Another "Why Linux is cool" thread
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:57 pm
Linux didn't used to be so cool. I checked it out when Ubuntu was in version 7 something - didn't do what I needed.
Times have soooo changed!
So yesterday I got it into my head that I wanted to ... um .... errr .... "update" .... yeah, update my Android phone.
The first step involved running a utility that was distributed only for Windows (and don't even think WINE was an option).
So, I slid my Win7 HDD into the bay (5.25in Trayless Mobile Rack for 3.5in HD, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KS ... UTF8&psc=1), turned on the power and waited. And waited. Fully 90 seconds passed before it presented me with the login screen. After that it was another minute or two before it settled down enough to do anything. Then, because I needed to do some device driver stuff (connecting the phone to the computer), I next did a Windows Update - it was another 45 minutes (yes, I clocked it) before the reboot and another 5 minutes after that before I was allowed to log on. Then another 10 minutes while the disk thrashed itself half to death before things quieted down a bit.
So, for a job that ended up taking about 6 hours (clock time), I waited some 20% of that time for the machine to boot and become useful.
The bad news is/was that Windows was the ONLY choice for that job - because the version of the utility I needed was available only for windows.
The good news is - going forward, successive versions of that utility are being produced in Window, Mac, and Linux versions.
Anyway, I'm thinking it might be about time to get serious about Linux (Mint, obviously) and make a direct (i.e., donation) contribution to the project. Yeah, I think so.
Times have soooo changed!
So yesterday I got it into my head that I wanted to ... um .... errr .... "update" .... yeah, update my Android phone.
The first step involved running a utility that was distributed only for Windows (and don't even think WINE was an option).
So, I slid my Win7 HDD into the bay (5.25in Trayless Mobile Rack for 3.5in HD, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KS ... UTF8&psc=1), turned on the power and waited. And waited. Fully 90 seconds passed before it presented me with the login screen. After that it was another minute or two before it settled down enough to do anything. Then, because I needed to do some device driver stuff (connecting the phone to the computer), I next did a Windows Update - it was another 45 minutes (yes, I clocked it) before the reboot and another 5 minutes after that before I was allowed to log on. Then another 10 minutes while the disk thrashed itself half to death before things quieted down a bit.
So, for a job that ended up taking about 6 hours (clock time), I waited some 20% of that time for the machine to boot and become useful.
The bad news is/was that Windows was the ONLY choice for that job - because the version of the utility I needed was available only for windows.
The good news is - going forward, successive versions of that utility are being produced in Window, Mac, and Linux versions.
Anyway, I'm thinking it might be about time to get serious about Linux (Mint, obviously) and make a direct (i.e., donation) contribution to the project. Yeah, I think so.