Responses inserted below: "Umm...okay. My Windows is not infested and hasn't been for years. I don't disable *any* security and I have had not one security issue in the last few years. I think you missed the point, dude."
** That's great that your Windows isn't having pollution problems. It is very rare, as Windows itself doesn't have any security options to disable - it's wide open unless you actively do something about it by installing aftermarket product$ that don't come with Windows. "I learn new things all the time. I'm not a clueless n00b. I don't need my system to be "idiot-proofed" for me. SuSE is much, much better, I'll give you that. This isn't the only distro or the first time Linux installation for me and it shows remarkable improvement over the first distros and the first SuSe I tried." ** Sorry, didn't mean to insult you, that was not my intention. We just see a lot of Windows users come down the pike whining about how Linux isn't Windows, and at the first sign of trouble, they bash it and go running back to Windows. Linux isn't perfect, granted, but it's the best alternative to Windows there is (unless you want to be REAL fringe and go with a Mac). "I'm not using nVidia, so that went nowhere. If the hardware detection is as wonderful as you say it is, answer me three questions: Why would a device detected as a CD/DVD *burner* need to have burning *enabled*?? I don't know about you, but if I paid more for my CDROM so that it burns, I'm using it." ** The nVidia driver was just offered as an example, so it's ok that it "went nowhere". Most distros see the CD/DVD burners these days, including SuSE 9.1. A few versions back, it would be detected as a CD drive, and a config file would need to be edited to get the burner functionality working. SuSE 9.1, however, detected my DVD and CD-RW drives just fine on first install (see screen capture I sent to your private email address). "How can an OS that purports itself to be winning the war with Windows ignore half or more of the hardware that is fully available and in wide use? Winmodems aside." ** We don't be claiming to be winning any war with Windows, but Windows is losing major ground to Linux and Microsoft is being very quiet about it. It is not up to the Linux developers to write device drivers, though an increasing number do. Just like Windows, hardware manufacturers develop their own drivers and submit them to Microsoft before the release of an OS version. More and more, they are doing this for Linux too, so it's getting better all the time. Hardware manufacturers are providing drivers for Linux at a steadily increasing rate. And for the record, SuSE Linux 9 supports Winmodems. "Why, when installing a *hardware* device, would a user have to check compatibility with software that isn't even related and why couldn't the drivers have a built in check to see if the proper version of the OS and necessary libraries are installed?" ** I am unaware of any requires software compatibility checking in terms of unlrelated hardware. That's new to me. But in terms of device driver version checking, why did it take Microsoft until Windows XP do do that very same thing? "I am looking forward to getting Linux to work on this machine, but people who trash an OS that has worked fine for me (for no good reason, because it certainly didn't change *my* opinion) and people who insinuate that because someone uses Windows they are inferior in their computer skills, will go a long way towards ensuring that Linux never overtakes Windows." ** Insults were not intended, and for that I apologize. But may I ask why you're investigating Linux? Most do it out of a bonafide frustration with a very well documented horrible track record of Windows security, stability, freedom-of-choice and price issues. As for anyone really caring about Linux dominating Windows, I honestly couldn't care less. All I care about is that it is a better alternative, which Linux has been getting very close to very quickly. And I have never heard of a product not doing well because of the attitude of the customers. If that were the case, no one would ever buy alcohol, which is far more notorious for producing "instant a**holes" than Linux. "I was not trashing Linux. I was merely pointing out what I see as one of the major obstacles to getting it onto the average user's desktop. When the Linux gurus stop trashing Windows users and looking down their snooty noses at us and begin to tackle these issues of usability, Linux will grow rapidly and finally show what it can *really* do. Until then, Windows users that want to make the move will try it, meet some success, become frustrated, get some snotty replies to their questions and go back to what works." I'm glad you're not trashing Linux - like Microsoft has for nearly a decade. Remember that 90% of Linux users are also Windows users and extremely frustrated EX-Windows users who have found a welcome home in Linux. Granted, there's some attitude in the Linux world because of the frustration with Windows and past Microsoft hostility and smear campaigns. But many of us holding two decades of experience with Windows back to version 1 when it was nothing more than DOSSHELL on steroids, and hold bachelors and masters degrees in the fields of programming and operating systems - such as myself. Some of us have EARNED the right to trash Windows because we've been through it all and know what's under the hood of the world's best selling but most unstable operating system ever produced. "No offense intended and I'm not singling you out. Usability and hardware issues won't go away no matter how good Linux is." ** Linux developers everywhere are working on it at lightning speed compared to Microsoft. From Windows 2000 (Windows version 5.0) to Windows XP (Windows version 5.1), not much happened. That took 3 years on the shelf and 5 years of development. In the linux world, 3 years produces major overhauls to the kernel itself, let alone the wide selection of Window managers that follow. Linux nearly reinvents itself in that amount of time. It takes Microsoft that long to crank out a service pack. "I know it *can* work, but just getting it to work can often be more challenge than the average user wants. I realize there is a learning curve. Right now the curve is too hard to take at a comfortable speed and it's leaving many potential users dead by the road. I'm not one of them, but I can certainly appreciate their perspective." ** No offense, but the "Linux is too difficult" complaint of the past no longer holds much water anymore. True, the installations are still geared toward people who are not total computer newbies, but Windows isn't exactly a fire-and-forget install either and never has been. You still have to get printers, graphics, antivirus, sound and networking set up, and most folks are oblivious to that. Many devices come up "Unknown". As far as Linux users leaving users dead by the road is not the fault of the OS, it is the reality that no one is born a computer ace and that some degree of intuitiveness is required to use a computer no matter which OS you prefer. And not all of us want an OS that caters to the lowest common denominator. > In a nutshell: Microsoft is in the process of saying "uncle". "Not yet." ** Sure they are. They have been ever since 1999 when Windows 2000 was released with Active Directory. Notice that Microsoft's harsh criticism of Linux has virtually screeched to a halt. Windows 2003 Server completely dumps Microsoft's own long-time networking standard, NetBIOS. This is unprecidented for Microsoft, who NEVER betray themselves and only crush the industry standards of others after buying them out (which is about to happen to Macromedia). They are now 100% DNS with their operating system products. Microsoft has also released UNIX services for Windows, which allows UNIX/Linux software to run on Windows and also allows UNIX and Windows servers to interoperate with each other - this would have been UNTHINKABLE only a couple years ago, when Microsoft was only interested in bashing Linux as a competitor (which failed miserably and backfired). Microsoft is drifting towards a UNIX structure with every new release. You just won't hear about it in the press because it will negatively effect tech stocks. Here's the nail in the coffin - Steve Balmer of Microsoft has stated that Microsoft is interested in developing software for Linux. The only obstacle, big surprise, is open source vs. money. http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3?ltsn=2000-10-18-015-04-PS-MS ** Regardless of software, however, just keep your eye on the structure of the Windows operating systems themselves. You will see that as time marches on, Windows becomes more Unix-like, and it will take place very quietly. Apple dumped their previous OS and shifted over to a UNIX kernel in one single release (Mac OSX). Microsoft is a little too proud for that after all the Linux bashing of previous years. ** Linux is worth it, and is only getting better by leaps and bounds in record-breaking time. Hang in there, you'll love it, and learning how to get past little issues with device drivers is no more difficult than what we all had to learn to be able to do the same thing in Windows. Bob To unsubscribe from this list, please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] & you will be removed. Yahoo! Groups Links ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/0XFolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this list, please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] & you will be removed. Yahoo! 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