[Atreyu]

From what you have heard/read, what do you guys think about Lindows?

For those of you that don't know, it's an operating system in development which will be able to run both Linux and Windows apps. It is actually Linux, but with a built in Windows emulation layer. It sounds pretty neat, but who knows.

Lindows

[Brian Frank]

That, and it's getting in trouble by MS for patent infringement.

[sapiens74]

what I don't quite understand is the Linux community is so anti Windows, why do they want to have anything at all to do with it. I beleive "wannabe" is the word that comes to mind. Either use Linux and all the apps that are available for it or use Windows. Stop trying to make it something it's not. When Bill Gates and Linus get together, hehe, then maybe they can make a hybrid or something.

[Brian Frank]

My complaints about the Linux community's false impressions of Windows.

-Windows is crash prone.
--Not true if you look at Win2k and WinXP.
-Windows is more susceptible to viruses.
--No duh! It's only the most widely used OS.
-How many games run on Linux?
--How many companies are making video games for Windows and haven't filed for bankrupcy?
-IE is forced down our throats.
--And Netscape is better?
-Windows is hacked more.
--And what about those security advisories I keep hearing about for Linux?
-Linux is better than Windows on the desktop.
--How so? It sure ain't user friendly, even with KDE and Gnome.
-There are drivers out for Linux.
--Yes, but how many are supported and from the hardware manufacturer itself?
Granted this a big blanket on the Linux community, as I know people who are not the Linux-zealots I'm referring to here. Linux is not going to take over the desktop anytime soon, because it does not offer what people want soon enough. Hell, the Mac supports stuff sooner than Linux does, and in the USB and firewire land, it was the first to totally ditch legacy. Linux still works better with older hardware.

[Four and Twenty]

Big B
I agree with everything you said but i am all for lindows at the same time.
A)Microsoft needs some competition
B)More is better (haven't done a dual boot in a while)
C)who knows it could run some appz better than windows
D)it is probably going to be more customizable than windows
E)its just a kinda cool idea

[Atreyu]

I'm following the "cool idea" mentality. I'd sure like to take it for a test run.... for the sheer thrill of it.

One very huge issue that you guys forgot to mention is the support that Microsoft supplies for their products. When vulnerabilities are found, appropriate patches/updates are issued immediately. The Microsoft web site has got to be one of the most impressive displays of web technology on the internet. The amount of information supplied by Microsoft on the site is incredible, along with the amount of freely downloadable software. For those of you who have never dug deep into the TechNet or MSDN sites at Microsoft, I suggest you do so.... it's mind boggling. Also, who can forget the KnowledgeBase. I cannot tell you how many times that system has bailed me out.

The support offered by a vendor for it's product rarely rivals that of Microsoft's. This is another problem that has plagued Linux and will most likely hurt "Lindows".

[sapiens74]

i agree totally. I have deplyed Windows products for 5 yesra now and have been an avvid user of Technet. It is really helpful and has a wealth of info.


I think the Macintosh platform is way better then Linux in terms of functionality and ease of use. The problem with the Linux community is they assunme most users are basically knowledgable.



If they were I wouldn't have a job.

[Vampyr]

Its a cool idea. Its nice to have alternatives out there. For once someone is doing something totally innovative (I don't want any "windowsXP is innovative" replys. M$ has a big big budget to work with where as other companies do not). I have a soft spot for the underdog. Who knows maybe in 15 years Lindows will take the lead in the desktop PC market. Speaking of alternatives has anyone used QNX or AmigaOS 5? QNX has by far the best clustering service around (its the only "realtime" os around. Or so they claim). I think Each operating system has its own little thing that it accels in over other desktop/server operating systems.

Can't wait to test drive Lindows.

[three]

i'd love to try it out myself, but according to the website, you have to be a member ($95) just to test their preview? that's asking alot aint it? Hell, if i'm paying that just for to be their lab rat, i wonder how much I'll be paying for the final release?

In general, it's a good idea, but if they're gonna start charging the same price as microsoft, then this company will not go far when you can just get linux and wine for free as that's what the linux community is all about.

[Brian Frank]

Heh. XP beta's and RC's were twenty bucks a shot. That's a helluva lot cheaper than Lindows.

[sapiens74]

No joke and require less study time to use it.

[Palos]

Following on an early remark from Clutch in some other post, I would say that it won't be really soon when we'll all be running some sort of *nix, with Lindows on top, smashing thru Duke Nukem Forever multiplayer levels, and last but not least, using a BitBoys GFX card

LOL

[clutch]

LOL

Gotta love DNF and the BitBoys!

[pmistry]

It is a cool idea what Lindows is proposing, and I certainly will give it a try. It reminds of Odin, this program was supposed to convert Win32 programs into native OS/2 programs [I think] so you could run them in OS/2. Now there is a dead OS, although still has some presence here and there. It seems like everyone wants to run Windows applications but not on a Windows OS. Even Mac has MS Windows emulators.

Second point, I am not MS's biggest fan, but their online knowledge base is freaking amazing. Add the fact that it is built into the XP help system is even better.