lets make a linux better than vista

[John Jay Smith]

Great.. we seem to agree in the basics...

the problem now lies in where profit can come out of a Free OS.

And here comes one of my outlandish claims that you will not probably
believe.

"A Free OS can create MORE wealth and prosperity and for more people that
windows can. Far more!"

There is a mental block here that many people have.... that you have to pay
to get something of worth, and that wealth is limited. However this is
incorrect.

The internet itself is free is it not? I am talking about the internet
itself not
an ISP (that in some wise countries they are starting to give free access to
the internet to anyone). How much wealth has the internet generated and for
how many people?
Can you imagine? This is far from the MSN network MS dreamed of having,
before the internet boom. The internet is like a "stage" for everything to
happen.
By having it open, innovation boomed and accelerated like nothing else seen
before.

This is why open source and free software is important, because although you
may not be seeing it,
Microsoft from now on is RETARDING innovation. Not that MS did not change
the world for the better,
and not that it didn't play a tremendous role in technology and out lives...
but what now?
Something has changed.

I can go in much depth in this, and to be sure it is based on the laws that
govern our universe.. but enough said......

 

[John Jay Smith]

"next big thing" and Kerry is also right about the problems to be overcome

for OEMs and corporate users

The group of people who will pull this off
(making the right distro),
will not see this as "problems".

They will see them as challenges.

And they wont focus on them... but focus on
new ways of doing things. Attitude is everything.

This is a golden opportunity for a good Linux distro that can
do everything Linux has promised for so long... but has utterly FAILED.
The time is ripe, MS is struggling to get a modern windows together,
lots of broadband users who can download ISO files, torrent to
spread the word, many people already familiar with what linux is all
about...

Getting a super duper *nix out would take the world by storm...
It doesnt even have to be *nix.... it could be something else. I have no
idea!

Heck if it was my job, I would go ahead and do it (I mean bringing a group
of people together to make a new OS).
The rewards will be immense for the guys that make the first super duper
linux version that everyone will want.

There has been much speculation about who could do this.. the big companies
like Google seem to not want to jump into this game yet... but mark my word:
"Once ONE such thing is released EVERYONE will want to get into the game!"

 

[John Jay Smith]

I cant agree more.

the 100 dollar - euro PC is something that is bound to happen.

 

[deebs]

I see a visionary aspect in the specifications but, in my opinion, linux
is like driving an auto where all manner of tools are needed in the boot
just in case they are needed.

But just as there are many motorists prepared to get under the hood and
tinker around there seems to be many users prepared to do stuff to linux
for a whole variety of reasons.

Ipso linux seems to be a great system where experience and knowledge may
be thrown into the challenge partly for curiosity, partly for wider
developments and partly for engineering fun and specs?

 

[Bernie]

This is what I want to see:

Anyone who is in charge of operating a computer system (i.e. home user,
administrator, etc.) should be required to learn how to program in C++
and Intel-AMD assembly.

And that is the point at which you lost me. What on earth do you mean by
"should be required"? If you mean legally then it isn't going to happen.
If you mean the vendor will require it before making a sale then he's
already out of business. How could anyone "be required"? You were joking
right?

 

[John Jay Smith]

I just gave kubuntu a try, by dual booting it with windows...

100 things went wrong with it.. lol in the end I lost the grub bootloader...
and I had to start looking for solutions on the internet.. arrggg
I have no patience for this! I formatted the partition and got rid of the
dreaded thing!

(note: Mandriva 2006 I think gives far more easy options to repair an
installation,
getting back the bootloader... and I am surprised to see ubuntu so high in
the
distrowatch.com list while mandriva is lower. Perhaps the African
millionaire
that is supporting ubuntu is paying off distrowatch? lol... thats all I can
think of,
because ubuntu is clearly an inferior distro than opensuse or mandriva).

 

[Kerry Brown]

The internet itself is free is it not? I am talking about the internet
itself not
an ISP (that in some wise countries they are starting to give free
access to the internet to anyone). How much wealth has the internet
generated and for how many people?

If you believe the Internet is free then you truly have no understanding of
how things work in the real world. Who pays for all the infrastructure? What
is the current debate about net neutrality all about? You are looking
through rose coloured glasses so darkly tinted that you can't see out. It
was an interesting debate but your above statement had me laughing. You were
making some valid points but that just called your whole argument into
question.

 

[Bernie]

There has been much speculation about who could do this.. the big companies
like Google seem to not want to jump into this game yet... but mark my word:
"Once ONE such thing is released EVERYONE will want to get into the game!"

I agree utterly.

 

[Bernie]

(note: Mandriva 2006 I think gives far more easy options to repair an
installation,
getting back the bootloader... and I am surprised to see ubuntu so high in
the
distrowatch.com list while mandriva is lower. Perhaps the African
millionaire
that is supporting ubuntu is paying off distrowatch? lol... thats all I can
think of,
because ubuntu is clearly an inferior distro than opensuse or mandriva).

I think distrowatch is like the pop charts showing who is flavour of the
month. It is still quite new. Freesight is showing well at the moment.

 

[Bernie]

I cant agree more.

the 100 dollar - euro PC is something that is bound to happen.

As a pet project I'm looking at various distros at the moment with a
view to making such an offering. Maybe not that cheap but cheap nonetheless.

 

[deebs]

I was at a recent staff development day and the guru-speak is:

It's not a question of the big beating the small in the 21st century it
is the fast beating the slow.

