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Author Topic: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?  (Read 21499 times)

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RubiK

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    Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
    « on: August 16, 2010, 07:40:29 AM »
    Basically, just wanted your opinions on the idea as Linux operating systems as a popular desktop OS?

    Personally, I think it will happen as time goes on, but not in the near future.

    So yeah, just post your opinions and thoughts on the subject. :)


    Salmon Trout

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    Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
    « Reply #1 on: August 16, 2010, 07:49:14 AM »
    Isn't this more a chat room topic than a help request? Are you Billrich?

    RubiK

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      Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
      « Reply #2 on: August 16, 2010, 10:29:09 AM »
      Yes, you're probably right, sorry.

      And no, I'm not Billrich.

      ghostdog74



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        Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
        « Reply #3 on: August 16, 2010, 11:44:29 AM »
        Basically, just wanted your opinions on the idea as Linux operating systems as a popular desktop OS?

        Personally, I think it will happen as time goes on, but not in the near future.

        So yeah, just post your opinions and thoughts on the subject. :)


        linux is already a popular desktop OS.

        2x3i5x



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        Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
        « Reply #4 on: August 16, 2010, 01:31:33 PM »
        what's the most popular user interface for linux? KDE, Gnome or something else?

        BC_Programmer


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        Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
        « Reply #5 on: August 16, 2010, 04:05:11 PM »
        Isn't this more a chat room topic than a help request? Are you Billrich?

        you're getting paranoid now :P


        linux is already a popular desktop OS.

        No, I'm afraid it isn't.

        popular: regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public.

        Since most of the general public hasn't a clue what Linux is and has never heard of it, I'm afraid that is not the case.

        It is regarded with favour amongst most people who do know about it though, but that hardly constitutes popularity.


        what's the most popular user interface for linux? KDE, Gnome or something else?
        Since the deformed Linux stepchild, Ubuntu, seems to be the most popular for reasons that escape me, one would be inclined to answer Gnome for that question. OTOH, maybe the popularity of other distros that use KDE by default, such as Fedora, Mint, and OpenSUSE combine to make KDE more popular?

        At the same time though, that is wrong. you said "the most popular user interface for linux" which in almost all cases will be SSH and remote access to server installations, not the desktop environment used in the consumer oriented distributions.

        I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

        ghostdog74



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          Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
          « Reply #6 on: August 16, 2010, 09:36:46 PM »
          No, I'm afraid it isn't.
          popular: regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public.
          for general public who doesn't about linux does not mean that's it not popular.
          How do you know the general public doesn't know about linux? You did a survey?
          It is a popular OS for the desktop, for those who know about it.

          Quote
          It is regarded with favour amongst most people who do know about it though, but that hardly constitutes popularity.
          For those who know about it, and use it, that's also popularity. do you measure popularity by how many people who uses it? If there are 1 billion users who usrs it out of say, 3 billion,  is that popularity? If you did a survey and find that only 3 out of 3 billion (fictitious total world population ) use linux, then i agree with you that its not popular at all, otherwise, there is really no hard facts to proof that its not popular.



          2x3i5x



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          Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
          « Reply #7 on: August 16, 2010, 09:48:54 PM »
          will there be a day when you don't need to type into the terminal (or Konsole, or whatever the command line tool is called)? I mean, you just click and play like you can do for windows and the computer will apply the proper script to get the function to work?

          ghostdog74



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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #8 on: August 16, 2010, 09:51:43 PM »
            will there be a day when you don't need to type into the terminal (or Konsole, or whatever the command line tool is called)? I mean, you just click and play like you can do for windows and the computer will apply the proper script to get the function to work?
            the linux of today is not like those of prehistoric times. Its all windows based now, much like m$ windows.

            BC_Programmer


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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #9 on: August 16, 2010, 10:11:09 PM »
            will there be a day when you don't need to type into the terminal (or Konsole, or whatever the command line tool is called)? I mean, you just click and play like you can do for windows and the computer will apply the proper script to get the function to work?

