I am certainly not convinced we are there yet, too much of installations and drivers requires command line.

I think perhaps we will get there in maybe 3-5 years time when I actually feel I could use it day to day as my machine OS.

What are your thoughts? Reasons for your views are always good, especially specifics.

-------
Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation
http://craigk.org/pictures/
Can you work out the code?

So it may be a while yet.

-------
Turn it up and drown

anyway, its got a niche of its own, why mainstream it

i voted 'never'

Pretty sure most people would be able to handle it in 2-5 years.  Just a matter of manufacturers noticing that they are building a decent share in the market and releasing drivers.

-------
Are you in need of technical support? If so, click here.


If we are going to be damned lets be damned for what we really are.

At current it has been like that for a year and a half...

-------
Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation
http://craigk.org/pictures/
Can you work out the code?

I have heard little about any other areas where the user experience is really inferior to that on either Windows (which isn't saying much) or OSX.

As for the problems I do know about...

The problems with drivers cannot be resolved unless the hardware manufacturers are willing to provide specifications for drivers to be written. Wireless network cards are particularly problematic, although the situation is improving as more companies get a clue and help out. Broadcom are still fucking useless bastards.

nVidia is also a problem, sure, the proprietary driver works fine, but most distributions won't ship it, and it tends to break with some new versions of Xorg.

Its probably obvious that I am somewhat angry at the hardware manufacturers that are still being useless bastards. Its a pain to have to look to see if some piece of hardware will work, I would much rather be able to just buy something, plug it in, and have it work immediately, if all hardware manufacturers had a clue and allowed decent open source drivers to be written, then this would be the situation in nearly all cases.

As for the commercial software, its a problem, won't be made to work on Linux until it becomes more popular, Linux won't be more popular till it exists, not sure how that could be fixed.

Video and Audio codecs are also a problem that isn't going away until the patents on nearly all of the common ones expire or software patents no longer exist.

Linux is the only operating system installed on my laptop that isn't in a virtual machine. Granted, most of what I do on the computer is programming, browsing the internet and watching videos. I do not need things like Microsoft Office or  Photoshop. I do need to test websites in IE, but I have Windows Vista in a virtual machine for that. Other people obviously have different requirements.

I also have a gaming machine, which usually runs XP, though I do have Fedora on there for things like ripping CDs and DVDs and transcoding media.

---

Besides, if you can't use a command line you really shouldn't be using Linux since you're not taking advantage of one of the best features.

---

I disagree with this, besides, one can make similar statements for OSX and Windows too. Most people use computers knowing far less than they probably should know about them to operate them in a reasonably secure manner.

---

Quote: from Sector Corrupt at 8:00 pm on June 12, 2009

---

Besides, if you can't use a command line you really shouldn't be using Linux since you're  not taking advantage of one of the best features.

---

I disagree with this, besides, one can make similar statements for OSX and Windows too. Most people use computers knowing far less than they probably should know about them to operate them in a reasonably secure manner.

---

Admittedly, but at least with those operating systems there's not nearly the same cultural thing. Linux grew up in the strong Unix culture with Open Source ideals, and sometimes I worry than an influx of people who just want a free operating system that doesn't get viruses will dilute the whole hacker/programmer culture and ethic that is part of what I love about Linux. I'm fine if people come over to Linux and learn to be like the rest of us, but ignorant users are worse than less users in my books.  

-------
Livewire Wifey: Katie :D
Windows, For when you don't know any better.
Mac, for when you think you do.
Linux, for when you actually want to get something done.

As for separate installations, it will never be entirely user friendly because, again, most people dont understand it. Combine that with crappy drivers (which I do see improving over the next three years or so) and its hard for the average user to use. I do think it has gotten better, and most people who are computer literate can probably handle installing it, provided all of their hardware is supported.

-------
Kids in the back seat can cause accidents.
Accidents in the back seat can cause kids.
Moral: Drive a two seater

Dell is selling computers with Ubuntu on them pre-loaded.

Asus is selling their EEE series netbook computers with Xandros linux pre-installed.

HP launched a netbook with SuSE Linux on it.

WIND (I believe thats the company's name) is selling netbooks with gOS (Linux)

It's happening...

-------
MSN - mitchell@ihax.us
Hit me up on MSN if you want to chat.