STYMA, ROBERT E (ROBERT) wrote:
Tim:
Though there are cases, and this seems like one of them, where this is
next to impossible. Not because Linux can't do the task, but because
the server deliberately excludes clients. There's any number of
internet services which are deliberately designed to only work with
Windows, for no good reason. Not *just* because they can't figure out
how to support everyone, but sometimes because they want to be
deliberately obstructive.
....
I'm not so sure that Linux even wants to be a direct replacement for
Windows, just a viable alternative for those who want it.
For those who
want Windows, there is Windows.
A fair number of people would like to see Linux make inroads into
the business desktop arena. As PC's became popular in the 1980's
Windows had a leg up on the competitors like OS2 because of their
popularity in the consumer market. Unix's were popular among those
who were educated in technical fields because it was freely available
to universities. Inroads made in the consumer market may help
Linux in the business desktop. If nothing else, the lessons learned
in this area will make Linux more polished.
I agree with your statements about companies being deliberately obstructive.
Microsoft has good reason to be obstructive. Also companies like
Symantec, Network Associates (McAfee), and other companies who make
their business working around flaws in Windows have good reason to
see Linux not grow.
Bob Styma
Running a system where you need to pay "protection" in order to not have
your shop destroyed or your hard drive broken sounds like a racket to
me. Most the windows users that I know do not have antivirus or spyware
software on there machines and they are rampant with malware of all
sorts. There should be protection from these from Microsoft with no
charge and using an automated new virus definition upgrade.
For these users to come over to Linux would introduce a large number of
users that run unpatched Linux boxes. There needs to be a system to
upgrade these systems automatically by default. Linux has the
possibility to run updating programs in the background and keep the
common user for desktops unknowingly a reduced risk from having patched
instead of unpatched systems.
Multimedia is somewhat of an issue for it to not work by default. With
yum and multimedia oriented repositories available now, multimedia not
installed by default is only an initial inconvenience that can be dealt
with.
Jim
--
QOTD:
If it's too loud, you're too old.
