Red Hat recommends Windows for consumers

Red Hat might not feel that their product is ready for the home user because it isn't their current target but that's a bit rich when you know the number other vendors (mandrake, lycoris, libranet,xandros and even Suse) that target home and soho users.

Red Hat should not consider itself as being linux.

I myself run linux at home and have connected an all in one printer/fax/copier/scanner, my ipod and a DV camera. That was almost all handled almost without guess work and with a lot less driver install than on windows

And large variety of software that comes with my perticular distro and some other is a lot better suited to a home user than the meagre software bundles that usually comes with a typical windows PC.

A platform that is a lot better for home users is the Apple offering. Stable, integrated and intuitive.

Well, It looks to me that RedHat is getting sponsorred by Microsoft, if they are recommended Windows.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..Red Hat's chief executive has said that Linux needs to mature further before home users will get a positive experience from the operating system, saying they should choose Windows instead>>>>>>>>>>>

Hey, you forgot to tell us which version !!!

Red Hat's only complaint about Linux in the home is that they don't have a strategy for making money off it. so they say it's not ready for the home desktop, and we should continue to use bugware like MS windows. Someone needs to get a clue!!!!

People like seeing at home what they have at work. M$ knew this and built a server environment out of the desktop. One thing that hurt Netware was no seemless desktop to match it. We all know Netware is superior to Windows and that Linux, in many cases, is superior to Windows. But Windows wins in marketing. RH doesn't want to spend the money pushing a DT Linux. They've dropped it completely (moved it to Fedora). Caldera essentially did the same thing (and where are they?). I hate to see RH going this route. It's basically turning a shoulder to the community. Now the community will have to see if it turns it's whole back. You have to take Linux to the masses, pure and simple. A ripe, robust desktop offering is the only way to do it.

<<JAV>>

I don't agree, but if RedHat really believes that Microsoft Windows is a better choice for home users, perhaps before making the annoucement, Redhat should have waited for Microsoft to announce that Linux is a better choice than Windows for business users.

Personnaly, I am using SuSE 9.0 Pro on my home desktop and
laptop while I type this and this home user is certain that Linux
is a superior product over Windows for this home user.

AN OPEN LETTER TO REDHAT

(I already sent a copy to them)


I read the comments of Matthew Szulik at http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020390,39117575,00.htm

I have to say, at this point, I am very upset with your CEO and company. I have been using redhat linux since August 1997 on my desktop. I bought a Geforce2/GTS card when they came out, and there is no difference between my computer and anyone else's.

That being said, I will never again use nor recommend your products to anyone again. Your comments that consumers should use windows and not switch to linux for the desktop was a slap in the face for all the people working on desktop linux. MANY strides have been made recently and many more will continue to be made: with xandros, lindows, mandrake, etc.

Your comments show your absolute lack of community feeling/goodwill for the open source community. I will never again use redhat, use fedora, nor recommend either to my employer or anyone else. I will recommend those companies that are committed to seeing open source progress. Your advertisements for the monopoly and against the linux community sicken me.



Goodbye.

There's a huge amount of people who can use Windows, but can not install it. So the 90-year-old father thing is barely a point.

On the other hand, it's common not to have any hassles installing new devices under Windows. That's something I'd like to see in Linux, at least 80% of the time.

Counterproductive to the LInux movement, and par for the course for the company who is discontinuing all support for affordable Linux distributions.

It seems most of the Linux around are IT people. I use it at home and a little at work. While I like it, I have to agree with Red Hat, it is not ready for prime time. Instyalling software is not point and click yet, devices are not as easy to install, I have a cheap webcam that works fine in WinXP but not in Linux. When I home I like to play Euchre or Literati on yahoo sometimes and it was not easy to get Java working with those browsers. With Windows it worked right off the bat.

Linux has potential and I see it getting very close to the average user, but let all be real here, it is not ready for the non IT People masses.

Poor little dude who wrote the "OpenLetter".
My guess is that you are the kind of person who sees the glass of water as alf empty...we don't need your kind in the community anyways. It looks like you missed something. Linux is a professionals tool, built for professionals who put their time and efforts to put an end to the monopoly of Microsoft in the desktop market.

I believe that most people don't have the skills required to code their own drivers, I'm sure that his 90 years old grand father dosen't anyways. So lets give the home market for microsoft. Anybody knows that right now, Linux in all its forms and wonders is not ready for the average 8 years old sister who just wants to play. Meanwhile, we will continue to use the open source projects within our Universitys and research centers. I would even suggest that we should try to keep it that way.

For the most part, I think he's right. Microsoft has had a head start in the marketplace, and with getting to know the consumer and what the consumer wants. Regardless of software quality, it is easier for low-skilled or no-skilled users to use a Windows PC compared to Linux. However, in time, that will change. Microsoft sees this change coming, and that's why they are threatened.

The bad news is that Microsoft will probably plaster his quote all over the place in order to scare people away from Linux. Although I agree with what he said, someone like him at a CEO level should have been more careful choosing his wording and phrasing.

This is a very sad comment on the integrity of Red Hat's management. My family has been on Linux for three or more years. My nine-year-old seems to have no trouble with the infamous Linux desktop and my 13-year-old is able to find software compatible with anything her friends are using. My wife and I use Linux full time as writers. Linux has completely solved the virus and email contamination problems. We used to mess with Star Office so we could be Word-compatible but have found that unnecessary. And if I decide I really miss my Windows games, which I don't, I know people playing them in Linux using Wine. I think Red Hat is mistaken.

Anybody who doesn't believe Linux is ready for the desktop hasn't used the right distro. I am a newbie to the Linux world. I tried Redhat 9 and it was certainly good enough if the system was setup right for anybody to use. Remember, most systems are setup for people before they get them. With recent developments at Redhat I decided to find a different distro. I just loaded SuSe 9.0 and boy is it ready for the desktop. It saw my old winmodem, it loaded all the drivers, its a beautiful desktop and has all of the GUI you could ever want while maintaining the power of the command line. My sister wants a computer and I will build her a SuSe machine. I would build my grandfather a SuSE machine, and there are other CHOICES for other tastes. Windows will get no more money from me or my family!

This guy obviously doesn't know what he is talking about. I am somewhat of a newbie in this game. I recently installed Xandros Linux and find it quite suitable for my needs. It loaded easily, detectred all my hardware, all within about 10 minutes. It took me more than a half hour to load w98. Even my wife finds it easy to use. I am 60 years of age so I take great offence to this guys remarks regarding older people not being able to use linux. I love this OS!!

Matthew Szulik just tries to encourages the Linux/Open Source community to develop what the home user needs/wants. Since this is an even larger task than developing the linux Kernel itself.
MS's GUI(windowing system) is straight-forward and understood by everyone (little kid's...grandpa). Because MS only has one GUI called Windows Linux has Gnome, ICEwm, Afterstep, KDE, XIMIAN...
The community should (like MS) concentrate on one GUI...without loosing the supporters of the other....Get it stable...make it easy...for everyone....MS makes the best GUI, they will be the winner until there's something better...

Is this guy nuts? Ok, I now there is a lot an ordinary user doesn't understand about how to operate a linux system - as a former Windows user, I know how many problems have to be solved for linux to be really user friendly. But this statement clearly is wind in the sails of Microsoft, and will do a lot of harm to the linux community.

First we hear that Red Hat is going to stop supporting its distro and start using Fedora as a sponge to soak up all the best the GNU/Linux developer community has to offer for its Enterprise Linux and now Tiemann recommends that home computer users choose Windows. Yeah, why disrupt your tiny little brain and let Redmond take care of all the details, backdoors and holes.

Gosh, and all this time I thought I was using USB and gphoto
on my Debian boxes too. Must have been a figment of my over active imagination but I like it and I'll just stay where I am in la la land.

****DO NOT SUPPORT FEDORA****

Well well well, after several weeks of RedHat demanding that I fill out surveys and then just cutting me off all together, true colors have been revealed. I saw this one coming. I think Redhat stock is going to tank at this point.

