British government to start using Macs: Windows too expensive, Linux insecure

[BloodShot]

Won't there be more of a reason for hackers to start attempting to Hack Mac's if a government makes it their standard machines?

[Kudistos Megistos]

MINT IS A LEGITIMATE GNU/LINUX DISTRIBUTION! 

Mint is Ubuntu with a green theme.

[Covarr]

Mint is Ubuntu with a green theme.

Mint is Ubuntu where everything works out of the box like it should.

Also, green > brown, so Ubuntu with a green theme would still be an improvement.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Also, green > brown, so Ubuntu with a green theme would still be an improvement.

I never said that wasn't an improvement. I'm not sure what the devs were thinking when they decided on Ubuntu's colour scheme; colours reminiscent of cave paintings do not convey the idea of cutting edge technology.

[yarLson]

well I've never tried Ubuntu but Ubuntu Studio has a pretty nice out of box look and feel IMO 

[Kudistos Megistos]

well I've never tried Ubuntu but Ubuntu Studio has a pretty nice out of box look and feel IMO 

Is that the "I wanna look like a cheap Mac rip-off" version?

[yarLson]

no not really, there's no dock or anything like that. Other than the different theme, it comes with Blender, Gimp and a host of other GNU media production software. If anything its more similar to windows since it has a "taskbar" with a "start" menu at the top of the screen

[sithlord48]

i hope you all know how much lulz i get from this thread.

[Kudistos Megistos]

i hope you all know how much lulz i get from this thread.

I imagine it's equal to the amount of lulz I get when I hear "year of the Linux desktop".

[sithlord48]

I imagine it's equal to the amount of lulz I get when I hear "year of the Linux desktop".

something like that..

[yarLson]

round of lulz for everyone on kudistos 

[Cupcake]

I would just like to point out one place where a *NIX system has a huge advantage

I need to type the location of my music on Windows: "C:\Documents And Settings\Cupcake\Local Data\My Music"

*NIX: "/home/Cupcake/Music" or "/users/Matt/Music" for OS X

Which one looks easier, and less cumbersome to type to you?

[Covarr]

I would just like to point out one place where a *NIX system has a huge advantage

I need to type the location of my music on Windows: "C:\Documents And Settings\Cupcake\Local Data\My Music"

*NIX: "/home/Cupcake/Music" or "/users/Matt/Music" for OS X

Which one looks easier, and less cumbersome to type to you?

Windows made some improvements in this regard (7 for sure, Vista might have also done this).
Now it's

"C:\Users\Covarr\My Music"

[Cupcake]

Windows made some improvements in this regard (7 for sure, Vista might have also done this).
Now it's

"C:\Users\Covarr\My Music"

Even so, Windows 7 now uses a library system (or at least they call these folders libraries) that I don't care for, and I find Windows Explorer to overcomplicate finding my files, as they more or less have different types of folders, rather than folders and files, get what I mean?  While it may work for some, I'm a firm believer that it is not the best way to go about your business, and much prefer the *NIX way of doing things.

[Kudistos Megistos]

Windows made some improvements in this regard (7 for sure, Vista might have also done this).
Now it's

"C:\Users\Covarr\My Music"

Akshully, on Windows 7 (XP is an archaic OS from 10 years ago and I'm not sure why people are talking about it) you can just type the name of the library into the explorer navigation bar and it will go there. Type "Music" and you'll go to wherever your music library is. And the libraries can be moved to wherever you want. Mine is in D:\Music. Nice and simple.

Of course, a more gooey-oriented person just presses the Win key and clicks "music".

[Jari]

I would just like to point out one place where a *NIX system has a huge advantage

I need to type the location of my music on Windows: "C:\Documents And Settings\Cupcake\Local Data\My Music"

*NIX: "/home/Cupcake/Music" or "/users/Matt/Music" for OS X

Which one looks easier, and less cumbersome to type to you?

You could just lrn2use Windoze and create symbolic links, making your music available for example at \music.

*shrugs*

[Cupcake]

You could just lrn2use Windoze and create symbolic links, making your music available for example at \music.

