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Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

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Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#11

Post by acon »

I think what Linux really needs is to embrace some way of getting software outside apt/yum. Having to go through the package managers forces you to be an administrator to install software, and the developer and user have no say in which version of the application you get.

I think Linux distributions should be platforms which developers can develop applications for which they can distribute however they wish. Then users can choose which applications and which versions to install and does not have to go through the AppStore like package management system.

I also think applications should be stand alone. If they need anything outside the platform, these dependencies should be delivered as part of the application.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#12

Post by theschwa »

houseabsolute wrote: post #8
theschwa wrote: post #5

I think it boils down to what he was talking about at the end: Linux users need to be willing to buy software, and Linux software developers need to be more business savy.

The open question is why anyone would buy software for Linux. The key differentiating factor for _most_ people who use it is that it's free (as in beer). There are two other operating systems that for most people work better than Linux. It's hard to see how you can ask people to pay for software now in the hope that it will eventually be good. I'm sure some people will buy software because it's the Right Thing To Do,…

I completely disagree. I use Linux because of how well it works and would gladly pay money for it, and I think most long term Linux users stick with it because of how well it works. In fact, most Linux users I know purchased a computer with Windows already on it, and completely wiped it off to put Linux on there. So they've already 'payed' for Windows, but use a different OS anyways.

I'm also not saying people should pay for bad software in hopes that it will become good. I'm saying that we need to make it easier to pay for software so that software that good that already exists can be purchased.

Android is an example of how Linux and payments can work. An open source operating system with many free pieces of software, but an App store where products can still be purchased.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#13

Post by usaar333 »

sandGorgon wrote: post #7
theschwa wrote: post #5

I think it boils down to what he was talking about at the end: Linux users need to be willing to buy software, and Linux software developers need to be more business savy.

upvoted. We buy our linux-based office software (we do NOT use OpenOffice). There should be more paid-for apps that are of much better quality than what's available. I believe that Linux (or some distro) should incorporate licensing/DRM into the OS itself - which you have the freedom to turn on or off. More or less, it means an app store, but indie developers will not have to worry about building licensing into their…

What office software do you use btw? I've been looking for some linux-based powerpoint replacement (impress does not cut it)

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#14

Post by hobb0001 »

moultano wrote: post #4

I wish talks like these had transcripts. I listened to the first half, but don't have the time for the whole thing.

tldw? Anyone?

sigh It's so annoying when you have to sit through a hour-long video for what would otherwise be a 5-10 minute read.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#15

Post by richardw »

So much of Linux is designed and modified by committee, so change is slow and painful. Apple managed to get a seriously hot UI onto FreeBSD in a (relatively) short time. Linux has everyone and their dog bartering to make changes, so the UI goes nowhere.

Stop copying Windows, already. Start menu sucks. Dump X.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#16

Post by jberryman »

houseabsolute wrote: post #8
theschwa wrote: post #5

I think it boils down to what he was talking about at the end: Linux users need to be willing to buy software, and Linux software developers need to be more business savy.

The open question is why anyone would buy software for Linux. The key differentiating factor for _most_ people who use it is that it's free (as in beer). There are two other operating systems that for most people work better than Linux. It's hard to see how you can ask people to pay for software now in the hope that it will eventually be good. I'm sure some people will buy software because it's the Right Thing To Do,…

the key differentiating factor for most people is free _as in freedom_.whether they came to linux because their hard-drive crashed and they dont have permission to re_install the OS they payed for that came with their machine, or they are a geek who enjoys the power that comes from the freedom to tinker and benefit from others` tinkering.

no one is aware of the cost of their operating system anyway.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#17

Post by alecco »

theschwa wrote: post #5

I think it boils down to what he was talking about at the end: Linux users need to be willing to buy software, and Linux software developers need to be more business savy.

No, thanks. IMHO, the Linux project sold its soul and that is the current problem. In particular, almost every major developer of Linux is in the payroll of some software giant with interests in only running Linux servers. Nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't fit what I'm looking for running locally.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#19

Post by houseabsolute »

jberryman wrote: post #16
houseabsolute wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The open question is why anyone would buy software for Linux. The key differentiating factor for _most_ people who use it is that it's free (as in beer). There are two other operating systems that for most people work better than Linux. It's hard to see how you can ask people to pay for software now in the hope that it will eventually be good. I'm sure some people will buy software because it's the Right Thing To Do,…

the key differentiating factor for most people is free _as in freedom_.whether they came to linux because their hard-drive crashed and they dont have permission to re_install the OS they payed for that came with their machine, or they are a geek who enjoys the power that comes from the freedom to tinker and benefit from others` tinkering. no one is aware of the cost of their operating system anyway.

> no one is aware of the cost of their operating system anyway.

Basic macroeconomics suggests this is unlikely.

Re: Why Desktop Linux (Still) Sucks. And What We Can Do To Fix It.

#20

Post by houseabsolute »

theschwa wrote: post #12
houseabsolute wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The open question is why anyone would buy software for Linux. The key differentiating factor for _most_ people who use it is that it's free (as in beer). There are two other operating systems that for most people work better than Linux. It's hard to see how you can ask people to pay for software now in the hope that it will eventually be good. I'm sure some people will buy software because it's the Right Thing To Do,…

I completely disagree. I use Linux because of how well it works and would gladly pay money for it, and I think most long term Linux users stick with it because of how well it works. In fact, most Linux users I know purchased a computer with Windows already on it, and completely wiped it off to put Linux on there. So they've already 'payed' for Windows, but use a different OS anyways. I'm also not saying people should…

> would gladly pay money for it

So, have you? If so, how much? I've spent $300 on software for my Windows computer in the last year, and another $100 on software for my Mac.

> So they've already 'payed' for Windows, but use a different OS anyways.

Granted, but I think far fewer people would if Linux wasn't completely free. If Linux distros were able to enforce a charge of $5 per download, I suspect consumer adoption would halve or worse.

> Android is an example

I'm not sure that's the best example considering the trouble many developers are having making money on Android. But even if we go with that, there are probably already far more people carrying Android handsets than are using Linux on the desktop.

More than that, there's a question about what type of people and for what motivation people buy Android phones. Notice how I said "buy Android phones," not "install Android". People buy Android phones explicitly because you can easily buy desirable apps on them, unlike so many other phone OSes. But the operating system is not free like beer in the sense that it is easily downloaded and installed on a device people already have on hand. You still in most cases have to go out and buy the device. So it does not suffer (as much) from the selection effect I described earlier. (The evidence I've seen so far does suggest that its demographics with respect to paying for software deviate significantly from those of the iPhone.)

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