What's next for me? Let's see I could try SUSE, Mandrake, Slackware, Lycoris, Lindows, Yellow Dog, Knoppix, Gentoo, etc etc etc etc..

Good ridance RedHat.

He should quit his job then. Clearly his position is favorable to the competition.

Szulik should take his shares, cash out and get out of the country. His comments are akin to the local Ford dealership stating that Fords really aren't at the point of maturity with the imports and you would be better off buying a Honda. Regardless of the truth of that statement, for a company executive responsible for the profitablity of the company to recommend a competitor's product is nothing short of egregious.

It feels like some individual at Redhat was/is highly sponsored by Microsoft.

I like Linux as it's getting more and more matured and reliable. I chosed Redhat because I think it's a good one. After this stupid announcement, I proberbly will change to Mandrake or SuSE.

Is the CEO purposely trying to devalue my Redhat stock? He may be right, but those words shouldn't come out of the mouth of the CEO of the company. Here's what he should have said: "Linux for the desktop is progressing rapidly, and I believe within about two years it may be a serious alternative to Windows, even for home users. In fact, many companies are already finding it to be a viable alternative for the enterprise desktop space.

I believe that that Red Hat person either moonlights for Microsoft or knows nothing about business. What would it be if years ago, when Windows was still a baby, Bill Gates came to public and said, "If you really want to have a pleasant experience, go Mac."
The success of Windows is due to Bill Gates confidence that his crashy, obnoxious and noisy Windows 95 was going to be the leader some day. As much as I hate Gates' business practices and involvements, I have to admire his faith in what he does.
Shame on you, Red Hat!

The majority of comments here seem to be the typical knee-jerk reactions based on personal experience.
Perhaps these reactionist could pay more attention to the article.

Szulik's stance will be that of making Red Hat financially viable and what he is implying in the article, undoubtably based on information from his support team is that the average home user who requires assistance is placing a considerable burden on the support operation.

In a market where the profitability of Linux is mediocre at best it would seem that Red Hat just can't afford to offer the support necessary for the home user market.

As a long-time Linux user I think this article is just stating a fact. I love using Linux (I run both Red Hat 9 and Mandrake 9.2), but it is not user friendly enough for the average consumer. On the application side I have no complaints. OpenOffice, Evolution and Mozilla are great products that easily rival their Windows counter-parts. The big draw back to a user migrating to Linux is hardware, gaming and multimedia. I persistant user can get most hardware to work and some games to work (with the help of WineX), but the average user doesn't want to devote the time. Additionally, there is so much software available for Windows. It is a hard sell to the average Windows user to tell them to switch to a new operating system where all their previous software is useless. As soon as projects like Wine and WineX develop to a reliable and easy to use solution, I see Linux being competitive on the desktop.

I totally agree with the Red Hat CEO. Linux on the desktop sucks big time. Wether its Suse, Madrake, Red Hat whatever none of them work properly, always some little niggly error or it just doesnt work as good as Windows or Mac, all you Linux idiots really should have a go at Windows XP and do some work and contribute back to society rather than trying to force youre self righteous my OS is better than yours on everyone else....

hey these bull ... cant he comment to use distro like lindows, mandrake .... & knoppix.

i guess he only got the gut to say these when Alan is not around. Dont tell me that the mp3 not support in RH8++ is also his idea.

these guy is another SCO alike guy ...

It looks strange that RedHat CEO said that. Specialy after introducing the horrible BlueCuve (which does not even have an xterm icon in the toolbar nor the desktop in default setup).

Anyway... I agree Linux is not ready (yet) for desktops... It is just too complex for people that don't like computer more than a tool.

I like Linux, I was sys admin for 5 years, Linux servers works excelent, I olso use it as desktop system... but the truth is that KDE nor Gnome are half stable as Windows 2000.

Thanks...

REDHAT !!! You had dissappointed me.

I introduce you to my friend (who is ms pro) ... yet when they had started to love you .... these happens.I burn cds to give out free to my friends.
I support them via yahoo messenger ... which make you worked better.You exist in my workplace & home.

Your CEO comments are inappropiate & unacceptable to me ... had greatly dissappoint me as an OpenSource follower.

I will have to erase you ... for other distro.

Dont you remember, some of your ppl use to/still is main contributor to linux community ... like Alan Cox who had being look very highly.

These comments should not be from u. Yet it is invalid. If you meants home user then dont you think mozilla, evolutions ,openoffice & xmms had covered that area. Dont your installation wizard & up2date tool are meant to help that "grandfather" ... aint you slapping your own face.

I thought a linux distro mission use to make installation of linux easier ... propably you had grown out of it.

Your CEO are spitting into the wind. Hope you still exist next year.

Good Luck to you !!!!

ex-Redhat fan

Funny, Apple makes a consumer ready variant of Unix. And they only have 3% of the market. Why didn't the CEO recommend Apple's OS X instead of their direct competitor's product? Apple also supports digital cameras and USB without issue.

These comments might hold true for Red Hat Linux, but they are certainly untrue for several other distributions (most notably Mandrake 9.2).

I use several USB devices, including a printer, and have had absolutely no problems with detection or configuration. "Drivers" are available for so many different products, even very new ones. Digital Imaging is well supported, and I have a scanner on one machine which can be accessed from any of the other machines on the network (so far I've not heard of any Windows system being able to do that, but then I haven't fiddled with XP/2k...).

I suspect Red Hat's view is distorted by their concentration on the server and enterprise markets. Mandrake (among other distributions) seems aimed squarely at the desktop segment, and in my experience they are succeeding admirably.

That'e exactly the point(RH says it puts too much burden on their support stuff, i.e.
RH cannot make money out of it). Of course that is not true:
First you can get highest quality FREE support
in the newsgroups and linux forums by people wha've been there, done that
Things may be `problematic if you cannot set up an internet connection using linux, but surely one can get even then anothetr PC
to connect to th einterneyt
Second, I use linux exclusively, also at the desktop. Windows users who ask me about it
have usually worries like this:
-Will I be able to read/write word/excel files?
Sure, and noe that you will not be able to read
/write them with the new MS office
-Can I use this application?
in all cases the answer is yes-there is a nice
Linux replacement for all windows utilitis.

The only place I advise against migrating is if the main use of the PC is playing games,
since there is a vast number of Windows-games and WIne is not there yet, while VMware is a good solution, but if all one really uses the computer for is to play ganmes, why bother?

In lieu of the latest news that Novell purchases SuSE with IBM backing (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/yhoo/story.asp?source=blq/yhoo&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo&guid=%7BA9C79FB7%2D9893%2D4985%2DAFF0%2DB7DFF0126FE6%7D), I think RedHat is in trouble.

If the Linux community stops supporting RH and the Big Businesses turn towards a Linux release that has IBM backing, RH is sure to disappear or the stock value is sure to drop.

I have supported RH and subscribed to their Network Support but not anymore. SuSE, here I come!

Thanks RH for the support ... to bad I won't need it anymore.

These comments are baseless. The examples used to justify windoze as being a good Home OS sucks!

From a device driver standpoint the fact that the linux kernel supports so many devices without needing to install additional software is far amazing.
My digital camera works out of the box with linux but on Windoze i need to install drivers provided by the verndor (Kodak). This example really sucks
but in anycase the only reason linux wouldnt support a device is not its fault but the fault of greedy hardware vendors who close up their architechture or develop "designed for windoze" hardware (e.g. winmodems)

IMHO installing windows not only takes longer (considering all those reboots and driver installation plus additional software to be productive), it's also
much more painful than some Linux distros. The only difference is most of the time you are pushed a win OS down your throat when you purchase a new pc and
so dont need to install it.

I think RedHat has no right to speak on behalf of all of Linux and say it's not suitable for the home user. I use both Mandrake and Debian as my home/office desktop and find it much more productive and entertaining!

I am using Redhat linux as my desktop since 1998 but I have no
any problem as a desktop os.

It is funny to here Matthew Szulik ( chief executive of Linux vendor Red Hat ) saying like this.

