Has Lindows (LinuX+Windows) any future ?

toast

toast

Gone !
Linux stability combiend to Windows' power:
www.lindows.com

All you can do on Windows you can do with Lindows. In addition, Lindows is stable:
http://info.lindows.com/10Reasons/

Critics like Lindows:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,107015,00.asp
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,107103,00.asp

MS doesn't like Lindows: they've sued them for copying Windows' name.

Do you think this Lindows stuff has any future ? I think it has, it really looks promising. However, the fact that they're already on version 3 and that I've never heard of them worries me a bit...

Any advice ?
 
Lindows is linux with WINE :)
They just made it look more "friendly" like windows supposedly is, or they made it so that their enviroment is not such a "shock" for a person who is switching from windows to linux so that they know how teh GUI and controls work :)

I do not like lindows very much, the reason is this: all linuxen are basically free, this one you cannot download! if you go to www.linux.org you cannot find a download link for this distro. Both majow distros of linux (red hat and suse) have downloads (as a matter of fact red hat has ALL 5 cd images ready to download!).

Even "lesser" distros like licorice, debian, slackware and red dog have downloadle versions! I would have loved to test lindows out just like I have tested licorice, red hat and suse, but they provide no avenue to test it out! That is their achilles heel as I see it because people, especially in the linux community want to test things out to see what works for them and then pick their distro. Now imagine "switchers" to linux who want to know if their apps and documents will work on this linux! They would have to go buy teh distro to just test it out...not a good move :)

btw, I would have NO problem paying 20$ (I know that webhosting costs) but I have no need for manuals, packaging and CDs as I have a CD burner and a T1 line where I can download this stuff. Recently I bought Solaris 9 x86 from sun for 20 USD :) (which I am eager to try on an x86 machine ;) )


Admiral
 
by the way from lindows' web site:
LindowsOS 3.0 Membership Edition - $129** US
($119 US - Digital-only Version)

119 for a digital only version ? gimme a break! I gotta brin in my own ISP, my own CD-R and my own media! greedy little SOBs :)
 
I totally think that they have a future. I remember hearing about Lindows quite a while ago(check out www.slashdot.org for *nix news). I would think that for a company like that, getting through the initial court battles would be the biggest hurdle, and I guess they left that for a jury to decide(http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-982098.html). There's acutally a story in the news today about how Micro$oft is using Hotmail's junk mail filter to move anything from the Lindows site directly into the "junk" folder. Typical corporate response. If I had a pc I would definitly check out Lindows!
 
Gee $129! I didn't know it even had a price tag! That seems a bit much to try a linux distro. I would probably just do the linux, wine route myself.
 
Originally posted by AdmiralAK
Lindows is linux with WINE :)
Click to expand...


Not anymore. They removed WINE from the final release because they put over $1,000,000 into it and got little out of it.




I do not like lindows very much, the reason is this: all linuxen are basically free, this one you cannot download! if you go to www.linux.org you cannot find a download link for this distro. Both majow distros of linux (red hat and suse) have downloads (as a matter of fact red hat has ALL 5 cd images ready to download!).
Click to expand...


And this is precicley the reason why Mandrake is going out of business.:)

Even "lesser" distros like licorice, debian, slackware and red dog have downloadle versions! I would have loved to test lindows out just like I have tested licorice, red hat and suse, but they provide no avenue to test it out! That is their achilles heel as I see it because people, especially in the linux community want to test things out to see what works for them and then pick their distro. Now imagine "switchers" to linux who want to know if their apps and documents will work on this linux! They would have to go buy teh distro to just test it out...not a good move :)
Click to expand...


Soon you will be able to buy Lindows as just a stand-alone distro for $49 and if you don't like it, ask for a refund. They'll give it to you, no questions asked.:)

Should I ask MS for a free download of XP? Or how about Apple? Free trial download of OSX anyone?

Admiral
Click to expand...

-V


BTW, one thing that Lindows has that other distros don't is marketing.
More people have been hearing about Lindows recently over other distros because Lindows gets their asses out there and shamelessly promotes themselves while other distros just sit back and wait for people to come to them.
 
Originally posted by JohnnyX12
There's acutally a story in the news today about how Micro$oft is using Hotmail's junk mail filter to move anything from the Lindows site directly into the "junk" folder. Typical corporate response.
Click to expand...


There may be another reason for that which has nothing to do with MS.

A lot of the Lindows newsletters and stuffs contains a bunch of marketing terms which are detected by the junk filter and sent to the trash.

