Ubuntu 12.04 vs. Windows 8: Five points of comparison

ZDNet ^ | 7 May 2012 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[adorno]

Look, you can use all the statistics you want, and they’re still not relevant.

The world’s population is not a relevant statistic to use. 7 billion is not the number to look at, because, most of them don’t use computers or have the facility or know-how to use them. Perhaps you should change that number to something more reasonable, like perhaps 2 or 3 billion who have access and perhaps the ability to own and use a computer.

Then, we are talking about Linux desktop/laptop OS, not the mobile Android. Which then brings the population that is exposed to Linux to a much lesser number; perhaps 1 to 1 1/2 billion people.

Then, we’re talking about a percentage which is around 1% of the “PC” market for the number of people who actually have Linux on their computers. That brings down the number of people who might use Linux to a very tiny percentage of the number of PC users. On top of all that, the number of people who might have the Ubuntu distro is a small percentage of the 1% who do use Linux. And from that, the Unity UI is a fraction of the Ubuntu users. So, we’re down to a tiny percentage of the Linux users, and down to a microscopic percentage of PC users, and an sub-microscopic percentage of the number of people who do have computers, and beyond that, we have an imperceptible percentage of the number you like to quote, that being 7 billion people.

Like I said, it’s okay to want to defend your bias for a product or a company. That’s known as fanboyism in the industry. ZDNet is known for blowing things out of proportion, and “popular”, as they used it in the article, is very far from being the truth. And so are your comments and especially, your numbers.

BTW, I have Linux on two of my computers, and Unity is on one them. But, I’m also very practical and I’m not going to exaggerate or inflate the numbers. While I have Linux and understand it well enough to use it for most of what a PC is intended for, especially application development (which is what I do), I rarely use it. And, it’s the same with a lot of people who have downloaded and installed Linux, but use it very rarely. Having something available does not equate to usage. So, there again, Linux desktop is even less popular. Linux is the equivalent of exercise equipment which people purchase, and then it gets put in the closet permanently, for lack of usage.

And, stop using the 7 billion number. It’s quite irrelevant, and makes you sound desperate in trying to make a point.

[Lee N. Field]

HA! I was just about to post the same. Was also thinking about DESQview.

I do remember and did use DESQview. Hot stuff in it's time, and the thing to have if you were BBS-ing. Full premptive multitasking of MS-DOS apps, on a 386 with a couple megabytes (or less) of RAM. And it handled serial port communication well, which Win 3.1 did not.

I also remember seing DESQview-X (an X server for a DOS environment) demo-ed, at Merisel's Softeach (computer reseller tradeshow, now (alas) defunct).

I guess that makes me an old farte.

[ADemocratNoMore]

> The huge RAM requirement is for audio samples in a Virtual Pipe Organ application

Would that be Hauptwerks? I knew nothing about them before I read your post & did some Googling. Downloaded the free trial and it is AWESOME!

As far as anything audio on modern Windows, good luck.
I couldn't even record audio from my vst’s, I had to go out and buy an Asus Xonar just to do that. You might be able to run the M-Audio software in xp compatibility mode, but...?

The problems with modern Windows and audio are such that I'm tempted to just give in and get a Mac/ Its almost at the point that one buys the hardware to get to play with the software.

At a guess, based on your Freeper name, you've got the Theater Organ emulator? Had a chance to hear one live a few years back, wow.

[Wurlitzer]

Thanks for the reply! Yes Hauptwerks is the main program I use and it is absolutely awesome. I have a real Wurlitzer Theater organ in my home and the console can play pipes, VTPO or both. The latest offering by Paramount and their 4 manual 50 rank VTPO for Hauptwerks is beyond awesome. Very close to the real thing and always in tune.

While I am not a Windows basher, it is fine for Office type applications, MACs pay a lot more attention to audio IMO.

I, unfortunately, have a program I wrote in VB6 which, handles a bunch of communication between the PC and the micro-controller (8 cpu cores for real multitasking) for my organ console which, can control 1000+ real pipes or the Virtual Theater Pipe Organ programs. The VB program also displays my entire library of sheet music 2 pages up at a time.

The MAC option may be the best but it will involve at bare minimum, converting the VB6 program I wrote to RealBasic.

As I wrote the VB and the micros assembly programs I should be able to handle such a conversion albeit at a cost significantly higher than Windows. However, given how much I have invested already the cost differential is minimal.