Mmmm I think time to quit from Redhat

This proves that RedHat is the Microsoft of Linux. Something that I have told people who were pro-RedHat before. Here is the proof.

We already have the the MacDonald's of software--Microsoft. That would make RedHat the Burger King or Wendy's of software then.

I wouldn't be surprised if RedHat starts advertising on Kraft Dinner just like Microsoft did before either.

You know that only idiots want to eat Macdonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, or Kraft Dinner on a regular basis.

The thought of RedHat now gives me a sick feeling just like I get when I think of Microsoft or eating crap.

Go away RedHat before I vomit on you.

Report says that, Red hat will not support free bies after March 2004.

So, What are they planning. Marger with Microsoft ( Perhaps microsoft will again play it's dirty game.. purchase Red Hat or give financial aid.... Sorry to say that... )

Look at other products like Lindows....

And say me this thing again....

I can't believe this! I'd have thought that with the multitude of high-profile viruses that are in circulation (Windoze, of course) this would make Linux perfect for the home desktop - as most home users don't have the know-how (and, in all honesty, the common sense) to prevent viruses under Uncle Bill's regime - whereas it would take actual effort for the same users to become infected under Linux..

As for "needing to mature"? I originally used RH 7.1 for my introduction to Linux (I've since switched to SuSE 8.2 Pro) and totally abandoned Windoze on the desktop and, in my opinion, it is ready for the home user.

Open Office (or, in the extreme M$ Office under Wine), Evolution plus the many browsers - Opera, Mozilla, Konqueror etc all have intuitive interfaces that ANY home user could easily pick up. My own mother is considering switching having seen how flexible and easy to use Linux (in this case KDE 3.1 desktop) can be!

Here is my take on this:

It seems that Red Hat is saying that this isn't an operating system for your Grandmother yet. I know I wouldn't want mine on it. She is happy on her Win98SE running whatever incarnation of AOL.

All I think is saying that it isn't ready for prime time yet, though one post her noted that Apple has a commercial version available. I would put Grandma on that, if only I could afford to.

This is exactly why I dont run or recommend RedHat for the home user. That is not to say that other distros are not ready and able to work for the home user. SuSE works really well on the home machine, since about the 7.0 level and even more so since the 8.1 distribution. I loaned my copy of SuSE 7.0 to the local bookstore guy to put on an old machine that was donated to him, and he loves it so much that he is unwilling or afraid to touch it with a newer version. I have almost got him talked into it now that he is using some programs which need wine and I argued that the newer rev may fix some problems for him. I also installed it on my brother in laws machine that he runs a home business on (this time 8.1) and he couldn't be happier or more impressed. He has some new features - some exotic hardware which Yast found all of the software for and the install went so smoothly!, The only wrinkle was that his ISP runs a rural high speed network over spread spectrum radio, which required a wireless modem driver, but I had that working for him in a couple of hours and he is on line and no longer complaining that he has to take 20 minutes every time he turns on his machine to update or download the newest patches and fixes from MS or Snortin' Norton. I spent a couple of hours with him answering questions and he is now on cruise control.

Red Hat has long maintained that linux is not for the desktop, and this is reflected in their attitudes about the desktop - they just don't care. They are geared for the server and the distribution is very much that oriented towards knowledgeable admins, and that is fine, but they are not winning hearts and minds that way. SuSE on the other hand is very much a distribution that is ready to roll on the desktop. They have put a lot of time into YAST, given it plenty of smarts to find hardware and guide the novice through a complex process with hardly a sweat. If you take the recommendations that YAST makes, you don't need to know much of anything and at the end of the hour, you are up and running in an Xwindows environment. Do yourself a favor and try it for yourself.

To "ENLIGHTENED USER" - Your comments about "trying windows XP" - I'm sure most of us have, and in the face of constant security updates, restrictive "you will run what software we tell you to run" practices, unexplained software crashes and the ever-present threat of being shutdown by a virus written by a 14 year old with a grudge, have decided to switch to what we consider to be a more reliable, secure and flexible system - which, just because it requires more thought than the average windows troglodite user is used to (ie "If it's not done for me then it's bad"), is automaticall considered to be inferior.

And Max OS? Don't make me laugh - unavailable drivers for common peripherals, TOTAL system hangs (yes, even in the "wonderful" OSX where, in one instance the battery had to be removed from a Powerbook just to reboot it), the usual corporate "you will run what we tell you to run" philosphy - (Safari v every other browser, anyone?).

Just thought I'd mention it

Red Hat isn't ready for desktop home users, that's true.
Red Hat is the Worst linux distribution.
I installed Slackware at home and my wife who never used a pc before can use it with no problems, also my 3 years old child can play with a lot of nice educational games....
And yes we can use our digital camera (never heard about usb mass storage?), we can watch dvd and divx connecting my Slackware notebook to the television and more.
Some examples:
Mozilla to surf the internet(connected with an usb adsl modem), Kmail to read/send emails,
OpenOffice.org to do everything you can do with M****soft Office, Winex to play non-native games, a lot of very good native games: UT2003, NeverWinterNights, TuxRacer (GPLed versioni 0.61) and if you want more have a look at www.happypenguin.org. I also play my playstation games on my Linux box using a very good emulator ePSXe wich works better in Linux than in W****ws.
I think thats enough.
Red Hat sucks.

Hi from France

Waoow
Is it a declaration from "Red Hat Silly Papers ?"
:)

May be one day MR BILL will create the famous open source WINDUX, a new JOS* (with its famous HOAX XXL version *) and will finally declare in a private conference*** :

"Yeahh that time I did it myself".

* Joke Operating System
** The famous WINDUX shell
*** Bill never talks in Forums, that's not smart enough.

no sense
have you ever tried to use Mandrake? It is the most suitable Linux distribution for desktop.
Red hat chief looks like to be paying from Microsoft
I repeat... no sense
Red hat would think to imporve HIS distribution, difficult for new linux user, difficult to configurate, not compatible with new hardware, no color.

We should boycott RedHat everywhere, because they have just stopped support on free distro and don't want other (eg Mandrake,Suse, debian ...) will take their place on desktop :-||

ce monsieur ? ans de retard !!

lorsque j'ai commenc? regarder Linux il y a 3 ans ceic ?it vrai et j'ai essay?a version 5 je crois de redhat qui n'?it d? pas ?'?que la plus "facile" pour un enduser.

depuis mon PC personnnel foncvtionne avec Linux Suse 8.2 actuellement et je n'utilise plus windows et n'ai aucun probl? pour travaller avec ?a maison

vraiment je me demande ce que veux red hat ? faire du tord ?use qui vient de signer avec Novell et qui pourrait offrir une solution de bout en bout ?

Frankly I believe that RedHat should call it quits and get out of the Market Place. Their product is lack luster and void of real features. An RPM is very poor beside APT.

RedHat Linux is barely a decent Linux when it is all boiled down. All of the Good Desktop Distros (except for Mandrake 9.x and SUSE ) are in fact Debian Linux Based - eg: Xandros, Knoppix and even Lindows. As for ease of installation, I build and manage Desktop Operating System Rollouts for Large Corporates and honestly the best operating system on a Desktop today would have to Knoppix, followed closely by Xandros. 10-15 minutes for a network booted rollout per machine, complete with Managed Desktop Applications and, if you really need it, Microsoft Office compatibility, all for $ 129US per Desktop.

Linux Rocks! On and Off the Desktop.
OS/2 was and still is cool.
Mac will always be around.
Windows - should only be opened to let fresh air in.

p.s. My 6 children grew up using 3 operating systems, their OS of choice, Linux.



There are no major security issues with Linux, this can't be said of windows.

Hardware compatibility is just as much an issue with Windows XP as it is with Linux and Mac OS-X.

The only real criticism I have of Linux is that we still persist in clinging to X-Windows instead of moving on... Even the Old OS/2 Presentation Manager from OS/2 Warp 4 ported to Linux would be a superior desktop to that of Windows XP and Mac OS. KDE 4 looks promising though.

