Ubuntu on Tablet PC

[The PIT]

True but then Linux would bring down the wrong drivers and only if the kernel knows about the device.

No problems with winblow upgrades you just have to know what you're doing.

Ever tried upgrading Suse 10.2 to 10.3. Just won't do it. Says it does but just end up with 10.2.

My favourite one was with Debain. I want to update cups just cups nothing else. Ended up with a complete upgrade which luckily didn't break the Kiosk I was working on.

Linux is still to much hard work but is a good toy to play around with now and then.

[Nowhere]

True but then Windows would let you install wrong drivers.

No problem with Linux upgrades you just have to know what you're doing.

Ever tried upgrading Vista to XP. Just won't do it.

My two favourite ones were with HP printers. One old one (but perfectly good) and Vista - nope, no drivers, no go. And a new one, which wouldn't work without installing bloatware.

Windows is still too much hard work to keep clean but it is a good toy to play around with games now and then.

[Nowhere]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/Evillaugh.ogg

[TransformX]

True but then Linux would bring down the wrong drivers and only if the kernel knows about the device.

No problems with winblow upgrades you just have to know what you're doing.

Ever tried upgrading Suse 10.2 to 10.3. Just won't do it. Says it does but just end up with 10.2.

My favourite one was with Debain. I want to update cups just cups nothing else. Ended up with a complete upgrade which luckily didn't break the Kiosk I was working on.

Linux is still to much hard work but is a good toy to play around with now and then.

I'm currently playing the Ubuntu game. Ubunto 7.10 to 8.04, no hassle.
Ubuntu 7.10/8.04 install on a new computer with relatively new hardware (basic Intel board): flawless.
Ubuntu 7.10/8.04 install on a 5 year old computer with all kinds of hardware: flawless.
Graphic card upgrade from Ati to Nvidia and back with Ubuntu 7.10: flawless.

And no, I didn't have to go through uninstall graphic driver, set to generic VGA etc kind of voodoo.

[Haig]

Same here as TX. Upgraded laptop & desktop from 7.10 to 8.04 without problems using both ati & nVidia.

Also using the tiny default util ioslave for syncing my ipod rather than that 30M thing apple makes you use :-)

Tiny default bluetooth util & cell phone app also works great as opposed to a 40m download motorola makes you use:-)

[The PIT]

True but then Windows would let you install wrong drivers.

No problem with Linux upgrades you just have to know what you're doing.

Ever tried upgrading Vista to XP. Just won't do it.

My two favourite ones were with HP printers. One old one (but perfectly good) and Vista - nope, no drivers, no go. And a new one, which wouldn't work without installing bloatware.

Windows is still too much hard work to keep clean but it is a good toy to play around with games now and then.

LOl you don't upgrade Vista to XP. No wonder you struggled.

Never had any problems with printers and never had any problems keeping windows clean. Here's the simple hint. That .exe you clicked on to load the porn. It's a virus.

Want to put your XP distro onto new hardware. No problem. Linux whoah hold on loads of work to do.

Linux is simple to keep clean because no one bothers writing viri for it. Why because it's got such a small penetration. Don't bother bringing up extra security security is as only good as the end user.

[Nowhere]

Many people would disagree about Vista/XP upgrade thing

Well, great for you/me/us...but if you're saying things like "isn't ready for the desktop" I see typical user, who doesn't know how to do anything other than run some random installer and click next->next->next...

Oh please, how many people want to downgrade (ups...I mean "upgrade" ) from Vista to XP but can't easily because manufacturer of their laptop doesn't provide drivers/etc.? How bad were some HP drivers without which printer wouldn't work? Nevermind that sometimes you need to feed XP drivers for SATA controller even to start installation process, after which you have to treat it with full collection of latest drivers from many webpages. Linux typically has everything included, unless manufacturer makes things harder...

