Lindows at Walmart (Or Me and Microsoft, a Tale of Bondage)
Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2002 8:59 am
No idea if this of of any interest in the forum but what the heck. I've been thinking recently about what I might do now and -- more likely -- eventually to opt out of the Microsoft Monopoly. I am given to occasional bouts of shooting myself in the foot on "principal" probably for no good reason, which is why I'm vegetarian because I don't like factory farming. Mind you, I doubt my not eating meat saves the neck of a single cow, but, like I said, it is the principal of the thing.
After my first Apple was rendered obsolete I've bought computers with Windows because, well, there's practically no choice and the people I do contract work for all want their word processed stuff delivered in either Word or Wordperfect for Windows, plus I am not computer savvy and since all my work is done one way or another on my computer I can't afford to mess around, generally just take the easiest way out, which, because the OS is so predominant usually involves Windows applications.
Over the years I have tended to use non-Microsoft applications a lot. Even 8 years ago the image viewer that came with Windows was garbage compared to what I could find free on the internet and so too newsreaders and email and media players. (As for Outlook, anyone complaining about getting a bug from using it -- well its like someone complaining they got the pox after they they paid the troll under the bridge $20 bucks for a good time -- what can you expect? I've got archival samples of nice unencoded viruses that Eudora won't open.) Actually, I use hardly any of the programs that Microsoft claims are essential parts of their operating system.
Plus, Microsoft seems to be getting worse. I'm not ready to replace my computer yet and I'm dreading it. I hear all these stories about having to register the stuff that's packed on the computer, for one thing. The other day my nephew wanted to see how to code a text game and I downloaded some stuff on my brother's computer and couldn't figure out for a couple minutes why I was having some problems then I saw -- Windows had "helpfully" hidden all the file extensions! What is this? Making computers run easily is one thing, but for morons?
My newest idea is using Mozzilla. Works fine, although it has some features I would as soon not have downloaded since I'm not a developer. Plus, since sites keep track of what sort of browsers are visiting it is registering a vote against Microsoft. I'm typing this bit up in Abiword another open source thingee.
Anyway, having rambled on, to get to the point, yesterday I saw that Walmart is selling Microtel machines with Linux based Lindows OS. Wow, I thought -- a breakthrough. I mean, Walmart is not for computer geeks. What a beach head for the invasion of Microsoft World. It said that Lindows will run Microsoft stuff, so one wouldn't be left high and dry if, as might happen, one absolutely needed to use something from Microsoft.
Then I read further. Well, it is only in the Walmart catalog. Plus, it doesn't exactly run every Microsoft application. So, for instance, the old version of Wordperfect my one employer lent me a CD to install -- because you can't buy the version anymore, but they figure they have their printers set up to be compatible with THAT VERSION and anything else screws it up so THAT EXACT VERSION has to be used by the contractors -- probably wouldn't run.. Then I was thinking about stuff like my absolutely necessary internet connection and how our local server claimed it didn't even support dial-up with Windows 3.11 any more) Plus, what about DOS? I have lots of old DOS junk which I want to keep using. And as for partitioning - you can see what that did for India and Pakistan. I'm shaking just thinkiing about it.
So, luckily, I hope to get quite a lot longer out of my current computer but I was wondering what the future holds? Is this Linux stuff going to reach a point where an average computer user like myself can choose something other than Microsoft without dire consequences, without worrying about some of the concerns I just outlined?. Hell of a question to have to ask in a supposedly free economy isn't it?
Eric
After my first Apple was rendered obsolete I've bought computers with Windows because, well, there's practically no choice and the people I do contract work for all want their word processed stuff delivered in either Word or Wordperfect for Windows, plus I am not computer savvy and since all my work is done one way or another on my computer I can't afford to mess around, generally just take the easiest way out, which, because the OS is so predominant usually involves Windows applications.
Over the years I have tended to use non-Microsoft applications a lot. Even 8 years ago the image viewer that came with Windows was garbage compared to what I could find free on the internet and so too newsreaders and email and media players. (As for Outlook, anyone complaining about getting a bug from using it -- well its like someone complaining they got the pox after they they paid the troll under the bridge $20 bucks for a good time -- what can you expect? I've got archival samples of nice unencoded viruses that Eudora won't open.) Actually, I use hardly any of the programs that Microsoft claims are essential parts of their operating system.
Plus, Microsoft seems to be getting worse. I'm not ready to replace my computer yet and I'm dreading it. I hear all these stories about having to register the stuff that's packed on the computer, for one thing. The other day my nephew wanted to see how to code a text game and I downloaded some stuff on my brother's computer and couldn't figure out for a couple minutes why I was having some problems then I saw -- Windows had "helpfully" hidden all the file extensions! What is this? Making computers run easily is one thing, but for morons?
My newest idea is using Mozzilla. Works fine, although it has some features I would as soon not have downloaded since I'm not a developer. Plus, since sites keep track of what sort of browsers are visiting it is registering a vote against Microsoft. I'm typing this bit up in Abiword another open source thingee.
Anyway, having rambled on, to get to the point, yesterday I saw that Walmart is selling Microtel machines with Linux based Lindows OS. Wow, I thought -- a breakthrough. I mean, Walmart is not for computer geeks. What a beach head for the invasion of Microsoft World. It said that Lindows will run Microsoft stuff, so one wouldn't be left high and dry if, as might happen, one absolutely needed to use something from Microsoft.
Then I read further. Well, it is only in the Walmart catalog. Plus, it doesn't exactly run every Microsoft application. So, for instance, the old version of Wordperfect my one employer lent me a CD to install -- because you can't buy the version anymore, but they figure they have their printers set up to be compatible with THAT VERSION and anything else screws it up so THAT EXACT VERSION has to be used by the contractors -- probably wouldn't run.. Then I was thinking about stuff like my absolutely necessary internet connection and how our local server claimed it didn't even support dial-up with Windows 3.11 any more) Plus, what about DOS? I have lots of old DOS junk which I want to keep using. And as for partitioning - you can see what that did for India and Pakistan. I'm shaking just thinkiing about it.
So, luckily, I hope to get quite a lot longer out of my current computer but I was wondering what the future holds? Is this Linux stuff going to reach a point where an average computer user like myself can choose something other than Microsoft without dire consequences, without worrying about some of the concerns I just outlined?. Hell of a question to have to ask in a supposedly free economy isn't it?
Eric