            I'm pretty sure that's pretty much how it works now.
            I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

            2x3i5x



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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #10 on: August 17, 2010, 10:26:57 AM »
            you still need to go into the terminal though at times. If you never needed to go into the command prompt unless you really needed to or wanted to (like on windows), that would be great.

            Salmon Trout

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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #11 on: August 17, 2010, 10:33:33 AM »
            you still need to go into the terminal though at times. If you never needed to go into the command prompt unless you really needed to or wanted to (like on windows), that would be great.

            Why? Then it would be just like Windows.

            BC_Programmer


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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #12 on: August 17, 2010, 04:43:56 PM »
            you still need to go into the terminal though at times. If you never needed to go into the command prompt unless you really needed to or wanted to (like on windows), that would be great.

            THAT is how it is.

            First, name one instance where you <NEED> to use terminal. (the only reason I use it myself is for apt-get, and really, the package manager could do that just as easily)

            Then give me one good reason why people should no longer have to learn how to operate a freaking computer before using it. Back in the day you pretty much needed a degree to run the things, now any dumbass can grab a keyboard. Trust me, the last thing we need is an OS that perpetuates the ridiculous idea that the computer is a "appliance" It's not. It's tool. yes, but not a appliance. Going by that same token a Mainframe should be no more difficult to use then a air conditioner, which is a simply ridiculous idea. Computers are about a million times more complicated then most appliances, appliances, unless blended, have a single function. You have Dryers. You have washers, you have toasters, for drying, washing, and toasting respectively.

            One could make an argument that computers are for computing. And I agree. but that's not what people use it for. I don't see any "computations" being made when people visit facebook.

            I don't think that people should have degrees to use computers, but they should at least have the decency to actually LEARN about the device their using. My mother for example insists on using facebook,  but refuses to learn <anything> about a computer or how it works, regardless of OS. A sample conversation:

            MO: Mother
            ME: duh...

            MO: So, to open facebook, I just click the blue E right?
            ME: err... well, the blue E opens the browser, then you need to direct it to facebook, but yeah
            MO: I'm not good with computers
            ME: *well there's a NEWS FLASH*
            MO: It's not working. (continues to click the icon a single time and wait a second or two, finally getting agitated and clicking fast enough to double-click and start it.)
            MO: Oh nevermind, it's finally decided to op... OH NO! I broke it!
            ME: what?
            MO: I wanted facebook! You said it would take me to facebook
            ME: *finally deciding that this is tiresome,  I go over and type in facebooks URL and enter.
            MO: whew, good thing I have an expert here I guess.
            so, I go back to what I was doing, and then
            MO: hey... It needs info to login
            ME:don't you know your password?
            MO: yeah... but it's wants my name?
            ME: then give it your name?
            MO: I don't know my name.
            ME: -_-

            She's not stupid, but like about 80% of the general public, the moment they sit down in front of the computer they regress to a preschool education, with only the ability to recognize abstract shapes and clap in excitement when things happen. They often point at messageboxes asking "What does this mean" Because apparently reading it and trying to comprehend it's meaning is too much effort. Same for the labels on disks, icons, and pretty much anywhere.

            What's my point? Well, err, I'm not sure. It had something to do with not appeasing these people. If somebody wants to constantly stick their hand on the burner, then I suppose you might stop them, but what we are doing now is pretty much forcing people to wear oven mitts and never actually learn that the stove is hot, just like we are letting people use a sophisticated device using a simplified interface and never allowing them to learn some of the basics.
            I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

            kpac

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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #13 on: August 17, 2010, 05:09:32 PM »
            Quote
            What's my point? Well, err, I'm not sure.
            ;D

            I often wonder when you write these long posts if you ever forget what you had started out saying by the time you were finished.

            2x3i5x



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            Re: Linux as a popular Desktop Operating System?
            « Reply #14 on: August 17, 2010, 05:10:36 PM »
            ;D

            I often wonder when you write these long posts if you ever forget what you had started out saying by the time you were finished.

            but thanks for the enlightenment anyway, BC.  :)