Re: FN-FORUM MS takes control

date posted 1st July 2002 17:28

----- Original Message -----
From: "Neil Durant" [EMAIL REMOVED]
To: [EMAIL REMOVED]
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2002 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: FN-FORUM MS takes control


David McEwen [EMAIL REMOVED] writes
>>Has anyone noticed, nobody ever says "Easy to use" in the same sentence
as
>>"Linux" without the word "not" included. As long as the Linux heads love
>>Linux, that is who is going to use it. As long as we have to use this
>>emulator to do that, and that alternative program to do the other, we'll
be
>>thinking that Windows or MacOS are the preferred choices of people who
want
>>to use a computer productively and not just have a hobby.
>
>What I like about Linux is that the configurability allows me to make it
>easier for me to use than Windows would allow me to do. Windows might
>be easier out of the box, but once you find something you want to do
>that Windows wasn't originally designed for, you just have to accept you
>can't do it that way. I find Windows limiting, but I do tend to demand
>a lot from my PC.
>
>Some examples that spring to mind:
>
>What if I want to use several separate desktops, so I can easily switch
>between two sets of carefully arranged application windows? Windows
>won't do this without me messing about with dodgy shareware stuff
>(although I believe you can do it with the extra MS NT tools, which cost
>money). All Linux window managers I know of allow you to do this out of
>the box.
>
>What if I want to make my computer dial up the Internet in the middle of
>the night and download a huge file, or upload a 30Mb website while I'm
>asleep? I don't believe Windows allows you to do this, again unless you
>buy extra stuff. It's just a basic feature of Linux that allows you to
>trivially do this.
>
>What if I want to use my USB mouse, but I also need a multi-user OS ?
>I'm forced to use Windows 2000 or XP, which both require large amounts
>of RAM just to work at all. Win95/98/ME/NT won't do it. If I've got a
>lowly machine with 64Mb of RAM, I'm stuffed. I simply have no choice
>unless I choose Linux.
>
> I might be wrong about Windows on some of those points, and prepare to
> stand corrected. However for those things that push a PC a bit further,
> I found Linux far easier to use to achieve what I need.

What you appear to be saying is that Linux does many things "out of the box"
that Windows doesn't do. If Windows did do these things then surely
Microsoft would spend more time in court than doing anything else due to the
anti-competitive lawsuits that would be forthcoming.

> I've generally found that if you want ease of use, a Mac is often better
> than a Windows PC anyway....

And both are easier than Linux. Which is what I said originally.