Comment: Re:Tried linux (Score 1) 413
Used Linux (SuSE, Ubuntu). Tried windoze (vista). Couldn't get peripherals, such as hp photosmart 7350 to work. Reverted to Linux. Tried windoze (7). Couldn't get peripherals, such as hp 7350 to work. Reverted to Linux. Staying with Linux.
Comment: Re:Microsoft removed the biggest anti-Linux argume (Score 1) 1010
Seriously? And what happens when people look at the competition? They see nice enough systems that don't run the fucking programs people want and need.
No matter how many times people here want to say it, it just isn't true: You can't take a mainstream user from Windows to "Linux/Android/whatever" without a LOT of pain, hand holding, etc., unless that person is such a lightweight user that s/he lives in a browser.
I've tried numerous times over the years to escape from MS Hell, having been a user of their crapware since MS DOS 1.0, and it's always the same story: Linux has a long list of great attributes and one hideous flaw, the lack of application (and sometimes driver) support.
Until that situation changes, MS still has its customers by the short hairs, and they aren't letting go.
Seriously? Where I work the single program that keeps us from all day linux is autocad. We have 50 licenses of autocad 2005 running in xp machines. We do not plan to upgrade as autocad newer versions has nothing more that would justify 4500 Euros for each license. Windows vista doesn't run it. Windows 7 doesn't run it (linux/wine does run a version of it). About drivers, I do have an hp photosmart 7350. Windows 7 does not have a driver and even HP says there is no driver for Windows 7. Linux does have a full feature driver and it has had it since ages. Linux has more drivers than Windows and MacOS, and it has them right from the start when you install it. This is my experience, but then again I am not a gamer.
Comment: Re:It's easy! (Score 1) 712
Of course, I could be letting the odd obscure legacy program go over my head but still...
You mean something so obscure like AutoCad?
Comment: Re:Netware 3 (Score 5, Interesting) 187
Comment: There is a solution (Score 1) 377
Comment: SuSE and Ubuntu (Score 1) 280
Comment: Re:Wait, what now? (Score 1) 462
And yes, I have seen this many times happening to my students (it is however extremely difficult to persuade a student to try something else than what they are used to, and mostly I have given up trying).
Comment: Re:Oh really? (Score 1) 184
I think this is a major factor - people know where to find information now without having to ask Google. They know about Amazon, they know about Wikipedia, they know about their favorite news sites.
Google has its use, but people aren't having to use Google to find everything the way they used to.
This is simply not so. The search mechanism that Amazon and Wikipedia have, is far far far
Comment: PCBSD (Score 4, Informative) 65
It was a nice experience to use something else than Linux, and be productive as well
+ - How to Ditch the Grid With a Woodstove and a $100 -> 3
Link to Original Source
Comment: Fantastic (Score 1) 104
Comment: I like unity (Score 1) 798
Comment: Re:How do I make money in a free software world? (Score 1) 107
Thus, if we need structural analysis software, developers get paid to do it and maintain it by tax money, and everyone has it for free.
Things change. Noone has a god-given right to earn money, if they do something that people don't care. To see how ridiculous is the assertion of the gggg-grand father, I will para-phrase it, A LITTLE
I need to feed my family. I write SNOBOL code for a living. How do I get paid for doing this in a world where all software is in C++/Java/Python?
Comment: Re:Don't Be Evil? That's just a lie (Score 1) 417
1. Google search is free and efficient. If MS and (in fact most of America) drives Google out of business, forget search engines for free. And forget good results; MS has already shown that it gives you the results which MS wants to give.
2. Google maps. The same.
3. Google earth. The money that you need to get satellite photos is insane. Yet Google gives it for free. It has helped me and my colleagues enormously.
4. Google translate. A very essential tool for me and almost everyone I know. For free.
5. Google mail.
6. Google Lunar prize. If this does not convince you, then nothing can.
7. VP8 codec, which Google bought and set it free.
And if they make a buck with advertisements, then good.