Linux has a long way to go for the consumer market

[PG]

Not too long ago I downloaded Mandrake 8.1 and installed it on a spare computer I have at home. In less than an hour I was on the net surfing away. I installed KDE's KOffice and Gnome's office, so I can pretty much do the simple things I need to do and then some. I bet a computer setup this way would actually serve most people just fine.
And if you don't log in as root you really don't need to worry about all that virus stuff like with a winders box.

 

[UsandThem]

<< Dont think any of us *nix users will care, really, when you start flaming, you only start stupid religous wars, and most of the time, make yourself look like a fool. (especially to those using a Logitech USB mouse in Suse, ) >>



The mouse was just one example of a problem I had when installing SuSE. Linux locked up on my system about six times during the install, I was just using the mouse as a point because after all it is just a mouse!


"Ready to use in 20 minutes: The powerful setup assistant YaST2 guarantees a worry free installation, even for Linux newcomers. The automatic hardware detection and a menu driven graphical interface assist you with the setup and configuration of your system. Select the software, activate the internet connection, set up the printer, scanner, and TV card - in just 20 minutes, your Suse Linux is ready to use."

This statement above was on the distro box I bought, I am just pointing out (as many of the Linux vets have agreed here) that Linux is not ready for the casual user. The statement above is trying to market to the casual or home user. I just felt that is was a little misleading for SuSE to print that, however I understand that they have to because after all they do need to get more users using their distro and to make money.

Maybe there are better distros out there, I don't know. Maybe some of the problems are because of my newer system components (maybe the setup is loading some incorrect settings).

I did not start this thread for a flame war, just wanted to discuss my experience with a product. A few years back I would have said the same thing about Windows 98, NT (especially before all of the service packs), or ME when the were released. I can't comment on any Mac OS as I haven't used a Mac based system since 1989.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< This statement above was on the distro box I bought, I am just pointing out (as many of the Linux vets have agreed here) that Linux is not ready for the casual user. The statement above is trying to market to the casual or home user. I just felt that is was a little misleading for SuSE to print that, however I understand that they have to because after all they do need to get more users using their distro and to make money. >>



Have you met a marketing person that didnt lie or atleast bend the truth a little bit?

 

[RalphTheCow]

I was pretty impressed with "kudzu" when I installed Redhat Linux. It detected that I had added a mouse and only asked me to specify which kind, I can live with that. It detected all of my very old equipment. I do have one problem with X as far as frequencies for a very old monitor. There seem to be a lot of stumbling blocks but so far it looks like they give you a lot of control over details and I am optimistic that I will like it.

 

[DaHitman]

Me thinks the problems experienced here are do to a defect somewhere between the keyboard and the chair..

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Me thinks the problems experienced here are do to a defect somewhere between the keyboard and the chair.. >>



Chair to keyboard interface error. Its a real term. Used it plenty of times

 

[UsandThem]

<< Me thinks the problems experienced here are do to a defect somewhere between the keyboard and the chair.. >>



Did you think that up all by yourself, or did you have to search for that wisdom? Moron:|.

 

[NorthenLove]

<< Well, first off I want to say that Linux has come a long way since the last time I installed it (last version was Mandrake over two years ago). It still has a long way to go to becoming a worthwhile consumer system.

I was out shopping and I saw Suse Linux 7.3. I went home and read some reviews on it, and it sounded like Linux had finally grown up and was ready for the mainstream market. So I bought it and installed it. What a joke. I had to manually configure about about 40% of my items to include my mouse. To give some credit, when I installed the old version two years ago I had to configure about 60% of my periphals.

So I went and bought XP, and now this is what a OS is supposed to be like. Smooth, stable, and only a few things to configure. It looks a little cartoonish, but is a great system.

It is a shame because I really would like to see Linux really take off, but at the rate they are moving, I don't know if I will see it my lifetime.

I just wonder why since Lixux is an open source operating system, and there are a ton of people working on it, why can't they get the basic problems taken care of? I mean, support my standard Logitech USB mouse after a normal install. It can't be that hard:|

Suse Linux with support $39.00 and a lot of time getting it to work or XP upgrade for $99.00. I know what I will choose for the next two years. >>




Good stick with M$ if like it so much. Geez it's not like you paid $99 + dollars and had it screw up things for you like some former XP owners here have complained about. By the way I have both a USB M$ Intelli-Mouse wire-less mouse and a Logitech USB mouse and they both work with SuSE on my machine and I even have the pleasure of being able to install SuSE on any machine I own because I own the OS and not the other way around. So please go back to windows it was made for you.

 

[kylef]

<< I'm serious. Windows sometimes can't even remember to find your mouse if you don't plug it in before you start the machine. Notice the key word "sometimes". >>



I'm sorry, but I just had to chime in here:

The EASIEST way to REALLY screw up a running Linux box is to unplug the ps2 mouse while X is running. X just won't recover. How lame is that?

 

[Nothinman]

The EASIEST way to REALLY screw up a running Linux box is to unplug the ps2 mouse while X is running. X just won't recover. How lame is that?

PS/2 ports are not hot-pluggable eventually you will fry your motherboard or mouse/kb.

 

[Louie1961a]

I have to say that I think there is something unusual with antiABIT's experience. I have loaded Suse on 4 separate PC's here (TP 600, generic PIII, old amd K-6 233 machine and an athlon machine) all without any hitches. In all instances expect for the winmodem on the TP600, the hardware was properly recognized and installed. That includes the logitech USB mouse, my cd burner, my pain in the ass yamaha 724 sound card, and the Xerox P8ex laser printer. It even recognized my POS digiview monitor!!

By the way, the winmodem even worked with the install of a quick modem driver from IBM.

We like Suse so much here, that we only boot into windows for specific games. all other work, browsing, etc., is done in Linux.

Edit: I forgot to mention that Suse self configured all units to use my network and shared cable internet connection automatically, something that windows could never do (at least win 98/win2K..never tried XP)

 

[UnixFreak]

<< The EASIEST way to REALLY screw up a running Linux box is to unplug the ps2 mouse while X is running. X just won't recover. How lame is that? >>



for one thing, nothinman is right, PS/2 devices arent designed to be hot-swapped, and for two, it depends on your equipment. I do it on my server, and workstation all the time, when I need to use the mouse and keyboard on the server. (if you call me a liar, I'll post video, I've been known to do it )


If you are going to try and start a flame war, and make us all look dumb, you're going to have to do better than that.

The EASIEST way to REALLY screw up a running windows box, is to call some 12 year old HaX0r a dirty name in a chatroom, and you are done