Unless you a laptop, in which case you'll have half the battery life and constantly spinning fans. And of course god help you if you decide to use a recent driver for your video card because you'd like to play a game or something.

I have really tried to like Linux on the desktop because I'm getting fed up by Apple's policies, but it's just not usable for me, and if someone like me cannot use a Linux system without major hassle (like editing various config files and restoring broken drivers), then I highly doubt the "typical Mac user" could, and in particular if god forbid they'd like to run it on their Mac computers. 

That sounds like a terribly misconfigured system. What's the problem with drivers? Nvidia and Intel have good support afaik. Maybe the Mac hardware actually is the problem in your case? No idea if apple or their part manufacturers release drivers for Linux.

You can buy preconfigured laptops, maybe that fits the mac stereotype better? I meant mom/dad types. I did not mean installing and configuring it. 

I'm fairly competent with PC's (having around 25 years experience) but Linux is just ridiculous. Sometimes it feels obtuse for the sake of it. 

 

If Linux is ever going to have a chance as a desktop OS, now is the time.

Windows 10 has way too many privacy and security issues, which along with Microsoft's apparent belief that they should own your computer, means that many people are sticking with Windows 7 (or even 8, lol).

However, "support" for Windows 7 will eventually go away. Officially there's only 5 years left and there's not a lot of other options. 

That sounds like a terribly misconfigured system.

Maybe the Mac hardware actually is the problem in your case?

That's just how operating systems are.

This is the armor that has protected linux attitudes for ages. It's always your fault. 

 

and acpi are pretty tough cookies. I read an article about it - that -somethinglike- the ACPI spec is wrong and windows does all these hacks to make it work. 

But it's a rock, and i love it.

> Whenever I read things like this, I'm glad I use twm.

Pfft. I manage my windows with a nine volt battery, a paperclip and a steady hand

https://www.jwz.org/blog/2011/10/has-gnome-3-decided-that-people-shouldnt-want-screen-savers/ 

"This is the armor that has protected linux attitudes for ages. It's always your fault. "

Haha, nice. Was going to post the same thing.

--Linux : It's always YOUR fault-- 

My point was that installing a OS to random hardware sucks. Windows, Linux, does not matter. I have had more trouble with power and fan control on Windows in the past. MacOS is bound to specific hardware so out of scope.

You can buy pre-configured, Linux-tailored laptops. That's the equivalent of a macbook.

Enjoy Windows 10 everyone. 

Well, since all the software I need to get actual work done is on Windows, I have little choice in the matter. 

Windows and OSX are merchandise, Linux is free. Complain about Linux in general like a costumer makes no sense, the same way people don't complain about Quakespasm. All of us users are part of it too. I believe that's what you see like "its always your fault" 

Windows 10 has way too many privacy and security issues, which along with Microsoft's apparent belief that they should own your computer, means that many people are sticking with Windows 7 (or even 8, lol).

Most people don't actually give a flying bollocks about this stuff. So far as most people are concerned an OS is just a means to an end. 

adib

If you're going to adopt that sort of viewpoint, then you also have to give up the notion that Linux is competition for the other desktop OS's. If it's untouchable because it's free, then there's no accountability for anything. Hence, "it's your fault". The majority of computer users don't have time for that. 

Most people don't actually give a flying bollocks about this stuff

This is true. The vast, vast majority of windows users don't know and don't care. Besides if you care about privacy in windows then you are also capable of googling how to disable the information sending, it's just options in the settings.

Personally I'm in the "I don't give a flying bollocks" camp. I mean I use facebook, and google products and don't exactly lose sleep over their data gathering abilities. 

Warren,

Yes, maybe some enterprise Red Hat desktop is competing. Maybe Ubuntu is competing because it's merchandise. But "Linux" is not competing. I'm not saying it's untouchable, though, just like stuff we do here. But it's not a supplier/consumer contract. 

Who the fuck cares? What is Google going to do with the information as to what I searched for 30 days ago? 

If it's untouchable because it's free, then there's no accountability for anything. Hence, "it's your fault". The majority of computer users don't have time for that.

This is totally true. To the typical Joe-End-User, a computer is a commodity electronic item, like thir microwave, their fridge or their VCR. They expect to be able to plug it in, switch it on, and press a few buttons to get what they want.

If it doesn't work first time, or if they need to do anything even quarter-way complicated to get it to work, and especially if they're told "it's your fault" to either of these, they'll just chuck it out and get a different one (or decide that they didn't want one at all to begin with).

Joe-End-User doesn't care that they're running Linux, or OS X, or Windows, or even fucking BeOS. Joe-End-User cares that they're getting email, or browsing the web, or watching movies. 

Yo otp, copy and paste your https://history.google.com/history/ for us if you don't give a fuck. 

For everyone complaining about Gimp - Krita seems to be a rather good alternative atm for image manipulation (even on windows!) for those who don't want to pay for Photoshop. 

I've heard Krita is good for painting/drawing but not so much for textures yet. 

Re gimp export dialog idiocy: https://github.com/akkana/gimp-plugins/blob/master/save-export-clean.py 

Pretty amazing. Jobs intoducing OS X, iTunes, the G4 powerbook, and some ordinary desktop hardware.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auXc0tgdJSo
"We appreciate the applause ... But you shouldn't be applauding Cause this is how it oughta work"
"There is a music revolution happenning right now."
"We want both. The power and the sex... totally new powerbook." 

I'll never use Windows as my main OS ever again. I started checking out Linux 20+ years ago and it's been my only OS for the last three years with Arch then now Manjaro Xfce. It just works for me and with way more than just 5 programs. I'm not that "guy" who sees it as the only OS, just my OS of choice. To each there own.


Just last week I switched my wife and son's PCs over to Windows 10 from 7 and I setup a dual boot partition on my own PC for those few Windows games I do play that currently won't work in WINE. It is Windows that "feels" a little like Linux, but with much more spying. Even if you turned off the visible spying options on setup or after at least one windows update reactivated those. There a few freeware tools you can download that will turn off 70+ spying type things from Windows 10, but I like Spybot's Anti Beacon the best. https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/




Krita can be useful for some texture work. I especially enjoy using it's wrap around view to see how it tiles as you work it, but use gimp mostly the little I do anything with textures. I was familiar with Photoshop long before gimp and that helped make gimp quick to pickup.


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