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from the yes...-it's-the-year-of-the-chinese-linux-desktop dept.
China is one of the countries where Windows XP continues to be one of the leading platforms, with some stats pointing towards a 70 percent market share owned by the OS version launched by Microsoft in 2001.
From Ecns.cn:
China's Ministry of Industry and Information of Technology (MIIT) urged Windows XP users in China to switch to domestically made computer operating systems, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Saturday.
The local government has apparently found a solution to move users off Windows XP by developing its own Linux-based alternative which would not only be offered with a freeware license, but also work on low-spec PCs, such as the ones that are currently powered by XP.
Work on this new Linux-based OS has already been started, with local authorities hoping that Windows XP users would actually give it a chance and abandon their existing operating systems that are more or less open to attacks.
It remains to be seen how many people are actually prepared to give up on Windows.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Hairyfeet on Thursday May 15 2014, @04:30PM
Its not the software that is the problem, its Linus Torvalds refusing to let go of a 1970s driver model. You'd laugh if Windows went back to using .INI and VXD drivers, right? Well that would be considered high tech compared to the 1970s UNIX shit that Torvalds refuses to let go of. How many other OSes uses his model? NONE, zero zip. His model was fine when every driver for Linux could be handed out on a floppy, saying "let the kernel devs handle it" just doesn't work when you are talking over 100,000 drivers with more added weekly. Everyone touts Linux support for old hardware but if you actually try using old hardware? you'll find its half assed and badly done [osnews.com].
The Hairyfeet Challenge [soylentnews.org] has stood for over 5 years now and not a single person has stepped up, even though it takes less than 4 hours start to finish and costs nothing but your time. instead of taking up the challenge I've gotten death threats, had a cyberstalker for nearly 2 years, and the reason why they would sling hatred for so long instead of merely taking the challenge is a fact that no Linux will pass, the Linux driver model is broken. Sadly as long as Torvalds is in charge it will stay that way because he is an arrogant ass who thinks companies should have to put out new drivers forever rather than admit what worked in 1994 doesn't work in 2014. let the Chinese go to Linux, they won't have sound within a year and a half max and if their graphics are anything but Intel they won't have video for that long, oh and I hope they don't use wireless because that's right out, all thanks to the fact Torvalds will never admit he's wrong. Damned shame.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tangomargarine on Thursday May 15 2014, @07:08PM
OS X? "Certain parts from FreeBSD's and NetBSD's implementation of Unix were incorporated in NeXTSTEP, the core of Mac OS X. NeXTSTEP was the graphical, object-oriented, and UNIX-based operating system developed by Steve Jobs' company NeXT after he left Apple in 1985."
Please tell me we're not going to start arguing monolithic vs. microkernel again. That's been stalemated for ages now, and everybody has hybrid kernels anyway.
I would expect that this challenge you seem so proud of would go about the same trying to go from Vista to 7 to 8.
And just because a model has been in use a long time, doesn't mean it should automatically be thrown out. Sometimes things are actually well-designed. Not that I'm qualified to comment on whether UNIX fits that bill...what are your qualifications?
You sound like a very hateful person. I hope it's only Linux you hate this much.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday May 15 2014, @07:11PM
Have you tried LTS releases? You'd only need 2 LTS upgrades and that seems more analogous to new Windows versions, until recently anyway.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday May 15 2014, @07:24PM
Not to mention that Linux development is mostly volunteer work and provided for free (beer and speech), so comparing it head-to-head with Microsoft and Apple is rather loading the dice.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 15 2014, @07:55PM
The Hairyfeet Challenge
People who have this "problem" will go to Red Hat and pay for support.
That costs LESS than EULAs + CALs + support from M$.
If you want the same ~9 years of a supported platform *without* paying for support, there are the RedHat derivatives Scientific Linux and CentOS.
As with most Linux "problems", the solution is very simple.
-- gewg_
(Score: 2, Insightful) by arslan on Thursday May 15 2014, @10:44PM
Mate you sound bitter. I've been working in the IT industry for close to 20 years, I've never had any nor been in any organization where we "upgrade" OS. It is always a reinstall to move between OS-es, even then that is rare, the hardware typically gets tossed out after 5 years and the peons like us gets a new one with a new shiny OS.
As for non-corporate environments, apart from my techies mates, pretty much everyone non-techie that I know never upgrade an OS anyway. They either plague themselves upon friends/families (me being one of them unfortunately) to "fix" their PC or they buy a new one.
Good that you've come up with a "Challenge" that pokes a small hole in the Linux armor. Good that you've shown a side of Linus that is less than appealing, after all some of the worshiping do get disgusting, he is human after all and like everyone can be an ass. But in the words of the great Heath Ledger, "Why so serious?"
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Friday May 16 2014, @02:18AM
Because I'm tired of bullshit, anecdotes, and downright lies being sold as truth with ZERO challenges? If I said OSX runs on a P2 with 50MB of RAM and never crashes, you'd want some proof, yes? If I said Windows never gets viruses and runs 3 times as fast as long as the case is blue, you'd want some evidence, yes? then why in the fuck should we let a bunch of loonies spread bullshit that is just as fucking ridiculous without so much as a single shred of proof AT ALL, hmm?
And THAT is why I came up with the challenge, which has gotten me everything from death threats to a cyberstalker. its impossible for them to argue it isn't fair because its actually giving Linux several advantages, less than half the Windows support cycle, no strange hardware like USB capture cards, hell i don't even make them support what frankly should be considered mandatory like a USB printer or all in one. Nope just take any average bog standard desktop or laptop with wireless, hell any $50 7 year old craigslist special will do (and in fact for a perfectly fair test against Vista a system from 06-08 would be preferable), install a Linux released during Vista's release, make sure all the drivers (and wireless using WPA V2) is working then update it to current using ONLY the GUI just as any SANE NORMAL PERSON would be expected to do.
But what do we see? What is posted above you? Bullshit, insane bullshit (yes a normal user is gonna pay $100 a year for 5 years of red hat support contracts instead of a one time $100 for a ten year windows support cycle) and anecdotes. Well if they want anecdotes I've run Win 7 on a 2003 Sempron and I've never gotten viruses so Windows runs on everything and is 100% virus free...aren't anecdotes great?
So I'm tired of their bullshit, either nut up or shut up. The challenge is free, can be done by anyone, is an accurate simulation of what an average user goes through, and will take a few hours max. oh and as for why not LTS? Because Canonical itself says LTS is NOT for consumers its for businesses that require Long Term Support. So by using LTS according to the company that made it you're doing it wrong and using it in a way that isn't intended which if you are gonna do that why not say joe user should have to compile their own? Canonical has a product for home users its called mainstream and is what users coming to their site will be offered if they type Ubuntu into Google so if they don't like the fact that Canonical doesn't want mainstream users using LTS they should take it up with Canonical. And if their "great and wonderful OS" can't even pass such a basic challenge? Maybe instead of insulting me they should take it up with Torvalds.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.