Operating Systems: Choice and design

[Kyuuketsuki]

The whole point of projects like Gnome, KDE, xfce is to give a standard that people adhere to. This is further enforced by groups like Ubuntu (all their programs look and feel the same).

Oh yeah, that's why there's so many fucking variants ... silly me, of course it all makes sense now

One fallacy you make here is that the Windows interface should be the "correct" interface; that it should be the standard by which all other OS's stick to, so that when people switch from Windows to Linux, they can do so easily. The point is, the Windows interface has flaws, so this is never going to happen. This is why Gnome, KDE, etc were set up. To make a new standard interface that people can choose.

DON'T put words into my mouth ... I never said it was "The correct" anything, I said Windows embraces SAA and by and large that is true. Recently MS has moved away from it with MS Office and there are well published reasons why that is so.

Fact is that Linux ISN'T as easy to switch to you as you think and I find it kinda ironic that the open source community has to copy what MS does ti make a real impact.

I doubt the main reason Windows is top dog is because of marketing. I think there is more evidence to suggest that they got to the PC market early with something that indeed, did work. However because of this the competition was reduced, and was further reduced by Microsoft when they signed deals to get Windows by default on every computer. If this had never happened, people would have to install their own OS onto a computer when they bought it, and Linux would have thrived as the free choice that people could try before installing. Look at what happened when Dell decided to sell laptops with Linux pre-installed! Sales rocketed The same can be seen with the Eee PC.

Again Adrian, please don't misquote me ... I clearly said the main reason was "it worked worked well" not that it was marketing.

What is, is ... what might have been is just sour grapes

I disagree that there are no superior OS', and I think you probably think the same despite what you say. You choose an OS because you think it is the best one. I just happen to think your reasons are completely wrong.

And you'd be wrong ... yes I choose Windows and I DO think it's the superior OS BUT here's the rub, I only think it's the superior OS FOR ME and that IS NOT quite the same thing is it? You see there's a difference in our focus, the thing that makes you the Linux evangelist and me not the Windows one, and that is that when someone expresses issues with Windows you leap in and brandishing a virtual saber city, "Try Linux" and NEVER the opposite. OTOH when someone expresses the opposite I stay out and only get involved when someone is evangelizing (which Moleque was clearly doing in his OS design thread) or attacking Windows AND I will recommend Linux to others (have even done so in this forum).

The difference is you hate or have contempt for Windows and those who use it ... I don't hate Linux, I think it (and the OSS effort) is great and am constantly drawn back to it and my contempt is reserved for those who evangelize it. What's more I use OSS all the time my one application weakness being MS Office which I am sorry to say beats all comers IMO.

Kyu