Maybe the "microsoft owns the good stuff" refers to codecs. Lots of distros don't ship with complete multimedia capability because of copyright issues, and I do believe that microsoft does own some of that.

Even your first point is wrong. What made the PC affordable by the general public is IBMs still remarkable decision to open source the IBM/PC hardware design, which basically allowed the cheap mass production of the hardware. Microsoft simply took advantage of the situation with a lot of rather dubious business practices.

for me its 75% windows because software avilibility 25% linux when windows pisses me off

return FALSE;
every distro i have tried had atleast basic multimedia capabilities

return LEARN TO READ:

My statement was "without COMPLETE multimedia capabilities".

I have noticed that you have an attitude. You'd better get over that.

If there's one thing I've learned of how to convince people something is true is to beat it to death (even if it isn't true). The media is really good at this ... oh there are so many things I could name ... heck I might even pay people $100 to tell me one wholly true statement told by any mass media ...

School is really really good at this ... they beat the Nazis, and Holocost and Hitler into everyone's heads, I don't think there's a single class I've ever taken that have not mention one of these three things at some point, even if the class had nothing to do with this. And now it's the terrorcissts ... every freaking class.

Yeah, their system of indoctrination is quite admirable, such scale, such efficiency, I can't help but applaud their achievement ... I would, if it weren't all for a most sinister purpose.

Not so fast AK
This thread could be very useful for people running low on toilet paper
( depending on the quality of paper in their printer of course... )


floppy

jiml8

True in some sense but very misleading. Just because many distros do not automatically come with codecs to copyright formats doesnt mean you cant use them. Most of the time you simply double click the media and it will download and install the codecs automatically. Linux is actually very compatible in this department compared to Windows. Windows also needs so many 3rd party apps or plugins to play various formats too, and usually require multiple players, while just about all of Linux players will play anything you throw at it. MPlayer works with anything I throw at it, so does VLC or Xine. Using Windows Media player I find I am very restricted and usually just download a open source video player to make up for its lack of compatibility.

And for your information, people sometimes get a bit jumpy when someone attempts to say misleading things about something they like.

-Jessica-

I do not want to do so.
Because I have a linux box too.
But it seems not to be so difficult to install APT-GET in MAC .
I did follow the discussion on the UBUNTU side
If you have done so a lot of Linux software can be installed on a MAC
To do so I do not need Apple approval.

Nothing misleading about anything I said. Most distros ship without most codecs; that is the reality.

In fact, when I first installed Kubuntu (it has been a couple of years now) I had to get mplayer out of the repos because it wasn't installed, and most codecs were not installed, and most multimedia just didn't work.

It was more than a simple point and click operation to download what I needed; first I had to figure out how the Ubuntu repository worked, then where mplayer and codecs were, then I had to command the install from the command line.

Not a big effort, certainly. But one I had to make. Because the codecs for most multimedia (including, IIRC, mp3) were not provided as part of the basic distro.

What I said was factually accurate and not in the least misleading. To anyone who can read accurately, that is.

Ah so now we go to insults. I didn't question your intelligence, just the fact that what you stated is misleading. Perhaps if you did read what I said I stated that you were correct in the fact that many distros do not come with codecs automatically from the basic install, but what is misleading about it is the fact that you make it sound so difficult. You're experiences with Kubuntu must have been quite a few years ago because in a few clicks you can play any file you wish. I have yet to see a format that MPlayer was unable to play, or VLC for that matter. No commandline support or any confusing process. I'm not claiming it was always this simple, but before you attack something, please be up to date with the current processes. That was what seemed misleading about your post. Now please refrain from insults long enough to have an adult conversation please?

-Jessica-

Really, mplayer will play pretty much anything by default, without external codecs. With some formats such as real media, external proprietary codecs are needed ... but these as still rare. Even using 64-bit, it's very rare that mplayer cannot play a video file, and when this happens the video is usually not worth watching anyway.

huh.
i have had very few classes in relation that talked about nazis.
are you talking about history classes or math/ science classes.

Really??? We'll come back to this in a minute, and we'll also talk about "reading in" - and what effect that has on "reading accurately". Then we'll see if I issued an "insult".

Really????

What I said was:

Perhaps you would care to enlighten me on where that statement - at any point - implies anything at all about difficulty.

What I said later was:

And, again, I invite you to tell me how that - in any sense - offers any comment whatsoever on difficulty.

The plain fact is that there is no statement at all about difficulty, merely that most codecs are not provided with the distros. That is a fact. Period. What is involved to obtain those codecs was not commented on, at all. Period.

So your statement of "misleading" is quite obviously shown to be unsupported by the facts. Thus you were reading-in.

Thus, you were not reading accurately.

Thus my statement that what I wrote was both factual and not misleading to anyone who can read accurately is both factual and completely supported.

Q.E.D.

And since it was completely supported, it most certainly is not an insult, but again merely an observation of a self-evident fact - and a fact that was imputing an incorrect and inaccurate interpretation to what I did in fact write.

Sure. Once you grow up, stop reading-in, read accurately, respond accurately, and stop insisting on construing an interpretation from another's writing that manifestly is not there.

In fact, the insult here is from you to me, by your insistence on an interpretation of what I wrote that is clearly not there, and cannot rationally or realistically be implied in any sense from what I did write. I do find that kind of thing to be offensive, and I also interpret it as substantial evidence of immaturity on your part in that you apparently cannot admit what is so obvious - that you are completely wrong, retract your statement, apologize for it, and just move on.

If you want to have any kind of a technical discussion, then you MUST be accurate. You have not been accurate. And you are insisting on your inaccuracy, in the face of positive evidence that you are wrong.

If you want to have ANY discussion with me, then NEVER read-in. I think and write very precisely. If you think you have to read-in, you are wrong. Any multiple entendres that are there are there because I meant for them to be there. I say what I mean, I mean what I say. No more and no less.

Admit you are wrong. Apologize for your insistence, and for insisting on an interpretation that is quite false and bears no objective resemblance to what I actually said - and said very clearly, I might add.

Take any other course, and I will merely assume that you are (a) not an adult and (b) not capable of having an accurate discussion. So, rather than waste any more time and bandwidth on you, I'll simply block you. I do not suffer fools gladly.

Arguing on the internet is a great use of time. Every day people see the error of their ways and change because of what strangers post on the internet. By relentlessly posting and attacking and arguing in the forums we can all make the world a better place.