So its a little after noon today and I just woke up. No, I’m not a lazy late sleeper, I got home from work last nite about 4:45am. We had a huge server room rebuild consolidating ~40 servers, rebuilding two racks, and going to the data center. Loads of fun, let me tell you. Anyway, that information is incidental. I just woke up because my Dad called and woke me up asking for a favor. The conversation goes a little like this…
Dad: I need a favor from you and you’re not going to like it
Me: I’m not going to like it?
Dad: Your Uncle is here with his computer running Vista–
Me: You’re right, I’m not going to like it.
Dad: I’ve been on this stupid thing for hours and I can get it to connect to the wireless!
Me: I don’t support Vista, you know that.
Dad: Will you just look on one of your technical sites and find some answer?
Me: <quickly google “remove wireless network vista“>
Dad: Why did they have to move everything around? XP worked just fine and now they moved things and changed things I can’t even find what I’m trying to do!
Me: I’m upset that you woke me up, but I’m loving how much you’re hating Vista.
Dad: It’s a peice of crap!
Me: <giving instructions based on google search results>
Dad: Thank you.
I just thought I’d share that quick story with everyone. And here I spent months trying to convince them to switch to Linux. I guess all I needed to do was give him a copy of Vista for the morning. Mr. Ballmer, sir, you’re doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work! 😉
If he disliked Vista, he’s going to hate Ubuntu with GNOME, because he seems to dislike having to learn new interfaces:
“Why did they have to move everything around? ”
Sorry to put a dampener on your story, ;<)
As a Vista user, and an Ubuntu user, I think you have it a little backward.
Yes, Vista has its faults, but let’s revisit some of Ubuntu’s problems: Ubuntu won’t even recognize my USB 2.0 devices (https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/88746), nor will it hibernate properly, I can’t use wireless without installing third-party hacks, I can’t play some media files, I can’t play most games, I still can’t get Flash content to display properly in Firefox, and the font rendering is really terrible compared to OS X and Windows, etc., etc.
The Vista hating is a little cliche now. It really isn’t that much different from XP. With SP1, most of the major problems have been fixed, and the only complaint that I really have is that it’s resource intensive. Aside from that, it’s a major improvement over XP.
Ubuntu simply doesn’t compare to Vista. No, Vista isn’t perfect, but Ubuntu is a far cry from a usable system for the end-user. I’m pulling for Ubuntu (and I’ve also been a contributor to the project in multiple ways since 2006), but this gushing about how Ubuntu is ready for everyone is a bunch of nonsense.
Tell your Dad to keep Vista unless all he wants to do is surf the web and write e-mails. Otherwise, you’d be doing him a disservice by trying to force your beliefs about operating systems onto someone who doesn’t know better.
@Josh We all believe that Vista is a piece of crap. What is worse, throwing more iron to the problem does not appear to help.
I’m happy with windows not providing a credible path to upgrade. There is a big flow of people migrating to free software. Good work, Ballmer!
Ok Josh. It seems that there is a lot of work left to do with Linux. However a this very moment I’m copying this article to my Flash USB 2.0, while listening to some Linking Park song and watching in youtube a video about Compiz vs Aereo. You should see those candyeyes efects at my desktop, they are truly amazing I think Aqua flushes away Amigo. I’m involved with Ubuntu for 9 months, I think Linux could get those features you mentioned out of the box like the redmond propietary software, but I hasn’t because laws doesn’t allow it. There is when the fun begins, at the begining of those 9 months I was an average MS user and now I become an average LINUX user, thanks to all the help that I could obtain in the internet I’m able give to my Ubuntu all the shine or even more than any OS. So don’t give up Josh, If I could .. YES U CAN
The beauty is, with Windows, you can Google search and get the results, and they work.
With Linux, you can Google search, and you get forum posts, discussions, complaints and what not. And then you get a .deb file when you want a .rpm or vice versa.
And then you get some meaningful instructions, only to realize they apply only upto kernel version 2.6.x when you have 2.6.y where y and x are different.
Talk about consistency!
