-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Mike & Tracy Holt
Sent: Thursday, August 17, 2000 6:10 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Re[2]: [newbie] OT Linux gaming OT
> >> But - seriously - with the right parts Linux is very easy to install.
>
> > This doesn't seem ok, having to choose my hardware according to what
> > OS I want to use.
>
> You are absolutely correct. I wish I could run Win98 on my Amiga. For
that
> matter, it would be really neat if I could run Win2000 on my Mac. :)
>
> Disclaimer: I'm far from a *nix expert. I've only been using Linux on a
> regular basis for a couple of months. I actually like Windoze. I've been
a
> computer geek for 19 years playing with various hardware during that time.
> So I found your comment quite humorous.
>
> No OS is going to work on every piece of hardware. It just isn't going to
> happen. In order to get the most stable system you want, you need to
match
> your hardware to your OS. All the big boys do it. That is why
> Dell/Gateway/whoever won't support a workstation that was sold with Win98
> but now has Win2000. We deal with this constantly at work...
>
> I also wonder if there is any other OS that supports as many different
> architectures as Linux (x86 - PCs, 68k - Mac / Amiga, PPC - Mac /
whoknows,
> and countless others).
>
> Just my $.02...
>
> Jon
I don't think that's quite what he meant Jon, and it's those sort of answers
that keep the divide so wide between different OS users. Picking hardware
is different than picking an entire platform; when I go to the computer
store to buy a cd/rw, I bring it home - plug it in - load the software
(under windows) and I'm up burning cd's within the hour.
--- Actually --- my point is that Linux users need to pick the right
hardware. Don't purchase a winmodem and then expect it to work under Linux.
And that statement can really be OS independent -- You wouldn't want to buy
a video card, only to discover that it doesn't work with your motherboard
(e.g. a Voodoo 3 3000 will not work with certain versions of the Tyan Tiger
133 -- so it's best to not try it).
--- My second point was that by choosing the right hardware, the
installation is very easy. I don't use a cd/rw for an office machine. A
typical office machine is used by someone who sets appointments, sends
email, prints documents. The people in these types of jobs don't typically
burn a cd. My example was that an office Linux box is very fast to install.
It really is very fast. And I grant to everyone - that if a cd/rw was put
in to the box -- or I was expected to put games on the machine - I'd choose
different video, different amounts of RAM - and I wouldn't say that
configuring Linux is fast.
--- Next, when I go to the store, I never expect any new hardware that I
purchase to work with the equipment that I already have ... upgrading
hardware rarely works. Something else gets stressed, something breaks,
something that worked will not work with the new part ... etc. Maybe I just
have bad luck or maybe it's just an expectation that others have that I
don't have ... that's why I try to choose all the hardware together at the
same time.
<snip>
Let's stop the quibbling, the truth is obvious - people love to hate Bill.
Let's just realize where we're at and then we can be clear about where we
want to go.
--- Finally, as a Linux advocate, I don't hate Bill. I would never hit him
with a pie and I certainly didn't like it (nor did I laugh) when he was hit
with a pie. The man was visibly shaken after that episode - and quite
frankly cruelty isn't my specialty. But as a Linux advocate, I do like the
thought of being able to make changes to code if I desire. I also happen to
agree with Mr. Stallman (founder of GNU) that NDA agreements are difficult
to sign - let alone tolerate - because if something is really exciting -
it's a great temptation to share it. Wouldn't you really like to look at
the code behind Windows? -- and then be able to tell your neighbor. :-)
