linux has security benefits in filesystem permissions that are actually used, but its sometimes at the expense of ease of use that windows has

LOL, +1 funny. Nice shill there, crutchy, to bad it's just not true. I have a W7 notebook and a kubuntu tower; the tower is less than half as powerful as the notebook but is a lot faster. Windows useable? That's a joke! What takes one or two clicks in kubuntu takes a dozen in W7. Lets see, where do I shut off the annoying "tap to click" feature in Windows? Nope, not under "mouse" in "control panel", it's buried fifteen clicks down in a hidden icon on the toolbar. That's useable? Kubuntu's control is in its "control panel" right where you would expect it, three clicks and done. But Windows is more useable?

You complain that Linux doesn't have text config files, where are Windows config file? Yep, it has that user-hostile registry. MS got rid of text config files over a decade ago, your registry gets corrupted you reinstall the OS. That's useable?

Yes, I've used regedit. I see little to nothing readable in it.

I got a USB bluetooth dongle, and thought it woudn't work in the tower, since there was no installation software like for Windows. But guess what? No software installation needed in Linux, just plug it in and it works. Yet you think Windows is more useable?

Or lets talk about patches. In Linux, the notification comes in, one click and it's done, finishing in the background, no stupid popups telling you that it's downloading, no stupid popups telling you it's installing, then no popups nagging you to reboot, no five minute shutdow with "do not turn off your computer" followed by five more minutes of the same warning when it restarts, no several more popups after it gets back to the desktop. That's useable? WTF, dude?

I never shut the laptop off and only boot it for patch Tuesday. OTOH I shut the tower down when I don't think I'll be using it for a day or two, because when I restart it I just press the button and get a cup of coffee, when I get back from the kitchen it's as if I'd never shut it down, it having entered the password for me and reopened what was open when I shut it down. Windows lacks these useability features, yet you think Windows is more useable?

When I upgrade Windows (since XP that means a new computer for me) I wind up with a completely different interface to waste time learning. Always prettier but seldom with more features. With the exception of KDE4, a Linux upgrade has no learning curve, it's just more responsive and has added features. But a steep learning curve is more useable???

Please tell me what about Windows is more useable than Linux? Windows is a pain in the ass. And I say this as someone who's been using Linux for ten years and Windows for twenty.

OK, this is a different tech (I should submit this) but U of I is working on biodegradable cell phones that dissolve in water.

Not Terminator; the "liquid" refers to its manufacturing. This is more like Star Trek IV's transparent aluminum.

One of the jurors said yesterday that SYG was the reason for the verdict and said she'd like to see SYG repealed.

I expect the search function is still worthless garbage

No site needs an internal search engine, anyway. searchterm site:slashdot.org works far better than any site's internal search.

I'm not Bill Gates, eight bucks will buy a chicken dinner at Suzie Q's. I'll gladly pay eight bucks for a good paperback or even thirty for a hardcover, but I refuse to reward mediocre hackwork.

Agreed, choosing between a car and a phone is indeed stupid. You need both. Why would I want a phone built into the car when I have one in my pocket?

My 26 year old daughter, in college in Cincinnati, hasn't had a car since the head broke in her old one a few years ago.

And you STILL want to do business with them? You STILL want to trust their OS with your personal files and/or communications?

It's pretty hard to buy a laptop without "doing business" with them. And I'm sure the NSA can get in my Linux box with little effort, too.

If MS's poorly designed, feature-poor, buggy, user-hostile OS doesn't make folks change OSes I don't think anything will. The only thing keeping Windows on this notebook is laziness, and except for the Patch Tuesday bullshit W7 is almost tolerable. But I'll have to put Linux on it pretty soon, it gets slower every Patch Tuesday.

I'm running kubuntu on the tower. When a patch notification comes in, one click and it's done. No lengthy reboots with "configuring patches, do not turn off your computer." No reopening all the apps that were open after it reboots, no hunting for where I was on that document I was working on when the patch notice comes through.

I haven't booted the tower in months, it only gets shut off when I know I won't be using it for a few days. When I turn the power on it enters the password for me (I live alone) and reopens everything that was open when I shut it down. Guys, if you haven't tried Linux you don't know what you're missing.

I always thought it was odd that after the DoJ kicking MS's ass in court that the incoming Bush administration would pretty much let them off scott-free.

Pretty good guess as to why now.

I have to get off my lazy butt and get Linux on this notebook now...

This kind of crap is why I don't trust Vine reviews. Instead I try to find an ordinary Joe

I'm shaking my head in wonder here. I was probably a teenager when I stopped taking any review of anything seriously, especially reviews of movies, music, and fiction books. Of course, that was a long, long time ago. There was no internet back then, you had to either physically visit a store or buy via mail order. In a physical store you could sample the wares; page through books or listen to records before buying.

There's no way I'd buy a book or record from an author or band I wasn't familiar with. Sadly, physical book and music stores are almost dead. Luckily, we have the Pirate Bay. If it's good I'll buy it, if it sucks I'll delete it.

I got burned by reviews at a young age.

My wife is a writer, we've got about 10 books out there ( different pen names )

Interesting. I hope you're not her ( editor ).