So it may not be MS's fault at all but it sure makes for some good press!:D
 
Well the person who brought the story to the papers was one of the lindows developers so maybee he was just trying to make some noise. :)
 
Windows Code IS copyrighted, so you dont get a free trial :) --- MacOS X code IS copyrighted, so your dont get a free trial. The "free" aspect of MacOS X (darwin) is available though as a free download for both x86 and PPC architectures.

Lindows is using linux for their operating system, a distributable OS free to teh public. I think one of teh clauses for being able to call yourself a linux distributor is that you contribute something to the community of linux. Red Hat contributed the RPM installation/bianry method, Suse provided other things, slackware, mandrake and so on have contributed other things. YOu give a little, you get a little is what the philosophy of linux is all about.

If Lindows' methods of getting windex operability are sooo copyrighted they cant share it with the community, at least release the linux aspect of the OS as a free download, and the let the public if they want to spend some money to "add on" that windex ability.


As for refund, I used to work selling software, our policy was "you open it, you buy it" because we live in the age of CD-Rs, I seriously doubt lindows is going to give me a refund because I could just as well copy it, use it, AND have my money in my pocket.


Admiral
 
by the way,
if they are not pursuing the WINE route for windex-ability, are they using their own proprietary methods ? if so how are they working out ?
 
Originally posted by AdmiralAK
by the way,
if they are not pursuing the WINE route for windex-ability, are they using their own proprietary methods ? if so how are they working out ?
Click to expand...


They're focusing more on a graphical counterpart to apt-get called Click-and-Run (whick costs, but you get commercial apps which apt-get does not)

So far people seem to like it, but my success with it has been medicore (dial-up :rolleyes: ) but they're working on a solution for that.
 
Originally posted by AdmiralAK
Lindows is using linux for their operating system, a distributable OS free to teh public. I think one of teh clauses for being able to call yourself a linux distributor is that you contribute something to the community of linux. Red Hat contributed the RPM installation/bianry method, Suse provided other things, slackware, mandrake and so on have contributed other things. YOu give a little, you get a little is what the philosophy of linux is all about.
Click to expand...


You're right, the GPL code calls for any GPL code that has been changed must be redistributed back to the community and Lindows complies with that, you just don't see tham making a big deal about it. (look for more announcements in the future)


If Lindows' methods of getting windex operability are sooo copyrighted they cant share it with the community, at least release the linux aspect of the OS as a free download, and the let the public if they want to spend some money to "add on" that windex ability.
Click to expand...


There's nothing copyrighted about WINE, they gave back to the WINE project both in lots of ca$h and code and you can still download it directly from Lindows or apt-get it, it's there if you want it (for free even!)


As for refund, I used to work selling software, our policy was "you open it, you buy it" because we live in the age of CD-Rs, I seriously doubt lindows is going to give me a refund because I could just as well copy it, use it, AND have my money in my pocket.


Admiral
Click to expand...


I'm not BS'ing here. They will give you a full refund, no questions asked. I've seen planty of disgruntled users ask for a full refund and they got it.

I can give you a few links if you want and you can even ask them some questions in the guest forum.
 
If Lindows' methods of getting windex operability are sooo copyrighted they cant share it with the community, at least release the linux aspect of the OS as a free download, and the let the public if they want to spend some money to "add on" that windex ability.
Click to expand...

Well, first, the Lindows guys have pretty much given up on the "Bringing Windows to new places" mantra once it realized that Wine STILL isn't there, i.e. it would be a support and sales nightmare to try to claim they can run easily run unmodified Windows apps since, well, they can't.

Second, that's supposedly one of the strengths of the GPL - they don't HAVE to distribute it for free. They can charge as much as they want. However, they HAVE to make the source code available to anyone, and can't charge you any more for it than for the product itself.

They also can't charge per-license costs, so you can buy one copy and install it on all your machines at home. However, their main focus is to try to make money off of services, i.e. charge for this Click-and-Run thing.

Personally, I like Lindows but there's nothing terribly special about it besides the ease of Click-and-Run. However, their timing is off - they're clearly a consumer-oriented distribution. Linux in general just isn't ready for the home. Instead, Red Hat's pursuing the right market (the hobbyists, the geeks, the servers and the professional workstations, the latter being the only place that desktop Linux will really make a dent this year)

And the whole "Lindows" lawsuit thing is pretty silly. I do think that it's stupid that MS feels anything containing or relating to the word "windows" is stupid, since the term was in use long before their product (not the glass-filled things), but Lindows is OBVIOUSLY a play off of the name of the MS OS+Linux .
 
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