too many choices (distros)

[Darrin Chandler]

Very good points, but...

I can usually make a snap judgement about whether I'd like to walk or 
take a car. The pros and cons are obvious, because I understand what's 
involved in each.

The big difference to me is that there's no easy way to compare Linux 
distros, apart from installing each one, playing with it, noting what I 
like and don't like, then doing it all over again for dozens of distro. 
Okay, that takes *WAY* too much time.

What I'd like is a some resource where I could see which distros 
specialize in what, what their philosophy is, which other distro they're 
derived from, etc., etc. Then if I were building a server box I could 
make a shortlist to try out. Same for a desktop surfing box.

When I started with Linux (mid/late 90's) there were just a handful of 
distros and it wasn't hard to tell them apart. I blinked and now there 
are a gazillion.

Alan Dayley wrote:

>If I make take a tangent on this thread and focus on the "too many
>choices" point...
>
>First off, I understand the "too many" point of view.  I also recognize
>that it is a view that will not go away anytime soon.  I also accept that
>it is not a view that is "wrong" or stupid, it just is.  I do find it
>facinating when compared to other things.  For example:
>
>"There are sooooo many types of housing to choose from.  Apartments,
>condos, townhouses, big, small, downtown, suburban.  And that is not even
>touch on architecture, features, paint color and everything else!  It's
>hard to figure out!"
>
>Or
>
>"There are soooo many different modes of transportation to choose from. 
>Walking, bicycle, electric, gas, diesel, small, big, truck, sedan, Chevy,
>Ford, etc.!  How do I choose!"
>
>Or
>
>"There are soooo many different kinds of food to eat...."
>"There are soooo many different kinds of shoes...."
>"There are soooo many different kinds of shrubbery...."
>
>The above examples sound silly to me because few people sit around
>complaining about the diversity of choices for those things.  My point is
>that, to me, choices that have to do with computers are among the few
>(only?) areas of our life where more choice is bad.  Or at least more
>choice is more often categorized as bad.
>
>Maybe it's because computers are still fairly new with only about two
>decades in the general public.  Maybe it's because Microsoft has been so
>successful dominating things that people equate their products with what a
>computer is.  Maybe it's just complex enough that it scares people.  Maybe
>it's because computers become so key in our lives, holding all that
>personal information, etc. that the choice is more intimate to our psyche.
>
>Whatever it is, I look forward to the day when people accept choice in
>their computer operating environment as a matter of course, just as
>picking between a mediterranean style or early american style couch is
>just a matter of personal taste.
>
>Alan
>
>  
>


-- 
Darrin Chandler
dwchandler at stilyagin.com
http://www.stilyagin.com/