Reply to: Which Linux

[expat]

You mean like Windows for Warships?

That article reflects my feeling about Windows: it can be quite usable, provided that it has proper support. What it will not do is "just work", and keep doing so, reliably and safely.

I think it's a stunning product. It's just not suitable for naive use.

Nor IMHO is any Linux distro that I have tried, unless you either do very little or get lucky.

[DaveB]

Maybe they should have got something a bit more robust, instead of having to choose between security flaws, and reboots at a critical time.

You mean like Windows for Warships?

[expat]

Blue screen of death.

UK NHS: trust your life to MS

[DimPrawn]

Maybe they should have got something a bit more robust, instead of having to choose between security flaws, and reboots at a critical time.

Blue screen of death.

[expat]

Staff at hospitals across Sheffield are battling a major computer worm outbreak after managers turned off Windows security updates for all 8,000 PCs on the vital network, The Register has learned
....
The decision to disble automatic security updates was taken during Christmas week after PCs in an operating theatre rebooted mid-surgery.

Maybe they should have got something a bit more robust, instead of having to choose between security flaws, and reboots at a critical time.

[oracleslave]

Weren't people telling me Linux was the future back in 1995?

Then as now, Linux is just a free CD on the front of a computer mag for teenagers.

It can improve your green credentials which I know is important to you

[DimPrawn]

Weren't people telling me Linux was the future back in 1995?

Then as now, Linux is just a free CD on the front of a computer mag for teenagers.

[bogeyman]

I don't expect anything to be free. I happily pay for quality software be it Linux or Windows based. I think there are a lot of Linux die hards who don't fully understand that sometimes you have to pay for quality software.

Or soap, or deodorant.

[lightng]

You're probably right, but with the moves towards VMs and remote desktop solutions it might be a moot point anyway. Linux is ideal for a dumb client to a Windows VM running on a server, but does that really count as Linux for the desktop?(

Maybe it doesn't count for the desktop but it is a really good use for linux. I have a linux machine on which I run server and client VMs for development. Works really well. There's not a reason why the technologies cant work together.

I was looking at moving future plan B development to be cross platform, but one thing that puts me off doing anything for Linux is Linux users expect their software to be free.

Yeah most linux home users expect free but business s/w is a different kettle of fish. At the end of the day though, if you've got a product that people want or need, they'll pay for it.

[Netraider]

I was looking at moving future plan B development to be cross platform, but one thing that puts me off doing anything for Linux is Linux users expect their software to be free.

I don't expect anything to be free. I happily pay for quality software be it Linux or Windows based. I think there are a lot of Linux die hards who don't fully understand that sometimes you have to pay for quality software.

[VectraMan]

I'm not advocating that linux should be take up by all. I am advocating that its use in business WILL increase. It WILL take a greater market share. Certainly at server level and to a lesser extent on client machines (at least at first).

You're probably right, but with the moves towards VMs and remote desktop solutions it might be a moot point anyway. Linux is ideal for a dumb client to a Windows VM running on a server, but does that really count as Linux for the desktop?

I was looking at moving future plan B development to be cross platform, but one thing that puts me off doing anything for Linux is Linux users expect their software to be free.

[Fred Bloggs]

(Unfortunately, now I have Linux, I can't remember why I wanted it...)

Me too

[Netraider]

I like to think I am vendor and technology neutral. I don't sit in the Linux camp sneering at all Windows users and vice versa I don't poke fun at Linux geeks 'cos I camp at Redmond. I really don't care who wins the "war". What I do care about is adding value to the client. Will Linux play a greater part in the business world? My prediction is - yes it will.

WHS

[lilelvis2000]

I was unimpressed when I attempted to install Xubuntu on a PIII. It would boot half way then lock up. XP ran fine on it.

I generally stick to Linux as a server platform. it is quite reasonable at it if you remove all the bloat. What's that Linux is bloated!! Ubuntu is serious bloatware.

I would stick to Windows for my desktops..and use Kerberos or something similar to manage the authentication.

Linux has a way to go...and I don't think it will ever catch up.

[BrowneIssue]

But I couldn't get any of them working fully - Ubuntu was the hardest to get going. Wireless problems then soundcard problems - and when I did get something it all seemed so slow (Linux slow? Surely not!).

I finally got around to putting a big hard drive in my 9 year old laptop a couple of weeks ago. That gave me the space for a Linux partition. It now has Ubuntu on it. Much to my utter amazement it simply works. Sound, networking, everything.

Given the weeks I spent trying to get Linux working off a USB stick last year, I was expecting another battle.

(Unfortunately, now I have Linux, I can't remember why I wanted it...)