Interesting to note about Altairs...

From: Derek Peschel <dpeschel_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Mon Mar 8 16:58:32 1999

Arfon wrote:
> Micro$oft and Windblows. Now that I put that disclaimer out, Linux doesn't
> have a chance against Micro$oft. The vast majority of computer users (now
> and in the future) are idiots who don't care to learn anything other that
> 'click on this little picture to make it go'. Linux will do some damage in
> the server market and other places where you have to have someone with some
> computer smarts but, most corporate purse strings are again controlled by
> those same 'click-idiots'.
>
> I really wish GNU would take a good command line OS (like CP/M), make it
> 32/64 bit, and multi-tasking/user and add a GUI and try and compete with
> Winblows.

This is barely on topic, but it was too tempting to reply and not just hit
'd'. You have a good point, but it only leads to two objections in my mind:

1) The 'idiotification' process is already happening with Linux; there are
various projects out there (like KDE and GNOME and various other window
managers and package managers) that are attempting to make Linux look better
and present a "point-and-click" appearance. I mention package managers
because click-idiots certainly don't want to deal with the compiler.

2) Your second paragraph describes a process which is already happening with
Linux. What did you have in mind that is different? A different starting
OS? (CP/M, some free version of MS-DOS) An OS that's more intelligent
about hardware? I'm not being rude -- your ideas are probably good but you
need to spell them out.

Then there's the matter of software. If your new OS is going to have
commercially-written software, that provides an arena for the evil forces
you described. (We might be able to avoid them, but the potential for them
is certainly there.) If you're going to stick to free software, well,
that's mainly written by idealistic geeky people who like to mess around in
the source. :) So that conflicts with the design decision of writing for
idiots.

To keep this on topic -- What do you think will happen to the values of
classic computers?

-- Derek
Received on Mon Mar 08 1999 - 16:58:32 GMT