Comments on: Public Broadcasting, Private Agendas. http://www.loudmouthman.com/2007/06/08/public-broadcasting-private-agendas/ Social Networker and Opinioneer Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:12:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Stuart http://www.loudmouthman.com/2007/06/08/public-broadcasting-private-agendas/comment-page-1/#comment-4107 Stuart Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:14:17 +0000 http://www.loudmouthman.com/2007/06/08/public-broadcasting-private-agendas/#comment-4107 I agree with the general tenor of the BBC report. I might have written something very similar and there should be no axes here. I run my business on Linux servers. I've wanted to run my desktops on Linux too. Every year I try. Every year I go back to Windows. Different but decreasing reasons. But then came Vista and it was easier to move from XPP to Kubuntu then to the MS flagship. That's for me, a lifetime in computing and 25 years on desktop PCs. Do I think (K)Ubuntu 7.04 ready for Joe Public? Nearly, its almost there. But there is still a gap. To deny it is a threat to Ubuntu itself. The last steps can be the most difficult of all. Yes some grannies can get it working without hassle. But it is not sufficiently bullet proof and jargon free to not create disaster. Disaster is, for instance, not booting after installation or failing in the upgrade process. I saw both those on 7.04 installation upgrade and on kit without Ubuntu issues. Trivial for me to fix - but if a fresh user has to hear about Grub then you don't have a marketable product. In business I was taught to always treat a complaint as a gift. It is a free information on why the customer doesn't like your product. Listen, understand and don't shoot the messenger. I agree with the general tenor of the BBC report. I might have written something very similar and there should be no axes here.

I run my business on Linux servers. I’ve wanted to run my desktops on Linux too. Every year I try. Every year I go back to Windows. Different but decreasing reasons. But then came Vista and it was easier to move from XPP to Kubuntu then to the MS flagship.

That’s for me, a lifetime in computing and 25 years on desktop PCs. Do I think (K)Ubuntu 7.04 ready for Joe Public?

Nearly, its almost there. But there is still a gap. To deny it is a threat to Ubuntu itself. The last steps can be the most difficult of all. Yes some grannies can get it working without hassle. But it is not sufficiently bullet proof and jargon free to not create disaster. Disaster is, for instance, not booting after installation or failing in the upgrade process. I saw both those on 7.04 installation upgrade and on kit without Ubuntu issues. Trivial for me to fix – but if a fresh user has to hear about Grub then you don’t have a marketable product.

In business I was taught to always treat a complaint as a gift. It is a free information on why the customer doesn’t like your product. Listen, understand and don’t shoot the messenger.

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