Literally weird speaking. When Microsoft was marketing DOS, it did never recommend consumers to choose Apple's Macintosh.

Did microsoft recommended Apple Macintosh when it was marketing DOS?

This is no surprise from information I have received from magazines in past years. I always said that an operating system business should use its own products (CEO's included) or else bad business decisions result. It looks like RedHat is being led into the MS integration-catchup server product line. It is a shame RedHat has made such a decision, because its brand name in the desktop market gives it a lead in the server enterprise market. With the Novell and Suse buyout, Suse (or UnitedLinux) is probably going to become dominant.

The common person either buys software pre-installed on a new computer or likes to buy affordable shrink-wrapped and boxed software from local retailers. RedHat is now going to need more advertising targeted at business people to assure its brand and enterprise product line is noticed.

Oh no!!. The 'Rat' recommends the 'Cat'

As an IT professional who has supported both Novell and Windows based Networks it is my honest belief that Netware is now so far behind M$ that it will never get back. I used to be fully Novell but I have converted to M$. As for Linux all the users I look after use windows some tried Linux but soon went back to Windows. It is all well and good all you IT people out there saying how good it is, well that may be true but for the average user wanting to get on the internet, download some pictures from there camera print them and email them windows is the only viable choice. Especially if they have kids who want to play games. As for internet explorers IE6 is by far the best. Everyone hates microsoft because they have one. Well I don't like losers!!!

Does this mean RedHat's lawsuit against SCO will be dropped? Will RedHat now join SCO?

I can't believe that you people are getting upset at what the Red Hat Ceo said. Especially the "Open Letter to Red Hat" Anonymous. I see it as a positive selling point. If you've got the balls to tell the truth that your product is not ready for a certain demographic, you should be commended, not put down. I am a windows user and have just added Linux to my second hard drive. It took me quite some time to find a distro that gave me what I needed, and I still don't have all of the features I need. I have tried everything from Red Hat to Slackware, and Red Hat seems to work the best for me, with the exception (so far) of reading my NTFS partitions. I am very well versed in Windows, there is not a problem or task I can't handle on a windows system, but getting used to linux is a challenge for me, much less the average home computer user who can't even set up their email or other simple tasks by themselves. His statements have made me want to use my Red Hat Partition even more.

Window's main advantage still falls in the 3 catagories.
1. drivers
2. software support
3. ease of use.

I run linux at home on one of my machines. my wife uses it, and has no problems with it. However, since our camera and printer do not have drivers in linux, it's somewhat cumbersome. Also, for my Inlaws, it's not practical. their younger son likes to run every CD he get's from cereal boxes, and while you may say "he shouldn't do that anyways" I'd argue that with 0 buisness use, their PC is more for his education and their entertainment. When you can put in and run any CD or DVD, and plug any device into a linux box with 0 cmd line configuration. it will be ready for home use. As it stands, it's good for corp users, who don't plug weird stuff in, and who already can't install anything else on their machines.

That's true that people have linux on their system and installed various devices on it and are happy. And they cooly write about it but when we talk about home user then we are talking about housewives, novice users, non-IT people.
Redhat is not talking about LINUX experts or IT experts using Linux in their home machine. I know hundereds to IT experts ( who doesn't work in Linux OS at work) have their home PC with Windows. Linux is still not very popular among home users ( NON IT users). Slowly but surely it will be on every house hold but as of now its still excellent for corporate use.

Kumar

Linux used mostly by IT esp. who are working in Linux environment. People other than who are in Linux environment are still using Windows on their home PC or their personal PC at work. Those who commented this article from Redhat should check with general 90% computer users who are etiher non IT or simple home user.
Redhat is right that it will take atleast 1 or 2 yesr to become as popular as Widows on home front.



Rtu

I think that RedHat's opinion that "LINUX is not mature enough for the desktop" and the unofficial blessing of Windows to temporarily replace it can only serve as an April Fool's day heading.

As a sys admin and consultant, I am grateful to RedHat for making one of the best LINUX disitributions for server platforms. However, this statement is a bit offensive to the Open Source Community, especially those who devote large chunks of their time to give us projects such as KDE, OpenOffice, Xine and the likes...

Yes, we know that LINUX makes sense for the server and that desktop applications grew in a much slower pace. Personally, I have been using LINUX on my ONLY desktop for more than 4 years now. I have also rolled out LINUX desktop systems, and I shall continue to do so, mainly because I find LINUX much more mature and easier to administer than LINUX.

I am really dissappointed by Red Hat's illusionary vision about the state of the LINUX desktop. The market is there for a good reliable desktop distribution, especially in an era of cost cutting exercises and marginal recession. The tools are there. It's just the fact that they would not make the bucks they are now pocketing from larger server systems deals, because they clearly target specific customers. That's fine from their business perspective, but prompt users to Windows...for what? Their reliability, security, or cost effective solutions? I don't think so.

Tu quoque, brutus

Come back Bob Young! Come back!

Kind of silly this, a Linux vendor recommending Windows for home use. This past summer I set up a box running Mandrake 9.1 for my sister & family who are not computer savy.The number of Tech support calls I have received to date for Linux problems? Zero.
My nephews have taken to Open Office like ducks to water, using all of the tools with ease, doing homework assignments, playing games and surfing the web. They all have their own user accounts to keep the boys from messing with each others stuff. They love it.

"All you Linux idiots"

That's a SELF RIGHTIOUS comment if there ever was one...

what makes YOU better than somebody that is fighting for innovation and software that isn't controlled by a monopoly?

Just because you don't agree with GNU/Linux, or are too closed minded to see a "point" in GNU/Linux, doesn't give you the right to make generalities and blame EVERYONE that uses GNU/Linux.

I use it because of the educational benefits. I can't afford to buy the "latest & greatest" bloatware the M$ releases everytime they realize they don't control the market 100%.

I like Windows 2000, and use it alongside GNU/Linux distros such as Fedora, RHL 9, and Debian.

However, I KNOW what my GNU/Linux distros are doing, but I don't ever really know what M$ crap is spying on me.

Don't believe it happens? Just check out Media Player options (use AdAware [www.lavasoft.de] and find out).

To make the point simple & sweet:

Don't use generalities. Everyone has different reasons for using the OS they use.

"...should have a go at Windows XP and do some work and contribute back to society"

I'm sorry, that is just a retarded statement.

Windows XP is chock full of bugs and annoyances. Heck, even installing the SP breaks the OS. When M$ releases SP2 for XP ( in 2004), they're going to try and sneak in another EUL to enforce their "rules". Privacy? That's not a word the M$ knows.

"Contribute to society? "

GNU/Linux IS contributing to society. If not directly (which they are CERTAINLY DOING, just check out the many cases where Red Hat & others have donated time & effort to help outfit schools with PCs and software so children can learn how to use them) then indirectly because they're scaring the hell out of Microsoft and keeping them on their toes. M$ has a big competitor: their own stupidity vs. OpenSource & FS(F). M$ vs. the people.

FUD vs. OpenSource. Call it whatever you want. M$ needs to change, and if they don't go under, they'll be forced to change.

"Society" will benefit greatly from that.

Their prices have also come down thanks to GNU/Linux as a viable option for users that are just fed up with M$ FUD.

Contribute to soceity? Please...
Get M$'s spoon outa' your mouth and listen to the words you're speaking.

Most of the GNU/Linux users out there are those that have simply gotten fed up with M$'s schemes.

I'm sick of finding posts by people that "think" (do they really "think" or just spout nonsense?) that all of "someone else" is self-righteous.

GNU/Linux has problems, but there are thousands of people working on them (many unpaid). Macs have problems too I'm sure, and Windows obviously does.

Don't go slamming the users for their OS choice. I don't agree with *NIX users slamming M$ users for their choice.

You never "slam" the other side. You help them out. If you believe GNU/Linux is wrong, give reasons why it's wrong to use it.

