Re: Any experience with "The Last One"?

From: Brian Inglis (Brian.Inglis_at_SystematicSw.ab.ca)
Date: 12/01/03 

Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2003 18:04:12 GMT

On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 11:00:55 GMT in alt.folklore.computers,
gerryq@indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn) wrote:

>In article <j36jsvcb96ukklcc76oab93bdsb8eljvfq@4ax.com>, Brian.Inglis@SystematicSw.ab.ca wrote:
>>On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 22:19:04 GMT in alt.folklore.computers,
>>gerryq@indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn) wrote:
>>
>>>>> Sure, but they don't produce software of equal quality.
>>
>>I've consistently found freeware of higher quality and with more
>>useful features than the majority of shareware in the same category,
>>and much commercial software in the same category. OTOH some
>>categories of software for commercial OSes are only available as
>>commercial software e.g. I don't believe there are any good/up to date
>>non-commercial Windows AV packages available nowadays.
>
>It's true that since the cost of entry to the shareware market is so
>low, there is a lot of stuff there that shouldn't really be offered as
>such, and brings down the average quality. But 'average quality' can be
>a misleading measure. There is no freeware package on Windows
>equivalent to Paint Shop Pro, for example. Comparing the average
>shareware paint program with the average freeware paint program might
>obscure this fact.

Gimp, Pixia, ImageForge?

>>>Or that stability [assuming that the hobbyist OSs are running the same
>>>variety of software, a factor that may itself impact stability] is the
>>>only criterion of a good OS.
>>
>>Stability, or perhaps more properly availability, is only one
>>requirement of a good OS -- but it is a sine qua non. Application
>>instability should not affect another application's or the OS's
>>stability.
>
>Stability is important, a certain amount of stability is indeed a sine
>qua non, naughty applications shouldn't crash the system. If Linux is
>indeed inherently more stable than Windows when running an equivalent
>load, as many assert, that is indeed an advantage of Linux. But being
>better at stability isn't the only criterion, except when the computer
>is deployed in a situation where stability is the overriding
>consideration. And the vast majority of computers are not so deployed.
>
>Now that I've got my RAM replaced, Windows XP is as solid as I need it
>to be - I can't remember the last time it crashed. My old Win 98 system
>crashes frequently, but I've used it intensively for four years and
>installed all manner of software (probably thousands of programs).

I define stability as not crashing or hanging while I'm using it -- if
a system crashes or hangs it's not doing useful work for me. I'll let
any system off with one a year -- more is unacceptable!

>>>>> Linux (assuming it can successfully refute SCO's accusations) cannot
>>>>> realistically compete with Windows in non-techie niches (where
>>>>> engineers can deploy it out of the sight of end-users, it has some
>>>>> advantages).
>>>>
>>>>I must agree with you here, but only because of the driver issue. If I knew
>>>>I could walk into Office World, pick up a scanner, a printer, and a network
>>>>card at random, and /know/ that I could find and install Linux drivers for
>>>>them easily, I'd be recommending Linux to /all/ my friends and relatives,
>>>>not just the techies.
>>>
>>>The ones who like to play games would not be too happy with it. And
>>>from what I've read, Open Office isn't quite MS Office, Gimp is not
>>>quite PhotoShop...
>>
>>The ones who play graphically intensive or multi-user games are
>>probably much happier with it, if they can be happy with a
>>non-dedicated game machine.
>
>Windows is not dedicated to games, and it has far more
>graphically-intensive games than Linux. I don't see that changing,
>either.

The most graphically intensive games tend to be available on both
Windows and Linux (e.g. Doom, Quake).

>>OpenOffice is not the same as MSoffice and Gimp is not the same as
>>Photoshop, but each has some features that the other lacks which most
>>users probably won't care about, plus you can get timely bug fixes and
>>save $2000.
>
>If Open Office and Gimp are that great, why doesn't everyone use them?

Most people just use whatever comes on their PC -- MS relies on that
to keep user market share -- but it does limit future sales.
On the corporate side, NA corporations want software "support", which
means someone to pay to take the blame if anything goes wrong, and
once again, people just use whatever comes on their PC: there aren't
any options there nowadays, except in specialized fields. 

-- 
Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis 	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Brian.Inglis@CSi.com 	(Brian dot Inglis at SystematicSw dot ab dot ca)
    fake address		use address above to reply

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