@Josh “The Vista hating is a little cliche now.” I agree. «The Vista disliking (missing XP) is very apt now» though, just ask any IT appartment, or people that still can’t run their USB, firewire, etc stuff becuase they didn’t buy a driver that works with Vista.
At Christmas 2003 I told all relatives that I expect that “five years from now, I won’t help” them with their proprietary problems – there simply is an open alternative that will let them do exactly the same things they do (apart from my cousines playing WoW, but I never needed to care much for that anyway). There’s loads of help and troubleshooting information available. If they have a MS-problem – “try calling them”.
My dad actually did this once to get a fix for Outlook synchronization. The fix was available, but he could download it because the web site plugin couldn’t verify that he had a purchased and registered version of Outlook. Trying to register again just told us (I helped him, or tried to) “This Outlook suite is allready registered”. Microsoft wanted 100 $US to open a support case to (possibly) solve the problem …
Interesting that because someone (Josh) buys crap hardware, the software must be faulty isn’t it?
I bought a new Dell laptop a couple months ago (well after SP1 for Vista was released) even though I hated Vista. I knew I had to learn it for my job (I run a PC repair shop and we were starting to see a lot of Vista computers). So this is a computer built specifically for Vista, with SP1 already installed and even it ran like absolute dog crap.
I lasted about a week before installing Ubuntu on it, which ran perfectly. Vista gave me errors and general odd behavior the entire time. QuickBooks spontaneously closing, Outlook reminders refusing to go away after you click dismiss, A non-boot issue after a (supposedly) successful install of Panda.
Vista may prove to be a decent OS in time.. but today, right now, it’s only suitable for those that like to tinker with their systems. Not for those of us that have work to do.
I’ve been telling family and friends for several years that if it’s a “Vista” issue, I can’t make any promises. They don’t understand that a software developer isn’t a system support architect. They just see me as a computer guy. I don’t mind taking a stab at the problem, but they need to understand I might goof it up more than it already is.
It’s not laziness, or that I use Ubuntu at home. It’s because I don’t use Vista, don’t need Vista, and have no desire to waste time on Vista. We aren’t using it at work, I’ll probably never use it at home, and most of my friends are “downgrading” their new machines to XP.
Linux may not be “ready” enough for them to switch. More to the point, they aren’t really “ready” for Linux, XP, OS X, or Vista. Computers for them are meant to be tools and toys, not a vocation. If they had to spend as much time and talent on their cars as they do their computers, they’d be riding the bus.
@linux fans:
If you want linux, in Particular Ubuntu, to shine, you must think like a samurai ” I’m far from perfect, i must develop new ways with sword and perfecting what i have achieved”. The day you think you’re invincible, some highlander from Scotland will come a chop your head off! go tell Canonical what’s wrong and need to be fixed is more constructive than posting something that says ” we are already there”. This kind of marketing is NOT going to work.
In all fairness, IT departments freaked out when NT4 evolved into Windows 2000 (no drivers, everything is different). Everyone else freaked out when Windows XP was released (everything is different). Now we have Vista, where everything is different. What a suprise.
No operating system is perfect, period. How about we stop beating a dead horse.
P.S. Considering the amount of space in the Ubuntu Forums and many other places around the Internet regarding wireless issues in Ubuntu, I have to give you props for having the balls to mention wireless problems in Vista … something a quick google search resolved.
Yes. Seriously, there’s a difference between saying Ubuntu is great and saying Vista sucks.
Stick to the former. Set your own goals and reach it, never compare.
The simple truth is this…
Vista = Almost everything is done for you. (Setup and installation wise.)
Linux = Sitting in front of it for hours compiling, installing, and setting up.
Which would the computer guy who likes “customizations” choose?
If it wasn’t for the games and other commercial software that just can’t be run in Linux, I would make the full switch today. But until then, I will work with Linux as a hobby, and use Windows XP/Vista for the rest.
