MS Windows is now Install Once, Throwaway, was: Re: [FoRK] More iPhone analysis

[Stephen Williams]

I can't follow your logic much.  Of course I meant the most popular, 
user-friendly version of Linux distribution vs. XP vs. OSX and not the 
most techie, involved, bare metal version.  That should go without 
saying.  It's not like these discussions are not old hat everywhere...

You didn't challenge the "Ubuntu+apt-get is simpler than 
XP+drivers+anti-virus+patching+apps for typical users" claim in any 
coherent way let alone the cost / benefit relativity estimate.

When you get some sleep or whatever maybe there is a point you meant to 
make.

sdw

Reese wrote:
> Stephen D. Williams wrote:
>> I'm with Justin. 
>
> Do you really think so?
>
>> You mention toy or narrow versions of apps and imply that they are 
>> somehow equivalent to Linux "equivalents".  They're not the same 
>> level in either case.  Paintbrush is a child's toy pretty much. 
>> Windows Update only updates windows and doesn't install any apps.  
>> Neither compare to installing a typical Linux distribution that 
>> includes OpenOffice, drivers for just about every device, printer, 
>> etc., and grabbing a new app, say a 3D modeling, rendering, and 
>> gaming development system with about 20 characters that in the 
>> Windows ecosystem was a $2000+ software package.
>
> The original claim pertained to the complexity of XP systems and the
> implication that they were just as, or more complex (time consuming)
> to set up and keep running than a Linux distribution. I challenged
> that claim. I named some example programs and if they are bad
> examples, then they are bad examples. So what? Most Linux distros
> are just now (within the last several years) coming up to speed on
> some things, drivers for add-on hardware have forever been a bane.
> But for all of its other faults, XP hasn't had a drivers issue that
> was XP's fault, not like Gentoo users experience difficulty with
> installation. Not like the Linuxes had drivers issues, when XP
> was released.
>
> Not that I'm a died-in-the-wool MS fan, I'd rather something more
> BSD-flavored. YMMV.
>
>>  From a user's point of view, it's a whole other ecosystem.
>
> Exactly. But XP versus Linux in a complexity test? Don't make me
> laugh, it's a flawed, simplistic comparison. Like saying "Let's
> compare OSX to Microsoft, or Redmond WA, or the United States."
> You get the idea. OSX versus XP, XP versus Ubuntu v5, XP versus
> Red Hat 7, XP versus Gentoo - those are valid comparisons.
>
>> Windows has more apps, utilities, games, bla bla bla.  
>
> Irrelevant.
>
>> The reality right now is cost benefit relationships like:
>
> That reality is also irrelevant to the original claim and its growing
> list of arguments to the contrary.
>
> Reese
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