Linux Desktop? Yeah right…
So I’ve been playing with Linux as a desktop option, particularly for PHP/MySQL and Java development. I’ve focused my energies on Ubuntu and Fedora Core. Played with OpenOffice…OK, this is workable. Evolution can work too. GAIM…not bad. Then I wanted to play an MP3 file, dbl-clicked on it, opened the Helix player but it said it didn’t have MP3 support (?) and I had to install an MP3 module. After about 10 mins or so looking for or figuring out how to get one, I thought “never mind, playing a music file shouldn’t be this difficult.” Try again later…
I remember trying to use Linux as a desktop several years ago. I could never get my audio card to work. I felt kind of hackerish playing around with all the configurations, but then I realized how much time I was spending on something that should “just work” and I gave up on the idea. Sounds like not much has changed. I think the Linux philosophy is so hung up on making every option available that too many decisions need to be made and the unexperience (even the technically savvy) are left befuddled by the chain of configurations required just to make the simplest things work.
Comment by Jeremy — September 30, 2005 @ 11:23 am