atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Computers & Programming Computers, Software, Accessories DELL OWNERS

hi all,

just a little heads up on something i feel is worthwhile for all of us that either own dells, have owned dells or are interested in buying a dell.

i recently made the jump from using mswindows to using primarily linux ubuntu and i have to say that im happy with the choice.

now, i admit that linux is not quite as 'user friendly' as mswindows, but i have come to a conclusion about things considered 'user friendly'. so far it looks to me like user friendly encourages a certain level of ignorance, that in turn breeds insecurity.

a brief analogy might help my point.

most of us are aware of the inherent risks in sexual promiscuity. at the very least youre going to have a few headaches and at worst you could walk away with a really nasty case of the whoknowswhats. on the other hand those that are informed know that there are safeguards and preventitive measures to ensure our relative safety in an unsure unpredictable world.

i would say that the same rule applies in any arena in which health is an issue, and as many of us have had to learn, the health of our personal computing habits is directly reflected in the proper functioning of our computers.

that being said, i find that linux has encouraged a level of learning that was not previously required under mswindows. as an average user i was continually frustrated by a lack of understanding in regards to the workings of my PC and though i was lulled by the user friendly ease of computing, my experience wound up being essentially unfulfilling...

"Why are you telling us all this?", you might ask.

well im telling you because id like to see consumers ie. you, me and our friends and families, become more aware of the inherent risks of bad computing habits. this may not seem like an issue to many, but in a world where so much of our lives relies on good mass communication methods in the forms of banking, shopping, entertainment and so on, id like to see communications related companies offer their consumers more freedom and encourage active involvement in the learning process of the growing e-trends, and YOU can help.

now, before i get the soapbox ripped from underneathe my feet...

DELL has implemented something they call "IDEA STORM", and now theyre caught in it. Theres an overwhelming push for more and new operating systems to be offered on dells and its giving their executives and their cohorts at Microsoft fits.

If you would also like DELL and other companies to offer their consumers more computing freedom, check out this link to their 'ideastorm' website
https://www.ideastorm.com/popular

What kind of learning? While I am not against Linux, I fail to see any inherent benefits of switching to it. As far as I know, and I could be wrong here, most of the software I use won't run on Linux. Yes, I am aware of certain free versions of software available, like open office, but it won't do everything I need office to do, especially Outlook. Also, can Linux run Adobe applications? or can it run the numerous switch interface programs that most of us use? Will it recognise my external drives, flash drives, and digital cameras? Like I said, I am not opposed, I just don't see any benefit for a user like myself. I can't see Dell offering anything but Windows due to a support issue, but I could be wrong.

Well, I admit that Im new to the unix type operating systems so what their limitations at the higher end of applications are is unclear to me, however i do know that that it is a powerful operating system and yes it can run any task that you need it to for id say a likely 98% of the things you would ever want to do with an mswindows box.

Linux has become incredibly user friendly in comparison to its history as i understand it. However i feel that it has maintained enough of its original integrity to create a learning curve that facilitates/encourages more computing finesse without sacrificing the inherent simplicity in the programs themselves and the power and security offered along with them.

Now days you can go to the Ubuntu Linux website, click on a download for the operating system https://www.ubuntu.com , desktop version or server, and once the thing is done downloading, there you have it and the fun (and admittedly some headaches)begins. I cant underemphasize the genius and massive efforts that have gone into creating and maintaining these linux distrobutions, and you can reap the rewards of them FOR FREE! Granted time is money and you want something to work without too much hassle, but the massive push toward open source operating systems has eliminated most of the difficulties that an average user would face. Most if not all of the problems and concerns that you mention such as hardware and software compatability issues are now a thing of the past given that the smart folks that work on supporting linux have looked into and resolved questions such as

1. What hardware does the typical computer contain?
2. Who manufactures it?
3. What software is required to drive the hardware under the parameters of 'our' operating system?
4. What application needs to people have or want?
5. How can we meet those needs with our own software?

Its amazing but i have to say that the linux community has done fabulously well in a short time at asking the right questions and solving them in an effective and accessible manner.

As much as microsoft would love to maintain its strangle hold on the computing world, they just cant suffocate everyone when so many people compute and linux even now offers programs that will run inside of mswindows or vice versa allowing mswindows to run in linux. ITS REALLY COOL!

Now dont get me wrong, i like Bill Gates and i think hes a smart guy. Look where he is and thats pretty obvious, and he didnt get there solely by crookery and deception. I feel, like most powerful people his creation has been subjugated by the underlings that inevitably take over the work of a predominant mind. Mswindows is a great operating system and i would never deny that. As a newcomer to the IT world I do feel however, alienated from the company and unable to break into a barrier theyve created where everything is "closed source".

With linux, particularly Ubuntu, i feel less like its "their operating system and i buy it from them and rely on them for support" and much more like "this is an operating system that I am free to become as much a part of as I choose" If i have a good idea and can generate the code to back it up then by god my idea will manifest itself and if its a good one it will wind up on the computers running linux around the world. Heres a great article for further discussion of this topic.
https://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-07-13-microsoft-linux-munich_x.htm


I guess thats a large part of the attraction to Linux for me. Its much more of "us" and a lot less of "them".

Okay guys my feet are tired, anyone else want the soapbox?

oh sorry zman i didnt see that part of your concern revolved around windows specific software like the kind that runs the various key systems of the phone world.

i yield to the point that currently companies like DELL and Toshiba are inline with microsoft and allow them to dominate their communication technology. In fact that was the point of the original post. Its up to consumers to put the demands in the lap of the providers.

I have the same problem you are referring to in the form of Toshiba's voicemail programs. I cannot currently run my stratagy programming software within the linux os. Pisses me off but no i cant use linux. However were I a savvy linux writer, rest assured id be creating my own drivers and applications for Toshiba to peruse and perhaps utilize, but again it is the onus of the consumer to make demands of this kind.

Now that i think about it though theres no reason i couldnt just run WINE, the "mswindows within linux" and then attempt to run my toshiba software from there!

thanks zman, i think ill try that.

ok enough,
later guys.