Comments on: Ubuntu 8.04: Just a tad bit disappointing

By: George Peterson

George Peterson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:55:19 +0000

You should also try SSuite Office for a free office suite. They have a whole range of office suites that are free for download.

Their software also don’t need to run on Java or .NET, like so many open source office suites, so it makes their software very small and efficient.

You may try these links:

http://www.ssuitesoft.com/index.htm
or
http://ssuite5element.webs.com/thefifthelement.htm

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By: Michael Graaf

Michael Graaf — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:23:57 +0000

For a paper of the calibre of the M&G I would have thought that columnists would be more “with-it”.

The piece was submitted only the month before the release of the second replacement of the version being reviewed, i.e. since the reviewed version two versions have been released (8.10 & 9.04).

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By: Morne Liebenberg

Morne Liebenberg — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:52:37 +0000

If you have to go into a Linux base OS I would have to say Ubuntu sucks donkey ass. You still have to use commands even installing programs. BUT ever heard about Freespire http://wiki.freespire.org/index.php/Quick_Tour_of_Freespire
This based upon a Unix based OS aswell but much more userfriendly. It come with a CNG services. CNR is a one-click digital software delivery service for desktop Linux applications, libraries and packages.The CNR Service allows you to easily download hundreds of the most popular software programs for your Freespire computer with a graphical interface offering one-click installing, uninstalling and updating. If preferred, Freespire users may also use apt-get to freely install programs from the CNR Warehouse or other software repositories. BUT again, you will still have trouble catching wireless networks and setting up hardware configurations as allways. Thank you

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By: chukaman

chukaman — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:02:39 +0000

Um, author.. fail!!

Why are you installing an LTS version of Ubuntu and then expecting it to be full of eye candy and designed to play games with? I think you need to get your facts straight before embarrasing yourself with posts like this.

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By: David Robert Lewis

David Robert Lewis — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:51:29 +0000

Clearly Tendai Chiguware doesn’t know anything about the subject he is writing about. On the one hand he is upset because one version official version of Ubuntu doesn’t compare with an unofficial “gaming” edition. On the other hand, he raises the issue of proprietary codecs which cost money, as a problem for an operating system that is free, and which utilising the amazing Ogg-Theora format, which is open-source and packaged along with a whole host of free software.

Ubuntu is not for lazy people. It is not for your Gogo. It is for young kids everywhere who cannot afford the price of a mainstream operating system like Windows Vista or Apple Mac. Have you seen the cost of Apple Leopard? It weighed in at about R2000 the last time I checked, and Vista is not better.

Yes, Ubuntu has its problems, the chief of which is that like Linux, it runs on text and requires a basic knowledge and understanding of various commands that grew from the large Gnu-Linux and Gnu-Unix community.

However it does have the Gnome GUI and Free Desktop which is a remarkable accomplishment and probably the best example we have of a community working for mutual benefit with voluntary aid.

South Africa needs to wake-up. Ubuntu is much more than an operating system, its a way of life for millions of computer users who share Free and Open Source Software.

Chiguware is also confused about OLPC. The Sugar desktop which runs on the XO, is basically Gnu-Linux. I recommend and excellent documentary called Revolution OS which charts the development of the Free Software Foundation and its offshoot, Linux.

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By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:37:34 +0000

Mandriva 2009.1 final release will be out shortly (19 days), so give it a try. I’m using 2009.0 right now and while it too has a quirk here and there, I find it far superior for the average desktop user to Ubuntu.

I have given Ubuntu many tries, since it first came out…even distributed CDs to lots of people to try. It just always seems to have major issues that left me frustrated beyond what I felt was acceptable. I say that because I make a living providing systems support, emarketing and other related things and am always looking for a good Linux distro to provide clients that I would feel comfortable supporting and that they would find usable. That includes businesses and home users. Ubuntu for the home user just left many people who wanted to jump ship from Windows disappointed.

I have one older client (retired) who moved to PCLinuxOS and is quite happy. No surprise, as it’s based off Mandriva. I have a Ubuntu Studio 8.10 CD on my desk…Mandriva is running on my PC (along with Win XP) however.

IF and when the Linux community as a whole (not just Ubuntu) stops making add-on software installation so hard, more users will flock over from Windows. Sure, having the command-line available is great…but having to “su root”, right-click a package to make it executable, having to compile, etc…great geek fun, but who in their right mind actually wants more steps rather than less?

I’m an open source advocate, convince as many people as I can to use all sorts of free and open software…but computers are supposed to make things easier for people, and when they start making things harder than an existing level of ease already known on purpose, that’s a failure and a step backwards. I wish the Linux community would stop worrying about 3d desktops and windows the wobble and zoom out and other useless things and instead focus on getting basic hardware detection and media compatibility rock solid.

What the heck, while this isn’t Ubuntu specific…package naming sucks when you consider having to type at the command-line, and new users repeatedly complain about the “K this and K that, and G this and G that” naming conventions.

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By: Troy

Troy — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:37:34 +0000

I guess if you need to play games on a pc, yeah, linux isn’t your bag. I still prefer my Ubuntu over my XP because I can make the fonts larger. For games - got a Wii and a 360 for that. I’m still of the mindset that PC’s are computing, not games.

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By: Andrew Slaughter

Andrew Slaughter — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:50:15 +0000

There are legality issues around having the codecs for various media file formats on the ubuntu install disk. I have never had a problem downloading the relevant codecs though.

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By: Mark Rattray

Mark Rattray — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:01:45 +0000

Funny, you get far less from Windows off the CD than you do with Linux. No DVD, no Blue-Ray, FAT & NTFS file systems only, no Office, no VNC, no Flash, no Java, no Quicktime, ZIP archives only, no PDF support, no burning software, no ISO support, Paint vs GIMP, Note/Wordpad vs GEdit, no ODF support, no NFS support, no SSH, no paravirtualisation support….

Each vendor has several different ways of keeping your software up to date, and you are having to restart when you load drivers or updates.

How long does you hard drive go for when you log in… and have a look on YouTube for Compiz vs Aero, wow, all that 1GB+ on for what, glassy Window borders a switcher.

I hate trying to read through MS forums because no one actually knows deep down how things work unless they are the developer…. “have you tried to reinstall ?” ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz.

Spyware & viruses freely come easy without you asking for them.

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By: perspectoff

perspectoff — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:22:00 +0000

There is a wealth of help and tips at:

Ubuntu guide (ubuntuguide.org) at http://ubuntuguide.org

and

Kubuntu Guide (kubuntuguide.org) at http://kubuntuguide.org

I’m sure your experience would have been a lot easier and better with the help of the guides!

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