3 posts tagged “linux”
Let me start by saying that I don't use MythTV. Come to think of it, chances are that you don't either, so here's a real-quick description: MythTV is DVR software that runs on linux. What that means is that you can use it to turn any old computer into a TiVo. Neat.
One of the features you expect from a decent DVR is the ability to pull down listings for your local area and use them in the menu, to help you tell it what shows to record. For a long time MythTV has used a free service called Zap2It to get those listings. However, Zap2It can no longer support free MythTV users. In the future, MythTV is recommending a for-pay service called ScheduleDirect. It's very cheap, but not free, and not open.
So here's my idea. Create a wiki with a page for each TV station where users can enter their own channel information. For large markets that means most users won't have to do a thing. If you use MythTV and you want data on a channel that's not available yet, enter it yourself. The wiki pages could use a template structure that forces the data into a format that's easily understandable by a MythTV box. As the service catches on some stations may even take over the entry themselves. It's a win-win.
I don't use MythTV so for me this idea is largely moot, but I wanted to share it anyway. If I had an extra old computer lying around I might try it, except that this is an expensive way to get a DVR. The typical PC costs $300/yr to run, depending on your local rates, the specific hardware involved, how much it runs and the software used. A typical set-top box costs 1/3 of that. The money saved will quickly pay for a new standard DVR and support the required subscription.
Today is a break from my "Welcome Home" series. I have several more topics in the works, but none of them have been completely resolved yet.
I've been interested in Linux for about 8 years now. I still prefer using Windows for various reasons that I've pointed out in the past, but I do try out Linux again every once in a while. A few months ago I was very interested to hear about noise generated on Dell's new IdeaStorm web site over selling Linux pre-installed, and finally when Dell started selling desktops with Ubuntu. Since then a lot more noise has been made, and there have been questions whether a Dell with Linux is really cheaper (as you'd expect from not having to pay the "Microsoft Tax"). The latest round has a Linux-based Dell costing $225 more than the equivalent Windows machine.
I think all the hubbub is mis-placed. Dell, like most other manufacturers, gets kickbacks from some software vendors for including their applications with the machine. Things like the Google Toolbar or a Norton Anti-virus trial. If the machine isn't running Windows then it can't include that software. I've heard unconfirmed rumors that those kickbacks can cumulatively run as high as 80 or 90 dollars. That's nearly enough to offset the Windows license completely.
In my experience, most people who use linux want to install it themselves. A pre-configured system isn't going to win many converts just because it's a few dollars cheaper. If you really want to see open source software on a Dell, ask to them to install Firefox on every machine that goes out the door, at least on the consumer side. Ask them to include the option to have Open Office on any machine that doesn't come with MS Office pre-loaded. Or the GIMP (even Paint.Net). Include Thunderbird alongside Outlook Express.
What happens when millions of consumers buying Dell machines learn they no longer have to pay for MS Office? When businesses find their employees now come to the table already knowing how to get as much or more out of Open Office than MS Office because they use it at home? These days Microsoft makes as much or more selling Office as it does selling Windows.
What happens when millions of consumers buying Dell machines learn that the apps they are used to using are also available on the "cheaper" linux machine, and in fact were developed with Linux in mind first? You will have a much easier sell convincing them to give Linux a try. And more importantly, a much better chance they will be satisfied with the experience.
Every once in a while I get the urge to install a new linux distro and see the state of things. I was first introduced to linux when I was a sophomore in college. That would be more than 8 years ago now. The last time I had looked at it was a few months ago when I installed Ubuntu on my desktop and my wife's laptop, and before that it had been a couple years. I was pretty impressed with Ubuntu at the time, but I did have some issues with it (flaky driver support for my video card, no printer driver, no flash). My wife still uses it occasionally on her laptop.
Since it has been another couple months and the linux install on my own machine hasn't been working due to the video problems, I thought I'd give it another go (also, I'd heard that flash was available for linux again). This time I opted against the 64bit version, since that was my downfall last time (lack of driver support). I've also been disappointed to hear recent rumblings that a few mainline distros would be no longer including any closed source components. I decided to try SuSE, hoping that Novell's recent alliance with Microsoft would mean they wouldn't have that problem.
I have been very impressed so far. I feel like the operating system itself is now nicer than Windows XP (Ubuntu felt very close, but just shy). There are, of course a few things Windows XP does that linux does not, namely DirectX (I want my Counter-Strike: Source!), but that's really something I can blame linux for. I want to specifically call out the SuSE Start Menu equivalent as being very nice.
There are a few things I've noticed where linux still lags that I want to nitpick about:
- I think it's just because I'm more used to them, but to me the windows mouse cursors feel much more clean than the linux counter-parts.
- Windows does a much better job with my mouse. Linux automatically detected exactly what kind of mouse I have (Windows only treats it as a generic), but still won't support the thumb back and forward buttons (which I use all the time) or using the middle button to scroll documents and web pages (again, I do this a lot). This is what bothers me more than anything else.
- There were a few video sites (YouTube works fine) that wouldn't play because they don't detect flash correctly. This is probably the sites' fault more than a linux thing.
- There was some extra work to get everything set up right. This is no big deal; I'd have to do this with a new Windows install as well, and I was able to find a good tutorial to walk me through all the steps. The problem is that tutorial was a lot harder to find than it should have been.
- Install time was way too long. I'm not counting formatting or package selection here (that stuff is way ahead of windows), just the copy files and install part. We're talking 2-3 hours. Vista installs 8GB in 1/2 hour to 45 minutes.
- Boot time still has a way to go compared to Windows. XP boots in 45 seconds, Linux takes about 3 minutes.
- Still no driver for my printer. This is a bit surprising, since I have a Lexmark (IBM), and IBM is supposed to be such a strong linux supporter.
- I haven't been able to get DVD playback to work yet. This isn't a huge deal as I'm unlikely to watch a DVD here when my TV and DVD player are just across the room, and I know there are a few extra challenges here since there copy protection to get around, but it would still be nice to be able to check this off my list.
- "Windows" key on the keyboard will not activate the start menu, but the context menu key works just fine.
E-mail and the web are fine in Linux, except that's where the most ongoing pain is. I'd like to see a mouse driver capable of handling those extra buttons.
I do my development work in .Net 2.0, and mono isn't really a viable alternative yet. I'm also very partial to Visual Studio 2005, though I haven't yet had a chance to try a recent KDevelop or equivalent. However, I can see in the future wanting to do a cross-platform app, and I think a good way to do that would be to develop for mono work, with the idea that if it works in mono it's more likely to work in the real .Net rather than the other way around.
Open Office is fine for my own documents, but more of the time I have to work on one it's to give to someone else, meaning I need to be confident that it will look right in Microsoft Office, or be able to print it. Here, to I can see a better situation on the horizon. The new MS Office format should be easier for third parties to get right, and will help users to be more aware of multiple document formats and conversion issues. It's also only a matter of time before I either need a new printer or a driver is available for my current one.
As for gaming, I'm a bit of an edge case. More and more gamers and moving away from the PC to the console. As I'm interested primarily in first person shooters and don't enjoy those on consoles, I will be a PC gamer for some time to come, and those will continue to be dominated by DirectX based games. That means windows. However, I spend too much time gaming. I can see at some point in the future, if the other problems are resolved, determining to switch to linux and keeping windows around exclusively for games. Then I would have the added barrier of needing to reboot my computer to play a game, which wouldn't be a bad thing.
For right now, when I sit at my computer I have several reasons to want to be in Windows, and few to want to be in Linux. It's nice to see that things are improving, though.
