On Dec 6, 2:37 am, Mart van de Wege <mvdwege_pub...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> "Gary M. Stewart" <gmstewart1...@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
>
>
> > On Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:46:42 +0100, Mart van de Wege wrote:
>
> >> "Gary M. Stewart" <gmstewart1...@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
>
> >>> On Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:19:25 +0000, Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>
> >>>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> >>>> Hash: SHA1
>
> >>>> Open source does not need new buzzwords
>
> >>> True.
>
> >>> It needs users.
>
> >>> Sitting at 0.8 percent of the desktop market share after 17+ years of being
> >>>freeis pathetic.
>
> >> So why do you care? Why are you even here?
>
> >> Mart
>
> > To compare Linux to other operating systems.
>
> Yes, but what does it say about you, that you so badly need to
> negatively compare with the majority something that has only a 0.8%
> share?
Nor is he doing it properly, assuming that's even remotely
possible at this point. At best, one can compare the
following pairs, and hopefully get something close to
meaningful.
[1] Linux to NTOSKRNL.EXE. In this case the comparison is
next to useless, as Linux won't boot without a lot
of help, and NTOSKRNL.EXE is something most users
will never ever see. (I doubt it would boot either,
mind you.)
[2] Linux+bootloader to NTOSKRNL.EXE+NTLDR.EXE. Whoopee.
Also next to useless; Linux will boot but panic (no
init or bash), and I doubt Windows will do much
better.
[3] Linux+utilities to some of Windows. The comparison is
probably not all that valid since one can pick and
choose one's utilities.
[4] Linux distro to Windows+shareware: the comparison is
problematic as there's an awful lot of shareware,
freeware, and FOSS in there, plus a number of
customization options, for both systems.
[5] Linux the kernel to Windows (minus shareware):
Linux fails here because it won't boot, whereas Windows
can at least do unprotected web browsing (with IE),
formatted text editing (Write/Wordpad), and some
other rather basic stuff. Of course that's a bit like
comparing a completed go-kart to a highly customizable,
powerful sportscar engine [*]; the go-kart can go
places but if one has a proper sportscar body the
engine can go places a *lot* faster...
At this point I'm tempted to throw up my hands and simply
compare applications, which is also problematic, as Word
in particular threw some of its stuff into the OS [+] in the
Win95 timeframe (the one coming to mind is the now-almost
universal icon panel on all Windows XP and many Linux
desktops); it is naive to conclude that they've stopped
such.
Nor are all distros the same. Gentoo in particular is a
touchy beast, if one's not careful (though it's reasonably
robust if one cares for it properly); one can also heavily
customize it from a boot-to-console to a full-fledged
drop-dead-gorgeous GUI/gamer system. Snit (yes, him) has
posted some GUI issues on a distro (I would forget which
one but it had a blue motif :-) ); these are not reflective
of all distros though may be propagated on other distros
under certain conditions; I don't know offhand.
>
> > And you?
>
> No changing the subject. I was asking *you*.
>
> Mart
>
[*] yeah, I know the metaphor stinks. Of course, there's
also the issue that one can change out the transmission,
drop in a larger carburetor (or, nowadays, replace the
fuel injectors, computer control system, or control PROM),
or even melt down the engine block and rebore everything
from scratch, metaphorically speaking. And yes, one can
repaint the bodywork...
[+] Assuming one can call all of Microsoft's offering a
true OS, as opposed to an OS (NTOSKRNL.EXE), utilities,
GUI libraries, etc. etc. I frankly don't know if
Microsoft distinguishes between loadable modules and
loadable libraries, either; I'd have to look.
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