Linspire (LindowsOS) isn't Linux

Aeiri · 05-16-2004, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vectordrake
They are bloat city.

Try Gentoo. Be sure you give it enough space. A stage 3 (which ain't all binary - I compiled 1/2 of it) base install takes 1.1G (sources and stuff I guess). I hadn't thought it'd take so much room, and I filled the partition when I tried to fetch and install a GUI. Debian will treat you right. If you want a responsive system with a huge software repository at your disposal, then Mandrake 10 will not let you down either. As a Slacker, you appreciate speed, I am sure. Mandy ain't no Slack, but she's closer than before by far. uromi makes rpms tolerable.

I doubt the GUI I use will cause me to fill a partition, I use Fluxbox

As you said, I appreciate speed, KDE just got too slow for me, which is one of the major reasons I switched away from WinXP in the first place, and Gnome (to me) looks like something that came out of a 300lb person's ass. The customization of Flux is great, too.

I'm probably going to build a cheap server computer sometime soon. When that happens, I'll install Gentoo on it to try it out, then maybe Debian as well.

vectordrake · 05-16-2004, 09:05 PM

Today:

Gentoo 2004.0
Installed base system. Installed portage tree. Installed Distfiles. Got grub configured, etc. Rebooted. 1.1G of space. Had 1.5G. Tried to get "X", etc by doing

Code:

emerge -k fluxbox

Figured that'd install "X" and Flux. Then I'd get a browser. Fetched about 4 of the 8 packages that Flux required and ran out of disk space. I'm figuring that a Gentoo box with a WM, net tools (browser, IM, email client), media player will be about 2+gigs. It's gonna fly, though.

Aeiri · 05-16-2004, 09:13 PM

Quote:

1. Cost of the OS. Linux is only a fraction of the cost of MS Windows, especially when you consider MS Windows is sold with a per-computer license (Linux is licensed on a per-user basis). For example, if you had a computer at home, one at work, and a notebook for travel, you'd need three copies of MS Windows. MS Windows XP Home Edition is $200 ($300 for Professional Edition.) Since MS Windows requires a separate "activation code" for each of your computers, you've now spent $600, just for the OS. With Linux, you'll probably spend under $50! That's a savings of over $550!

Quote:

3. Cost of Applications. Here is where the savings really start to add-up. To get the basic Office Suite from Microsoft (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software), you'll spend around $500 per computer. Again, because of Microsoft's activation codes, you'll need one copy for each computer. That means you'll be spending $1,500 if you have 3 computers. You can find comparable Linux Applications for under $100 (many even at no cost!), and you can use them on all three of your computers. This would be a savings of over $1,400!

These quotes are on that "Try Out Linux " page...

With Linux you shouldn't spend over $0.00... they are referring to Linux here, not Lindows, as well.

Quote:

5. File compatibility. Linux will work with pretty much all the file types that are used by MS Windows. For example, click here to see all the different file types you can use with Linspire, the most popular version of Linux for use on desktop computers.

Linspire (Lindows) is DEFINATELY not the most popular distribution, I don't know where these people get this information. Sure it has a fan base, but I hardly think it's the most popular. That would probably go to MDK or RH, even though I hate them.

http://images.linspire.com/losshot-big.gif

They are advertising products that are 100% free. KDE, Mozilla, GAIM, and Lsongs all on the same screen, advertising them all, and Lsongs is the only application on it that they wrote. On top of that, they change the titlebar text to something different, to make it APPEAR that it's theirs: "Internet Suite" for Mozilla, and "AIM" for GAIM...

I didn't have a problem with Linspire before, but with this false advertising, I kind of do now. Especially the fact that you are paying for free software...

Aeiri · 05-16-2004, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vectordrake
Today:

Gentoo 2004.0
Installed base system. Installed portage tree. Installed Distfiles. Got grub configured, etc. Rebooted. 1.1G of space. Had 1.5G. Tried to get "X", etc by doing

Code:

emerge -k fluxbox

Figured that'd install "X" and Flux. Then I'd get a browser. Fetched about 4 of the 8 packages that Flux required and ran out of disk space. I'm figuring that a Gentoo box with a WM, net tools (browser, IM, email client), media player will be about 2+gigs. It's gonna fly, though.

I thought X was already installed, my bad. Then no, I guess it would fill up that partition

vectordrake · 05-16-2004, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aeiri
I thought X was already installed, my bad. Then no, I guess it would fill up that partition

Vector 4 has 3 wms and takes 548mb (including the copy of opera 7.5 and its unpacked directory that I just installed). All-binary vs source makes a big diff (I don't know how anyone is putting Gentoo or LFS on an old computer - they must have the biggest drive the BIOS can handle).

ealm · 05-23-2004, 06:22 AM

Quote:

They are advertising products that are 100% free. KDE, Mozilla, GAIM, and Lsongs all on the same screen, advertising them all, and Lsongs is the only application on it that they wrote. On top of that, they change the titlebar text to something different, to make it APPEAR that it's theirs: "Internet Suite" for Mozilla, and "AIM" for GAIM...

I didn't have a problem with Linspire before, but with this false advertising, I kind of do now. Especially the fact that you are paying for free software... [/B]

Where in that picture does it say Lindows has developed these apps? It doesn't...
Btw if all these software titles wasn't supposed to be distributed commercially they wouldn't be under GPL in first place. Unfortunately for you, it is not up to YOU to say how these apps source code should be used and licensed. It is in fact up to the author.
I simply don't get your problem.

vectordrake · 05-23-2004, 09:38 AM

I have a friend who switched to FreeBSD because too many people were finding it easy to install and use Linux. He didn't feel that he was an "elite" any more. I think that the ease of use scared him into thinking that he would not be "special" any more. perhaps there is something to that...

XavierP · 05-23-2004, 09:52 AM

I find that quite ..... sad. If the only reason to use a distro is because it makes you special, then I would have to suggest getting a hobby or something. He definitely needs to get out more.

lucky9 · 05-23-2004, 12:14 PM

It was one of the first distros that I tried when investigating Linux. As a "turnkey" distro it does what it does reasonably well. There are better choices. That's what it's about.

vectordrake · 05-23-2004, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by XavierP
I find that quite ..... sad. If the only reason to use a distro is because it makes you special, then I would have to suggest getting a hobby or something. He definitely needs to get out more.

It is sad! And he's not the only one who has done somethinglike that. His difference is that he doesn't post to forums...

longhornXP · 05-24-2004, 01:43 PM

Linspire uses the linux kernel, it IS linux.

Rico16135 · 05-24-2004, 03:18 PM

linux is more than just a kernel

Kilgore76 · 05-24-2004, 03:59 PM

Oh really, please explain.

Rico16135 · 05-24-2004, 04:03 PM

well i'm not saying lindows isn't linux. ( you couldn't pay me to start off that argument) I'm just saying linux is more than just a kernel. (its open source nature, the community, etc.)

Kilgore76 · 05-24-2004, 04:17 PM

Ok, in what way has Lindows not participated in the community? Not complied with Open Source? All I am asking is for you to qualify your statement.