If you're unable to use it, fine then don't. Go back to Windows XP. Use whatever you want. Just don't go calling other people "idiots" just because you don't agree with their ideas.

It is really easy to see that Linux in any distro wasn't truly meant for the home user and although great strides have been made recently (Poor example being Lindows) it is still meant more for the Home business user rather than the average Windows system owner. Given time and with enough thrust behind the Open Source movement I can easily see a truly Home based version of Linux but not at the moment. I Love my Current Distro (TopologiLinux) but I still find myself needing to use windows for all sorts of stuff. In the future I am hoping to get rid of the windows in my system and go fully Linux but as of yet I can't see not needing it. This problem is magnified 100 times for people who know very little about computers. Windows is for the inexperienced user. Most people don't have the time or patience to learn a system that for better or worse is not user friendly like good ole Windows. With that said Red Hat needs to learn who butters their bread. THE OPEN SOURCE COMMUNITY. Maybe if they placed more of an effort in creating the source code for a more user friendly Linux and with the help of the community they could find a common ground with the home user instead of turning them away as being too much of a burden to be bothered with. In my estimation that would be a far better way of doing business than sending willing customers packing to the competition.

I believe it's time for the Linux comunity to do to Redhat as has been done to M$. Find an alternative and let them go on their own way. They feel that since they are discontinuing their free desktop line then now is the perfect time to push everyone back to M$ to avoid Linux from spreading to other desktop distros (Mandrake works just fine and is a nice replacement to RH).

It's also about time that people who want to use Linux in a server environment also find a different distro. How long will it be before RH turns their attention again (and their backs on that crowd).

I personally am not to upset about the disconituation of their basic product line as I have been moving away from RH for some time now, comments like the one made recently just brings to light the reasons why RH is being replaced by organizations who still believe in (and support) their users.

Yes, it may be in Red Hat's best corporate interest to drop the desktop line and go for the big bucks enterprise market. However- it saddens me to realize that there will be no more Red Hat Linux on the store shelves, in the public eye. Red Hat was leading the way in bringing an alternative to MS in a desktop OS; and making good progress, but now...

At least he could have recommended Lindows, a Linux-based, consumer-oriented OS. Anything but MS..

My four year old, 10 year old, 13 year old, and 14 year old have no trouble using Linux. We have LTSP on 4 recycled Pentium computers as terminals for a $400 Dell server. Visitors who have never heard of Linux have no trouble using it with a guest account. Open Office and Evolution work very similarly to MS Office and Outlook.

Initial installation is not an issue. Just plug in the CD and go. Getting multimedia and USB devices working in a useful manner has not been easy, however. Everything comes with a Windows driver. I then have to research and track down a Linux driver and install it. As a computer professional, this is not a problem. But it is a problem for most home users.

On the other hand, Windows users have terrible problems trying to install new stuff also. Simply installing a new game breaks previously installed games. So Windows users just punt, and buy a new computer. (And I recycle their old computer into a new LTSP terminal. Yay!)

If you dont put this title, nobody reads yours article.
isn't it ?
So do you expect, that I believe thats RedHat CEO recommends windows?
Or are you recomends windows ?

I don't see the conflict at all. What he's saying is, "We have to pick our battles," and I agree.

Even as a confirmed SuSE user, I can see problems for the absolute novice. I had to to things like compile a kernel to get my WiFi card working, my USB DVD writer writing, my laptop's keyboard coded properly plus many, many other things to coordinate the laptop with my server and my Sony Clie` PDA. I've written some scripts to fine tune my nightly backup and other things. I do it because it's fun and I'm a diehard early adopter, but the average new user just wants to plug in the device and have it go.

Meanwhile, even though Red Hat is getting out of the straight retail business, Lindows, Lycoris, Xandros, plus the more traditional SuSE and Mandrake distributions are actively pursuing the home user.

What's the problem?!!?

SCO... RH
whats the different????

Linux is not bad guys !! that is not the point the CEO was making.
But he is right with the fact that it needs a bit of more maturation and time if it really needs to compete with windows. I recon that is the spirit on the Words said by the CEO.
In either case, it should be much easier for Linux to reach to the level where windows has been as they do not have to beat the bush for new innovative ideas ( at least for GUI, Useability etc ) they have a sofware right in front of them Which lays there Design and functional Specs for any kind of development, isint it.
The main competition starts when the products from both the companies are at par and then sceane would be that the guy who innovates more and is sensetive to its cost to the customers wins the race.

Let the best party win.!!!

I personally think that RedHat CEO is causing a downgrade to their stocks. I being a Linux user find this OS much reliable and stable often compared to Windows.
But it should be developed and revised in many sectors ofcourse. Still the very comment by the RH CEO himself might create an havoc in this industry. So is he trying to prove that all the Linux users home or SOHO should look forward to opt Windows instead of Linux? This very comment might discourage the users which is more accustomed to linux and those who are trying to switch over to this platform. Such dignities shouldn't prefer another OS to their own. This actually marks a loose in faith.
He should have promised to release a more stable, integrated, reliable with more pnp capabilities for the OS in the near future.
Instead of this statement, he is recommending another OS. I really wonder Why?

I'm using Redhat for the last few years and it tooks me as much time I have spent on Microsoft to learn it. Initally, I have started with slackware back on the early 90's.
The comments made by several people about the commercialization interest of Redhat may lead into to such outragious announcement ever heard from CEO of a company who is endorsing his competator.

I'm studying on my own to take the RHNE certification. This announcemnt put on hold everything which I have started with Redhat.

I think the contribution of Mr. Linous to brought such powerful operating system to the open and free
community allow us to learn great deal and his and other developers greatest contributions are shining throughout the world.

If the announcment of the Redhat CEO is to make precondition to sell the company, The complex time that brought the free software and open source foundations as to cause Linux systems to appear and make the Redhat prosperious, that same conditon will make the best corrections necessary.

True, most people do not install Windows, but it has been my experience that most also do not install their shiny new, you-beaut, bigger and better sound card/video card/ scanner/ etc. either. They buy, then have the store install them.

I think it depends more on what your initial training has been for computer use. When my daughters started 'computers' at school, they had many problems because their only experience till then had been on my systems at home, all *nix. They were used to logging in and being able to try anything at all, because they knew it probably wouldn't hurt anything. The usual story they bring home is how the computers at school crashed again.

It may not be 'mature', but it certainly works better.

BTW, I started using *nix because I had some odd hardware at the time, and MS didn't like to install properly.

There are all the usual blinkered MS haters here making the usual pre-pubescent comments withoput thinking about what's actually being said.

I am a programmer and an experienced user of Unix, Linux and Windows. Although I find Linux very useful myself, in the correct place, I have always said that the Linux community needs to vastly improve the useability and compatibility of it's distributions before it will be a serious competitor to Windows in the home market.

The fact is that the average home user finds it an effort to figure out their video recorder. They want to buy a PC plug it in and start using it. They want to play the latest games, browse the internet, watch DVDs, print their photos and write a few letters. Windows gives them all this with the lowest learning curve.

I believe Red Hat thinks it can make all its money off Enterprise solutions therefore they can afford the desktop to Microsoft. Good luck to them, Microsoft knows what time it is and that is why they keep trying to break into new markets while keeping a hold on their shrinking (soon enough :) ) place in the OS world. Red Hat would do well not to break away from the "rebellion/revolution" while the "empire" still stands.

Probably, the Microsoft´s owner bought Red Hat too. I got a Linux Red Hat at my house and i feel better than having M$ systems. Even my 4-year-son loves the games from Linux. One message for Red Hat CIO : better fishing and take care of your dogs.

First of all I didnt like the comment made out by the CEO of Redhat. He would have better said that Redhat Linux is not suitable for desktop.......

Further Mandrake looks lot better like a desktop.

On the other side, may be he was trying to be true. Yes, Linux might be difficult but still it isnt that bad that it doesnt fit as a desktop.

