DesktopOS.com interviews Kevin Carmony, President, Lindows.com, Inc.

DesktopOS.com ^ | Jan 22 2004 | Tim Mullins

[blackfarm]

At the end of the Interview the Lindows President gives a coupon code for a free copy of Lindows.

Q. What do you consider do be your biggest challenge?

Educating people about the Linux choice for their desktop/laptop. Getting people to try something new takes a lot of work, time and energy. The only hope Microsoft has, is that the monopoly they have had extends to the minds of the consumer. If we can get people to be open minded enough to give Linux a try, we know many will never go back.

I didn't know what Linux was a couple of years ago when Michael Robertson asked me to be part of his vision for desktop Linux. I now run it full time and would never go back, even if I didn't work here. That's the sort of educational change we need to take to the masses.

[PFKEY]

If we can get people to be open minded enough to give Linux a try

I tried several years ago when Linux distro's became all the rage for the average geek. Being in IT the average geek here is a bit more knowledgable than the average home geek but what I found is that unless you were real interested in compiling a kernel or being a superior geek because you used a tough OS as oposed to some wimpy OS that was made just for web surfing and word processing there is/was no attraction to trying let alone switching.

It was more attune to being downlevel.

[wattsup]

As a 50 Year Old IT illiterate I am not fully aware of what Linux is or how it is used. Please give me a Readers Digest version so I can make a more informed decision.

[blackfarm]

That was then and this is now try the free offer and you'll see that Lindows is for none geeks. It even has a porn blocker so your kids can surf the net.

[blackfarm]

Its an operating system that for the most part is for geeks except Lindows which is a nice cheap upgrade for windows. Checkout www.lindows.com

[BigSkyFreeper]

I'm pretty geeky myself, but I've heard Linux has a pretty steep learning curve. This I think, keeps people from bailing on Microsoft. Microsoft literally has the market on the "ease of use", as opposed to Linux where you have to do the work of configuring everything from the ground up.

[BigSkyFreeper]

If your happy with Windows like my folks are, both of them roughly your age and computer illiterate to the point they only know how to turn the machine on, go online, check their mail and surf the web. I wouldn't bother switching. :)

[PFKEY]

Probably very true but what is the incentive? That is the part Linux seems to miss.

Price might be a good one, but when most PC still come loaded with Windows and that is what you have used and have no real complaints then switching doesn't seem as attractive.

Less vunerable to virus attacks might also be a good one but I've never been infected so that incentive is not strong enough.

Any other incentives you can think of?

[SaveTheChief]

"If we can get people to be open minded enough to give Linux a try..."

I am open-minded enough. I want an OS that is stable, efficient, and not full of security-holes. I know that Linux would be the choice to meet those wants. But I also want an OS that will work with the latest games, iTunes software, and other proprietary software that is included with products like digital cameras, mp3 players, and PDAs. Linux cannot do this.

Linux will always be in an uphill battle against Microsoft for the home market until the entire software industry decides to embrace Linux.

[blackfarm]

Lindows is moreeasy to use than Windows i think and has cool programs to Use Like bibletime.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Lindows is moreeasy to use than Windows i think and has cool programs to Use Like bibletime.

I'm not entirely sold based on the "more easy to use than Windows". Lindows is basically Linux that looks, feels, and runs like Windows, and runs MS software. The problem with Lindows and Linux is, if you happen to go out and buy a new device, say a video card, you couldn't get it to run on Linux because there are no drivers. There are alot of devices that will simply not work or be recognized by Linux or Lindows.

[N3WBI3]

You should look at fedora (red hat) Linux distros have come really far over the past three years..

[Orangedog]

Any other incentives you can think of?

The big incentive, IMO, is coming down the road. Microsoft is working toward making Windows a subscription service. The major ground work for that was started in ernest with XP and it's product activation. The next version of Windows they release could, if they go to the subscription business model, possibly have the ability to shut you out of your own computer if you don't buy a new license from them when your current one expires. Granted, there are hacks around XP's activation scheme, but Joe 6 pack probably won't go that far. MS has been pushing their corporate customers to the subscription model. There are still a lot of Office 97 out there and little reason to upgrade to Office XP since the improvements are not all that great. If people don't upgrade, it cuts into the revenue base of the company. But that's just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

[DMCA]

What video cards are you talking about?

[blackfarm]

You should have read the review. Lindows does not run MS software nor does it look, feel, and runs like Windows". It does have porn blocking to protect your kids on the net and spam blocking and virus scan to protect your computer and seems to be attracting a much more conservative user base than traditional linux.

[N3WBI3]

Availability of tools, check out sourceforge.net. Linux is part of a larger opensouce community (including to some degree Mac OSX, and BSD)..

[Orangedog]

I know that Linux would be the choice to meet those wants. But I also want an OS that will work with the latest games, iTunes software, and other proprietary software that is included with products like digital cameras, mp3 players, and PDAs. Linux cannot do this.

From my understanding of Lindows, it is supposed to address the compatibility issue. Lindows is Linux with something called WINE in the Linux world. WINE (as I understand it) is supposed to be a full implementation of the Windows API. In short, and I know I'm not doing WINE justice here, it lets you run Windows programs on Linux. Haven't heard much about how well it does that though.

[PFKEY]

making Windows a subscription service.

That just might do it.

Another one I was thinking of is 'Trusted Computing'.

I stopped with Windows Media Player 8 because 9 incorporated some of this check MP3 for ? whatever they check for.

I don't play MP3 at all but this did seem to be a step too far.

[blackfarm]

"Lindows is Linux with something called WINE'

Well you need to read the interview. they ditched that a long time ago.

[Orangedog]

Thanks for the info. Like a good FReeper, I didn't read the review ;)