Linux is dead... For the Second Time....

Linux is dead... For the Second Time...., originally uploaded by rj california.

Easy there geeks!! I’m one of your kinds too. Probably you may argue with me all night long about my lack of skills when using “The Console”, but you cannot argue with me the fact that all Linux Distros failed delivering a great user experience, when someone decided to commercialize it. I remember the first time I saw in stores laptops using Ubuntu Linux. That happened during the successful rise of netbooks, well in fact it wasn’t a laptop, it was a netbook. It was being targeted to regular Windows users. I was so excited about that, however I knew that was a pretty big waste of time. Why? Well, Linux is not ready (and I don’t know if someday is going to be ready) for being release to the market, full of Windows/Mac users. Reasons? I will give you some pretty big reasons of why Linux died for the second time, in the pc market…

1. Can’t view videos of Yuvutu.com

Come on, if you are going to release a new operating system (well, for the majority was new) at least put it on a decent machine. I was not able to view the porn amateur videos that random people upload every day to this site. Playback was terrible, even Youtube was terrible.

2. Lack of Software

Gimp, Kopete, Gwenview, Gaim, Skype, SpeedCrunch, Open Office, etc, are good one-time-use applications. All the apps available for Linux looks like they’re still on Alpha stage. Gimp can’t compete with Photoshop; Open Office takes way too much time to load, and still no decent messenger application. Gaim/Kopete/anyIMapp4Linux are very confusing. It is not as easy as using WLM or AIM. The create account thingy on those Linux apps are just way too complex for a regular windows user.

Let’s not even start with multimedia. It is true that Linux has XMMS, which is like Winamp, however it won’t synchronize my Zune/Ipod. I want to be able to sync my MP3s devices without having to go through endless threads on internet forums.

3. How in the world do I install an app?

Now, we will see the real breaker for Linux. The way you install new apps in Linux has been bugging me for the last couple of years. Why do I have to be connected every single time I want to install an app? Why does it take so long? What do you mean by “You need to compile this in order to work…” Why can’t I save the installer in my thumb drive so I can share it with my friends? Why do I have to use Terminal in order to use that application? Where is the nice interface? What is a command?

All those questions come from people who bought a netbook with Linux pre-installed. They are still waiting on the line for technical support by the way.

That was just the tip of the iceberg, there are a lot more of problems that Linux still has. The second real chance that Linux had for becoming a dominant operating system was lost, since the bugs are still there and no one is sitting down to make a functional and reliable Linux.

Although there is still hope, not very reliable hope but there is, or may be not.

Most Likely to be Hope:

Google Android

Ubuntu + Eyecandy


Least Likelt to be Hope:

WebOS

Any Linux Distro