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Wasn't this about govenment machines?
I'm confused why a private user with "non-government" hardware would worry about linux driver support on a dictated work machine? Do you work for the Chinese or French Sciences?

1) If governments use it, driver support will follow for contracted hardware. (perhaps the powercat did not see STMicro on the list... go look what they make...hmm..) Does powercat have any idea how big the community is? The Linux community has written drivers without manufacture support and even shell code around Microsoft driver interfaces like NDIS. When you discount Linux, you discount the community. Some of us like things we can play with...(oh yeah and support when the vendor won't oe goes out of business) obviously that includes the French and Chinese government's SCIENCE people. We're not talking people who don't like to understand stuff.

Now to non-SCIENCE people....

2) Part of the point of installing Linux desktops in government offices/call centers/other places with 1000s of employees is to reduce the risk of someone walking up with this new multi-gig MP3 player, hooking it up and downloading database records to it. (bad example I know... Linux supports USB devices really well, but you could knock out USB support easier than you can on XP in the enterprise.. certain things aren't even GPOable in the Windows world)If you can't do anything but your job at work.. that's cool. Yahoo messenger... we really see the French and Chinese governments using that a lot for government communications and science specs.

Beyond that... give Linux time. It's growing faster than you can imagine. It may never be simple enough for everyone, but it hasn't targeted everyone (YET!). Linux monopoly! It's coming, its real, and you can't lock us all up!

Keep your Apple, those guys just give GNOME something to shoot for. (or overcome.. depending on how zealous you are feeling today)
Posted by: john.gruber@...   Posted on: 10/13/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Who's Monti?(NT)  voska | 10/12/04
Perhaps this is where NAMBLA comes in...  B.O.F.H. | 10/12/04
only serious competitive threat against Microsoft's 90-plus percent hold  B.O.F.H. | 10/12/04
BOFH, that's because you are trying to reason with No_Ax . . .  Plain Logic | 10/12/04
Personal insults from my tail coat rider again.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/13/04
Man, argue your point. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen  DonnieBoy | 10/13/04
You, Billy, and Stevie should have a good laugh.  DonnieBoy | 10/12/04
Linux don't support latest hardware!!  powercat | 10/12/04
Yes, kind of a chicken and egg problem.  DonnieBoy | 10/12/04
Before more get confused...  doe_z | 10/12/04
Correction: Latest hardware does not support Linux!!  HagerR15 | 10/13/04
Wasn't this about govenment machines?  john.gruber@... | 10/13/04
That would be because  Linux User 147560 | 10/13/04
Beyond the usual Linux versus MS merde  quietLee | 10/13/04
Yep  rapson | 10/13/04
..hee...  john.gruber@... | 10/13/04
Microsoft = patriotism?  Judas I. | 10/13/04
Good God! What a bunch of babble.  shawkins | 10/14/04
Interesting Development  TrustMe_z | 10/13/04
France - North Korea agreement next  ejhonda | 10/13/04
You and your navel  TrustMe_z | 10/13/04
Didn't do your research, huh?  ejhonda | 10/13/04
Knew that  TrustMe_z | 10/13/04
Foreign reasons  Spoon Jabber | 10/13/04
Schlumberger?  rapson | 10/13/04
Good answer  Spoon Jabber | 10/14/04
so...  TrustMe_z | 10/13/04
France just needs to peel the "Made In France" labels  FilledOut | 10/13/04
Somebody tell me if I have this right:  Judas I. | 10/13/04
Nope - you don't have it  ejhonda | 10/13/04
Ah! I get it, so I can ignore the posts by ...  Judas I. | 10/13/04
In my case, sarcasm  rapson | 10/13/04
Good! Whew! Okay, thanks, rapson...  Judas I. | 10/13/04

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