Apple sells the operating system with a specific software for the operating system designed for it so it works perfect.

HP, IBM, Toshiba, sell their computer with a preloaded version of windows designed for the computer with the drivers already in place.

Linux comes in a CD that you need to download, burn, partition, install, and configure... There is the problem.

Linux doesn't have scripts that tells it "for this PC, the Toshiba Satellite P30, have the fglrx driver, default configs, radeon framebuffer, madwifi, hid as a module not built in, this and this..."...Should it?

I think, if linux came as an option, or prepackaged, or was on a shelf of your local coffee place, and it would just be a matter of pushing it in the CD drive, it would be more popular.

Well the LiveCD solves a lot of the problem I was talking about. Because an operating system must include different drivers for different devices, that's the main problem with haveing a preinstalled OS on a flashdrive. But you could solve it the way a LiveCD does. The problem here is that when you have it "already fixed for you" you take away a lot of choices. The OS has already been configured for you.

Anyway, the purpose with a LiveCD is not to use it as your daily OS, it is intended just to show you what your OS may look like and how it will work. After you test it with the CD you can then decide however you want to install it on the local drive or not. I like this idea and I am a fan of LiveCDs, you should test them. :)

like many things, you could choose wether it's fixed or not for you.

Or simply choose a distro that doesn't do it for you. Such as gentoo (I'm bad on the gentoo propaganda ;) )

I must admit that i am one of those who just looks for solutions here... but LQ kind of grows on you. Heartiest congratulations to all!

I wonder what the average member joining a day is?

It's somewhere around 200, I think.

Although not common, there are some places you can buy a computer with Linux preinstalled--even at Wal-Mart:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3762911

The problem is, it's not every walmart store that has a Linspire computer for sale. I can't expect to find a linux computer for sale* inside my area for example.

I am very thankful to the makers of this forum too,and my question is also the same:how many members are real? I always find impossible that some people are members of this forum and they try to convince all the others that windows are better than linux and the like.If they do not estimate linux why did they become members of a linux forum?

Your question intrigues me.

"What members are for real?" ... um, there is no bot.

If you meant, how many in them are actual linux users, that's a good question... I always thought that the people roaming this forum was either comming from BSD, *nix, or Linux.

Sorry for the slow reply. I missed your comment somehow. Anyway, the computers Wal-Mart sells with Linux are online sales only. They do not stock them in stores. Besides, I think most people do not think of Wal-Mart if they want a new computer. Let me add that I found another computer there (I am going to get a low-cost computer for my son) and this one comes preloaded with Xandros Linux.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3762907