Comments on: The Way the Rest of the World Views Linux http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/ web development goodness Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:27:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: David Tucker http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-604 David Tucker Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:31:53 +0000 http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-604 @Harry - I totally understand you. I am actually not one of the people that thinks that everyone should switch to Linux. As I stated earlier, I still use a Windows box as my main development machine. One of the great things about Linux though is that there are so many different flavors. My hope would be that in the future there would be a flavor that truly excels at an easy desktop environment (Ubuntu is getting close) and another flavor would truly excel as an Enterprise level server platform (RedHat Enterprise is doing a pretty good job). It seems that in the future the only things that will really matter is that you have a platform with a web browser (and of course, Adobe AIR). @Harry - I totally understand you. I am actually not one of the people that thinks that everyone should switch to Linux. As I stated earlier, I still use a Windows box as my main development machine. One of the great things about Linux though is that there are so many different flavors. My hope would be that in the future there would be a flavor that truly excels at an easy desktop environment (Ubuntu is getting close) and another flavor would truly excel as an Enterprise level server platform (RedHat Enterprise is doing a pretty good job).

It seems that in the future the only things that will really matter is that you have a platform with a web browser (and of course, Adobe AIR).

]]> By: Harry B. Garland http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-600 Harry B. Garland Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:38:25 +0000 http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-600 I'm gonna state a controversial opinion here. I don't want the rest of the world to adopt Linux, and here's why: Right now, Linux is made by and for people who *understand* computers. Microsoft used to make good products when their target market was people who understand computers. As soon as they started making an OS for the rest of the world, the OS became dumbed down and fettered with oversimplifications and condescending metaphors. Most recently, Vista is an operating system that assumes that I am the stupidest user in the world, and gives me warnings about viruses and security when I try to do everyday things that developers do. As long as Linux remains the effective property of only highly specialized computer power users, Linux will remain a powerful operating system. Anyway, things will change when a personal computer is replaced by an appliance that only runs AIR applications. With AIR, users don't need to be exposed to one single operating system command or message. By that, I mean take Tivo for example. Tivo is a Linux box but its users are not expected to understand a single thing about the OS. If my Tivo ran AIR, I would just simply select an application to run, and it would run it. Why should we live in a world where anybody even cares what their OS is? I’m gonna state a controversial opinion here. I don’t want the rest of the world to adopt Linux, and here’s why:

Right now, Linux is made by and for people who *understand* computers. Microsoft used to make good products when their target market was people who understand computers. As soon as they started making an OS for the rest of the world, the OS became dumbed down and fettered with oversimplifications and condescending metaphors. Most recently, Vista is an operating system that assumes that I am the stupidest user in the world, and gives me warnings about viruses and security when I try to do everyday things that developers do.

As long as Linux remains the effective property of only highly specialized computer power users, Linux will remain a powerful operating system.

Anyway, things will change when a personal computer is replaced by an appliance that only runs AIR applications. With AIR, users don’t need to be exposed to one single operating system command or message. By that, I mean take Tivo for example. Tivo is a Linux box but its users are not expected to understand a single thing about the OS. If my Tivo ran AIR, I would just simply select an application to run, and it would run it.

Why should we live in a world where anybody even cares what their OS is?

]]> By: David Tucker http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-596 David Tucker Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:28:16 +0000 http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-596 @John - I have heard rumors to that effect, lol. @John - I have heard rumors to that effect, lol.

]]> By: John Dowdell http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-595 John Dowdell Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:41:02 +0000 http://www.davidtucker.net/2008/01/21/the-way-the-rest-of-the-world-views-linux/#comment-595 Hold it... computers can run Vista? When did *that* start to happen...!? ;-) jd Hold it… computers can run Vista? When did *that* start to happen…!? ;-)

jd

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