Trying to learn C++ but falling at the first hurdle.

[sleaterkinney]

What is harder to do on Linux than on Windows?

Apart from run Windows executables, obviously. I think we can take that one as a given. What things would "normal people" find harder?

Connecting to the net for example, when I installed ubuntu it didn't pick up my wireless dongle or find the modem, with windoze it's 5 minutes work.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I've never in my entire life heard of anyone having trouble getting a DVD drive to work with Linux. I've heard some quite obscure hardware issues, mostly to do with sound (where Linux has a significant problem - regarding the architecture, not the hardware, generally) but never anything to do with DVD drives.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Connecting to the net for example, when I installed ubuntu it didn't pick up my wireless dongle or find the modem, with windoze it's 5 minutes work.

Was that by any chance a wireless dongle that had Windows-only drivers?

 

[longdog]

I've used computers for 18 years and I've never needed to do that, why would anyone need to do that?.

I think I'm right in saying Unix and its demon spawn differentiate between upper and lower case file names where Windows doesn't give a fuck. Quite why you would want to change the case of file names at all let alone en-mass I have no idea.

Does it really matter that your favourite porn file is called donkeyrapingshiteater.avi instead of DONKEYRAPINGSHITEATER.AVI?

Oh come on, Linux needs a great deal of knowledge which you probably already have so you can't make an objective assessment, give it to a normal person and see how they get on.

That's the whole point. I don't care how many *nix-heads say otherwise Windows for all its faults is the easier operating system for the beginner and every day user.

Ubuntu is pretty good but even there I soon ran into that phrase that sends a shiver down the spine "Open up a console and edit file x to read....". Yeah... fine... might be an idea to tell people what a console is first

 

[Jonti]

You've told her to run Linux, that'll sort her.

No I haven't, you imagined that bit, but it's true she wouldn't be having the problems she's having if she were using ubuntu.

As far as I can tell right now, her problems would be trivial except for MS licensing issues.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I honestly don't give a shit what you use but really, if people are going to come up with these idiotic statements like "omg you have to open a console to do anything" and "windows is like much easier" they should expect a slap.

So far we've had that installing things designed for Windows is way easier with Windows. Well fuck me sideways.

 

[longdog]

What hardware?

My 3 Mobile dongle.

Windows: Plug in and let it get on with the job.

Linux: Forget it.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Was that by any chance a wireless dongle that had Windows-only drivers?

If you jump through hoops you can get it working with Linux, but it's a pretty common dongle, is lack of hardware support an issue with Linux?

 

[Jonti]

One _can_ do anything possible with a computer with Windows. It's Turing-complete. The question is whether there's less arseing around and that I would certainly dispute. There's no difference with standard tasks like moving files about and that sort of shit, and for anything more complex, Windows is worse; it's been deliberately crippled in fact.

This.

And almost anything you may want to do, say, process a folder of graphic images to change their size or fileformat, can be automated; things don't have to be done "by hand".

 

[FridgeMagnet]

My 3 Mobile dongle.

Windows: Plug in and let it get on with the job.

Linux: Forget it.

I have a 3G dongle which I use _all the time_ with my UNBR install. It was a million times easier to get working with Linux than anything else. Plug in, click the network icon, select UK T-Mobile as an option, bang, it works. Furthermore I'm quite familiar with the configuration for these things having used a few other Linux 3G config systems; I don't believe you.

 

[Jonti]

Longdog, just buy the right hardware. You haz t'intertubies, innit.

Being as it's obviously in the interests of circuit designers and manufacturers that their kit is allowed to work with as many systems as possible, all that's going on here is commercial stitch-ups.

 

[longdog]

So far we've had that installing things designed for Windows is way easier with Windows. Well fuck me sideways.

Nice twist.

Lets give the other half of that statement.

Installing things designed for Windows is way easier with Windows than installing a lot of things designed for Linux is with Linux.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Installing things designed for Windows is way easier with Windows than installing a lot of things designed for Linux is with Linux.

what

 

[Jonti]

I think that's meaningless; you'll have to specify you mean Ubuntu, say, rather that TomsRootBoot.

 

[Jonti]

I think I'm right in saying Unix and its demon spawn differentiate between upper and lower case file names where Windows doesn't give a fuck...

Nope.

From windows '95 it managed to tell them apart. Awesome stuff, eh?

 

[FridgeMagnet]

People ask that sort of thing all the time anyway - "oh I have lots of files called artist-album.mp3, I want to call them all album-artist.mp3".

 

[Jonti]

Or perhaps resize a whole directory of graphics files; maybe change the file format too.

 

[longdog]

What are you saying, that there's no potential for that kind of technology?

What I'm saying is there is potential for hacking web-enabled underpants but that's paranoid bollocks too

 

[Jonti]

<laughs>

 

[Jonti]

I confess I can see a myriad of criminal money-making schemes that would flow from the ability to control people's TV.

But hey, that's just me.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I can see many activities that might or might not involve making money that would flow from the ability to control longdog's pants.

 

[longdog]

People ask that sort of thing all the time anyway - "oh I have lots of files called artist-album.mp3, I want to call them all album-artist.mp3".

They seriously need to get out more then

 

[longdog]

Nope.

From windows '95 it managed to tell them apart. Awesome stuff, eh?

Well according to my XP machine you're wrong.

I did a copy of a file called apple.jpg and tried to rename it APPLE.JPG and it told me to fuck off as there was already a file called that

 

[Jonti]

And is there?

 

[longdog]

I can see many activities that might or might not involve making money that would flow from the ability to control longdog's pants.

That's even made me feel sick

 

[jæd]

For someone supposedly learning C++ Longdog has a remarkably closed mind. And very good at digging up decades old FUD...

 

[longdog]

For someone supposedly learning C++ Longdog has a remarkably closed mind.

You seem to be confusing closed mindedness with real world pragmatism

And very good at digging up decades old FUD...

Fud?

?

 

[jæd]

You seem to be confusing closed mindedness with real world pragmatism

Ah, the "I don't like it, ergo no-one else will" argument.

Fud?

Try Google. Its handy. (And don't tell them that no-one uses Ubuntu in the real world...)

I will leave you to your diversions. Finished the book yet...?

 

[fractionMan]

That's the whole point. I don't care how many *nix-heads say otherwise Windows for all its faults is the easier operating system for the beginner and every day user.

My four year old doesn't think so. Ubuntu is much easier for him.

 

[longdog]

Ah, the "I don't like it, ergo no-one else will" argument.

Yes, because all of the years of evangelism have seen people flocking to Linux in unprecedented numbers making it the dominant operating system powerhouse it is

Try Google. Its handy.

It. Was. A. Fucking. Joke

(And don't tell them that no-one uses Ubuntu in the real world...)

What share of the 'market' does Ubuntu have then? Should Bill be worrying about his fortune yet?

I will leave you to your diversions. Finished the book yet...?

No. I have other things in my life


There's been a lot of comments on this thread that illustrate perfectly why people prefer to stick with windows.

I'm quite open to the idea of Linux but put off partly by the attitude of the zealots who won't have a good word said about Windows or a bad word said about Linux.

A lot of the arguments for Linux are based on 'ifs'. If people did this, if people learnt that and if people understood the other. It's all bollocks. With ifs you can put the Eiffel Tower in a bottle.

Stop burying your heads in the sand and admit that for most people and for a variety of reasons Windows is the best choice of OS.