Linux User Survey: Response 000032
Application 1: FirefoxApplication 2: Pan
Application 3: k3b
Work Type 1: internetapplications, i.e. web, email
Work Type 2: video and music
Work Type 3: games
Recommendation for Home Use: Suse 9.2
Recommendation for Office: Suse 9.2
Recommendation for Games: I don't think it matters as much as other issues
Recommendation for Development: Suse has done well for me
Recommendation for Science: Wow, also SuSE
Recommendation for Children: SuSE
Recommendation for Servers: SuSE (big surprise there. . .)
Country: US
State: Kentucky
Comments: I started using Linux distros in the mid - late 90's mainly out of curiosity. I even tried BEOS and a few other non-linux OSs. The first was probably RedHat around 97. I used a floppy to boot. It was fun and a challenge to get my basic hardware configured and setup. . .I found I was still using win95 75-80% of the time. But I was amazed at how much could be done with this "free" Linux OS. I tried other distros. Eventually with a little work I got mandrake with KDE setup really nice on one of my boxes, dual booting with win98. I used that more and more, and really started to use windows less and less. Which was good, because at the time I really didn't want to get involved with windows ME and 2000. . .nothing personal, but I spent more hours helping out (or not) friends with windows ME and broken applications, missing drivers, etc. . .than I did with my linux box. Finally I gave Suse 8.0 a try, and I was fully hooked. By this time I was no longer dual booting. I removed Windows. With very little work I was able to get all my equipment working and wine working with Diablo 2. Now I use KOffice and or OpenOffice.org, play UT2004 and NWN with native Linux clients, watch or burn my dvds, cds, watch TV, and recently I've been able to catch up on my basic programming with Gambas, which reminds me of VB4 I used to play around with. I can not think of a single thing I can not do with my current box that my windows wielding friends can do with theirs. Including running windows. LOL Sure there might still be some games that are not worth the trouble or time to run on Linux, and there is no GPL "AutoCAD 2000" CAD software. . .you can't pop into the local software shop and pickup any shrink wrapped title that happens to look appealing. . .But I keeping hearing a voice in my head. . ."If you use it, they will come.". . .(well to be fair, QCAD is a very nice 2d CAD package, not as robust as ACAD, but is coming along nicely) That last little bit there reminds me of something very important I've learned over the years using Linux. The consumer model. . .the typical paradigm that exists from purchasing a product or service demands that the consumer complains to the provider for shortcomings and failures. This is all good and well. We (in America at least) are conditioned to complain, complain, and complain until a problem gets fixed. But Linux and open source software, unless you paid for such services, is primarily a community driven product. If something is broke you have no right to complain and gripe and moan. . .If you can't help fix it, then you just become part of the problem carrying on so. The best way to fix your problem is to embrace and support the community and politely and patiently learn from the mountains of documentation and advice from experienced users. After all, if you do not contribute to the community, what exactly do you think anyone owes you?
