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Submitted by aross on Sun, 10/18/2009 - 17:04
I wrote The reason Windows is more popular on the desktop to discuss why the popularity of Linux (meaning the distributions rather than kernel by itself) on the desktop is not all about missing features or functionality not working correctly as some portray. I am not a Linux apologist. There are definitely some areas where Linux will make some people pull their hair out. In my case, read on to find out my hot buttons.
1) Sound
It is unacceptable to have such a poor sound system today. I have experienced many cases of programs fighting over the mixer resulting in no sound, or improper sound settings. Sound is one of those basic things that needs to just work, period, full stop. Unfortunately this is not always the case. If people have to pull the latest alsa code to get their microphone or sound working, this is clearly an area with much work to be done.
Please don't misunderstand - we greatly appreciate the work of those that contribute to alsa, pulse, and other sound systems. We just need the right architecture and implementation so that it works consistently.
2) Scanners
There seems to be a dearth of options for scanning on Linux. SANE is a great project, and should be supported, but unfortunately the likelihood that you can go down to your local electronics store and buy a scanner and have it work are very low.
3) Closed source applications
Life has improved tremendously since I started using Linux in the mid-90's. It's possible to write documents with a decent office suite (and interoperate with MS Office), Firefox is an excellent browser, music and video support are pretty good, printer support is quite good, and support for digital cameras is quite good. However the chicken-and-egg issue still remains. There are just not that many commercial closed source software packages available for Linux. Thus, it is felt this is hindering adoption of Linux as a desktop. However, until more people adopt Linux as a desktop, it's just not that attractive financially to application vendors.
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I've been trying to make
I've been trying to make linux work for me but it kept my head spinning. I've been reading a lot of linux books online and hopefully I can make it work this time.Margie
I'd say just closed-source
I'd say just closed-source apps. Don't have issues with sound all that much.
Sound and ... graphics drivers!
In my experience sound has always been a bit of a pain to deal with in Linux. It has gotten better with newer distros and Fedora is making an effort to streamline it: (https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Features/VolumeControlContinued). Another sore spot is graphics drivers and gaming on Linux. nVidia's proprietary driver is actually pretty good but the ATI one is terrible. But neither lives up to the Windows driver which is a shame in my opinion.
Sound and Scanning?
It's interesting how different people's experiences can be!- I have had no problems with scanners for years -- the few that I've used have all worked out-of-the-box regardless of the brand. Multifunctions are (predictably) a bit more difficult, but even there, many name-brand devices work fine without configuration (e.g., my HP PSC1350 with Fedora).- Advanced sound (recording, digital output) can be a bit of a pain, but basic sound output has worked on every system I've installed in the last few years.