Yes it is bad that you might have to read a little and learn something to learn
about
using Linux. I use it for about 90 percent of my work now including my
electronics
design and schematic programs at work and had never seen it until I went to
work
for the company I work for now 3 years ago. I did have to spend some time
reading
and learning but hey made me a little smarter. The latest releases are almost
self
installing almost as easy as windows and stability is fantastic. I also use
linux based
IPCop firewall for both the Knology connection at work and the dial up at home
and
with dial on demand I have three systems networked into it so all machines can
be
online at the same time. The best way is to set up an old computer and get a
copy
of RedHat and start playing with it you might surprise yourself and like it.
Course
still haven't figured out what this has to do with ponding!

Bob


BenignVanilla wrote:

"Chad" wrote in message ...
Linux is not ready for prime time as a desktop OS. Clearly.

I have been using linux for 7 years now.... for over two as my only OS
at home. I love the gnome x-windows environment, all my favorite
windows apps/functionality for free. Last year, had linux hooked up in
my car running my mp3's, gps and dvd's while I was one the road. It is
much more stable that windows ever was. I had my home pc up for over
400 days without reboot... until my daughter pulled the plug. I never
get infected by stupid windows viruses. I have much beter security.
Why, even right now I am securely running a remote desktop in which I am
posting this message in. It still has the speed as if I was sitting at
my desktop. By the way, my wife could be using it at home right now
too, since you can have as many different desktops running as your
hardware will support. I will admit that when I switched to linux you
needed to know some linux, but my recent experience with RedHat & SUSE
running both Gnome and KDE make me believe that it is ready.

...my non-techy wife uses my linux desktop more than her crash-every-day
windows desktop... It is getting to the point where I have to kick her
off my computer so I can use it...

Severel people have responded to my post, and all have talked about how
Linux is free and much more stable. I do not argue against that at all. I am
an IT professional. I understand the stability of the unix kernels. I get
it. My point is simply that the MS OS with bugs and all is easier for the
common (wo)man to manage in a day to day environment.

As for security and MS virus', I speculate that if Linux was on 90% of the
workstations in the world, we'd be reading about more Linux virus'. I agree
that MS has been lax in it's security and vulnerability protection, but
surely the number of machines running the OS make it a good statistical
target. Why attack a small number of computer savvy people if I can attack a
larger group not so savvy users?

BV.