New Ways To Ubuntu
This is definitely one of the most interesting perspectives on gaining a larger market share that I have read recently. And for the most part, I think some great points were brought forth. Especially with regard to spending so much time quibbling over how big of a market share Linux actually has on the desktop.
To be honest, it should not make any difference. Using a computer is generally about accomplishing specific tasks. Sometimes this means using Windows, other times it can mean that Linux or OS X is a perfect fit. I believe that installed and supported, any OS can shine quite well. And I also happen to believe that Ubuntu has proven that despite a lot of issues in recent years with its own growing pains, desktop Linux is finally ready for those who choose to step up to the plate.
To get to the next level, we need to look at micro-niches of people rather than treating everyone like some blind statistic. Ubuntu users are unique in that they are seeing tremendous success with their localized efforts to get people to take a look at what this specific distro has to offer. The same can be said of any newbie friendly distro, but Ubuntu remains the leader in ease of “perceived” familiarity for the most part.
3 Comments
John
May 15th, 2009
at 1:22pm
Wow, that article you linked to was one of the most poorly written pieces of trash I have ever read. Despite the lack of spelling skills (what the hell is a “MacDonnalds”?), the whole article was not very well put together. It just is another very poor attempt to get people on the Linux bandwagon.
We have to face it, for the most part, NO Linux distro is user friendly. Most people can not just install it on their desktop and have it address even half of what they need. All this whining and complaining about “oh, we need to get Linux mainstream” just is NOT going to work until you can make the distro user friendly in it is 1) easy to install software without relying on a bunch of odd dependencies that people most of the time don’t understand and 2) work with Windows software extremely easily and seamlessly.
Right now, neither of those things can be said. Yeah, you can do Windows stuff on Linux, but even with my being an extremely proficient computer user, I cannot get Windows applications to work easily. In fact, I almost tear my hair out at times trying to get the crap to work.
Anyway, until Linux can get to be a lot easier to use with a nice pretty installer made for each program that is written for it, people are NOT, I repeat NOT, going to switch over to it and use it. It is just not worth the headaches!!!
Matt Hartley
May 15th, 2009
at 2:06pm
You’re welcome to your opinion, as it is just that, an opinion.
But I must ask, if the article linked above was so poorly done, then why write SO MUCH to protest this insidious waste of time known simply as Linux?
Seems like you have something invested in this alleged “waste of time”. ;)
David Myers
May 15th, 2009
at 3:12pm
Sorry to Say; John, but I have a couple problems with what you were trying to say here:
“We have to face it, for the most part, NO Linux distro is user friendly.”
Having For the most part and NO Linux distro doesn’t make sence. do you mean MOSTLY Linux distros aren’t user friendly, or there are NO user friendly Linux distros?
“Anyway, until Linux can get to be a lot easier to use with a nice pretty installer made for each program that is written for it”
Welcome to Gentoo! May I take your compile script please? Unlike what you think, some distros of Linux like Ubuntu and SLED (or OpenSuSE) come with pretty much everything you need to do.. well.. almost anything.
“work with Windows software extremely easily and seamlessly.”
..OK, you have me lost on this one Mr. John. If you mean work with Windows Software itself, there are several programs I’ve used that make it as easy as on windows. Sure they can be painfull to set up, but after they are its smooth sailing. BUT If you Mean Filetypes. then again, You’re sorta wrong still. Lots of programs built for Linux work with Microsoft filetypes.
The only thing I have not been able to do on Linux properly, is play windows built games, but hey, their different operating systems, I’m surprised that there is as much compatibility as there is now.
“people are NOT, I repeat NOT, going to switch over to it and use it.” Sorry, you had a couple mistakes in this one; let me fix it for you: “I Will NOT, I repeat NOT, switch over to it and use it.”
I Dislike when people rant about something they either don’t know enough about or had bad experiences with. In the End, I agree with Matt Hartley. That was Your opinion, and this is My opinion: To Each his Own. If YOU don’t like it, good for you! Thank you for stopping by a page marked “Linux Fanatics”, reading the entire article on an operating system you hate and wasting your time writing an argument that pretty much fell on deaf ears.
David.