OT: Sun & Gnome = ?

[Torgo Jr]

Tim Schmidt wrote:
> 
> This is where Linux really shines.  You can run
> it on basically any platform making your choice of platform dependant on
> simply price/performance and not availability of applications.
> 
> I think that when Linux really catches on for the desktop user, we'll see a
> resurgance of Sparc/Apple/VLIW/RISC/etc. diversification.  

Unfortunately this isn't what the desktop user wants.  The 
average desktop user wants a simple, *common*, easy interface.  
I deal with "desktop users" (i.e., completely non-technical people 
who still need to use PC's) and things like window managers, 
/dev files, and file permissions are the *last* things that 
these people want to deal with.  They want point-and-click 
ease.  Unfortunately, I also know supposed techie (administrator)
people who think like desktop users (W2K admins???? Hmmmmm).

> Since most of
> these systems will be sold with the OS and most software pre-installed, the
> user will not know the difference.  

I have yet to see a distro that completely hides the complexity 
of a typical Linux installation.  Until this occurs, there will 
be problems with end users.

> They'll simply buy whatever is fits
> their needs and is cheapest, because the software/OS/interface will be the
> same no matter what.

There are some other things to consider.  I was thinking that 
Sun or someone should come up with a distribution that only 
has the following:
 - Linux core
 - XFree86 with a common, simple window manager
 - Star Office
 - Mozilla?
This is what about 80% of the typical end user wants, office 
stuff and a web browser.  All the distro's I've seen still 
require a lot of knowledge of existing hardware and how it 
is configured.
 
> Gotta respect the cross-platform love (does that make any sense?  yikes).
> 
> --Tim


-- 
Alan Garrison  ___ agarris@voyager.net
"MD5:  An encryption method used on the Internet."
- Microsoft IIS 4.0 Glossary