[ale] A use for Windows . . .

[Vernard Martin]

On Thu, 2002-10-31 at 15:22, Sean Kilpatrick wrote:

< lines deleted for brevity>
> I use Linux because I mightily distrust M$. But I will be forced to keep
> Win2k on my machine until WINE and/or CodeWeavers can make Photoshop
> and ThumbsPlus run on Linux AND UNTIL manufacturers of computer accessories
> (especially scanners) start producing Linux drivers as a matter of course.

Folks on the list will know that I am a staunch supporter of Linux and
have been from the pre 1.0 days. So they know where my loyalties are.
However, in the last few years, I have managed to temper my loyalties
with a strong dose of "pick the best tool for the job" and a light
sprinkling of "avoid getting locked in when it matters". Getting the job
done is usually the higher priority in most cases. And whether we like
it or not, the number of times that a non-programmer type gets bit in
the butt with an incompatability in Linux is higher than with Windows.
But that's reasonable since Windows is Top Dog right now. 

Avoiding Microsoft at all costs is not always the best move for every
person. Its pretty obvious that if the entire business industry tried to
move from Microsoft at the same time, it would collapse entirely. With
that in mind, why on Earth would you suggest that they do that? It would
have to be gradual at best but many folks would happily dance in the
streets if that catastrophe were to occur tomorrow. No matter how "evil"
a particular company is, its success is not due soley to its
anti-competetive nature. Their software does have merit. And I think
that one thing we often do as linux supporters is forget this. 

There is more than one way to do it. Some ways are better than others
but they are still ways.

Vernard
p.s. I've been telling folks that if they really want a great desktop
machine than ditch windows and get a Apple Macintosh. If I were to ditch
Linux then that is the next OS/Hardware platform I would choose.
-- 
   Vernard Martin (vernard at cc.gatech.edu)
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~vernard/ 
   Rules to live by: 1) Don't sweat the small stuff. 2) Its all small
stuff.

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