has many ports of MS software that work and are easily installed. Linux also has versions of MS Office Suite yet you still say there are none? Hell, OpenOffice works so much better than MS Office that everyone I give it to uses it more! The only reason I even have it installed is just in case someone sends me an obscure pptx file that I need to open.

The only reason linux isnt as notable as Windows is because of exactly what this article says: comfort. No one is comfortable switching to an operating system they've never used.
by Random_Walk July 12, 2009 3:47 PM PDT
"Linux is a geek dream (nice system, but there are TOO MANY VARIANTS and NONE of them are really mainstream"

I'm guessing you don't do much in business IT... Oracle, Business Reports, WebLogic, WebMethods, VMWare ESX, Cisco NEXUS switchgear, MediaWiki, postfix/qmail/courier/sendmail, BIND/djbdns, MySQL... just the tip of a very large iceberg of apps and suites that either use Linux to control them (ESX and NEXUS), or run directly on Linux (all the rest mentioned, plus way too many more).

Hope you don't go spouting that philosophy off in a job interview, else your career is liable to be crimped at best, or spent flipping burgers at worst.
by Random_Walk July 12, 2009 3:52 PM PDT
PS: in reference to "but even those countries that have switched to open-source are mostly moving back to MS products because they work. "

Don't tell the London Stock Exchange you said that, else you're liable to get an earful: http://blogs.computerworld.com/london_stock_exchange_to_abandon_failed_windows_platform
by mbenedict July 13, 2009 7:38 AM PDT
@Penguinisto:

The LSE's problems has NOTHING to do with Windows. E.g., NASDAQ's transaction volumes are vastly greater than the LSE's, yet NASDAQ runs Windows just fine.

The LSE has always been incompetent when it comes to technology. They spent 500 million (British Pounds) on Taurus before scrapping it. The measly 40 million they spent on the Windows platform (TradElect) was a total ROI win.

It's funny how "bloggers" keep blaming TradElect for LSE's problems (mainly last year's outage), when the LSE itself has gone ON THE RECORD to stating that they actually had network software issues:

http://www.computerworlduk.com/management/it-business/it-organisation/news/index.cfm?newsid=10947

As I see it there are two problems with TradElect, none having to do with Windows:

1. The platform was designed with "old school" requirements. Back when TradElect was designed, the emphasis was to scale capacity. As a result the LSE can handle huge capacity, but they didn't foresee the advent of "high-frequency" trading which was a complete game changer. Latency (rather than just capacity) is now king, and TradElect was never designed for sub-millisecond latency. My guess is TradElect would have to be majorly re-architected (re-written) to support high-frequency trading needs in coming years.

2. TradElect is a one-off custom solution, so it's very expensive to maintain or change because there's no economy of scale. These days there are a number of commercial trading platforms which can do the job. Instead of re-writing TradElect, the LSE might be better off buying a commercial trading platform then customize it for their needs.

Today the big exchanges (LSE included) must compete with ATS systems or die. So *if* TradElect is to be replaced (which is not even certain), it will be to bring in a "next generation" commercial trading platform. Or, they could still choose to re-write TradElect to support high-frequency trading needs.

A number of commercial trading platforms run on Windows, by the way -- so any TradElect replacement could also end up running on Windows.
by steeveadoor July 12, 2009 11:23 AM PDT
Personally my only reason for not working more with Linux is the portability of software and games.
Like millions of other dupes such as myself we like things like Everquest and other things that the developers refuse to port over, I asked a company rep and was told it would never happen ,Get them to port it and you would see a major increase in use ,Linux is very nice it just cant deliver what the masses want, Companies control OS's not Microsoft.
Windoze controls Everquest.
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by GG1000 July 12, 2009 11:26 AM PDT
People do not necessarily have "unintellectual, emotional" attachments - most of us (at least the ones I"ve talked to) don't care about the computer; just what it does, and just like we keep our old phones because we don't want to figure out a new one, we don't feel like trying a new OS because, well, we don't feel like it! Personally, I acknowledge there are probably better ways to do it, just like there are better ways to do most things, but I just don't care enough to figure it out because computers don't interest me. There are probably better ways to do things you do every day, like shave, fold your laundry, organize the garage, toast your bread, etc., but who can be bothered to spend time and energy figuring them out when the method you've got generally results in what you want. Just because people don't take any interest in or pleasure from the nuts and bolts of computers doesn't mean we're unintellectual adolescents pining for Windows 98 like a tweenie pines for the Twilight cast - we just have different priorities.
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by Nataku4ca July 13, 2009 10:42 AM PDT
nicely said, it's free world

yet ppl insist if you don't do what they say, you are an idiot, pfffttt
by captwildbilly July 12, 2009 11:39 AM PDT
THe main reason for using Windows as opposed to any other opperating system is the huge pool of software and hardware that will run on it. Chrome could be fine for someone who absolutely knows that they will never run anything that doesn't run on Chrome, but for all of us who are likely to someday put something on our netbook that won't run on an opperating system other than Windows, Chrome is going to be a big risk.

