Re: FN-FORUM MS takes control

date posted 1st July 2002 16:00

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.

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


Let the flames begin.... *8)

--
Neil Durant
Octrix Software Ltd.
Email: [EMAIL REMOVED] Tel: 07931 164346 Fax: 08700 520159