Pascal's new PC : Part II

This is why I sometimes hesitate to recommend Linux to my friends.

Firstly, I know they wont really appreciate the principles on which the world of GNU/Linux is based. They don't give a damn to freedom, for them, the 'freedom' with which they can acquire Windoze is good enough.

Secondly, even though Linux is coming of age, it still leaves a lot to be desired in the area of hardware support. In Pascal's case, his sound card and DVD/CDRW combo drive are not being detected. I am sure we'll find a fix in a few days, but really, should hardware be a problem with a distro as recent as FC3? Most of the SOHO users are not adventurous enough to fix problems on their own. I am still a student, and can afford a few hours a day sometimes to fix problems with my PC. Not that I did not face problems when I used Windoze, but in those days I could call my dealer in times of desperation.

Of course, I am still a dedicated GNU/Linux fan. But I don't think I can be as enthusiastic a promoter of GNU/Linux as some are.

Pascal's new PC : Part I

Pascal got his new PC yesterday, and I happened to be just in time to watch the delivery guy put the machine up. Actually, I had rushed there as fast as I could - with my Fedora DVD. The machine came with Windoze XP pre-installed (it's a branded PC). It was so irritating to see the delivery guy make his moves. It was obvious he was weaned on Windoze. The fact that 'My Documents' opened up was good enough to convince him that the machine worked fine. I can't help admitting the fact that even if Microsoft hasn't managed to sell legal copies of it's software to most home users, it has managed to create a healthy eco-system for itself.

Anyway, the machine is pretty good. It's one of the fastest I have seen. Frankly, I have just one benchmark - run 'glxgears' on Linux. Pascal's PC managed 123 FPS. My PC can manage barely 58. I just hope he lets his sister's use the machine!

I haven't been in the best of health lately, which is why I have not been posting regularly. My advice : please dont eat out, in any case, Mumbai has seen an increase in the number of Hepatitis patients in the last month or so.