[kwlug-disc] Win VS. Lin install-wise

[unsolicited]

Chris Irwin wrote, On 08/17/2009 4:37 PM:
> One thing that is still a huge plus for Linux is the massive software
> repositories. I wonder if Microsoft will ever try to tie their "Live"
> accounts to a Windows app store, allowing third parties to publish
> software through it.

You make my point.

It is not a huge plus, it is a significant stumbling block.

This is more what I meant when I said 'one true way.'

Searching a repository and coming up with a dozen different mail 
servers, let alone the myriad of possibilities of pre- and post- mail 
processing, almost never compatible with each possible mail server, 
just leaves new users bewildered. Pick your favourite app - how many 
spreadsheets, browsers, photo apps, and so on and so forth.

The buntu repositories make it somewhat better in that there are < X 
'further blessed' packages, but seldom is there only 1 way to skin the 
cat.

Windows isn't that much different, but you must dig rather deeper to 
come up with more than the one 'best in show' of any particular app.

We don't need to get over the Windows setup.exe 'stumbling block', it 
isn't a stumbling block for the user.

Yes, repositories, particularly the Debian / buntu ones are a 
wonderful thing, to short list 'blessed apps', but it's not nirvana.

As Rob's initial question showed. And he's not a 'new' user; and well 
able to chew through docs. It's insidious that part of his problem 
seems to be having to chew through outdated docs. And not even 
deprecated ones. But, evidently, ones that didn't have "THIS 
INFORMATION NO LONGER APPLIES" in big letters across the top.

I don't have the answers - but these are certainly some elements of 
the failure of Linux to take over all XP desktops by now.