__/ [Sinister Midget] on Monday 06 February 2006 05:48 \__
> On 2006-02-06, Erik Funkenbusch <erik@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> posted
> something concerning:
>> On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 09:03:15 +0000, Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>>
>>> I agree. Firefox has been far more than a Web browser to me (arbitrary
>>> example at http://schestowitz.com/temp/chembuddy_xmas.jpg ) and I
>>> continue to extend it further, all for practical reasons, not for flash.
>>> Almost a dozen plug-ins are used at the moment and my profile directory
>>> contains all that I ever need (including passwords, cookies and history).
>>> I can run Firefox via SSH from virtually anywhere. Duplicating its
>>> complete state and putting it on another machine is a drag-and-drop job,
>>> which is platform-independent.
>>>
>>> Peer-to-peer is coming to Firefox too.
>>
>> Isn't it interesting that so many Linux advocates complain that they have
>> to install third party programs or drivers on Windows, and complain as to
>> why can't Windows come with everything. Yet most of them seem to have all
>> these extra plug-ins in firefox, or xine, or xmms or whatever that they
>> have to track down and install to get that "perfect environment" they're
>> always looking for.
False.
We have *distributions*, which come complete with all the necessary
'cogwheels'. If one wishes to extend, there are RPM's ((Double-)click,
Next/OK/Finish, Job done) or additional software on the CD's (the large
number of CD's serves a genuine purpose).
This approach does not suffer from the need to browse the Net, which is
something Windows fails to do. It does not retain knowledge of where
applications reside on the Web, so the user is left disoriented. Try to
explain to my mom or dad that it should be crystal clear they need Acrobat
Reader from adobe.com if they wish to open PDF files.
Dependency issues are somewhat a thing of the past assuming you use .deb
packages with nice GUI's like Synaptic or package managers like YaST.
>> Interesting observation, that's all...
Why bother with lies? You obviously are competent with the Windows platform,
but your knowledge about Linux is composed of FUD, stereotypes and memories
from the 90's perhaps.
> Yeah. But incorrect as usual.
>
> Firefox works as-is. No need to install anything at all to make it
> browse, which is what browsers do. It works no matter what platform
> it's installed on just as well as any other platform it can be
> installed on.
>
> I hook up a scanner on Winders. Does it work? Without help? Do I need
> to install anything else to make it go?
>
> I go buy a brand-spankin' new 2006 release printer. I plug it in to a
> Windwoes machine. Do I need to do anything else to use it?
>
> How about the NIC? Does it need a driver, or can I plug it in to use it
> with no further action (assuming DHCP)?
>
> Well, golly. I just changed my video board. That's OK, Win*DOH*s will
> be able to set it all up without me having to install anything, right?
Very good points made above. I reveal this on a daily basis. Scanners,
network cards and the like require 'leg work' and intervention from Windows
users whereas for Linux users, it's "plug-and-go", assuming the hardware is
sane (e.g. not *WIN*modem). Often enough, Windows drivers don't work either,
which makes the hardware disposable.
> Is Windoze safe without added anti-virus, anti-spyware and the plethora
> of other little things people chase down in order to be able to pretend
> some peace of mind?
>
> You're (deliberately?) comparing apples and oranges. Firefox works.
> People may want more than the minimum, but it works completely,
> self-contained without any of them, and it does what it was designed to
> do. Yet you want to compare *that* with what it takes to make something
> else minimally functional.
>
> Yeah, you *could* make the claim, accurately IMHO, that Winduhs does
> what *it* was designed to do without any of the actions I mentioned.
> That would most certainly be true, because it was designed to do
> _nothing_ without outside help.
It only helps itself when it has a pressing interest, e.g. MSN.com.
Roy
--
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