my 2 cents.

[WaWAR_FA]

90% of the computer using population really dosent need linux. this 90% only use their computers to check their e-mail and to play games. thats all they use their several hundred dollar comps for.

now the other 10% of computer users have a undyiong need to use linux.  these people are the heavy bandwidth users, the file sharers, the people with 30 or 50 thousand dollar servers who for them 1 second of downtime means a loss of thousancds of dollars in potentially lost profits.  the content servers, the academic systems, govenrmental and military systems, and person or group of people who need a computer that is reliable 24/7 with no downtime for any reason short of acts of bob.

if the only reason you use your computer is to say hi to your friends on IRC and to play Counter strike, then by all means stick with Windows its all the power you could need or handle.

if you plan on using your computer for what it was built for then get linux and see exactly what a computer can do.

i currently am working on building a server for linux. i am using a 486 DX2 66Mhz processor, 32 meg of EDO ram, a 10-100 lan card 8 bit video a 80Gig HD and no soundcard.  i dont have a chance in hell of running XP on here but i dont really care to, because redhat 7.3 and apache run just fine for what i need.  im getting close to 1500000 hits a day with absolutly no problems using this encredbly old POS.

i want to see windows work on the same computer(not a chance in hell)

[Master of Reality]

Ahhh yes, Redhat 7.3 on an old computer can be rejuevinated by the power of Bob. The Bob Hub itself runs on Apache on Red Hat 7.3 on a 166MHZ machine and it handles a good 7 hits a day.

[voidmain]

I disagree.  There is a large percentage of users that do not play games.  All they do is read email, surf the net, and play Solitaire. Some just play Solitaire.  For that percentage of the population Linux is "perfect".  It does all of those things with great ease, and why pay the M$ tax and why let M$ own you when you don't have to?

[choasforages]

im thinking of installing linux on my girlfriends 75mhz pentium. debian + xdm + windowmaker, and for that matter, she actally asked about my knowledge of computers and is kinda interested in this stuff. but first ill try to get them to go with broadband, so i don't have to mess with dialing out under linux. ethernet is much easyer.

[Doctor V]

quote:Originally posted by WaWAR_BOB:
90% of the computer using population really dosent need linux. this 90% only use their computers to check their e-mail and to play games. thats all they use their several hundred dollar comps for.

now the other 10% of computer users have a undyiong need to use linux.  these people are the heavy bandwidth users, the file sharers, the people with 30 or 50 thousand dollar servers who for them 1 second of downtime means a loss of thousancds of dollars in potentially lost profits.  the content servers, the academic systems, govenrmental and military systems, and person or group of people who need a computer that is reliable 24/7 with no downtime for any reason short of acts of bob.

if the only reason you use your computer is to say hi to your friends on IRC and to play Counter strike, then by all means stick with Windows its all the power you could need or handle.

if you plan on using your computer for what it was built for then get linux and see exactly what a computer can do.

i currently am working on building a server for linux. i am using a 486 DX2 66Mhz processor, 32 meg of EDO ram, a 10-100 lan card 8 bit video a 80Gig HD and no soundcard.  i dont have a chance in hell of running XP on here but i dont really care to, because redhat 7.3 and apache run just fine for what i need.  im getting close to 1500000 hits a day with absolutly no problems using this encredbly old POS.

i want to see windows work on the same computer(not a chance in hell)

I agree that most people use their computers only to check mail and surf the web.  Since Linux can do that every bit as well as windows, there is no real reason for them to use M$.  Using M$ though would cost way more money.  Not just the price of the OS, but also for the hardware required to run the OS.  Also, if your going to check email and surf the web, why not do it without worrying about all kinds of nasty bugs and viruses jumping in through more security holes than stars in the sky.  Then there are people who do the above and use office products as well.  No need for M$ there.  Open and Star Office got that covered, and without the heavy pricetag.  And M$ file formats can be used too.  Games?  More and more games are being released for Linux, and future versions of wine will close the gap even further.

So I disagree that 90% of people should be using win.  Linux is getting better and better, easier and easier with every version that comes out.  And seeing that M$ is moving in the opposite direction, and taking away peoples rights at the same time, Linux should overtake M$ soon.  Well, at least if people weren't so stupid it would.

V 2 cents   :eek:

[dbl221]

The reason they should NOT be using Micro$hit is that it sucks.  M$ products are crap.  M$ uses its money to push around other companies and buy off politicians.

Luckily Bill Gates and the other suits are so stupid they will fuck up their monopoly over the next 10 years.

[WaWAR_FA]

the 90% of people dont even know they have a choice besides windows and mac.

when was the last time you saw an AD on TV about linux? how about M$?

90% of people dont even know what size their HD is much less how to install windows.

[voidmain]

You are very very correct on this point and part of the reasons for this is M$ relentless marketing and more importantly their shady noose around the necks of the PC distributors.  Luckily that is starting to change.  As soon as PC distributors are able to advertise PCs with Linux on them without fear from M$ then it will be a grand day.

As we all know, you can go to your local Wal-Mart and buy a PC with Mandrake preinstalled (or order it from their web site). Many companies are jumping on the Linux band wagon and I feel that it will not be much longer before they start advertising PCs preinstalled with Linux.  I think many of them are watching Wal-Mart closely to see how well they do before getting taking the big leap.

And the only Linux commercials I have seen on TV are by IBM for Linux on mainframes.  Still, if you can go into a computer store and get a machine loaded with Windows XP and Office XP for $1200 and then get that same PC with Linux loaded for about $750 I don't think any amount of advertising or TV commercials will make much difference. People will become familiar with Linux at that point.  Whether the overall experiences will be good or bad for most we'll have to wait and see. At least people will become familiar with Linux and then can make an intelligent choice, rather than not having a choice which is the position that 90% are in today.

[ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: VoidMain ]

[AlexMax]

Gamers, unfortuniatly, will have to wait until Wine and WINEX shape up.

People who hardly use the internet for anything except email and the like, however, can be very good places to start.  Just build them a computer that uses LInux and does everything they need it to do, and then sell it to them.  Soon, they will find out how good their computers are, and will spread teh word around.  You now have a small business.