[CentOS] Re: Why shouldn't I expect more of CentOS/Linux?

Mon Aug 22 14:05:44 UTC 2005
Bryan J. Smith <b.j.smith at ieee.org>

John Hinton <webmaster at ew3d.com> wrote:
> Almost 100% of computer devices have support written
> for Windows...

Insert:  "written for [specific versions of] Windows"

> again... complain to the manufacturers as they are the
> ones who need to hear "I didn't buy your product
> because it has  no available driver for a Linux OS,
> but instead bought 'other product' because support was
> available".  The bucks talk, but with the competitive 
> market in computer hardware, there is not a lot of money
> for writing drivers, so it will take a LOT of people
> complaining.

Agreed.  The problem is the marketshare.  It's a lot more
profitable for a "superstore" vendor to horde their
specifications (often using 100% host-based/CPU-driven), and
make their hardware Windows version-specific.

They are not interested in Linux because that would create
near-perpetual drivers that work for years.  The idea of the
"superstore" product is to force your buyer into upgrading
every 2 years.

That's not conspiracy theory, that's 100% taken from
Microsoft's own Tier-1 OEMs, Gold Partners and, now,
distributors.  Their buy into Best Buy was just their move to
extend this to retail.

> I actually think we Linux folks, are viewed as a bit of a
> fringe group by most of the manufacturers. :)

Actually, it's more about a "self-defeating fringe."  Most
would actually not want Linux to succeed because GPL drivers
and the "superstore profit model" are _mutally_exclusive_. 
;->

> I remember a few years ago, I think it was W2K server.. not
> sure... had a bug in it that forced a reboot at around 
> 180 days.

You're thinking of the MS-DOS 7.x "timer" that lasted only 47
days in "Chicago" Windows 95/98/Me.  It's a leagacy holdover
going back to PC-DOS 3.3 (I believe?).  Because _all_
386Enhanced mode OSes (including Windows 95/98/Me) shunt back
into Real86 mode DOS several dozen times per second, this
would cause the system to hang.



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