Does Linux have an Amiga feel?

[stefcep2]

The Windows 8 debacle is an open invitation for a good alternative OS, alright - but so was the Windows Me debacle, and the Windows Vista debacle, and Linux isn't really any better-suited to fill that gap now than it was then, because the guiding forces behind Linux still don't get usability or simplicity of design.

Linux had a golden opportunity during the netbook craze.  Only time I've seen linux pre-installed on hardware in general electronics/TV/ stores like JB Hifi.

And people returned them once they realised what they'd bought!

....These are people for whom "user-friendly" is the same thing as "idiot-oriented;" the kind of people who give the world things like Gnome 3. They don't get usability, they don't get ordinary users, and Linux is never going to get anywhere in the desktop market until they do.

Thats the gist of it all really.

 Linux fanatics always blame the user for not being "smart enough", not accepting of linux's "differences", not willing to learn etc.  Whereas what the user is saying is that there is a better way to do it, and they've seen it elsewhere.

To which the reply invariably is: " If you don't like like it, make it better yourself, or leave".

The user, invariably chooses the latter option.

[stefcep2]

As a newbie, I found the most intuitive OS to be......System 7.  IMO if you just wanted to get the job done, it worked and worked well.

But as a semi newbie that liked tinker, Amiga is the best hands down.  Very easy to access the system files, easy and logical names.

Linux?  90% of the time when I had to fix something I was cutting and pasting without a clue about what any of it did or meant or went.

[stefcep2]

I'm not entirely following the Linux bashing that is preceding this post by several comments. It is a multi-purpose OS that has many different flavors giving the end user options. If you don't like what one offers, try another one. It took me six months to find the right distro for me.

I can agree that an OS can be built so it is more suited in a server environment, or for use in specific devices.

And searching for the right apps for us, yes, we all have to do that.

But if you are going to develop and promote an OS as a desktop OS, its not reasonable that a user should be searching to find the right OS flavour to meet their needs.

The fact it took you 6 MONTHS to find the right OS-if that doesn't scream:"Houston, we have a problem", then I don't know what does!

[stefcep2]

To be honest, I wish someone would just use linux as an under the hood solution for drivers and such and simplified everything else, like beos or amigaos on top... AEROS just may be this... But I haven't given it serious time yet...

Its ironical that whilst linux's hardware support is often said to be limited, its wide hardware support is in fact its best asset.  Maybe its only one.

I've said it before that one of the great tragedies of modern computing is that the open source movement chose to support Linux.  

Still for a free system cobbled together, linux is pretty goddam good.

Yes in that context it is.

But for $30 i upgraded an old XP Tablet PC laptop to Windows 8 and it wipes the floor with previous Ubuntu 9.10 in terms of performance, installation time and 100% working hardware and a gazillion quality software options that a double click of the Install icon will achieve.