Re: Third-Party Vendors

Thus quoth Adam Ophir Shapira on Fri, Aug 22, 2003 at 01:44:34PM -0400:
> If you ask me, Linux in it's own right is far superior to
> any other OS in it's own right. No, I don't claim it's

Please tell uw why you would think so. (yes, I know it works
vastly better than Windows 3.1)

> The real weakness Linux has to other operating systems is
> not something in it's own self: but rather the stubborn
> lack of support from third-party vendors.

This is simply not true: Linux works with a vast array 
of hardware and there is a lot of software available for it.
Windows '98 and XP are about the only OSes (among many 
thousands of alternatives) which are even better supported
than Linux. (did you try ChorusOS or Amoeba?)

> For example, if you buy a new device (like a printer, a
> scanner, or even a sound-card) chances are the device will
> come with a CD-ROM, and on that CD-ROM will be the Windows
> driver for the device and maybe a MacOS driver. It's very
> unlikely, and as far as I know unheard-of, to find a
> Linux driver on this CD-ROM.

It is rare, but it happens. In a couple of years, Linux may
get equal support from hardware vendors.

> Now, some of you might say that you only have to wait
> till stage -b- to use a device: but since the device
> driver is written by someone on his/her spare time
> (instead of by the company that manufactured and is
> supposed to support the device) there can be kinks in
> the installation process: and the trouble-shooting
> involved might be more than the poor end-user can
> handle, forcing the end-user to wait until the
> distributor takes care of that: thus re-affirming
> the requirement of waiting for stages -c- and -d-.

Windows has it's share of bad drivers written by the vendors.

> I, for example, don't think I can find *any* scanner
> on the shelves at stores that will work with Linux.

Sane works really well with a fairly long list of scanners.

> Take for instance Photoshop, PaintShop pro, and all
> those others. Well, they *say* that Linux has GIMP
> which eliminates the need for these. But in truth,

I never got my boss to buy me a copy of Photoshop,
so I used the Gimp.

> And then there's some ISPs who's tech-support people
> won't even *talk* to you if you're using Linux.

Same thing if you're using Windows 3.1 or NT or Mac. At
leat many of them have heard of Linux.

Kind regards,


Daniel von Asmuth


-- 
	wat heb je nodig bij een uitzichtloos leven? euthanasie?
	nee, windows.
	van microsoft?
	nee, van glas.