I'll play devils advocate to a certain extent he's right because I'm thinking of grandma, grandpa, stay at home mom, dad and whoever else but at the same time I find Linux slowly catching up to Windows in terms of the learning curve (and not just with power users either) My brother who is not computer savvy at all had no trouble finding his way around RH9 when I let him play on my system at home. He installed it on his system at his apartment but had trouble with the soundcard and it recognizing his modem. It took about 30 minutes to straighten everything out but I had to go over there and help him. Those are situations I'm talking about...where as with Windows it wouldve been easier for him not to mention older family members. Lets not get upset over his comments, I'm sure Microsoft isnt stuffing bills in his pocket. He's just telling it like it is

That is a horrible thing to say. There are a large number of consumers that could use Linux! If all people do is one thing, Linux is the best choice period. I suspect a great number of home users only use their computer for surfing and email. Whats happend is Red Had just didn't make the effort to communicate with people like that. Instead they chose to package their stuff as a swiss army knife alternative to Windows haters and companies with more computer talant than money for MS licences.

I'm sorry if the CEO of RedHat has given up on the industry. No doubt he feels he can't make money with free software. I never quite understood how that works myself. However, I'd like to point out that Red Hat WAS in business doing just that.

I suppose the next thing I should expect is for Red Hat to be a discount retailer for Windows software.

Yesterday was a bad day for Linux. I hope someone else picks up on the idea.

I notice that most, if not all, of the comments are from technophiles or IT professionals.The fact that 'you' set up Linux and your family use it proves nothing. It just proves the point that anyone who believes that Linux is anywhere near a consumer OS is living in fantasy land. We have hundreds of users, where I work, and half of them can barely drive W**dows.

What about Mac?

Look At OS X for MAC and then tell me if you dont think Linux is ready? Granted it will take a few years and he's right that its not ready NOW but more sooner than later it very well could be. I think many users are used to Windows and arent ready to give it up but at the same time there are many users frustrated mainly by the security problems with Windows. OK MS kind of took care of the stability after that Win 9X/ ME mess with XP (even though it still sucks at times) but they really need to resolve this issue with viruses and security. People are fed up especially considering how much they charge for everything

I think that all this Red Hat bashing that I'm reading in these talkbacks is quites sad really. No one really listened to what Mr. Szulik said which is that linux may not be the best choice for the typical home user. That was the real point he was trying to make, but because he used the linux community's arch enemy as an example of a better choice, he is becoming reviled. If he had said that Mac OS was a better choice there would not be half as many angry talkbacks in this forum. I agree that linux is not ready yet for the typical home user. It just hasn't gotten to the point where anyone can sit down a install and run a windows pc. I personally stopped using windows, but I have the skill to keep my linux box going without too many problems. My dad or my grandad couldn't.

Another thing that is bothering me is that people are saying that Redhat is abandoning typical linux for it's Enterprise line. That is just not true. They will not have the support that they used to have for Redhat Linux, but they are still employing all the people that were working on Redhat Linux, its just they will now be working on Fedora Core. I really don't care because I never used their support offerings. That's my two cents.

dudes its like this. Linux is ready as long as your hardware is supported. I mean look at Suse, and Mandrake. both contain KDE and Gnome which of course is a no brainer to use. lol. In fact my uncle says KDe copied windows ::shudders:: lol with the kmenu being like the start menu. Then there are packages which are like exe files for installing programs. and, not only that bad come on they have software you need. Open Office, Mozilla, Xine, Kmail, Gaim, Kopete. Its like come on what more do you want. Generally speaking if someones 80 or older you cant even get them to use their own win box. lol. so dont tell me its not ready. Personally though i aint going to bash on the guy though. If he thinks linux aint ready, its his opinion, but mine says otherwise, though that was the worst open comment ever, to suggest MS. @_@

My God... first was the SCO and now the Red Hat? What's it? I think that Microsoft are paying those non "freedom think" companys to stop doing linux distributions... what's the next from Red Hat? Process the IBM or SUN? Well... by the way there are a lot of goods distribuitions like Mandrake, Debian(I think is so dificult to a inexperient user install but ok...), Slackware, Conectiva Linux (A very popular brazilian distribuion) and others...

C ya Red Hat! We'll miss you.. ;)

I agree. RedHat is not the best choice for the typical home user. It is very dificult for the typical home user to install and run RedHat (or most other disributions of Linux) in its present state. Mandrake is much better suited to the home user. What we tend to forget though is that Windows (and OS X) can be very difficult to install and configure for the typical home user as well. I make a decent amount of money installing and configuring Windows for home users and I certainly don't see that changing anytime soon.
The "problem" is that most home users don't want to know how the OS works...they just want it to work when they turn the system on. With Linux, at this stage, you are forced to consider "how it works" to get and keep the system running smoothly, and this is a major frustration for many home users.
If RedHat is pulled form store shelves it will only keep "home user types" from buying the package and becoming frustrated when they can't load it and run it like Windows.
Anyone who is into Linux can still download versions of Linux (such as Mandrake, Slackware, et. al.) and install it on their computer for free. The Linux community will still exist and technical support on the Internet will also continue to be free--for those of us who know enough about it to take advantage of it. (I've had Mandrake on my systems for years and never paid a dime for it or needed any Tech Support from Mandrake either.)
By concentrating on enterprises RedHat will increase the viability of Linux as it is accepted and relied upon by the business community while other distributions (Mandrake)concentrate on the "home" user.
By not alienating the home user while warming up to the business user, RedHat will increase the overall market share of Linux while encouraging home and novice users to "make the switch" sometime further down the road when Linux is "ready for primetime" and, probably, Microsoft is releasing yet another expensive "gotta have it" operating system to replace XP.

Ok, maybe Red Hat isn´t good for home users. But this doesn´t mean that ALL linuxses aren´t.
Not all the users need the best distro to use at home. Here in Brazil we have one called Kurumin. It´s very easy to install and I think it´s good for the user who doesn´t know much about linux.

Are you aware of the Microsoft community efforts?
Do you know that Microsoft is active seeking learn with the community effort around Linux to offer a continuos improovement to his products ?
Monopoly is not something that make me happy, but I don't think Technology dicussion should be around Religous matters.
Microsoft in the past years has launch a series of great products, in despite of the Operation Systems, they have good Development Tools and Application Severs some of them FREE !!!
WebMAtrix is one of them , check it out on the msdn.microsoft.com web site.
I could develop some simple but cool applications and my students are loving it.

my 2 cents

Red Hat is becoming a "Linux Microsoft" and have no courage to admit it.

I can see the reasoning behind the RedHat CEO's statement. However, does anyone really believe that Microsoft is responsible for making Windows a viable consumer OS?

This CEO should be ashamed and replaced for his lack of leadership. RedHat, at least deserves a CEO that believes in their product.

To resolve this RedHat needs to forget about supporting every combination of consumer devices and just target a solution for 70% of consumer scenarios. Target digital camera, scanner, printer, and MiniDV connection via USB, USB2, and Firewire. Doesn't have to be every device as long as a solution is supported.

Let the vendor market fill in the rest. That is precisely what M$ does.

Talking about loyalty to customers.....I have been using RED Hat since ver.5 and I always counted on their 'next' version for improvements. After investing all this money in a product that WAS advertised as Free I am now left out in the cold. Well, as far as I'am concerned, Red Hat better not come back later when the consumer market will show some BIG profits because I wil not buy their product. No wonder that so many people COPY software......when big companies pull stunts like these how can they expect the consumer to be honest????

Have you seen this:

http://www.guiadohardware.info/linux/kurumin/

That's a system my little daughter, 10 years old, can run.

I fell sorry for your comments.

He should be working for microsoft not for RedHat.

It seems that either the RedHat CEO has invested a significant percentage of his salary in buying Microsoft stock, or the other way round -- which would be that Microsoft is paying money to RedHat to stop supporting the desktop version of their popular OS and start promoting Windows instead.

