Re: [OT] Switching to Linux (was: Microsoft takes on ACT)

[Michal Nowak <vinnie@inetia.pl>]

On 2002-05-23 at 20:09 byhoe@greenlime.com wrote:

>Try Linux! You will fall in love with it. I once tried Linux
>(OpenLinux 1.2) and I did not quite like it. After a while of mingling
>around, I started to love it. I am an advance user nowaday!

Linux is becoming good option for wider part of community. It supports 
more and more devices and is easier to maintain. However, there
are still some configuration issues, which require more computer 
skills and knowledge than non-cs folk has. To force my TV card work
with S3 Savage 4 card I had to do some kernel tweaking (and it still
is a bit unstable). There is still too much black magic for a typical
user. Well, using Linux I may feel a bit like a wizard among "normal"
users :-). Hmm, I like this possibility to have whole system under 
control, where there are no "super-clever" creators which wants to
do everything for me. I'm still dual systems user (not exactly - 
two Linux installations + FreeBSD + Win 95), but the proportions
are changing towards Linux. Two years ago I was mostly on Win, but 
now it is Linux. I hope to switch to Linux/BSD in nearest future.
I may miss AdaGIDE, but maybe it will be possible to run it 
through Wine.

To cheer up a bit. Most people after taking some course of using 
MS Windows&Co. put in their resumes point: "Skill in using a computer",
where it should be "Skill in using MS Word & Excel under MS Windows".
One day, when I was away, a neighbor of mine asked my Mother, if he
can print something urgent on my PC. She let him in, he turned on
the PC, and Linux booted up. She told me then, that after seeing 
all startup messages and landing in console mode he panicked a bit
and resigned from his urgent printout...

  Mike

"In the world of machines, virtual machines,
dominated by software ...
                  ... a new culture is born"