On Wed, 2013-03-20 at 03:26 +0400, Louigi Verona wrote:
Linux usage is more about the computer. It is a hobby
of diving into
technology.
Full ACK.
I once was thinking about not to help my friends anymore, when they
experience issues with Windows. My idea was to talk to them and to offer
them, that I'm willing to maintain Linux on their computers, but never
ever to fix something for Windows anymore. I scrapped this idea, because
I became aware that my friends want to turn on a computer and that they
want to use it without a learning curve. That is what their Windows and
Apple computers provide, a common workflow for consumer and production
environments. Even some of my very experienced friends, professional
coders and administrators more often use Windows.
The telephone isn't ringing each day, perhaps 2 times a year a friend
has a minor issue with Windows. Those problems are that minimal, that if
they would use Linux, they would need help several times a day. If they
would have serious issues with Windows, I wouldn't be able to help,
since I don't use it my self and I don't have knowledge about Windows.
The Windows friends usually don't have much money and need to use
hardware they get as a gift or from bulk garbage, so drivers are a
serious issue. The Apple friends usually have the money to pay Apple to
get rid of issues, resp. at the moment I'm not aware of anybody using
Apple anymore, many people here, not only friends, switched from Apple
to Microsoft. In the past they stayed away from Windows, but nowadays
Windows is good enough for their needs. However, there always was
compatibility. They can e.g. go to a printing company and provide the
files to print a comic. You know, comics are tacked, so side 8 and 25
are on one sheet and on the backside side 7 and 26 are on that sheet.
Perhaps there are apps to handle this with Linux too, but I've got
doubts that there will be a sane workflow and that there won't be
compatibility issues.
I often experienced, that when I made a document with Open Office and
went to a friend to print it on a Windows machine with Word installed,
the formatting of the document was broken. People more often use a
cracked version of Word, than a free version of Open Office, even those
who have a cracked version of Word and Open Office installed on their
Windows machines.
The only real issue I've got with Linux is, that the recommended RME
card isn't supported, it wasn't a good recommendation and while RME was
willing to help, no Linux developer was interested in fixing the driver.
It's a serious issue, but not hard for me, because I was aware of the
risk and I often enough experienced that this happened for cheaper gear
that is recommended for Linux usage. It's ok for me, but we can't expect
that this would be ok for other users.
So mass market? Linux? Never ever in the near future!
Regards,
Ralf