Ubuntu vs. Apple [WAS: Re: Novel and Microsoft]

[Joshua Zeidner]

On 11/14/06, der.hans <PLUGd at lufthans.com> wrote:
>
> Am 14. Nov, 2006 schwätzte Darrin Chandler so:
>
> > On Mon, Nov 13, 2006 at 10:16:52PM -0700, der.hans wrote:
>
> >> To some extent they use OSen other than GNU/Linux or *BSD due to job
> >> requirements, but some also just prefer to use them for one reason or
> >> another.
> >
> > One should always use the best tool for the job at hand. If you're not,
> > then you're not doing your job properly. Free software is increasingly
> > the best tool, but it's nowhere near 100% yet.
>
> Proprietary software is not near 100% the correct tool either :).
>
> >> I think promoting Free Software due to the freedoms is how Free
> Software
> >> will succeed. I also think the restrictiveness of proprietary software
> is
> >> how it will fail.
> >
> > The philosophical ideals often turn out to have meaning in the real
> > world. The OpenBSD 3.9 theme was "Stop Blob!" and was scoffed at and
> > downplayed to a large degree by other open source projects/users. Then
> > came the Wifi driver exploits, and the nvidia driver exploits. Windows,
> > OSX, Linux, FreeBSD issued patches. OpenBSD didn't need to, due to
> > sticking to their guns. Freedom matters, and it matters in everyday life
> > on our laptops and desktops. From a practical stance, open is better.
>
> I would note that at least some of us GNU/Linux users avoid proprietary
> blobs.
>
> >> Trying to make it a duel about "we're better" or "we're spiffier" or
> >> "we're $whatever" or "they suck" is the wrong way to go. True or not,
> it
> >> just turns into a fight.
> >>
> >> Does this mean I disagree with Shuttleworth's recent call to make
> >> GNU/Linux prettier? No, of course not.
> >>
> >> In fact, he's hitting on what Free Software developers have been
> working
> >> on for years, continue making Free Software the best around and keep
> >> working on the areas that need help. Mark just pointed out that, in his
> >> opinion, the attractiveness of Free Software is something he thinks
> needs
> >> help.
> >
> > He's right. Most free software is not as spiffy looking as commercial
> > software (Ubuntu included), and it seems to matter to people. Especially
> > to non-techy users who make up the vast majority.
>
> We're working on it :).
>
> I saw that Ubuntu has a list of graphics people working on pretty pictures
> for Ubuntu. Next time I'm asked if I know a graphics person I'm going to
> point at that list.
>
> For years I've been looking for someone who would do good graphics using
> Free Software. I've even tried to get a few people to adopt Free Software,
> but I don't understand making graphics or the tools near well enough to do
> a good job of that :(.



  There is a rather funny story about a desktop image that came with an
Ubuntu release that featured nudity.  I guess thats what you get when you
combine Open Source and Art!

  "Ubuntu has an optional package called ubuntu-calendar, which downloads a
new desktop wallpaper
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_wallpaper>matching the brown
colour theme each month. In the past, these wallpapers
featured partially nude people and were criticized as risqué. This led to
the coining of nicknames such as "Linuxxx"."

  -jmz
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