Linux/open software (was Bill Gates writes...)

Les Schaffer godzilla at netmeg.net
Fri Aug 7 13:31:19 PDT 1998



>>>>> ">" == Derrick Fogle, MLERF <dfogle at mlerf.org> writes:

>> I would like to chime in with the cheeky, near-dittohead "Wy

>> not use Macs?" since I'm a big fan/user.

yeah. and there is even a stable version of Linux for the Mac now, too -- MkLinux. (memo to chuck grimes: same for FreeBSD?)

my pervious post about linux shouldnt be taken as a blanket endorsement of alternate OS'es for everyone. If you have a Windows installation or a Mac installation, and you are getting your work done efficiently and you have nothing you'd like to do that you don't know how to do, more power to you.

i have administered Mac systems too. They are easy for new-comers to use. but after a while, i start to see the same syndrome as in the Windows world: fire calls from people -- "hey, i thought i was gonna be able to do blah blah blah..., instead i froze the thing!". i often tell people on Mac's just to click the damn mouse more slowly: i find its one OS that does not deal with itchy fingers very well. AND IT NEEDS A PRE-EMPTIVE MULTI-TASKING SYSTEM!

in the matter of the Window and Macintosh world: i believe strongly that if these users simply took advantage of the power of the USENET groups, they would be much more empowered than they BELIEVE they are by virtue of having a meal ticket good at a Tech Support hot-line. There is a ton of tech-support out there in the big wide e-world that goes well beyond anything you could get at an 800 number. Naturally, it all takes a little time to get a handle on -- and in this day and age of cost-cutting, optimising at the margins, etc., it doesnt go down well that an installation is going to require more labour power. but it IS an illusion to think that a nice looking GUI with an inexpensive and (poorly)trained operator is the be-all and end-all of computer-assisted production.

finally, a note to max swicky and like-minded folks: one nice thing about an alternate OS install is the support for multiple OS's on a system. It is very """""easy""""" (is that enough quotes?) to boot to either Windows or Linux once the initial boot phase is complete. This gives you the best of both worlds, and i can not tell you how many times i have fixed a windows install by booting to Linux, mounting the windows partitions, and fixing some uSoft silliness.

This is Propeller-Head 1 signing off for the day (post 3).

-- ____ Les Schaffer godzilla at netmeg.net ___| --->> Engineering R&D <<--- Theoretical & Applied Mechanics | Designspring, Inc. Center for Radiophysics & Space Research | Westport, CT USA Cornell Univ. schaffer at tam.cornell.edu | les at designspring.com



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