[plug] Linux is out, for now.

[Joel -]

Wise words from Rick indeed.
Those people are trying to run linux, but cant tell you why they actually 
"are" running linux probably shouldn't be using it at all. It is true that 
Linux is a very hard OS to get the hang on initially, and when you have had 
your background from Microsoft, it makes it all the more harder. Now I'm no 
one to preach about why linux is better than windows or vise versa (I still 
class myself as a newbie!) but from where I stand Linux seems to be a very 
manipulatable system, but being that way it is hard to use. Windows seems to 
be a "working fresh out of the box" system, that really doesn't need any 
configuration what so ever (it does it itself!) which means it isn't as 
manipulatable as Linux, but a hell of a lot easier to use. In my personal 
point of view, if windows does everything you need, don't switch to Linux - 
it will only cause you extra hours over books. On the other hand, if the 
lack of control over your OS is bugging you, and your a bit of a tinkerer 
(like me) then by all means go for it! But a word of advice - Don't loose 
your Windows partition just yet, it takes a while to get used to Linux (6 
months or so) and it would be silly to fully rely on any thing without 
knowing how to use it (as with any aspect of life)

-- Joel

>Well, today I ended my second foray into Linux. Not that it isn't a 'good'
>operating system, it just isn't all that user friendly. (Easy)
>
>I tried three of the latest distributions. RedHat, SuSE and Caldera. I
>think RedHat may have been the easiest to set up and get going but none of
>them presented a real difficult task, if you were careful to read the
>instructions provided.
>
>After that I began to have a few problems. For example, I downloaded word
>perfect v8 but I was unable to get it to install. I'm sure I followed all
>the instructions in the readme file but there may have been some I
>misunderstood. A lot of the terms aren't necessarily written for someone
>with a windoze background.
>
>Undaunted, I made the effort to download, via the internet, star office v5.
>Yes, the whole 68 plus megabytes. Had a few minor problems getting it to
>install but eventually got it to work.   Then, when I came to set up my
>printer, a HP DeskJet 520, I discovered that it wasn't supported. On top of
>that, it ran as slow as a lemon.
>
>I guess either Linux is not ready for me, or I'm not ready for it. Perhaps
>in another year or three, I may come back and visit.
>
>Now, I don't want to discourage anyone from playing with this operating
>system, but, if you are going to use it as a serious tool, think carefully
>before you purge your current system.
>
>If your current system is already doing all you want to do, don't fix what
>isn't broken. If there is something you want to do, that only Linux can, or
>Linux can do much better, then let nothing hold you back. I believe, though
>I haven't tried it, that it's about the best networking and server software
>about. It's also very secure. So if you're a bit paranoid about others in
>your family looking at your stuff, it's the ticket.
>
>For those who read this and get upset, please don't. I am not flaming
>Linux, just admitting that I am not going to invest the time to learn it,
>just yet.
>
>
>
>
>Cheers
>Rick
>
>E=Mail    - rickd at iinet.net.au
>Home Page - http://opera.iinet.net.au/~rickd/index.html

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