Is PCLinuxOS Going Backwards? I’m Concerned. (this is a non-biased post)
I am very concerned for the PCLinuxOS community. A year ago they had a great Linux distribution that any Windows user would gladly switch from. Now however if you try to update PCLinuxOS 2007 (and the new xorg and kernel) it usually won’t continue to boot up. The latest release of PCLinuxOS is Gnome based and as everyone knows Gnome uses an interface and menu that is not recognized by the common Windows User. Of course the official release of PCLinuxOS 2008 will have KDE but there are several mistakes that need to be solved before puttiong out the 2008 Version.
First of all needing to reboot in order to partition your Hard Drive is just wierd.
Second of all you should be able to update the Kernel without a major system melt down.
Third they need all of the Hardware Support that Ubuntu, Mint, and other distros have for the new Laptops and Desktops.
Finally they need to find a way to be more open to their users.
I think maybe the reason that the updates that cause PCLinuxOS to not boot all the way may be a result of configuring the new packages for the Gnome version of PCLinuxOS instead. I am glad the PCLinuxOS community is finally releasing another version after a hole year.
There is a company that followed a similar pattern in development but for a different reason I believe.
First they put out a very solid OS that people enjoyed from 2001 to 2006. Then they tried to replace it with a better OS. The problem was no one liked their better OS so they tried to stick with the older one. Now the updates for that OS are causing decreased functionality. This could be because they only design drivers, programs, and updates for their newer OS or it could be because they don’t want people using the old OS. This company is Micro$oft in case you can’t tell. Like PCLinuxOS using Gnome, Mico$oft uses a new interface that confuses people too. It has a strange start menu. They also did away with a lot of the programs in Vista but I hope that has no comparison with the new PCLinuxOS.
Now just for fun why don’t I compare Microsoft to the movie iRobot?
In iRobot you have a story where everyone has a personal robot to care for them that’s 3 laws safe.
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
But USR (that makes the robots) decides it’s time to upgrade to their latest model. They even offer free trade ins. The new Robots are directly linked to Vickie. An AI mainframe that has access to everything. Vickie comes to the conclusion that she can’t trust humans to take care of themselves because of violence and wars. So she bypasses the 3 laws after numerous updates that she gives the robots remotely. Then the robots start imposing curfews and restrictions on humans.
Micro$oft has done the same thing except they charge us to do it. However they haven’t replaced all of the old XP computers with new better Vista computers yet. They need to figure that part out first. Vista has the ability to be controlled directly by Microsoft both legally and physically. XP can’t be controlled legally without consent but it’s still controlled despite the law. Microsoft has started imposing restrictions on what we can do with our computers. Their new user agreement gives them the Legal rite to add or remove access, programs, or files at will without your permission because you already gave it to them to start using Vista. So it’s a matter of time until Micro$oft will control all of their customers. They have already started doing this to colleges. Colleges who pay rent for Vista have their laptops disabled every 3 months for disconnecting from the Internet. They must call and reactivate their PCs.
The XBOX 360 violates the FCC’s Laws. Their wireless remotes and consoles disable all wireless devices within a given radius of over 100 feet. Just plugging one in will give off enough radiation to disable an entire Wall Mart. A Cisco expert said that his tests proved that the XBOX 360 uses all 12 channels of WiFi which is clearly illegal. The amount of radiation coming from the device is dangerous and can cause cancer. I would not want anyone to be within 20 feet of the thing when it is on let alone the wireless remote control.
The difference between the story of iRobot and Micro$oft is that our Government (if following the current trends and history) will condone everything Micro$oft has done. Another example of FCC violations are high power lines. They put out too much radiation and walking directly under them is bad for you. The FCC discovered this but it would cost too much for the Power Company to put a fence between the poles on both sides and to make a protective tunnel underneath. So we have High Power Lines right out in the open.
