There are solutions to almost everything but it takes much more understanding and knowledge in computers to overcome some of the challenges that a linux user can and does encounter while every one can use the XP even with minimum knowledge

FYI if you want to check the level of compatibility of a device with a Linux distribution, you can use hardware4linux.info.

Fred

[quote comment="8992"]I think I did – I linked to my experiments with Hoary Hedgehog which is 5.04. [/quote]

Ah, my bad, I thought Hoary was later than that.

Still, when a linux install doesn’t work, it’s time to start some indepth troubleshooting to try and figure out how to do things for this hardware, which usually requires a higher base level of knowledge. When a windows install doesn’t work, you generally just go to the manufacturer’s website and download the stuff to make it work. Each way has it’s pros and cons.

[quote post="2429"]Here’s a funny one for ya tho if ya haven’t saw it, WinUtuxU. An illegal copy of win xp hacked up to look like buntu with a bunch of open source software installed. I must be a bit twisted cause i think it is hilarious.[/quote]

WTF? Why on earth would someone even do something like this. I mean, I thing it would be much easier just to install Ubuntu with the windows based Wubi installer and use it like that.

[quote post="2429"]Another jibe is the “can’t play DVDs out of the box”. People who say this do not even know that XP cannot play DVDs either, a copy of Power DVD or other must be installed to enable Windows Media to play DVDs. This ignorance is created by preinstalled Operating Systems where some one has already fixed it all up.[/quote]

Excellent point! One of my coworkers learned this the hard way when he purchased a CD/DVD burner for his laptop. He plugged it in and it was working fine up until he wanted to watch a movie. Most Windows users however never learn this lesson.

[quote post="2429"]Hell, XP has just reached end of life – you’re comparing a very-soon-to-be-obsoleted OS against current ones. Perhaps compare XPSP2 against Ubuntu 5.04?[/quote]

I think I did – I linked to my experiments with Hoary Hedgehog which is 5.04. I was using middle-of-the-road hardware at that point (not new, but not obsolete) and XP failed to detect half of the hardware which Kubuntu had no problems with.

[quote post="2429"]Also, don’t forget that once hardware is supported in Linux, it stays supported, I assume until such a time as the hardware is just so ancient that nobody needs it anymore.[/quote]

Yep, very true. This actually happened to me once before. I was trying to “resurrect” a very old, utterly obsolete desktop Compaq and I got stuck. Because of round of acquisitions, and no interest in the platform the web page with drivers, and support manuals for this system was simply lost in cyberspace. The URL’s printed in the user manual pointed to 404 pages or redirected into void. It took me a lot of effort to actually track down the right windows drivers and I still didn’t get everything working.

Also, don’t forget that once hardware is supported in Linux, it stays supported, I assume until such a time as the hardware is just so ancient that nobody needs it anymore. And even then, the last version of the driver source will be available for any ancient hardware lovers to mess around with if they want to.

In contrast, every new Windows version obsoletes tons of hardware (at least that which has no support in Linux).

the problem is not the requirement to install something, but more IF IT’S AVAILABLE. Most hardware comes with a windows driver package, but not with Linux drivers. Most probably you have luck and recent kernels support it, but just have a look at the mess with graphics cards: the manufacturers don’t release documentation, or insist on ridiculous NDAs, and then you end up with a product you can use to only 20% of its power.

< (damn html fails), but this kind of comparison isn’t particularly fair.

The best install I’ve seen to date was a SuSE install (I think it was SuSE) about 5 years ago. My mate installed it on a second box for me from a totally clean hard drive. After it had been up 45 minutes he asked me how many reboots it took to get to a working state… and the answer was ‘none’. From starting it up to finishing configuring it, the system hadn’t been rebooted.

Bah. XPSP2 was released in 2004. Compare it to one of the linices from then if you want an accurate comparison. There’s been a hell of a lot of change in the PC hardware environment in the last 4 years. Hell, XP has just reached end of life – you’re comparing a very-soon-to-be-obsoleted OS against current ones. Perhaps compare XPSP2 against Ubuntu 5.04?

Don’t get me wrong, linux installs are much more flexible >if you know what you’re doing

Well, currently I am on windows until ATI releases an update.

I am in the middle of a big project or I would try your suggestion luke. Typically with my linux install i don’t care about breaking shit… but right now its important that i don’t.

The average punter does not install operating systems, they buy a computer with everything installed. XP and SATA is a classic example, you have to add a floppy drive to load the drivers to install the system, whereas Linux has the SATA support build in to the kernel. Motherboard manufacturers added an IDE emulation mode to their SATA chips to get around this problem. How many computers are running XP in this reduced performance mode just because it was “too hard” to do it the proper way.

Another jibe is the “can’t play DVDs out of the box”. People who say this do not even know that XP cannot play DVDs either, a copy of Power DVD or other must be installed to enable Windows Media to play DVDs. This ignorance is created by preinstalled Operating Systems where some one has already fixed it all up.

As an aside my daughter has an M-Audio MK-149 midi keyboard that came with Windows 98 software and a Yamaha sound card. It struggled with XP, but sort of worked – Vista, forget it. I paired it with a Sound Blaster Live and Ubuntustudio, and with minimal configuration (switching midi from timidity to hardware) in Rosegarden and Jack it now plays perfectly and has access to all the latest linux music software.

Linux is easier to install and configure, but there will always be new hardware that will take time to have drivers created, I just avoid buying anything until i know it works.