I think it’s fantastic to see businesses using Linux as a desktop OS for non tech staff. I’ve always wanted to work somewhere like that, I spent a lot of my time in Morocco advocating Linux and installing it in educational & small business contexts. Of course, most people had pirated versions of Windows anyway so there was no economic argument, just a kind of philosophical one. I believe in Open Source not as a way to avoid paying money, but as a way to avoid everyone ending up reliant on a closed system. Linux allows for much freer innovation & experimentation, but the barrier to entry has always been high. That’s why I think Ubuntu is such a positive thing. Cool that it’s working out for your staff who use IT as an everyday tool. It shows that computers, for most people, are just there to get things done. Ubuntu (and other recent Linux desktop distributions) is way easier to get the hang of than say Windows 3.1 or even 95/98.

-Simon

Great to see you back. It’s true that for a long time, Macs had a real corner of the market in image & video processing. PCs took a while to catch up. I think for that kind of applications you can get optimised Linux versions, since I know that 3D rendering is big in the Linux space. I doubt they use a desktop OS like Ubuntu though. As for the typing in one place, and suddenly losing the cursor somewhere else… I’ve seen that a couple of times, but on Windows too (with the same browser i.e. Internet Explorer).

I think you’re right, Linux is dominant as a server OS, but Ubuntu as a desktop (version 8, no less) is starting (finally) to make sense.

-Simon

Most impressively, we often put complete neophytes on these machines and they seem to figure their way around it in seconds. Ubuntu is not just for techies.

I’ve always been a Mac guy, ever since I started to use computers in everyday life and work. Recently, my Mac stopped working and I now use my laptop with Windows XP at home, where I do most of my work. I do work part time for a video imaging service and I use a laptop with the same version of Ubuntu Linux you have. I do have some minor issues with it, though. For example, when online and accessing e-mail accounts, the type function stops in mid sentence, like when I am typing in my name and/or password. It just stops and goes nowhere. Or it suddenly jumps to another spot to continue typing, so the text flow is way off. Also, if I access the Internet while the video software is running, the external HD icon disappears and I have to reboot.

I’m not really complaining. My best friend, who used to own an IT company in NJ before retiring to sunny Florida, told me that Linus operating systems are primarily designed to run servers smoothly, that it is not an OS for every day use for the most part. What do you think? Personally, other than the minor quirks, I like it.

By the way, I had a very nice Thanksgiving and ate way too much.