Comments on: Day 4 – 10 Days of Ubuntu 10.10 Feature Requests

By: anon

anon — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:57:46 +0000

I am sorry if my previous post seems harsh but I am frustrated.I truly hate Windows.

By: anon

anon — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:55:05 +0000

I tried Ubuntu 9.10. I went back to Windows. It was just to difficult to use my gadgets and games.I spent a solid month trying to get my printer(Lexmark 5000 all in one) and my digital camera working. And forget about playing Big Fish Games on it.Until they get serious about providing real usability to the standard user they will be nothing more than amusement for bored computer geeks.

By: Tanner

Tanner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:01:13 +0000

I absolutely agree. Well said!

By: Tanner

Tanner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:13:31 +0000

I’ll just refer you to my reply to Jua (above).

Having Wine installed by default is not about trying to be Windows. It’s about making Ubuntu a more viable OS for people who have stacks of Windows CDs with no native Linux replacement. Expecting them to chuck those without a second thought is not reasonable.

Wine is an essential part of migrating people from Windows, like it or not. (And believe me – I don’t like it. I wish there were a better option.)

By: Tanner

Tanner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:10:01 +0000

Great ideas, sorpigal. You’re absolutely right – minimal Wine/DOSBox integration *would* be simple. Thanks for the comment.

By: Tanner

Tanner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:59:42 +0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cddb Unfortunately, CDDB only works for audio CDs. Data CDs could use another checksum method, but then you run into the problem of how to handle different versions of a CD (for example, WoW CDs that could contain any number of patches and thus have different checksums). That said, I do think that there are lots of options for reliably identifying CDs from other OSes. Additional ideas are welcome!

By: Tanner

Tanner — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:53:06 +0000

Sorry Jua, but I think you’re missing the point. Wine integration is not about helping Linux be “a better Windows.” It’s about accepting the sad truth that Linux simply doesn’t have a replacement for EVERY piece of Windows software.

Think games. What does Wine autoplaying World of Warcraft have to do with making Windows apps run better than Linux apps? Until every piece of Windows software is ported to Linux (never gonna happen), Linux developers have to accept the sad reality that typical users cannot afford to give up all their Windows software. If desktop Linux providers continue to have the attitude that “you’re either all Linux or all Windows,” they are going to lose.

I wish things were different, but they just aren’t. (And no amount of wishing can change that.)

By: wearetherock

wearetherock — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:34:00 +0000

+10

“IBM did that with OS/2 and made “A Windows better than Windows”. It never helped OS/2. It won’t help Linux. Who would want to run (or develop) Linux apps if Windows apps run better?”

By: Apopas

Apopas — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:46:34 +0000

While aknweldge the necessity of native games and while I never bu windows software even if plays well with wine, we should think about people who already have bought windows software since they are coming from windows. We can’t show them the finger. Instead, if they are able to play easily their games via emulation, they will easier stay with Linux and the next titles they get will be native ports.

By: Travis Watkins

Travis Watkins — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:38:55 +0000

We’ll never have WINE installed by default but, as you’ve seen with that spec, there are plans to make it integrate with the system better when you do install it.

We won’t have it installed by default because we aren’t Windows and we aren’t trying to be.