But what I have still to fully understand is: single user licenses under
Vista. I guess some things will be well-defined or in a process of
becoming so.
- is a single user a single Vista login?

- is a single user a single named person so the application will work
under multiple logins provided they all belong to the same named person?

- how does that impact upon a single user login with admin user over rides?

One answer that seems to pleasantly work around some of the conundrums I
have is multiple desktops under a single Vista login (a linux feature
for many a year)

I am sure there are answers to these but I am not really sure what they
are under Vista.

For example single user = single login = single desktop (until one goes
through all the faf of changing it).

To me this seems more important than eye-candy although the eye-candy
really is fantastic in my opinion.

I can't see any reason why computer users should not have to come to
terms with UAC/UAP. Maybe there will be a market split along the lines
of super-home users to super-savvy users where one expects all things
done automatically and the other does not mind a whole bundle of good
practice points?

 

[deebs]

I think what this emphasises is brand name influence.

i don't know how popular Picasa is but after it was Googled I am sure (I
hope not mistakenly) that a whole bundle of people downloaded it.

Imagine Google developing an OS that was:
a) free
b) worked on Macs and Windows


I'd guess that its impact would be greater than if it was an Intel OS,
AMD OS, ... purely on the importance of brand awareness.

 

[deebs]

I guess that the money could be made on support.

Supe-home user = maximal per month costs
Super-savvy user = minimal per month costs with per item support charges

In either event the OS is free, support costs dosh and as an observation it
seems easier to obtain linux drivers than Vista drivers anyway?

 

[deebs]

There are some linear thought patterns that suggest an aspect should be part
of the brand name eg Windows

There are other forms that suggest it should be as far as possible from what
it does eg Apple.

Maybe Google Popular? or even (well recognised brand name of choice)
Popular?

 

[deebs]

Hmmmm - a bit more lateral thinking on this one:

Imagine a utilities based model. Your electricity, gas, phone, water, ...
utility company is not too bothered about what appliances are at the other
end. Something goes wrong and service personel visit the premises and a
bill is paid. it could be a prepayment contract/support or a per item cost.

Sooooo ... under this "model" your equipment is supplied a free OS with
levels of support.

This is quite different from the present model and can be bolstered by
broadband, software, mobile technologies and so foerth.

In other words, the present model (largely inherited from past practices
based on low volume) now becomes a mass market utilities based model with
peripheral services attached.

Cool huh?

it need not be limited to linux

 

[Bernie]

I think what this emphasises is brand name influence.

i don't know how popular Picasa is but after it was Googled I am sure (I
hope not mistakenly) that a whole bundle of people downloaded it.

Imagine Google developing an OS that was:
a) free
b) worked on Macs and Windows


I'd guess that its impact would be greater than if it was an Intel OS,
AMD OS, ... purely on the importance of brand awareness.

Funny you should mention Picasa as I just used it to print a load of
pictures. It is a superb program and I say that as a user of fairly high
end graphics programs. It looks fabulous even on Win2k and is fairly
easy for a novice to understand. The Google name is a trusted name too.

The more I think about it the more I think that Google is right now the
best placed to really take a shot at "world domination" with a new O/S.
They would need the right product and it is a given that they could have
one put together. The only question is what is in it for them? It would
greatly enhance their reputation but that in itself doesn't pay the
bills. They might think of getting a return through advertising in some
way. I'm sure there must be some way they could profit from it.

One thing I'm sure of is that if someone like Google decided to play in
the O/S market it would see in a transformation fantastic magnitude. 10
years from now Microsoft could be on a level with where IBM got to 10
years after Microsoft started up.

 

[deebs]

I think the view I am trying to present in these last few postings (however
lateral) is that an OS cease to be seen as the MAIN thing on the go but
rather as the first thing on a utilities model with peripheral services.

Of course, the limitation is: volume.

areas with low volume usage will not support a utilities based model.

However, there are increasingly areas where several computers at home/work
may satisfy a utilities based approach rather than those models presently in
use.

The 21st C is going to be fun?

 

[Bernie]

I guess that the money could be made on support.

Supe-home user = maximal per month costs
Super-savvy user = minimal per month costs with per item support charges

In either event the OS is free, support costs dosh and as an observation
it seems easier to obtain linux drivers than Vista drivers anyway?

Yes and it would see Linux savvy techies in high demand.

On the drivers I've yet to have a serious problem with Linux. The first
graphics driver I used with Ubuntu wasn't that good but it did work.
Then I found a better on. With Freesight everything worked well right
out the box.

 

[Bernie]

There are some linear thought patterns that suggest an aspect should be
part of the brand name eg Windows

There are other forms that suggest it should be as far as possible from
what it does eg Apple.

Maybe Google Popular? or even (well recognised brand name of choice)
Popular?

Ford?

 

[deebs]

I don't wish to give an incorrect impression. Google was a name that sprung
to mind in a stream of consciousness way while tapping the keys of this
keyboard.

However if "world domination" is important (and i guess the models I've
posited depend/demand high volumes merely on the basis of a utilities model)
the the brand has to be regional. with a universal flavour.

So in English speaking regions "popular" may suffice, but in Russia Google
?????????

In other words universality is from the Brand, regional/locality is from the
translation of a common word.

in the examples posited i used the word popular. This seems to have a good
flavour?

Neo is another nice word but looses regional flavour.

(I wish I was 16 again )