Pointer: blog post, "RANT: Is the Linux dream a myth?"

[blnchflr]

I came across this blog post in the openSUSE forums: RANT: Is the Linux dream a myth?

I've met a few characters that are living the Linux dream or at least claiming to. But here's the rub... is there anyone who's exclusively using it? I don't mean "I've got Linux installed on my USB stick" or "I dual boot". Is there anyone who is actually using Linux as there sole operating system. Booting into everyday to check their email, write their documents, develop their code, surf the web and yes.. play their games. I fear there is not.

Having used Linux exclusively for almost a year, and knowing people who've been Linux-exclusive for longer than that, not to mention MAC USERS, the author seems naive or sheltered. Which surprises me, as he's a coder - apparently I'm prejudiced about coders :o)

Comments

[blnchflr]

Mac users aren't Linux users
I know. I'm saying exclusively-Linux users aren't using Windows at all, and presumably so aren't most Mac users.

It seems a lot easier to be an exclusive Mac user than an exclusive Linux user.
Outside games, which I assume are more likely to be Mac-friendly than Linux-friendly (though I still assume there aren't anywhere near as many Mac-friendly games as there are Windows-only games? I'm not a gamer, so I admittedly know very little about this), I don't think that's true anymore. I can do everything I need to in Linux, including netbanking. And I can do nifty things with middle-click, which Mac users can't, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm better off :oD

[holyschist]

There are vastly more Windows games than Mac games (and with big company games, the Mac version is often incredibly buggy compared to the Windows ones), but if you're not hooked on, say, shooting games, there are a TON of "casual" games out there for Mac now.

[kareila]

My husband runs X11 on his Mac, which gives him middle-click stuff. :)

When I look for computer games for my son, about half are PC only and half are Mac/PC.

[baggyeyes]

I must the odd one out. When I want to play games, I boot up Linux. Tux Racer, Shisen Sho, KPoker, and Maelstrom. I tried the Maelstrom for Mac OSX but it was lousy.

[blnchflr]

I love SuperTuxKart, myself, but it runs crappily on my computer - I assume it's my graphics card :o(

I go through phases of playing Frozen Bubble a lot, too.

[dragonwolf]

You must not have played with the new Magic Mouse. They said screw the confines of buttons (save the usual, whole-mouse-is-a-button) in general and went with multi-touch with it. It's actually really cool.

[blnchflr]

I really haven't - the last time I was on a Mac with a mouse was probably 10 years ago!

[dragonwolf]

Oh, so you mean the little round mice that came with the iMac Blueberries? ;) (Those were awesome, in their own right, in my opinion, simply because they were so different from typical mice.)

But yeah, the new Magic Mouse is really cool. The basic software that currently comes with a Mac only enables it to do basic things, such as right click and one- and two-finger swiping (one for scrolling, in all directions; two for forward and back navigation). The right click is a little awkward because it doesn't always pick up that you're clicking with the right finger (it's based off touching with both, then lifting the left up and clicking with the other), but the scrolling, especially is really cool, particularly when image editing. Then, there's third-party software that allows it to do all sorts of stuff. A coworker of mine had the software and he had it opening files with particular touches and such. It's like having a second keyboard solely for shortcuts, for those that are into that.

It's also blue-tooth and has pretty damn good battery life (that batteries that came with it lasted two and a half months).

[blnchflr]

Oh, so you mean the little round mice that came with the iMac Blueberries? ;)
If this thing, yes! I can't remember the Mac mice they had at my uni - but since then, I've only been on my friend's Mac laptop, and she doesn't use a mouse at all, *hyperventilates*.

A coworker of mine had the software and he had it opening files with particular touches and such. It's like having a second keyboard solely for shortcuts, for those that are into that.
Oooh, that is cool!

[dragonwolf]

Yep, that's the one. :D

Mac people are weird like that, I noticed. They could practically give up the mouse altogether and wouldn't miss it.

Magic Mouse info, in case you're curious.

[dreamatdrew]

(all late, I know)
Ya know, If I were good enough to hack a second/third button into one of those, I'd much rather actually use it. It was actually easier on my hands...

[dragonwolf]

The Magic Mouse does have the ability to have a second button, but it's software base and, last I used it, a tad finicky. The cool thing about the Magic Mouse, though, is that it can be programed to have a vast number of software powered buttons (with the use of a third party app).

[dreamatdrew]

... I was referring to the puck mouse, actually...

[dragonwolf]

Ah, it was hard telling, since the main topic was the Magic Mouse. Unfortunately, it was deemed a flop by the tech industry, so I don't think the design was ever duplicated.

[dreamatdrew]

Meh, was understandable mistake.
And yeah, that mouse got a lot of flack, industry and elsewhere. They even made little snap-on covers to make it the same general shape as a 'regualar' mouse. Still, there are days I get the urge to hack one together, but upgraded to optical and with an extra button & scrollamagig. *shrug* Me and my crazy ideas....