The real question is what would compell me to use Chrome rather than Windows? About the only reason that anyone would want to use an opperating system other than Windows would be cost. On a desktop or notebook PC the cost of the OS is so small (other than MAC OS with incures a huge cost due to the propriatary nature of the hardware it will run on) that nobody really cares. On a netbook the cost of Vista or Windows 7 would be high enough to make those netbooks significantly more expensive than one with Chrome on it, but since netbooks usually come with XP I cannot see how the cost could be enough for anyone to care. Nobody is going to be enticed to by a netbook because it is $10 cheaper than another, but then have a netbook that won't run most software.

I suppose that if you look at your netbook as an internet access only device, then the OS really wouldn't matter, but even though I have 10 computers in the house I would still expect my netbook to be useful for things other than cruising the web. Even as a web access tool I often find software apps that I want to install on my computer (maybe a little program that simulates two interfering waves, or a program that allows me to test a simple structure, etc.), what am I going to do with those applications on my Linux or Chrome machine.

I guess the real problem is that barring some glaring problem with Windows there is little incentive to move to an OS that doesn't have mountains of software and hardware compatibility that Windows has. The only serious flaw that anyone could point to with Windows (the silly Apple commercials explaining to people who should know better, that the MAC is so much more reliable and simple to opperate than Windows, not withstanding), is the cost. Chrome would have to have some way to allow total compatibility with Windows applications if it is going to draw people away from Windows while they build their user base (even many MAC users use their computer in Windows mode or install a Windows simulator). The problem is that having a Windows simulator or Windows compatibility just highlights to users, the fact that Windows compatibility is so important. The obvious next question for a possible Chrome user is, if I need Windows compatibility, and Windows either comes for free or costs only a few dollars more, then why don't I get a Windows netbook in the first place?
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by mease July 12, 2009 12:00 PM PDT
Personally, I don't see how a browser based OS would be very useful. First, I think cloud computing is nothing but a security risk. I want complete control of my files, I don't want them out where only god (and Google ) know. Second, I use a lot of nuclear physics applications, I have seen few programs written for linux, so for none for apple, the majority are for windows and MSDOS, just because the program is old does not mean it is not very useful. Why reinvent the wheel by writing my own when there is already software that will do the job available. Third, doesn't the browser it's self, still require an underlying OS? I quit using linux about 5 years ago largely because I did not find it very useful. I suspect that Google chrome OS will be about the same or worse. I remember when the chrome browser first came out Google was claiming rights to all work you did with it. I did not install it and never looked back., as someone commented previously read carefully the EULA, you may be givving away all rights to your all you hard work.
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by Super2online July 12, 2009 12:14 PM PDT
I have to laugh at the whole notion of a browser based webOS. This is not an OSk it's middleware on top of linux, plain and simple.
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by tuxxo July 12, 2009 12:32 PM PDT
what kind of computer/tech article is this? emotional attachment to an operating environment? What is this guy talking about? People care about what your computer or phone does. Not who makes it or what OS it runs on it. Did you just know from 5 years ago that linux is hard to configure? Did you actually tried to configure something on linux and then on vista to see what tech skills you need? Soon, there will be an OS shrink. Emotional attachment, pf....
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by SteveMcQwark July 12, 2009 2:57 PM PDT
If a tech illiterate friend went into a store to buy a netbook, and they said "you can choose Ubuntu or Windows" what do you think they'd do?
by Nataku4ca July 13, 2009 10:46 AM PDT
@SteveMcQwark

the kid would
1) ask the difference
2) think...
3) choose windows

the sales would answer when asked the 1st question
uh... that machine is cheaper because ubuntu it is opensource...?

most sales say anything to get the consumer to buy things, they dont really care which u get and they are mostly tech illiterate...

my 2 cent anyways
by tuxxo July 12, 2009 12:36 PM PDT
Since we are in the "emotional attachment to an operating environment" chapter, how do you feel about MS sitting on a critical bug for 1.5 years?
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by pithenumber July 13, 2009 3:21 PM PDT
and how do you feel about Mac OS being first to fall in hacking competitions
by worried1 July 12, 2009 12:39 PM PDT
First I must say I do not trust Google and their disreguard for privacy or coppywrite. I should need to opt in not optout.
Second no matter what anyone says ALL my programs work togather on MS; when that is nolonger the case I will once again try Linux but not any OS from Google.
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by SteveMcQwark July 12, 2009 3:23 PM PDT
You need to opt in in Google Chrome. I don't see how it will be any different in Chrome OS. They'll probably make it even better to dismiss privacy concerns. Google's software will be open source, so they have to abide by their privacy policy ie no back doors.
by symbolset July 12, 2009 1:10 PM PDT
"Promote and position its brand" - This is your clue that the people involved in preparing the report aren't talking about technology. They're talking about marketing. In particular, they're marketing their own marketing. Basically, that's what marketing people do. And Google is wise in ignoring them.

Google is all about implementing world-class technologies, economies of scale, and marketing their own marketing. They don't need the class of marketing people that sold Microsoft on Jerry Seinfeld to school them on how to work their message.
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