Date: 9/7/98

Hello Kind sirs and siresses, wellcome to the place where dreams come true... Supernews49!

Linux

I'm gonna do it. Yes I will. I WILL install Linux sometime in the next month. I don't care that it's too complicated, too messy, too big, too short, the wrong toothpaste, I'm gonna (in the words of my birmingham born tutor) "give it a go". I havn't had a big computing challenge [sic] since setting up this site, and I'm fed up with this arse hole of an "Operating System." Death to it, and, err, things.

Installing and running Linux will, at least, be an experience. For the first time since my Amiga, I'll have a system that won't regualrly crash on you for no apparant reason. It's atiken to having to learn how to use DOS, but a lot more complicated, since DOS was a relitivly simple system to learn anyways.

It's a wonder that no company has ever really tried to make Linux as easy to use to the extent that it becomes a Desktop OS, like Windoze. Redhat has tried to make things easier, but for network managers, not newbies who's only command line experience is the C:\ prompt and since W95, many people rarly touch that. I know I don't, Windows' GUI is comfy (until it falls over) and it's much easier to run DOS apps in it than in their normal breeding ground. What Windows encourages isn't just ease of use, it's lasyness.

10 years ago, when every computer had a version of Basic built in, most idiots could knock up a programme in less than 10 minutes, for the most mundane of tasks. Now, without free development tools, most users don't care, or won't learn how to use something like VBasic. And then they accept any inadiquences with the system, like crashing, installation, speed, because there's no alternative out there to speak of. There is the Mac, if you're prepared to spew out anouther £1,000 on a new computer.

Linux should really be an alternative choice, but even after around 7 years of it's exsistence, it's still not widly known by the public. It scares those that know it away, like a bad smell. I'm not saying make it a commercial product, but make it more acceptable as a Desktop OS. Linux needs a GUI where you can manage your system from, mount drives, install software, whlist keeping it's UNIX charm and "elegance". Something more powerful than Xfree86 and KDE. Some extra PC Mag clout would be good too, getting on the front cover of PC Format would certainly help things along.

Maybe then Bill Gates would finally look small.....

alt.digitiser and, err, me

This week I have been mentioned rather rudly by the git that dosn't exsist, Start N. Hard. I would like to remind anyone writing shite like that that:

a) Pre-adolecent is 1-12 years old
b) I don't "dominate" alt.digitiser. I'm just a polificent poster, not much else. I don't choose to write the most in the newsgroup. Anyone else can take part, and many people do.

Get it write, Stuart, or whoever wrote it.

DYS

Rather shockingly, DYS was updated last week, with no warning. Take a looksee.

God and things

This week a new weekly column will be launched on this here site. It's called God Speaks!, and I'm worried that it will look awful. Which it won't, well, it better not. Have fun, and comment if you wish, to PAndroid. I havn't had any p170 relevant critism for ages. Go on, throw it at me.....

Final Thought

Christ I'm bored...... PAndroidian Mail