In comp.os.linux.advocacy, Sinister Midget
<fardblossom@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote
on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:30:44 -0500
<ks2mo5-pja.ln1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>:
> On 2008-08-29, bbgruff <bbgruff@xxxxxxxxxxx> claimed:
>> Well, we were asked for "In the wild sightings", and I was assured by one of
>> our long-standing writers here that Stores count as "in the Wild", so here's
>> my own latest experience....
>>
>> U.K. readers will be familiar with PCWorld.
>> Part of Dixon's-that-was?
>> In my book, somewhere generally to be avoided, but a very convenient place to
>> pick up blank CDs, DVDs, the odd cable, etc. Very "Windows-centric", and
>> perhaps the *last* place I had expected to see Linux.
>>
>> On the way back to the office today, I stopped-by to pick up some ink
>> cartridges. Through the automatic doors, huge Samsung T.V. to my left, and
>> straight in front, blocking the aisle not 20ft from the door was a
>> stand-alone-stand that one had to walk round to proceed.
>> On that stand, an Acer One powered up and people playng with it.
>> Right up front on the big price tag "This machine runs the Linux Operating
>> System, and is pre-loaded with a complete Office Suite, compatible with MS
>> Office"!
>>
>> Several people playing, so walked on to get my ink.
>> Wandered round the laptop stands. TWO Asus netbooks (Linux) there and powered
>> up. Ironically, somebody had displayed between them a boxed Norton Security
>> pack at £29.99(?). Also, one other laptop with somebody at it, was running
>> Ubuntu (Advent?).
>>
>> On the way out, I actually managed to get my hands on the Acer, and I really
>> was impressed. Just 4 blocks of icons on the desktop, (Fun/Internet/Work
>> etc?) and very snappy to use. Priced at £199 (that's very low over here - we
>> often pay in pounds what yanks pay in dollars for kit), and when I started
>> opening documents and spreadsheets, I soon had a crowd round again.
>> Was able to spend a few minutes answering questions, expounding on
>> not-Windows, no A.V, needed, full Office suite, free updates - for ever!
>> etc... and then left them all to have a go.
>>
>> Cetainly I was impressed by the device. I always thought these things (screen
>> and K/B) would be a bit small for my old eyes and clumsy fingers, but I was
>> surprised at how good it was, and how easy to read the screen (8.9").
>>
>> I'm sure it comes with XP, and that a lot of folks will prefer that, but I was
>> really amazed to see this (and the Linux statement) in such a prominent
>> position in that particular store! Maybe it's because they can't sell
>> them.... or something....???:-):-)
>
> I've been saying it for years, and I'll say it again: MICROS~1's days
> aren't numbered, they're over. The body even flops around a little less
> with each passing day, signalling that what's left of any brain
> activity ceased and the nerves are finally dying down.
Maybe, but there's still a lot of juice left in that
corpse. about $60B/year worth, in fact. They're not dead
yet, though it doesn't look wonderful.
>
> Who could've believed just a few short years ago that companies such as
> Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Intel and others would be openly selling linux
> machines? Who would've believed that one could walk into places and
> find linux machines for sale on the floor?
Indeed, though I still think Dell needs to do more work on
their website; they've got no less than three sequences,
all different (and in the case of FreeDOS, a different
microprocessor selection). They *are*, however, improving;
apart from some peripheral stuff Linux Ubuntu and Windows
are almost identical, at least for the low-end Inspiron
I checked.
>
> Some moron (DuFuS? GoldFish?) was claiming some crap about boxed linux
> on the software shelves being little or non-existant, as though that
> means something.
It might mean that it's flying off the shelves and they
can't keep it in stock, or that the store isn't bothering.
I for one can't say which, though I suspect the latter;
Linux software is updated very frequently, and the longer
it sits on the shelf the more obsolete it gets.
> But software on shelves doesn't make a statement
> anything approaching the one made by a running machine on display.
> Having machines on-hand is a far better position than having a shiny
> box with nice words that doesn't convey what's really inside. Besides,
> with broadband so widely available, and with cheap and free sources to
> get copies for those who don't have broadband, what need is there for
> boxed copies on linux on shelves?
>
> And MS can't stop any of this!
Not legally, anyway. Were they dumb enough they could
stage some sort of "goon raids", basically destroying
Linux software sitting on the shelves, but the stores
would probably get very very angry -- and even the DoJ
might have to sit up and take notice, paralyzed as they are
from other issues. (The stores also have security cameras,
so they'd figure it out pretty quick -- though they might
not be able to work out precisely who -- and take additional
measures to forestall the raids.)
I doubt Microsoft's quite *that* dumb, even if they did
let Microsoft BOB get out...
>
> I can remember a time when just the idea of MS saying they planned on
> buying something would have sealed the deal. In those days Yahoo! would
> have been a new MS department almost immediately after saying publicly
> they wanted to acquire it. Now what? They got spurned. And even when
> they tried to go in the back door they were stymied.
>
> The Asus machines are available in DEPARTMENT STORES now! They can be
> bought in a lot of places online. They're in computer stores. They're
> ready to go. No muss, no fuss. After more than 25 years of Windwoes, MS
> /STILL/ can't accomplish that. In fact, running *that* crap up and
> getting to a point that work can begin takes far more time than ever!
> And people are sick of it!!
>
> It's no wonder those like our resident trolls are worked into a lather.
> It's over. The dumber ones still may not realize it, but they know
> something isn't right. The smarter ones (I think they all left by now)
> seem to believe they can help delay the inevitable awhile longer, maybe
> getting another paycheck or two more before it all comes crashing down.
> But they certainly know the writing is on the wall because they've read
> it themselves.
>
> Some moron (DuFuS? Quack?) will surely have a conniption because they
> think this is a preamature burial. But the end is nigh, no matter what
> petulent frenzies they wish to engage in. They could do themselves a
> favor by waking up and taking action. If they were smarter they might
> be able to do just that.
>
> I predict that 5 years from now the Windummies will sound a lot like
> linux users did 8-10 years ago (if Windoze survives that long):
>
> "Windows isn't dead, you idiot. Stop saying that. Why, I personally
> know 1 other person who is running it at home, and they love it.
> I've heard of a couple of others in this area, too. Plus I'm hoping
> I can convince my boss to let me start using it at work,"
>
Well, ideally Microsoft wouldn't die anyway; they'd just
be taken down a peg and become another competitor in a
thriving software market, along with Linux, HURD, FreeBSD,
ReactOS, and maybe BlueSkyOS (an open-source variant of
BeOS).
--
#191, ewill3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
New Technology? Not There. No Thanks.
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
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