It's not a matter of declaring fault. It's just a sad conclusion that
Linux
can not hope to compete with MS for the Desktop unless something
changes and it won't be the manufacturers who are concened with
competition. I worked in the Mini-Computer industry for too many years
and I know how Hardware manufacturers think.
First, I'm a huge Linux advocate and have been for years. Linux has been
my server platform of choice for 10 years and my desktop platform for
over 6 years. So when I say it sucks I say it because I love it.. Linux
on the desktop sucks.
I for one don't want Linux to look, feel, act, or misbehave like Windows
or even Mac OS. As it is I think recent 'advances' such as KDE, Gnome,
and OpenOffice are all mistakes. Yes, we need tools that fill these
roles but no we don't need to clone Windows, Mac OS, Microsoft Office,
or any of those crappy tools just because users already are used to
them. What Linux on the desktop needs is it's own direction rather than
being driven by copycats. Why would I want what amounts to as a cheap
knockoff of Windows? I don't like the Mac OS desktop but at least they
had the guts to try some things in OS X that were different from both
prior versions of Mac OS and Windows. Stop copying whatever crappy ill
conceived mass produced software you see and make something that has
really been thought about and really works well. Does anyone really
believe any desktop platform is easy to use either for newbies or power
users? If so, when is the last time they took a reality check. Errors
and instability are everywhere. It's difficult for newbies to figure out
what is what without just pure trail and error. It's difficult for power
users to work because there are no real tools for efficiently managing
massive amounts of documents, application sessions, notes, etc. Both
newbies and power users are constantly running into the limitations of
the metaphor. Some of the major Linux companies need to brainstorm
together, work up some real concepts, and do some real usability
studies. Do something new that blows Windows and Mac OS away with how
well it works.
One thing I hate that I think could be improved on. Important icons that
are on the desktop which you can only reach my closing or minimizing all
the windows open on top of it. Doh. The desktop is obviously an
application like any other so it should behave like any other. Let's
have a tab for it just as we do for other applications. Special cases
are usually a bad idea.