And I didn't even mention viri...I was thinking more about crapware. Crapware that comes with many new PCs; and also how easy it is for users to miss good software and install tons of crapware themselves. And so they end up with c2d/X2 machines that have perhaps more raw power, but in comparison my old AthlonXP 1700+/768 MB/80GB hdd with 2MB cache simply flies (well...as long as raw power isn't the thing that's required)

For average user that typically does only www/IM/mail/music/movies Linux is perfectly ready...yes, they won't be able to install/setup it properly. But the same deal is with Windows, you have to do setup for them in both cases...
BTW, mother of my friend actually prefers Ubuntu now...because games there are better (yeah, solitaire/etc. )

[The PIT]

Oh Please talk some sense.

Crapware is provided by manufactures of the computers not Microsoft or Redhat or Suse. Crapware is nothing to do with the OS.

You mentioned keeping machines clean. That's not crapware. That's poor web browsing and clicking on everything that says click me.

Come on provide better arguments than you have so far.

[TransformX]

If not for DirectX games (Call of Duty 4, which I play on my wife's computer), I see no reason whatsoever to use windows anymore. My home PC is Ubuntu for over 6 months now and if I need anything from the windows disk, I just mount it (double click) and take whatever.

[The PIT]

Well I game a lot so Linux is out of the question for that.
Also got a Suse 10.3 at home Vista Yuk but due to crappy ATI drivers that's the only OS that runs TW 2008.
Gave up using ATI cards on Linux distros as the support was woeful and the drivers not fit for the purpose. If you're lucky you got them to install and work fully. 1 in 10 chance of success. I must have read every definite wiki and ATI driver install web page on the planet. Slapped Nvidea card in it work straight away. Dunno what the later drivers are like but rage3d linux forums are now dead so I guess so I guess 99% of users don't use cats any more.
At work I maintain six Debian based Kiosks which is great fun. Plenty of command line stuff to keep those going at times. The nice thing about these apart from when CUPs stopped printing last year they just work. They print to an IP address. The cups failure was odd and must have been caused by some change in the network so I'm not blaming the OS. The updated version works fine and overall they haven't had one failure or crash.
The downside is you have think back a lot when you need to do an upgrade.
I'm also involved in a summer school which is Linux based. The computers these were based on were bleeding edge so Linux should install without a problem. Ubuntu wouldn't work with the graphics card and I wasn't going to mess around and compile my own since Intel didn't provide any. That left Fedora and Suse.
Fedora either locked up or wouldn't install. Latest Fedora was better however two of the desired packages wouldn't even think about running on Fedora. That left Suse which at least installed and we could force the reluctant packages to install and work.

[Haig]

Gave up using ATI cards on Linux distros as the support was woeful and the drivers not fit for the purpose.

That's true with Suse as Suse will not give you any ati driver with 3D support for some models.. Which is why I switched to Kubuntu where they give you officially supported & unsupported drivers with full 3d.

[UtwigMU]

Did anyone have poor flash performance with Ati cards and proprietary drivers?
With OSS drivers flash works but gaming is slower with proprietary Enemy Territorry worked fine on my Mobile FireGL T2 (R9600).

Still like OpenSUSE on desktop, I support 3 OpenSUSE 10.3 boxes in some cyber cafe, messengers, Skype, webcams work, people like them very much and use them every time I come there.

[Haig]

Did anyone have poor flash performance with Ati cards and proprietary drivers?

In full screen or with version 115 yes. I had to turn hardware acceleration off in the flash player.

Others got rid of the problem by using older versions from here:

https://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash

[The PIT]

That's true with Suse as Suse will not give you any ati driver with 3D support for some models.. Which is why I switched to Kubuntu where they give you officially supported & unsupported drivers with full 3d.

Not just Suse the forums used to be full of tales of woe from any distro. Looks like most have given up on ATI and moved over to Nvidea.

Anyway it looks like Linux will be a given another chance as it seems Microsoft have changed tack with Windows 7 and are sticking with the bloat.

Just need the killer app and better support (Not presuming everyone is fully experienced would help) and off you go.