Greetings,
In order to try and get a broader audience for a Linux I've engaged in a
small effort to try and get Walt Mossberg, the technology and gadget
reviewer for the Wall Street Journal, to try and review Linux-running
machines. His replies to me were that Linux was just for "techies" (I have
his emails archived somewhere).
Mossberg apparently has considerable traction, one of the WSJ's marquis
writers, and his reviews can make or break products in the WSJ-reading
community. Producers fear what affect his criticism will have on their
bottomo line.
Today, he has a review of a Linux-based machine, "A $99 Desktop Comes
With Software, Backup And Too Many Catches" (p.B1) and he says wonderful
thing like,
" ...Second, a lot of this Linux software is rough, below the
polished level of Windows or Mac programs. In my tests, various programs
crashed or froze frequently. While the Banshee program is supposed to work
with iPods, it failed to work properly with both of the iPods I tested.
..."
Exactly, not my experience. I've been a Linux desktop and server user,
trying to keep my nickels from landing in either Bill Gates' or Steve
Jobs' pockets, since the late 90s. Certainly, in the late 90s
applications-based stuff had its rough edges, and these days an
alpha-based application (so self-described) may have have unpredictable
results, but on too many points Linux can go head-to-head, and be
head-and-shoulders above Jobs- and Gates-related offerings.
I encourage Fedora, and other distro, users to take a crack at the
WSJ-reading establishment and their chief spear-carrier. Email (publicly
available) is mossberg@xxxxxxxx
Max Pyziur
pyz@xxxxxxxxx
