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My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

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Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#161
post #50

This thread is awesome. It always feels like I'm the only person on the planet using linux in school; school requires us to use Windows and teaches several other proprietary vendor lock-ins; and very, very few friends actually use Linux, even though most are programmers. Tomorrow I'm going to an open source event, mostly to show support for foss in general. Ironically the event will be in school: the very thing most…

What kind of Dutch school is that? High school? I studied Computer Science at University of Amsterdam. I think I was the only one who was using windows. (I would ssh into a university computer to do most programming).

In the Netherlands, there is a vast difference in Linux usage between universities and HBO/MBO schools. At the company I work for, we regularly have interns from a HBO school and virtually none of them ever worked on Linux. We require them to work on Linux for the whole duration of their internship.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#163
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what drives me craziest about programming in windows, the freak'n console is awful

That's what I never got about Windows and especially Windows devs. How can you get anything done with all that clicking and no unix tools?

IDEs and Stockholm syndrome.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#164
My in-laws, 60+, have been running Ubuntu on their old Macbooks for a few years now. They've never once complained about it, and everything Just Plain Works - internet browsing, email, youtube, office-apps.

For us, at least, the year of the Linux Desktop was two years ago. Its been a very productive release from the dual hegemonies of both Apple and Microsoft ..

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#165
post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wanted to voice my concurrence with the sentiment ensconced in the rudeness you are probably being downvoted for: I am in my twenties, generally operate from the perspective of one who thinks he "has shit to do" (in fact I use that very phrase frequently to characterize my obligations and commitments), and don't see myself having time to learn a new tool, method, or technique every time I have a need to express mys…

it's a strategy that Ubuntu should use, i think... that "killer app" strategy.

The killer app is gvim and ctags.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#166
post #67
post #21

Both my parents are 60+. My mom is perfectly fine using Ubuntu on my old x61 for email, browsing, and YouTube. To be fair she could probably replace it with a tablet if it weren't for the fact that she visits a lot of flash sites (Chinese TV streaming sites). Likewise my dad is on another Ubuntu machine at home. His work needs access to some software / printers that can't be run via Wine so he's stuck with Windows th…

Your brother is 25 and has shit to do. I'm sure that once he's old and retired he'll be glad to have learning a new system to take up his time.

25 and no time to learn something new? You're doing life wrong.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#167
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My Dad has been begging me to install Ubuntu on his MacBook Air. I think it's time I did.

It has been my experience that running Linux natively on Apple hardware is a huge pain.

My experience runs 100% opposite to yours: I got a new Macbook Pro, installed Ubuntu on it, and have been running it just fine alongside OSX for months now, with no issues. In fact its running so well that I no longer need my Linux workstation PC, which I .. might .. just turn into a Steambox..

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#168
post #39

This is one way to look at it. Here's another: I have Ubuntu on a couple of machines at home and still can't get them to talk to my Brother MFC-685CW printer. I'm a PhD in EECS.

Thats not your fault, its Brothers. Not all printers are going to work in Linux, simply because most printer manufacturers only support Windows.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#170
post #155
post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to refute that statement in regards of Windows 8 on desktop. The amount of confusion in that UI, even for me, is a handful. If we ignore the metro side of things, I agree with you however.

>If we ignore the metro side of things Yes, absolutely. My start screen is an empty, blue wall with a large tile taking me to the desktop. Despite the start screen I like everything else about the system.

The new one has a setting that boots to desktop, if that helps any.
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