"My four year old, 10 year old, 13 year old, and 14 year old have no trouble using Linux. We have LTSP on 4 recycled Pentium computers as terminals for a $400 Dell server. Visitors who have never heard of Linux have no trouble using it with a guest account. Open Office and Evolution work very similarly to MS Office and Outlook. "

Yes but can your kid install the digital camera you got for Christmas? I think not without quite a bit of difficulty

Ok ... Reality check people

Linux is *NOT* ready for the average home user's desktop. Plain and simple.

Let me quilify that by saying that I have been using free *NIX's since mid 1994 (and big UNIX's for long before that), when Linux supported a total of probably 15 devices, so I've seen it come a long way. I'm no stranger to a shell prompt (That's what you windows converts call the CLI), and the old timers like me have forgotten more computer knowledge than the average home user will gain in 10,000 lifetimes.

Home users want "clicky clicky" software. No, the fact of the matter is, they need it. You cannot expect a home user to know the in's and out's of init scripts (for all you "experts" in the audience, these are the files that tell your Linux system how to start up), or how to use vi. Now I can hear some of you chanting "But they don't have to. KDE 3 is a beautiful GUI that removes all that." And while that's true -- What happens when they want to install some piece of software (God help them), and they get a newer version of libpng installed? Chances are, everything is fine, but maybe not. KDE3 bombs out with a bunch of non-sensical library errors. Can you picture your parents playing with ldd and strace to figure out what happened?

Here's another good example that we've all dealt with (and if you haven't, you've not been using Linux long enough to have an opinion). The user runs out for a new piece of hardware, and buys a nice shiny new ... whatever. They bring it home, plug it in and ... Nothing!

Now what? Well, now the home user has to hit google and read tons of usenet posts about how people have gotten this working. They proceed to joe-hacker.com and grab the patch files necessary. They then open an (x|E|a|k)term and go to change to /usr/src/linux. No such directory on their system, as most distro's have stopped shipping source in the base install (and why should they? They include every half assed patch on the net in the default kernel). So now it's out to distro's site to sit through a 20MB+ download of the source archive (hope they're not on dialup), only to find out that they have no idea how to unpack a tar.bz2 file. If by some miracle they haven't given up by now, they manage to get it unpacked. Then the patch doesn't apply cleanly. Assuming they noticed the "Hunk X failed" messages, then they're left to figure that out. If not, they're on to `make (x|menu)config; make dep; make modules; make modules_install; make bzImage` only for the heartbreak of make errors. Should it actually compile, then they're off to reboot and the hell that is a LI prompt on the next bootup because that didn't go right either. But suppose it compiled and rebooted fine. Does said hardware now work? Who knows. It's still 50/50 at best, but hey, they only spent two weeks working on it.

Oh yeah ... That sounds like something that the average home user can install and run.

All you people barking about how Linux is ready for prime time on the desktop should conduct the experiment of installing it on your (Mom|Dad|Brother|Sister)'s computer, and then don't help them when it breaks.

I swear ... Get real people.

--
Signal 11: Core Dumped

quite honestly i am apalled at the very ideal of bringing a unix (no matter how bastardized or gnu'd) to any average user.

fact is, the very reason most of us even USE unix on the desktop is to get away from the humdrum of dumbed down interfaces, poor system manipulation, and idiotic system design.

here we have LINUX, a total replacement and magical fix that will enable average j user the ability to have longer uptimes, a more stable system, and *gasp* pay far less (*gasp* if its free its GOT to be good! -- that is unless you actually pay for support in netnews-regurgitated form). it will make everything better.

no matter which way you slice it, average users are not cut out to use a unix (or variant thereof) system -- and for good reason. if we begin to pollute/inflate our codebases (even more) to accomodate the silly whims of silly users, we will in fact destroy that which we hold most dear.

its okay to be different - let the average person decide what is best for themselves and let them be.

Oh! And one more thing!

The reason that no one mentions OSX has nothing to do with it's ability. It's because that's comparing apples to oranges.

You can buy Linux for what, $50? Or download the ISO for free.

Hmmm ... OSX is free (Well, Darwin is free ...), but there's the pesky issue of needing $3200 of machine to run it on.

? 1.6GHz PowerPC G5
? 1GB DDR333 SDRAM (PC2700) - 2x512
? 160GB Serial ATA - 7200rpm
? ATI Radeon 9600 Pro
? Apple Studio Display (17" flat panel)
? AirPort Extreme Card
? 56k V.92 internal modem
? SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
? Apple Keyboard & Apple Mouse - U.S. English
? Mac OS X - U.S. English
Subtotal $3,147.00

Yeah ... Umm ... I can build a mountain of Wintel for that. Oh, and should you want the "Server Software", that's another $999...

pffft. Right.

I read the comments i am a xp user and it is full of bugs now if linux comes back in two years time and says it is ready for the comsumer then i will go for it at lest the guy is being honest which i like yes i will go for it

We need to agree facts!

Yes i agree his statement, even though i am linux administrator since from 3 years. the users wants the productivity systems, and perhaps they don't bother about how great it is.

It is found that with my experience, &nix is good for business servers and production environment, but for home users windows is ultimate choice.

I don't understood one thing,that is, *nix community having excellent programmes they really love programming then windows guys, but why they are not concentrating on *nix desktop much.

It is may be hard to agree by unix folds! but this is true.

Guess that just about does it for me and RedHat.

Red Hat is RIGHT, of course, and not only are they right, they should be taken seriously as an important Linux player. It makes good sense to know your strenghts and weaknesses, and just the fact that a relatively small number of users who are hell bent on doing away with Windows go out of their way to get Linux up and running as a home desktop system, there is still a vast amount of people that need to really be convinced that Linux is the better system. So far, I cannot explain to my wife that:
- copy and paste between applications is not supported
- streaming content from the internet will sometimes work and sometimes won´t
- playing dvds will not always go without hitches
- you have to buy a different printer for Linux
- she´ll be missing her spouse an extra couple of hours per week to resolve dependency issues, problems with sound output, performing awkward upgrades etc.

don´t get me wrong. I have Redhat 9 installed, and love some things of it. But i simply cannot rely on it to do some things that are common with windows. And BTW, my windows 2000 machine also runs apache, mysql, php and o number of graphical applications without blue screens or virus infections. Linux desktop is far better than windows 98, but for the REGULAR HOME USER it is too complicated.

Whenever I hear Linux adepts they brag they ´can play games, play dvd´s, send mail and surf the internet´ with it. C´mon guys, you can also do that with windows. And since 2000 you can do it RELIABLY with windows as well. The REAL advantage of Linux would be not so much technological, but rather sociological. I hate MS´s license policy as well as the rest of the world, but windows is not per se an inferior product, esp. not for home users or desktop applications.

Red Hat is RIGHT, of course, and not only are they right, they should be taken seriously as an important Linux player. It makes good sense to know your strenghts and weaknesses, and just the fact that a relatively small number of users who are hell bent on doing away with Windows go out of their way to get Linux up and running as a home desktop system, there is still a vast amount of people that need to really be convinced that Linux is the better system. So far, I cannot explain to my wife that:
- copy and paste between applications is not supported
- streaming content from the internet will sometimes work and sometimes won´t
- playing dvds will not always go without hitches
- you have to buy a different printer for Linux
- she´ll be missing her spouse an extra couple of hours per week to resolve dependency issues, problems with sound output, performing awkward upgrades etc.

don´t get me wrong. I have Redhat 9 installed, and love some things of it. But i simply cannot rely on it to do some things that are common with windows. And BTW, my windows 2000 machine also runs apache, mysql, php and o number of graphical applications without blue screens or virus infections. Linux desktop is far better than windows 98, but for the REGULAR HOME USER it is too complicated.

Whenever I hear Linux adepts they brag they ´can play games, play dvd´s, send mail and surf the internet´ with it. C´mon guys, you can also do that with windows. And since 2000 you can do it RELIABLY with windows as well. The REAL advantage of Linux would be not so much technological, but rather sociological. I hate MS´s license policy as well as the rest of the world, but windows is not per se an inferior product, esp. not for home users or desktop applications.