The latest Ubuntu 8.10 does shine and makes it easier than ever. I agree it is still not for the complete beginner. However with following of the simple advise on the help pages I have flash, realplayer, Microsoft Audio support & Adobe Acrobat. My wireless worked out the box without issues. Where is Vista which I do use an equal amount of time for Dreamweaver etc. was a nightmare for drivers in fact I had to scrap my wireless card… I would certainly say Ubuntu considering it is FREE is fantastic and we should all be very greatful!
The posts about Google searching for answers is interesting. I find the Ubuntu Forum to be the best their is. Also UbuntuGuide is great. However I also use SUSE and the forums and support available for that do not compare. I have been trying to learn Visual Studio Express (I am not against Microsoft I use both each has their strengths) and when you look at the training materials on the Microsoft site it is a mess.. Some of it still for Visual Studio 2005, and some for 2008. No mention of what works on the express editions until you try and download a sample and find it does not work. I am also learning MySQL and PHP and opening a database takes three lines of code rather that some nightmare in ASP!
Clearly the discussion here is not represented by the MS Windows-only community. I think the comments about marketing to the windows crowd are somewhat misguided: This clearly is not a billboard that Windows Users frequent (unless they happen to also use a linux OS). Promoting an alternate to Windows if that is your hobby should occur on a Windows forum site if anywhere.
Personally I use both OS’s and find that neither is a perfect total solution. It seems to me that at present there is a need to collaborate more closely on how to take the best of all the OS choices and REALLY make a difference. Sniping and bitching doesn’t win the game for anyone.
Both OS’s cost a lot of money to support. 1 has cheaper entry fees (linux), but requires significant person-hours when attempting to deploy to an enterprise. The licence fee savings are soon absorbed in the personnel costs.
On the other hand – a half deployed linux network seems to stay up longer with less successful breaches than one finds in the MS counterpart.
About Vista specifically: Yes – it looks different. To paraphrase nnonix’s observation: Expecting the same functions from a new or different OS is insanity: If you are making a change (or if change is forced on you) you must prepare to invest effort in understanding the new OS for what it is, not for what it like, or in the case of this topic, what it is not like.
In closing: The work from Canonical is astoundingly good given the regularity and completeness of releases, especially for the licence fee charged. If nothing else it is raising the bar for Microsoft, IBM, and Apple. From competition comes good things.
My Ubuntu experience:
I was given a Dell Dimension E510 because the individual had problems with the PC and had given up on trying to fix it. I updated the BIOS which SEEMED to fix the problem, The individual that gave me the PC did want to keep the hard drive and monitor, so I purchased a new drive and a widescreen monitor.
I did not have a legit copy of windows XP or Vista so I installed Ubuntu Feisty. Only one issue. Ubuntu wanted to use the wrong resolution for the monitor. I had this issue resolved with about 15 minutes of research. To my pleasant surprise, Feisty detected my wireless network card without any action on my part.
I upgraded Feisty to Gutsy. No issues.
Next came a new Nvidia Video card and More RAM. Again, no issues.
My other PC with WinXP installed was extremely old and SLOOOOW, so I retired it. I then reformatted the Hard drive on the E510 and installed XP and Ubuntu Gutsy (dual boot). Within 1 week, Windows started giving errors that made the PC unusable (the same errors the original owner had). I could only use XP for about 30 minutes before the OS forced me to reboot or rebooted automatically. Again, no issues when using Ubunutu.
I then wiped Windows and did a fresh install of Ubuntu Hardy (approximately 10 days after it was released). I had only one issue and it did not prevent me from using the PC. I could not install the restricted drivers for my Nvidia card. This issue was resolved after the first update (the same day I installed Hardy).
I’m a relative newbie to Ubuntu, but, this experience has convinced me. Neither OS is perfect, but, for some reason, Problems with a free OS are less frustrating to me than one that costs $100 or more.
I now have a PC that I customized exactly the way I want to and operates without a hitch, but would be just a huge paper weight if it had XP installed.
