Upgrades and Compatibility in the Open Source World
,----[ Quote ]
| The open-source world, as you might expect, takes a much different view of
| backward compatibility. On the one hand, because changes are publicly posted
| and debated, there is rarely an element of surprise; developers and users
| know what changes are coming, and are able to prepare.
|
| But even more importantly, because there is no financial incentive for
| open-source programmers to force you to upgrade, you can often stay with an
| older version of a program for quite some time, upgrading only when you feel
| ready. Moreover, upgrades often happen over time, particularly with
| programming languages and frameworks, first indicating that you are using a
| feature which will go away in the next version. And even when things have
| changed dramatically and incompatibly, there is generally a way to fix this.
`----
http://ostatic.com/159308-blog/upgrades-and-compatibility-in-the-open-source-world
Related:
HP Won't Issue New Drivers For Leopard, Tells You To Buy A New Printer
,----[ Quote ]
| I recently ditched Windows XP at my house, and have moved to the Macintosh
| platform (and converted my PC machines to Ubuntu)
|
| I've had zero issues with the conversion, except for my HP "all in one"
| scanner/pc/fax machine. Although I can get it to work just fine with Ubuntu,
| I cannot scan from OS X Leopard.
`----
http://consumerist.com/368159/hp-wont-issue-new-drivers-for-leopard-tells-you-to-buy-a-new-printer
http://tinyurl.com/3yspsq
Vista SP1 needs new hardware
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista Service Pack 1 comes with an important update for gamers - DirectX
| 10.1. The catch? You need brand new hardware to support it, and NVIDIA
| enthusiasts are left totally out in the cold.
`----
http://apcmag.com/7790/vista_sp1_needs_new_hardware
Vista SP1 won't sacrifice security for compatibility
,----[ Quote ]
| Vista SP1 will include a significant number of "proactive" security changes,
| DeVaan said. These do not represent fixes for specific vulnerabilities,
| instead they represent Microsoft's efforts to head off potential threats.
`----
http://www.itwire.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14224&Itemid=1054
Newspaper: Window Vista can clear out a medicine cabinet
,----[ Quote ]
| But Michelle’s new HP desktop computer won’t recognize it – a printer made by
| the same company. Indeed, Vista will not recognize it, other than to say it
| doesn’t work with Vista. HP’s website says a new Vista driver (the software
| that tells the computer how to use specific hardware) is in the works, but
| nearly a year since the launch of Vista, I doubt it will ever come out.
`----
http://vistasucks.wordpress.com/2008/01/04/newspaper-window-vista-can-clear-out-a-medicine-cabinet/#more-756
Linux device driver project needs more unsupported devices to work on!
,----[ Quote ]
| The problem is that even though Kroah-Hartman and his developers are willing
| to sign NDAs (nondisclosure agreements) for companies that are reluctant to
| open up their devices to open source, businesses are still hanging
| back. "What we need now is more companies participating in the project,"
| Kroah-Hartman said.
|
| [...]
|
| He also wondered if the problem of Linux device drivers has been
| overstated...
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS6669895837.html
Linux: Stable API vs. Not?
,----[ Quote ]
| As Linux supports a larger number of different devices "out of the box" than
| any other operating system, and it supports these devices on more different
| processor architectures than any other operating system, this proven type of
| development model must be doing something right :)
`----
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2007/12/linux_stable_api_vs_not.php
A Vista vs. Linux Matchup
,----[ Quote ]
| Putting aside Apple hardware, where all the software works with
| all the hardware so long as it's all up to the minute, I found
| that MEPIS actually has better hardware support for this PC
| than Vista.
|
| [...]
|
| Adding insult to injury, since DRM protection schemes must
| evolve constantly, to stay ahead of hackers tearing them down,
| I have little doubt that one day you'll come home to find that
| a Vista update to DRM-protection has just locked you out of your
| media collection. You know, the same collection, which had
| worked just fine the day before. Repeat after me: DRM does
| not belong in operating systems.
