Posted by: Anonymous
[ip: 24.4.112.229]
on May 18, 2008 10:00 PM
Perhaps Dreamlinux is not aimed at the converting-from-Windows user, but even this review includes some items that would give such a user reason to pause.
For example, the comment "The first problem I noticed was that there was no option to add a partition mount point without formatting it (I have a separate /home that I didn't want wiped), but that was easy enough to add manually. A bug I noticed was that if you checked the "format" box before selecting the filesystem type and mount point, the installer wouldn't let you add the partition until you unchecked and rechecked the box." This would likely scare a Windows user - it did me! - what is a "partition mount point"? Not something that the average Windows user - or re-installer - would encounter.
And I think that's a big reason for all the good words about Ubuntu, esp. the Wubi installer, which lets a Windows user test drive Linux.
The appearance of the desktop is cool, but most users run applications, rather than spending a lot of time looking at the desktop, regardless of operating system. The OS is in the background, doing what the user can't do. Regardless of flavor, Linux has big advantages here over Windows, in security and footprint. But the learning curve is steep, esp. if one wants to run Windows apps in Linux. Wine helps, but there are still issues here.
Until Linux is as easy as Windows to use for the average user, it will lack traction. And Windows machines can be well protected - I've used XP now since 2002, and have not been infected or compromised. And I can run most anything I need without a lot of heartache. Linux has a way to go there, but at least it's moving in the right direction.
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Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 24.4.112.229] on May 18, 2008 10:00 PMFor example, the comment "The first problem I noticed was that there was no option to add a partition mount point without formatting it (I have a separate /home that I didn't want wiped), but that was easy enough to add manually. A bug I noticed was that if you checked the "format" box before selecting the filesystem type and mount point, the installer wouldn't let you add the partition until you unchecked and rechecked the box." This would likely scare a Windows user - it did me! - what is a "partition mount point"? Not something that the average Windows user - or re-installer - would encounter.
And I think that's a big reason for all the good words about Ubuntu, esp. the Wubi installer, which lets a Windows user test drive Linux.
The appearance of the desktop is cool, but most users run applications, rather than spending a lot of time looking at the desktop, regardless of operating system. The OS is in the background, doing what the user can't do. Regardless of flavor, Linux has big advantages here over Windows, in security and footprint. But the learning curve is steep, esp. if one wants to run Windows apps in Linux. Wine helps, but there are still issues here.
Until Linux is as easy as Windows to use for the average user, it will lack traction. And Windows machines can be well protected - I've used XP now since 2002, and have not been infected or compromised. And I can run most anything I need without a lot of heartache. Linux has a way to go there, but at least it's moving in the right direction.
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