The Killer App is Ubiquity

Weblog:		To push desktop Linux, radical shift may be required
Subject:		The Killer App is Ubiquity
Date:		2003-11-14 20:00:55
From:		anonymous2
Response to: The Killer App is Ubiquity
What you are saying to me is that Linux suffers from a critical lack of integration and standards. Too many applications THAT DO NOT TALK TO EACH OTHER. That do not offer to hook into each other. Maybe what we have can be coaxed to hand files off one program to another, usually NOT. And usually you HAVE TO OPEN THE HOOD AND SWEAT, AND BLEED to make this happen, when it is possible at all. Too many toolkits, not enough standard components. Too many UI approaches, not enough binary compatibility. What if I write an application that does everything people want up to and including tickle their bells. And it's written for QT and assumes the existence of KDE components. WHat happens when someone who has only Gnome installed buys my application and tries to install and use it? Angry phonecalls and mounting support costs followed by loss of revenue. LINUX: WHAT A WASTE OF TIME FOR DEVELOPERS ! When are people going to understand: Until there are some DIFFICULT DECISIONS made and a SINGLE LINUX DESKTOP SPECIFICATION arrived at, Linux will remain EXACTLY AS IT IS. Good server. A messy failure of a desktop. Soon enough and I mean like within 5 years at the outside, without major gains for Linux on the desktop, Microsoft W I L L succeed in tying the advanced features of their desktop OS and Office applications to the SERVER. and then it will be GOODBYE LINUX. Want the crappy situation you have now to continue until that final eclipse? Just keep on going in twenty different incompatible directions like you're going now. Or maybe you could try changing. At least give it A TRY. Since everything else has been tried and failed, you should at least give it a try once before MS applies the final flush to you. ENACT A DESKTOP LINUX SPECIFICATION --or stop wasting my time with your bleating cries of "NO FAIR, WE CAN'T COMPETE !"

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The Killer App is Ubiquity
2003-11-15 13:38:35 anonymous2 [Reply | View]

> WHat happens when someone who has only Gnome installed buys my application and tries to install and use it? Angry phonecalls and mounting support costs followed by loss of revenue.

> LINUX: WHAT A WASTE OF TIME FOR DEVELOPERS !

Excuse me? I can take a 20 year old Unix program and compile it and have it work on Linux. Can you say the same about a 5 year old Windows program? Likewise, a Unix sysadm from 20 years ago would have no problems administering a Linux box. Now I don't know all that much about Windows, having given up on MS at about Windows 3.1 as they kept changing their OS interfaces so as to hide but not remove design flaws, but I suspect the only Windows administration skill that carries through from release to release is the technique of giving up and re-installing the OS after about 3 hours of trying to fix the problem.

The only reason developers waste their time keeping up with Windows is because Windows has the market share. A developer has only to keep up with the 3 or 4 most recent Windows releases to be able to sell to 90% of the desktop market. And user's are used to being told the same line, which they hear repeatedly "upgrade your windows to make it work." These days will soon be history. When the MS monolopy collapses there will no longer be 3, or perhaps 4, operating systems out there. There will be many more. Your lament above, that you can't fix the user's problem by telling him the same story he's heard before "upgrade Windows", will be heard far and wide. You're going to have to come up with a solution other than "everybody must conform!" At least when dealing with developing technology. (How many times has the DirectX "standard" changed?) It's the future, get used to it.

In the meantime, see freedesktop.org.

The Killer App is Ubiquity
2003-11-15 05:35:28 anonymous2 [Reply | View]

Good server. A messy failure of a desktop.

One more M$ Troll that has never used the newer "versions" of Linux.

When will trhese people give up Liunx IS the new OS for the NEW Generation.

I have put susE 9.0 on to many home systems to count any more and EVERYONE has loved it even ex XP users comment on how much nicer looking KDE is and how stable linux is. No more rebooting 2 or 3 times aday.

The Killer App is Ubiquity
2003-11-14 20:36:23 anonymous2 [Reply | View]

You make many excellent points. I wholeheartedly agree that there must be a single vision/spec for Linux on the desktop - there is no other way to compete against Apple and Micorosoft otherwise.

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