`----
http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT9325931427.html
Free Linux Driver Development!
,----[ Quote ]
| Yes, that's right, the Linux kernel community is offering all
| companies free Linux driver development. No longer do you have
| to suffer through all of the different examples in the Linux
| Device Driver Kit, or pick through the thousands of example
| drivers in the Linux kernel source tree trying to determine
| which one is the closest to what you need to do.
`----
http://www.kroah.com/log/2007/01/29/#free_drivers
Linux Hardware Support
,----[ Quote ]
| Here's the problem with that argument: Most hardware does not
| work "Out of the box" in Windows. When people say their hardware
| worked "Out of the box" I don't think they are talking about "Out
| of the blue Windows XP box." What I think they mean is "Out of
| the Dell box."
|
| [...]
|
| The catch is that you must buy hardware that is supported by the
| software you intend to run on it. Is this really so unreasonable?
| Would you buy a Sun Spark workstation and try to run Windows on it?
`----
http://www.jeeperscats.com/?p=7
HP all-in-one device works great with Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| Once the ink cartridges have been installed and aligned --
| the unit first prints an alignment page, then scans it to
| check for needed adjustment -- Windows and Mac OS users are
| told to load their respective CDs to install the drivers.
| Linux users can scoff at the intellectual property
| handcuffs imposed on their non-free brothers and sisters
| and simply configure the unit from the friendly confines of their
| distribution.
`----
http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=06/10/03/203206
The Epson Stylus C88 Printer, works in Linux but not in Windows?
,----[ Quote ]
| Now, I'm confused. I installed Ubuntu on a spare machine
| because my printer started printing all wrong. I just
| completed sharing it with CUPS and Samba and what happens?
| It still prints all wrong from Windows!
|
| [...]
|
| Just so you know, I did go back and install the drivers that
| came on the CD-ROM, same problem. I then downloaded the most
| recent drivers from Epson, same problem.
`----
http://hmtk.com/blog/index.php?/archives/82-The-Epson-Stylus-C88-Printer,-works-in-Linux-but-not-in-Windows.html
Are PC Manufacturers Killing Vista ?
,----[ Quote ]
| Certainly the first thing I did with this machine when I returned to work on
| Monday was to get it prepared to be “upgraded” to Windows XP Tablet Edition!
| This movement towards reloading XP is growing fast and is without doubt a
| part of the drive towards consumers switching to OS X and Macs. From my
| personal experience over the last 12 months I have seen at least 6 friends
| and relatives move to Mac and not one of them has regretted it or would ever
| go back to Windows.
|
| I think Microsoft have some serious re-thinking to do. This is a view shared
| by a growing number of industry trend setters. John C Dvorak covers this very
| topic in his recent post entitled The Vista Death Watch.
|
| Certainly makes you glad you switched don’t it ?
`----
http://ukmac.net/2007/11/14/are-pc-manufacturers-killing-vista/
I can use my Conectiv under Linux, but not Vista. Why, again?
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2007/06/29/i-can-use-my-conectiv-under-linux-but-not-vista-why-again/
How Windows Vista almost destroyed my Laptop!
,----[ Quote ]
| DON'T and I mean DO NOT install Windows Vista. If somebody tries to sell you
| Windows Vista then RUN! Windows Vista had due to it's intense
| background-processes heated up my CPU over such a long time to such a high
| temperature that the cooling systems of my laptop started literally FALLING
| APART! For me Windows Vista is nothing more than Malware, Spyware or
| RootKitWare. Let's all hope it either becomes stable within some 14-15
| Service Packs or that it becomes ABANDON-ware.
`----
http://ajaxwidgets.com/Blogs/thomas/how_windows_vista_almost_destr.bb
Beware being ripped by Vista hardware scams
,----[ Quote ]
| He says that as he continues to use Vista, he's discovering more
| problems and not just with graphics applications and monitors.
|
| No. He bought a Linksys wireless print server gizmo under a year
| ago and has discovered that the firm has no plans whatever to
| support it.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37480
|
|
