This article comment actually at lifehacker is one great example about linux usability on the desktop.
Motto: Shit happens you gotta roll with it man!
Meanwhile, a linux backer aka fud ms-style linux advocate told the internet that Solaris and other Unix like OS are dying. No he’s wrong because the fact that I have beastie running on a Sun hardware and yes that pwns any linux server out there.
I happen to work for a multinational conglomerate. Under the commands of some typical blood sucking corporate people(I call them bastards). You see, as an inborn anti capitalist, that explains why I have something to do with linux. Anyway, those bastards like me so much, I can have my choice of hardware, all at their expense. I have been waiting for the new Dell Latitude E4300 for quite some time, just so to have my old core duo thinkpad replaced.
the red cover edition would be nice, too bad you are more pricey than the useless macbook air
Out of nowhere, Dell decided to pull a Apple shit. The starting price of E4300 model is $1,749… The model E4200 is even more ridiculous: base package = $1,999, Protection Package = $2,663. Some configuration prices ensue… (sorry for the bad copy & paste formatting)
E4200 $2,384
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo ULV SU9300 (1.20GHz) with fingerprint readerGenuine Windows Vista® Business SP1, With media3 Year Limited Warranty and 3 Year Mail-in ServiceMobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD3.0GB, DDR3-1066 SDRAM, 1 GB integrated + 2GB DIMM64GB Dell Mobility Solid State DriveE-Module w/ 24X DVD/CDRW with Cyberlink PowerDVD™Dell Wireless™ 1510 802.11a/g/n Mini CardDell Wireless® 365 Bluetooth Module6 Cell Extended Battery
E4300 $2,348
more of the same to E4200
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo SP9300 (2.26GHz)
3 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 3 Year NBD On-Site Service (add $99 from Mail-in)4.0GB, DDR3-1066 SDRAM, 2 DIMMS (add $200 from 1GB)
Internal English Backlit Keyboard ($49)
Integrated Webcam ($30)
E6400 $1,648 (with LED screen & displayport) (prices start at $879, max at $1,699) (comparable to E4300)
Precision M2400 $1,761 (start at $1,199) (comparable to E6400)
I would say XPS M1330 is still a serious contender. Starting prices range from $899 to $1,349. I heard that new studio xps is coming but I have decided not to wait. Lets take a look at some Sony models…
VAIO SR $1,749
- Trusted Platform Module / Biometric Fingerprint Sensor
- 3 Year Express Ship Service Plan with Accidental Damage from Handling Protection
VAIO Z $2,399 (spec almost identical..)
You see. I’m very good at saving money for my company. I think I deserve a best employee of the month award, no should be best employee of the year. The choice for me is clear. I need a 13″ LED display, lightweight, capable performance. Just have the vaio sr ordered. Take that Dell. Heres my shiny new toy :D
One thing linux is certainly good for :)
Here is some of the tools I use:
Super Grub Disk – effortless fix your boot loader in anyway possible.
Clonezilla – Norton Ghost done right.
SystemRescueCD – Better than Parted Magic. It has more tools and the downside would be more hefty size.
Trinity Rescue Kit – A relatively unknown live cd that can do some amazing tasks.
I want it to be better but I have no idea how. Or maybe I do. No matter how complex some things may appear to be, the underlying truth can be a very simple one. Stuff like stable API, better driver architecture, filesystem layout, software installation method, a lot of these issues can be improved, sadly we all know it is not going to happen anytime soon.
In the past, I always welcomed one of those ‘how linux should change in this way so it can blablabla’ articles. I read them if I had time. Not anymore, now I skip every one of them If I can. None of them is going to be realized anyway. What is the point?
Before making things revolutionary, how about making things that actually work? Every distro release these days have these stupid bugs that just shouldn’t exist, makes you really wonder if there is any quality assurance in the first place. These days words like RC and beta in linux effectively make me cringe. Years ago certain stuff in linux doesn’t work because the technology wasn’t there to facilitate, at least what was there worked as it supposed to. I mean it. Some bugs are so embarrassing, it makes other platforms like OSX and Windows look flawless. Just visit some bugzillas or mailing lists, you see what I mean.
This blog can be full of nonsense sometimes. Yet I found this article to be so right and clear about the perception of current situation. Linux is never an OS, there isn’t a single person really building an OS in the first place. Maybe that is the reason why linux on the desktop fundamentally fails.
I wish there will be a linux distro that is nearly bug free, stay with working technologies, only introduce proven technologies with improved usability to users. It also wouldn’t hurt to ‘backport’ new inventions without breaking the whole desktop. Such idea is a far cry compared to the latest distro releases with ‘bleeding edge’ software. (I seem to hear some voices from far away sounded like ‘fragmentation is bad!’ and ‘We should go the linux way… no the M$ path!’. Sigh… Never mind.)
Meanwhile, PostSecret pops up in my mind. If I would post a secret about linux it must be something like this:
I'm afraid linux is not going to change. ever.
In years of using linux as a desktop operating system, I say linux is currently at its worst state in terms of desktop usability and software development culture.
or you will end up screwing yourself over in the future. Especially in the business arena where corporate image is crucial for survival and reputation.
It’s a well known fact that ATI products suck in linux, their subpar driver can be deemed as zero or even negative contribution to the linux desktop. As I have heard things have changed since AMD released some spec of ATI hardware and promised of new quality drivers. So things are improving, but still the old mentality of ATI doesn’t go well with linux lingers on and more importantly some bad ATI experience on linux has made me think twice before buying a ATI product again. I’m going to build a budget pc probably with amd processor and nvidia hardware. After all, linux users are about less than one percent market share. :p
Recently I came across this blog post. That was probably one of the worst thing a tech company could do to tarnish it’s brand. I still remember the days that I have to recompile alsa and emu10k1 in order to replace oss to make a sound on a pc. Built-in sound cards these days are just good enough for everybody. This comes from someone like me who purchased external amplifier of some obscure brand. When I look at Creative’s product line up all I can think of is Logitech (:p that’s good brand building). Oh I do own an old creative zen mp3 player which I bought for 20 bucks some years ago.
P.S. RIP Creative