@Josh
Get real, xp and Vista are worlds apart as far apart as XP and Ubuntu if not more so. My GF is on Vista and we both hate it. I wont buy a new computer because it would probably come with Vista. Vista is an overblown, try-to-be-pretty Windows OS trying to copy linux. And it fails miserably. I have big hope for Windows 7 if they learn from their Vista mistaket ehy might just keep my business, otherwise I will kiss windows good bye forever. As for games everyone knows that consoles will out class PC’s and only continue to do so in the future (and dont even get me started on the quality of an xbox 360 as a console…red ring of death, a flaw so common and so bad they had to come up with a jingle for it). I like microsoft I really do (wont touch apple products not even itunes…unless I am forced to for work) but they had better learn their lessons from Vista or they will lose their market share…point finale
hey there people…
my first contact with ubuntu was with the 6.10 like 2 years ago..i thought it was gr8…but i knew it had its problems…so i went back to windows…but i was waiting for ubuntu to comeout with a distro that handles all my problems…
anyway…recently i aquired a vista for my laptop…amilo pro v3205…
and i had to spend a week….A WEEK…downloading the drivers for my laptop from the fujitsu siemens site..thats the ones i found there that worked….
when i was totally fed up…i removed vista…got back to xp…and downloaded ubuntu 8.10…..
8.10 INSTALLED AND WORKING UNDER 20 MINUTES… I DIDNT NEED A SINGLE DRIVER FROM ANYWHERE..UNLIKE XP AND VISTA
MY LAPTOP WORKS LIKE A WONDER…ALTHOUGHT ITS DAMN OLD AND WEAK,, i have all the screen effects,…damn cool….
WANNA SEE WINDOWS DO THAT …LOL
and last ..
i bought a usb dongle…placed it in my USB 2.0 slot….and pressed connect
and i was connected……!!!!!:D:D:D:D
i tried the same dongle with my moms sony viao laptop. centrino duo 2.8 4 giga ram running vista….IT TOOK ME 15 MINUTES TO JUST INSTALL THE DAMN USB DONGLE ON WINDOWS…
VIVA LA UBUNTU…….SPLASHNEVERQUIT FROM EGYPT…CIAO…
Linux = Sitting in front of it for hours compiling, installing, and setting up. <- You’re doing it wrong…
I think what people don’t realise is that XP doesn’t ‘work just fine’ and it did need an upgrade. To the normal user, XP does work just fine, but I’ve spent a lot longer trying to fix XP than vista.
Although I do have a slightly biased viewpoint as I switched from 2k to Vista. 2k was great!
Quick side note to the guy saying that consoles outclass computers: Every generation of consoles quickly gets overtaken by PCs (if it was better in the first place).
Oh, boy! The OS wars are heating up again! But wait until Windows 7 is released to the marketplace with an invitation to “upgrade” from Windows XP!!! There is no upgrade path – just a discounted purchase of a new operating system. People are going to have to back up their essential data, and upgrade loads of application software, and learn a new interface.
This is a perfect time to move from XP to Ubuntu. You will still have to backup essential data, and you will still have to “upgrade” applications software … BUT, there is no out-of-pocket expense to move from XP to Ubuntu. Think of all the money that one can save by abandoning Micr$oftland for the wonderful world of Open Source Solutions!
I, for one, am glad that I made the transition from XP to Ubuntu 6.04. I am already free of the Tyranny of the “Masters of the Universe” in Redmond
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ubuntu – life without windows
For those of you complainin’ about google.com giving a lot of strange results when you search about Linux, try typing http://www.google.com/linux in that case google.com will show you 99.99% results on stuff only about linux.
you know what is funny?? i was newer been user linux i was run yaaaars windows …one day i was seen on youtube video with 3d efects ubuntu compiz mac os desktops and lots of more things and finaly i was find that ubuntu is free ya and top story my second instalation ubuntu 7.10 work after 20 minuts and all guide plus wireles on atheros which is big pain after 1 hour that was 7.10 now i run 8.10 ubuntu between that i was try 4 diferent linux distros ohhhh guy windows is and will be crap sorry my MAC desktop from yesterday i was change today for wista look about one klick ,camera ,tv what ever you want on toshiba laptop im more happy with linux like windows i remember that times wery well