*shrugs*

...Or use a decent OS that has no need for different types of folders and links, and has a decently laid out file system.  Open Source is also another pro to *NIX Operating Systems, imo

[Jari]

Since when has Windoze had different types of folders, or has had a need for them?

As for needing links... you do realize that symbolic (and hard) links are originally a feature of *NIX - which you seem to so dearly love - and are heavily used in such systems?

[Mako]

...Or use a decent OS that has no need for different types of folders and links, and has a decently laid out file system.  Open Source is also another pro to *NIX Operating Systems, imo

So my (main) OS sucks cause it doesn't have different types of folders?! I gotta admit this is one feature I hope never makes it into windows as it sucks! One thing is clear though, the British government is cheap! Windows FTW!

*Runs away*

[yarLson]

Windows FTW!

I'm sorry but... no 

[Kudistos Megistos]

I'm sorry but... no 

For general office use, yes. You do realise that the needs of the government are very different from your needs, right?

MS Office is still the best office suite out there and Windows has a lower total cost of ownership than Linux. Just try teaching thousands of employees to use Linux when they've only just got used to Windows. And try getting some decent support for Linux when you need a problem fixed within minutes.

Macs in offices are obviously retarded and giving an explanation as to why is completely unnecessary.

[Bosola]

MS Office is still the best office suite out there

ohgoditbosolaagain.jpg

But no. I've always said 'if you need Microsoft Office, you don't need Microsoft Office'. By this, I mean that if your requirements are so high that OpenOffice et al won't do, you'd more likely than not be better off with a premium application. OOWriter not good enough? You probably need Framemaker or Arbortext anyway. OOBase isn't suited to your heavy duty data processing? You likely need a 'true' (eg served) SQL solution. Don't like impress? Ok, fair enough, Impress is crap. But the point still stands.

If the task matters, your organization should be able to shell a couple of grand out on an Adobe suite. If it doesn't, the open source alternative will be more than sufficient. There is no good reason to saddle yourself with mediocre software at moderate cost, except for employees too stupid / helpless / lazy to shift UIs.

[Kudistos Megistos]

ohgoditbosolaagain.jpg

But no. I've always said 'if you need Microsoft Office, you don't need Microsoft Office'. By this, I mean that if your requirements are so high that OpenOffice et al won't do, you'd more likely than not be better off with a premium application. OOWriter not good enough? You probably need Framemaker or Arbortext anyway. OOBase isn't suited to your heavy duty data processing? You likely need a 'true' (eg served) SQL solution. Don't like impress? Ok, fair enough, Impress is crap. But the point still stands.

If the task matters, your organization should be able to shell a couple of grand out on an Adobe suite. If it doesn't, the open source alternative will be more than sufficient. There is no good reason to saddle yourself with mediocre software at moderate cost, except for employees too stupid / helpless / lazy to shift UIs.

That last bit undermines your whole argument

[Mako]

For general office use, yes. You do realise that the needs if the government are very different from your needs, right?

That explains the "Windows FTW!" Part...

Chances are very good that your employees are used to Windows already from personal experience. The amount they are spending to re-train every employee to become accustom to one "one click" wonder shows an extreme lack of foresight on the part of the British government. Completely ignoring all these facts, its easy to see he is an apple fanboy. Quote:

"I use Apple at home. I know it's not very open but I use it. I love it, it works and I think it is great - I'm Steve Jobs' best customer.   

                                                                                                                                                                              -Ian Watmore

There is very few things I hate in this world, Apple Fanboy's are one of them... They are unable to recognize that the other OS's are great in there own way too. They refuse to believe anything can be greater then apple's OS ever.

I am not going to get into the fact that apple's are brutally more expensive then PC's, with less power.

[yarLson]

For general office use, yes. You do realise that the needs of the government are very different from your needs, right?

No I didn't realize that 

Anyway, IMO, the real problem lies in computer education and the fact that, as you say, the majority of workers would be too dumb to use Linux. My point wasn't that they should use Linux, but that they should be able to.

If we lived in a more perfect world, and a majority of people actually understood the science behind computers and held the ability to program and debug an application, then I think Linux would be the clear choice in any situation.

however we don't, so for the time being, your right.