On Wed, 2013-03-20 at 03:26 +0400, Louigi Verona wrote: > Linux usage is more about the computer. It is a hobby of diving into > technology. Full ACK. I once was thinking about not to help my friends anymore, when they experience issues with Windows. My idea was to talk to them and to offer them, that I'm willing to maintain Linux on their computers, but never ever to fix something for Windows anymore. I scrapped this idea, because I became aware that my friends want to turn on a computer and that they want to use it without a learning curve. That is what their Windows and Apple computers provide, a common workflow for consumer and production environments. Even some of my very experienced friends, professional coders and administrators more often use Windows. The telephone isn't ringing each day, perhaps 2 times a year a friend has a minor issue with Windows. Those problems are that minimal, that if they would use Linux, they would need help several times a day. If they would have serious issues with Windows, I wouldn't be able to help, since I don't use it my self and I don't have knowledge about Windows. The Windows friends usually don't have much money and need to use hardware they get as a gift or from bulk garbage, so drivers are a serious issue. The Apple friends usually have the money to pay Apple to get rid of issues, resp. at the moment I'm not aware of anybody using Apple anymore, many people here, not only friends, switched from Apple to Microsoft. In the past they stayed away from Windows, but nowadays Windows is good enough for their needs. However, there always was compatibility. They can e.g. go to a printing company and provide the files to print a comic. You know, comics are tacked, so side 8 and 25 are on one sheet and on the backside side 7 and 26 are on that sheet. Perhaps there are apps to handle this with Linux too, but I've got doubts that there will be a sane workflow and that there won't be compatibility issues. I often experienced, that when I made a document with Open Office and went to a friend to print it on a Windows machine with Word installed, the formatting of the document was broken. People more often use a cracked version of Word, than a free version of Open Office, even those who have a cracked version of Word and Open Office installed on their Windows machines. The only real issue I've got with Linux is, that the recommended RME card isn't supported, it wasn't a good recommendation and while RME was willing to help, no Linux developer was interested in fixing the driver. It's a serious issue, but not hard for me, because I was aware of the risk and I often enough experienced that this happened for cheaper gear that is recommended for Linux usage. It's ok for me, but we can't expect that this would be ok for other users. So mass market? Linux? Never ever in the near future! Regards, Ralf _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.linuxaudio.org/listinfo/linux-audio-user
