[BadVista Advocate] Microsoft Says "Vista has less bugs than XP"

[Don Hensley]

 On Sunday 29 April 2007 02:24 pm, Jacob Maynard wrote:

>The learning curve for a computer, sad to say, has been built by Windows.

How very true. That was an error that my generation made. After all, I started 
with IBM Punch Card Collators. There was no doubt a time when the Windows 
only problem could have been stopped, but back then about any system was 
propitiatory, and a UNIX license cost the world. I always think Bill G. just 
slipped through a crack based on price differential, and the fact that it was 
all hobby back then, for anything 'home sized'. 

RMS had the correct vision, and the will. He just lacked the funding and the 
exposure. More of a timing problem, and a resource problem, else Windows 
would have been more of a footnote then any thing else. IMO.

But whatever. As you point out we are now pretty much stuck with the sort of 
interface Windows uses as being where the learning curve is. And in so far as 
GUI's go, good deal, I'm all for them... just keep your mitts off my command 
line! And my conf files! And Emacs rules! (lets see if that draws any Vi 
people out of the walls).

>We have to maintain the ease of Windows without the restrictiveness.

Currently, this would require the assistance of hardware vendors. OR the 
inclusion of binary blobs of unknown source code - no Freedom to Modify.

Or build a system with hardware that has GPL'd open drivers, then pure 
GUN/Linux is easy. Much easier to install and use then any version of 
Windows.

>Therefore, new users with only Windows knowledge under their belt would
>hate to have to edit a text file. It's more trouble than it's worth for
>most people. Even though no OS can be completely intuitive, we must do the
>best we can to find that distro that covers it enough.

Again a real hardware issue. Possibly if there were enough Tridge's (Samba) in 
the world all hardware could be reverse engineered. And even then I'm just 
talking level of genius, not just hardware expertise - it would take both. A 
very rare individual it would be --and Tridge is one of a kind, so I wouldn't 
expect to find many people of that caliber to be out loose and wandering 
around anywhere.

>I was thinking about it. We should get the opinions of people who have
>never used Vista before and compare them to people who have never used
>GNU/Linux before. Maybe the same people test each system? If we could get
>just 3 or so to tell us their opinions after having used them, that would
>be a good campaign kicker. Unless they liked Vista better, of course. But
>it would be a neat experiment, anyway.

>Jacob

Except for it not being Vista, this is an experiment (not planned as an 
experiment - possibly I should say an experience I have had), several times, 
ranging from Win98 to XP, in every case the person quite literally fell in 
love with GNU/Linux.

However, this is in an older population, and with a GNU/Linux system already 
completely set up, with their particular needs already addressed in the set 
up. So it probably doesn't really count.

You see most the people I build systems for have tried Windows, usually just 
long enough to decide if there is nothing better, then the H.. with it all.

I simply pop a Knoppix disk in THEIR computer, and then walk them through it 
for a few minutes. 

Because that's usually the deal, they bought a computer, got it loaded with ad 
ware, Trojans, viruses, etc  --within days of first buying it. So it's hosed, 
and some one tells them they just need to wipe the drive and reinstall 
Windows... yada, yada... soon they are looking for me, or someone like me, to 
fix it.

What they really mean is make it work, AND make it just keep on working... the 
whole thing for them comes down to "That Windows x&%$>!!==bad stuff happened 
to me", compared to "That GNU/Linux stuff Don put on my computer hasn't given 
me any trouble."

Well they are end users, don't expect much by way of geekness understanding of 
the real issues of what happened to them --or why it stopped happening to 
them.

I think the better test would be one of installing from scratch, no outside 
help.

Just hand them a Vista install disk and any live GNU/Linux CD. Then see who 
can check their web based email first.

Yes, yes, I know --but still, it would be fun to watch.

Don.
-- 
GNU/Linux is the future.
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