> - have you used Windows? did you like it? why? why not?
To be completely honest - Win 2K rulez.  More than Linux ever
did. Why?

#1. Drivers + Applications + Desktop Environment Maturity

#2. Rock solid.  A very nice development environment especially
with Cygwin installed.  You can develop both Windoze AND *ix
stuff.  Heck you can even use XFree86 under Cygwin! (OK,
I'm a RedHat fan in this case.)

#3. Applications + Applications + Applications

#4. Nice scheduler (compared to NT 4.0's lame one where Winamp
will crack up if you move a largish window around - and this is
with 2 CPUs!).  Haven't had a chance to compare it with Linux
2.4 though - not that I'm inclined to since I'm quite satisfied
with the status quo.

#5. Applications + Applications + Applications

> - (assuming that you do use linux) what linux distribution do you use?
Slackware is my favorite.  But Gentoo (currently at 1.0rc6) sounds very
promising - I hope it does not go the way of Stampede. Personally, I see
no sense using Linux if you're just gonna insulate (read: MS-ify) yourselves
from the innards. I eschew 'add-ons' on top of Linux.  I already find RPM
to be a bit of a heresy, so you can guess my attitude towards the Debian,
Suse, etc... add-ons.

To the extent that the *standards that matter* are not cast aside,
distro-specific layers are welcome. If your program won't work properly
without them though (read: will only work with RedHat (and derivatives)),
I consider that a serious liability - specially to the Linux community in
general.

With just a few simple tips on how to use configure and pkgtools (not
really widely posted although they SHOULD be), tarballs will give you
all the functionality you SHOULD want (and not a whit more than you
want to look at).

(For the developer, Autotools+m4+perl is definitely not for the faint
of heart.  But Microsoft's new, improved -NOT!- MSI installer architecture
is probably just as complex.)

> - what are the things you see in linux that are not found in Windows?
1. Programming wise, fork() is about it I suppose... =)
2. Server wise - a leaner meaner kernel.
3. Generally better (or just geek-kewler?) implementations of open source
software like languages and server-oriented stuff.

> if any, what are the things in Windows that you don't see in linux?
1. Superior drivers for the latest hardware
2. Globs and globs of very handy GUIfied desktop utilities that increase
my productivity (nope I'm not always a CLI fan - CTS sux ya know).
3. Globs and globs of high quality mature desktop applications. (Will
Kylix 2 change all that? Is QT up to the task? default QT is kind of
ugly...)

One could also say viruses and worms, but if you are a conscientious
enough 'Doze user, the bit of extra effort required to protect against
them is more than offset by the vastly more convenient Windows environment.
(For desktop app users,  if you're going to set up a server, you'd have to
be a real masochist or dunderhead MS zombie to want to use IIS given a
choice.)

> - what are the things in Windows that you would want to see in linux?
Better support for the latest hardware features.

Speaking of which, what's the news with DRI?  Haven't heard anything new
lately.  Well, let's face it - money does make the world go round.  The fun
of code-tinkering is more suited to the needs of the tinkerers and not the
user. But, that's the spirit of Linux.

> - why do you think Windows users aren't switching over to linux by now?
Because the Borg has not squeezed out every drop of blood from the
'Doze users yet.  There are still a few pints left.  Though with XP, UCITA,
DMCA, etc... it's just around the corner.

Still, I'd rather not see Linux 'topple Microsoft' if it means adding layer
after layer of '(l)user-friendly' cruft on top of it.  All the luck in the
world will not help you beat Microsoft at that game anyway.


_
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