Ubuntu 9.10 has just been released. As usual, this has provoked a plethora of pundit puffery, not least this review in the Register.
Also as usual, the comments are loaded with complaints about how some operating system or other (not necessarily the one under review) doesn't work with the whinger's hardware. Therefore, the complainers gave up on that OS forever, and it's an utter pile of fertilizer.
Well, Ms. complainer, what did you do to remedy this situation? I've had problems with Linux and have either gotten help with them or helped to solve them. I don't have much sympathy for folks who make no effort to solve the problem, and this is true regardless of the OS or the license of the software at issue.
One problem is that often hardware is designed, not to meet the relevant standard, but to work under Windows. If Windows doesn't use everything the standard provides, the vendor only provides the hardware necessary to work under Windows. Result 1) the hardware may be broken under Linux or Mac OS. Result 2) the next upgrade of Windows may also break your hardware. But most people will blame the operating system, not the hardware.
For years I've observed that it usually isn't a good idea to shift people from one OS to another all at once. Do it gradually, I say. First use cross platform applications like OpenOffice.org or CADEMIA on your present OS. In fact you can get a whole DVD loaded with cherry picked open source programs that run on Windows, just the thing if you plan to move from Windows to Linux. Then when folks are comfortable with those, transition to the new OS.
I'm going to add something to that. Between the time you decide to make the change to Linux and the time you actually do, you will probably buy hardware. A new laptop. A new printer. Et cetera. OK, when you do, make sure you buy hardware known to be compatible with Linux.
Case in point: I've had excellent results with HP printers on Linux because HP takes the time to make sure HP printers work under Linux. This is not to say the software is perfect. I found a bug, reported it, and I got satisfaction.
I've been very happy with my Lenovo R51 laptop. Again, I also had problems with it initially, as documented above. I've also had some incredible successes with it.
In both cases, I went out of my way to research and buy Linux friendly hardware. This is not just a good way to get hardware you know will work with Linux. It's also a good way to reward vendors who make their products play well with Linux.
This also applies to Linux friendly software. Cross platform software is great. But there are some products that aren't cross platform and never will be. You can still find Linux friendly vendors in that category. For example, Dave McAllister, Director, Standards and Open Source, Adobe Systems Incorporated, gave a keynote address at the recent Utah Open Source Conference. Adobe? Open? Yeah. They've released the PDF standard to open standards bodies. And, according to McAllister, they co-operate closely with the WINE folks, so that some Adobe products now run on WINE, which is to say, now run on Linux.
OK, it's all very nice in theory to say, let's buy from Linux friendly vendors. The problem is: who are they and how do you find 'em and track 'em? I have some thoughts on that, but first, I'd welcome your ideas.