I like Linux, but do not like RED HAT Linux. I do think that linux has a ways to go but Linux will get their. As for Microsoft I think they have simplfied windows so much that the average person will not make the switch to linux. But if linux gets as popular as Windows and as simple then linux will have the same issues as windows. Right now the reason i like linux is because i don't have to put up with all of the viruses going around. As for Microsoft Internet Explorer it sucks, Mozilla all the way.

I both agree and disagree with the CEO of Redhat here. I experimented with Linux last year, and found that while it's great to have a lot of freedom that Microsoft doesn't allow with Windows, it's also a lot less stable. I suggest most people who are average computer users, or who are gamers, use Windows. People ready to take the dive into a little more hardcore stuff should experiment with Linux. I personally will have two computers, one for games on Windows, and another with Linux for net surfing (ever hear of a linux virus? neither have I), word processing, etc.
That's my two pennies.

i completely agree with that.is there anyone out there who has heard a remark from Microsoft to the effect that when it comes to internet security,Windows is useless?i have been waiting for such a comment and haven't gotten one ,not fron microsoft anyway.iam pointing this out so such some people can get it into their heads that although what one is saying MIGHT be the truth(Suse Linux has a great GUI and is more powerful than windows),one doesn't need to say it out loud especially if it detracts against the efforts of others.if Red hat no longer wants to be involved in the open source movement,they should just close down shop and stop making damaging remarks like that.meanwhile in Africa,we'll be continuing with our efforts to get Linux into primary schools regardless of what the red hat CEO said!!

Ritu "manager-mktg" is misssing the point here,especially from some one in a marketing field.u just don't go around recommending a competitor's product.u might as well give up your efforts on the product u r working on and join the competitor!!

Food for thought, it just MIGHT be that the world is mainly populated with people who hardly understands how to turn the pc off, and on. However, yet they have made it through a install, and starting to use Microsofts OS and compatible software... This while using a Linux based OS simply is harder.. you have to get more media exposiure, so people know it exists, and what it is.. not only "linux, that software hackers use". You need to make it more available... so far i've had a whole bunch of friends not knowing what and where to get, to try it out even as its free... Heck, they dident even know free versions existed!
Lastly, Microsoft realised its not about how good a software is, its about how good it looks, and amount of minimum skill to start using it... if it barely works, has virtualy no more skillrequierment than actually knowing what you want to do, and it looks good, then its successfull. Linux works great, forget about "barely works" correcly configured its great... but thats just it, the average user dosent know "correcly configured, he knows "insert cd, press ok4 times, enter cdkey, press ok 2 more times, happy happy joy, the card games works again."

Linux has a slight problem with the amount of preeneeded knowledge, you have to know to much about most softwares, to be able to do what you want, vs Microsoft, point click, and see what you did... And finaly, looks.. sure, there are skins available to make Linux look "neat" but lets face it, most users are used to a XP lookin theme... redicules themes that is. Well, when they get a console window, they get a blind stare going... if they are lucky, they get a Xwin enviroment, not that it currently looks any special, and if they actualy made it this far, they are not likely to go looking for skins... Its nothing but sad, AND Linux comunities generaly are working on thase main issues. but for now it remains a less home user orientated software.

Great site http://test1.com <a href=http://test2.com>test2</a> [url=http://test3.com]test3[/url]

i would not return to the page with the topic you read before,butiwill probably return to the topic i posted a comment to. More comments means more visits and it keeps the blog dynamic. After all blogs are not for authors only

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-4.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-4.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

I am delighted that you have chosen to respond at last to one of the people posting comments on your blog. While the subject of the sex/slave trade is indeed horrendous, I am sure I am not alone in wishing that you would engage and debate with those of us posing hard and difficult questions about the impending EU Constitutioncrisis that is likely to result from a rejection by French and Dutch voters. Surely this is a paramount subject for you - Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication - to be addressing. It wont go away, you know.

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-4.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

I am delighted that you have chosen to respond at last to one of the people posting comments on your blog. While the subject of the sex/slave trade is indeed horrendous, I am sure I am not alone in wishing that you would engage and debate with those of us posing hard and difficult questions about the impending EU Constitutioncrisis that is likely to result from a rejection by French and Dutch voters. Surely this is a paramount subject for you - Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication - to be addressing. It wont go away, you know.

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-5.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-4.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-5.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-5.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

I must admit that I found this site by mistake but this is a great site!!! I wish more people will invest their time to build sites like this one. Thank you

I must admit that I found this site by mistake but this is a great site!!! I wish more people will invest their time to build sites like this one. Thank you

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-4.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

Comments are great. They make blogs more dynamic, diverse and more interesting. Blogs with comments tend to be more popular. Comments are a great place for sharing ideas, providing opinion and link recommendations and references<a href=http://phentermine-4.ihavenourl.com/>phentermine</a>

Today was a complete loss. Ive just been hanging out not getting anything done. Nothing seems important. I cant be bothered with anything these days.

Ive just been letting everything wash over me recently. Pretty much nothing seems worth bothering with. I cant be bothered with anything recently, but I guess it doesnt bother me. I havent gotten anything done for a while. Ive just been staying at home waiting for something to happen. Not that it matters.

iam a win xp user ,I donot like it to meny problems .I would like to use a beter os but finding one is very hard .I was thinking of linux but reading some of the coments on this site ,I don't think i will bother with it .but if any one has a good working os i would love to know.

Today was a total loss, but what can I say? I guess it doesnt bother me. I feel like a bunch of nothing, but its not important. Pfft. Ive just been letting everything wash over me these days, but thats how it is.

Great site, nice design! what it is all about?

Id split time between the Roberts Nomination and the current investigation into the Plame Case with equal time. Wag the Dog claims have to be coming down the pike, and the serious allegations about potentioally treasonous behavior by the Presidents (and VPs) closest aide are troubling. Dont let it bump that story out.

I am delighted that you have chosen to respond at last to one of the people posting comments on your blog. While the subject of the sex/slave trade is indeed horrendous, I am sure I am not alone in wishing that you would engage and debate with those of us posing hard and difficult questions about the impending EU Constitutioncrisis that is likely to result from a rejection by French and Dutch voters. Surely this is a paramount subject for you - Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication - to be addressing. It wont go away, you know.<a href=http://tadalafil.scanthenet.com>tadalafil</a>
<a href=http://tadalafil-.ql.st/ > tadalafil</a>
<a href=http://tadalafil35.lookscool.com/>tadalafil</a>

I must admit that I found this site by mistake but this is a great site!!! I wish more people will invest their time to build sites like this one. Thank you

Hi
was serfing net and found your site...Thanks! it is really great! i have bookmarked it! will return often!

Pretty much nothing seems important, but maybe tomorrow. Not much on my mind these days. I havent gotten anything done recently. My mind is like a complete blank. What can I say? Ive just been letting everything pass me by recently.

Not much on my mind worth mentioning. So it goes. Today was a complete loss. I just dont have anything to say recently. My mind is like an empty room. Ive just been letting everything pass me by lately.

Not much on my mind worth mentioning. So it goes. Today was a complete loss. I just dont have anything to say recently. My mind is like an empty room. Ive just been letting everything pass me by lately.

Great site, Nice work! Keep Going On!<a href=http://sildenafil-citrate.perso.tc/>sildenafil citrate</a>

Wow! This is good. At last there was someone from Linux World itself admitted that Linux is not ready for desktop for home and consumer market.

Reading most of the posts, all of them seems either geeks, MS/Gates bashers, techies, academics or people who have not used Windows or Apple Desktops.

The reality at present whether Linux World like it or not is that the best Desktop for Consumer market experience is available for Windows & Apple. Both Gates and Jobs have really understood what consumer folks wants.

So admit the reality and Hats Off to Red Hat CEO! He might work on the right path to work towards making red hat desktop equal to Apple/MS as he hasnt shown any blind faith.

Finally, all above dosent mean that Linux want be great on desktop, it can even beat MS/Apple in future. But by the time they catch up where would MS/Apple would stand with visionary CEO's Gates & Jobs leading would be the million dollar question!