• thisbenzingring@lemmy.today
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    34
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    3 hours ago

    I worked at Microsoft in the early 2000 era. before Xbox. I did the top level os consumer support stuff. not for corporate but for the general public that uses the os support channel. one day I was in a discussion group and we talked about what you think about the future kinda thing. it was supposed to be a relaxed discussion but once I brought up Linux and older hardware, I felt the temperature changed. it was later explained that I was black listed for my argument because it expressed that flaws in Windows and the potential of Linux. Years later I joked with a friend who still had an MS job, that putting the Linux subsystem in Windows was admitting I was right back then… this new Xbox coming out in competition to the steam system just makes me feel so justified. Microsoft will always be a second best because they can’t break the internal mindset that they are the top

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      2 hours ago

      Um…when it comes to desktop OS’s, they ARE the top, and always have been.

      And even if you remove windows entirely, Apple becomes number one. Not Linux.

      Last I checked, the highest Linux as a desktop usershare ever got was something pathetically small like 5%

      And the reason for this is Linux developers design their OS as if the user knows what they’re doing.

      Windows designs their OS as if the user is clueless.

      So users who know how to use their computer, use Linux. And idiots use Windows. Well it turns out the world is full of idiots.

      I tried explaining how to install a program in terminal to someone who’s never touched linux.

      “sudo apt install program”

      And her response was “ooooh, no no no no no! That’s too much for all that! Ain’t nobody got time fo’ all dat!”

      I have no idea which OS she’s using these days. Haven’t talked to her in years.

      But if I had to bet my life savings, I’d bet she’s still never touched Linux.

      I’ve said it a million times. The year of linux will come 5 years AFTER a distro is released which not only holds the users hand, but handcuffs it. Does EVERYTHING for the user, so the user never ever ever ever has to even know how to do anything. Update a driver? They don’t even know how to do it in windows! You think they’re going to try their hand at updating kernals and such in Linux?

      • xxce2AAb@feddit.dk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        13 minutes ago

        Um…when it comes to desktop OS’s, they ARE the top, and always have been.

        I think you’re talking about market share and the person you’re responding to is talking capabilities. Best is not equivalent to most popular, and seldom if ever has been.

      • FunkyCheese@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        2 hours ago

        Windows absolutely does not design their UI as if the user is clueless

        It is more userfriendly, than most linux desktop environments…

        But they got 2 settings menus, and several others hidden away. Sometimes the crashes without any explanation or obscure non userfriendly error codes

        Games are sometimes installed where you decide

        Other times its in APPDATA which for some reason is a hidden folder… why!?

        Its full of old legacy code incl legacy programs and so on. Useless bloat.

        My mother asked me about finding files on her computer yesterday. Word documents. She has been working an office , on windows for like 30 years… but now word uses the cloud.

        Anyways

        My biggest problem with linux is a lot of programs are just “installed” and who the fuck knows where

        And a lot of programs save data into some folder… who the fuck knows where

        So many hidden folders with obscure or meaningless names. What does more letters cost? Make it easier for the user… nobody knows what’s in folders named:

        Etc

        Local (all folders are local ffs)

        Lib64

        Run

        Srv

        Lib

        Opt

        Sbin

        Var

        They probably make sense for some linux kernel developers but my software utilize some of these and IMO the names should make sense for everyone, seeing as MY files are in some of them

        • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 hour ago

          Welp. Certainly can’t argue with any of that. I’ve said the same thing myself on many of your points.

      • webghost0101@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        2 hours ago

        So to summarize,

        When you look at this tiny specific section of all computer hardware, then windows is still on top.

        Okey.

        Android, Robot vacuums, smart tvs, some airconditioning and air fryers, smartfridges, doorbell cameras… they most likely all run a version of the linux kernel. Consumers own more Linux than windows devices and don’t even know it.

        And this was already true before valve quite literally started creating consumer gaming hardware with a full linux desktop experience, of which again some people have these and don’t even realise it is.

        • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 hour ago

          Let me get this straight. When you think of the “linux experience”, you think of refridgerators, air fryers, and vacumes. Your words. That’s your mental image of Linux.

          While at the same time discrediting the desktop experience as “a tiny specific section of computer hardware”.

          Now personally, I think Android SHOULD be counted as Linux. I’ve even asked why there isn’t a Linux distro that’s just Android for the PC. However, whenever I ask that question, instead of anyone answering legitimately, I get told that’s not what Linux is.

          And the sad thing is, I think that would BLOSSOM the Linux userbase on PC. The power supply on my PC died a month ago, and before I found a bandaid solution, I was using my phone in dex mode for two weeks. It was a flawed but decent experience. The type of experience that would be a lot better if it were more common. But it’s not. People just don’t use their phones as PC replacements like I did for 2 weeks.

          So me reading your reply, it’s obvious to me that everything you’re saying is a strawman arguement. What’s not obvious is if YOU realize how much of a strawmans arguement it is.

          Seriously. You used air conditioners to justify numbers of Linux marketshare. Hang on. I gotta do some photo editing. Let me go grab the dehumidifier and run GIMP on it!

          • webghost0101@sopuli.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            42 minutes ago

            When i think of the (gnu+) linux experience i think of software that can be run on almost any hardware to fit whatever purpose that hardware needs.

            Personal computers are a big part of modern life yes but statistically they are a very small portion of what is out there.

            The context of my comment is about “how the future of technology may look like from the perspective of the person you replied to when they worked at Microsoft 25y ago. You decided to make this about desktop marketshare. That is the strawmen.

            And to answer your latest strawmen. A dehumidifier is built to dehumidify, not to edit photos, just like your modem is built to arrange your acces to the internet and download gimp, not to edit photos. That modem is also running the linux kernel btw.

    • redbrick@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 hour ago

      While it’s possible Linux is a better system for games…most games (that’s are awesome…) run on windows…with very little Linux support.