[99796] in RedHat Linux List
Re: "Winmodems" (Support in Linux)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Ramon Gandia)
Tue Nov 17 01:22:48 1998
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 21:18:50 -0900
From: Ramon Gandia <rfg@nook.net>
To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Resent-From: redhat-list@redhat.com
Reply-To: redhat-list@redhat.com
Ken Archer wrote:
>
> Why is it that we profess to be promoters of Linux for the masses, but then
> advocate things that make it difficult for windows users to migrate to Linux.
> Windows users are the masses. Most of them buy a new buget-priced computer
> with a winmodem installed. Once they try Linux and try to log onto the net
> they find out they made a mistake and we never hear from them again. I think a
> Linux driver for winmodems is a great idea, but then, at my age, I am not much
> of a idealistic purist. Personally, I wouldn't have a winmodem, but it sure
> would have been nice to have a winmodem driver the first time I tried to use
> ppp. You will find my advice is worth just about what you had to pay for it :-)
There is a lot to be said for your sentiments. My objections
are that a lot of people will spend $3500 to buy a Pentium II MMX
400 mHz system with the latest goodies, and then when they buy
Linux they say "Oh, we'll put Linux on the old 486". Then....they
bitch like anything about how it runs!
I think a person should not do that if they want the right to
bitch.
Right now, my BEST computers here run Linux. Windows 95 is used
on only two: the customer support desk has them. Alas, I am
sitting
at one right now, as you can tell from my mail header.
As to the WinModem issue, it is a variant on the above. Why
put a piece of hardware that will make mincemeat of your CPU
performance? One fellow wrote that he had a Winmodem and he had
never noticed anything wrong.
Well, he has never tried it like this. Load Windows 95. Load
Netscape with a Winmodem. Load Adobe Photoshop or AutoCAD and
do some work. Now try it with a regular modem. Do it on a
Pentium
100... you will see big differences.
Of course, if all you do is run one program at a time, like
Netscape,
and you have a Pentium 100 and up, you will not see the
performance
hit. This is why we are getting WinModems, WinPrinters, WinThis,
WinThat. Even Winnie-the-Poo. But folks, the idea of getting
nice 400 mHz systems is to be able to get more speed, not to be
able to use el-cheapo accessories.
While I agree that some people are going to be turned off by
the Winmodems, and not continue with Linux, I think its a fair
price to pay. We can tell them: its a WinModem. It don't work
in Anything but a Microsoft Windows environment. That is the way
it is. A person who spends $50 on a Linux distribution, then
spends beacoup hours installing it and learning enough to get
to the point of setting up PPP and XFree...well, I can't really
imagine he is going to quit at this point. Some will. The whiny
ones will.
Another thing is that Linux is not competing with Windows for
market share. Linux is commercial. We do not *need* market
share, or large numbers. We are not in a war to get converts.
There are some zealots here who will argue with me on that point.
But my attitude is: we put out the better product and the masses
will come to us. The PRESS seems to have finally recognized
Linux.
Momentum is building. But I do not see Linux being dead easy to
install or live with in the near future. It will take time, and
a lot of comitment from ALL manufacturers. Most are firmly in
Gates' pockets. They are afraid of Open Source. They could
make modem drivers as binary with no Source and non-GPL, but it
will take time.
Where Linux is deficient is in the lack of name-brand
applications.
They are coming.... but not there yet. And until -gasp- Microsoft
jumps in the bandwagon, a lot of people will judge Linux by its
inability to run Microsoft applications. "What?! I can't run
Office 99 on it? Heck with it!". Its unfair, but that is what
they
say. The Federal Governemnt (GSA and most paper-pushing offices)
have standardized on MS Office and MS Word, like it or not.
You want to see MS Jump, have GSA or OMB tell Microsoft that their
software must run on Linux or they won't get a contract next year
for 1,457,876 computers. Now folks, THAT would wake them up.
And it won't happen until Joe Congressman runs Linux on his desk,
which means it must run first in his home, etc.
Patience. Everything comes to he that waiteth. Provided he
Worketh like Hell While He Waiteth.
--
Ramon Gandia ==== Sysadmin ==== Nook Net ==== http://www.nook.net
285 West First Avenue rfg@nook.net
P.O. Box 970 tel. 907-443-7575
Nome, Alaska 99762-0970 ======================= fax. 907-443-2487
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