Lindows
First Reaction
Slow!
Confused!
Lindows is a $50 system based on a stripped-down version of Debian Linux. It comes with a lot of softward doctored to give it a special "Lindows" look and feel, so its main browser, which is Netscape 7.0.x, doesn't resemble normal versions of that browser at all. It has a "warehouse," a collection of software available to members; purchasing the basic package includes a "junior membership" good for a limited time, you can buy other packages that include discounted membership for one or two years, or you can get membership for $99 per year, membership allowing you to download and automatically install any of nearly 2,000 software packages during the membership period. Debian itself has the capability of automatically downloading and installing packages and updates, so this is nothing new except for the hype involved and the interface.
Most companies dealing in hardware or software have a margin of no more than 7%. Microsoft leverages their near monopoly position to give themselves a margin close to 85%. Nobody wants to go up against Microsoft for fear the giant will come down hard on them and wipe them out. Lindows was founded by the founder of MP3 in an attempt to go up against Microsoft, which is reason enough to support their efforts.
As for value received, that will follow use of the system. The more popular the system becomes, the more funding and development can go into improvement and further development of the approach, the important concept of which is a very user-friendly way to obtain useful software. Each time a user downloads or upgrades a package from the warehouse, it indicates the level of popularity or usefulness of that package; in short, its demand. The most popular packages will receive additional funding for improvement.
Debian is a distribution dedicated to Open Source software. They avoid commercial or proprietary packages. They are, however, noted for the stability of their releases. Lindows doesn't maintain that purity, adding only the warehouse concept and an interface that seems adequate.
On the down side, Lindows is very slow. It is also fussy about the hardware it will install on. Computers with Lindows pre-installed are available, both through Lindows.com and Walmart.com, as well as a few Canadian sources, and the prices are reasonable for the hardware supplied. If you aren't sure that your hardware is up to the Lindows specification, it might be better to get an inexpensive new machine, a custom machine if you know what to specify.
The Lindows people need to hire a professional Web designer. Their interface is a mess, full of dead ends. Many links dump you to generic catch-all pages instead of to pages offering specific information you would expect them to, so that finding anything becomes a real challenge.
Linux has always faced a contradiction: how do you make money giving your product away free? Red Hat solved the problem for themselves by making a product attractive to business and then selling support and services. Mandrake and others who have depended on support from users, rather than businesses, have done less well, particularly when they have shown a basic misunderstanding of what is, after all, a brand new way of doing business.
Lindows may have found a way to provide value enough to justify their survival and profits. They, like all Linux distributions, depend on the Open Software movement. But Lindows is in a unique position to provide additional feedback to Open Software developers, guidance that can give focus previously lacking.
Lindows itself needs to be faster, they need to work on a more rational user interface, and they need to provide a simple and adequate access to troubleshooting information, to help users when something goes wrong -- and something always goes wrong in any system.
If you are looking for something that is ready to replace Windows across the board, neither Lindows nor Linux is it ... yet. Both have the potential and both depend on user support, including financial support.
It will still be a long road, but now it's a road instead of a dirt trail.
Message Board
Comments (1)
I'm not sure I understand what advantages Lindows might have over Linux or BSD.