[Techtalk] "I need to use Windows because ..."

[Scott]

On Fri, 2002-08-09 at 22:32, Akkana wrote:
> A thread on another list inspired this:
> I hear lots of people say "I can't use linux because the apps just
> aren't available", or "... because hardware support is poor", or other
> generalities.  

Wow!  This is a great thread!  I have to say up front that I love Linux,
I am moving the ISP I am running over to it as I replace aging BSD
machines.  I have been going back and forth for years between Windows
and Linux.  I get mad at one or the other and swear to never use it
again.  I know I am being a wimp, but it's those little things when you
need to get something done fast for a client......

1) A way to get MP3's from my machine to the Rio Riot.  I purchased this
20 gig MP3 player in April and the only way to transfer to/from it is
with Real Jukebox via USB in Windows.  The RIO software with most
distro's does not work for the Riot.

2)Odd request, but a mailing list like the Photoshop Discussion List,
only for the Gimp.  The Photoshop list is very good and active with tips
and tricks on how to do effects, web graphics, etc.  I signed up for the
list via the Gimp site and the only thing I get is the monthly reminder
about my membership.  Unless there is another list out there.

3)A good multi-threaded FTP program.  gFTP crashes when I am trying to
transfer gigs of data from the BSD boxes to the new Linux boxes.

4)Home Site.  I have learned to get used to the auto-completion for the
tags as I type them and that really speeds me up.  

Sounds like a lame list, but whenever I am against the clock for a
client I turn on the Windows machine and bang out what I need to do.  

Other problems I had recently have been solved by my tinkering.  CD
burning now takes 9 minutes compared to 22 minutes on the XP box.  I am
a DJ for a radio station at night and archive my show to MP3 every
night, I would boot into Windows and spend a solid hour breaking the
over 1 gig file into one hour chunks, but just solved that one too with
some scripts and an open source app, now takes 5 minutes.

Another question......what distro are most of you using?  I have been a
Mandrake fan, but 8.2 does not allow you to compile by default and I
seem to be having some stability problems.  Their involvement with
United Linux scares me a little, but after I install it I feel like I
have a great machine ready to do what I ask and with a ton of software. 
I had some problems with it on the server and have been using Mandrake
to do web hosting, but I have some odd behavior with that as well.  I
run Mandrake now on my Fujitsu lap top and have been thinking about
walking away from Windows XP on the Sony laptop and thinking Suse 8.0
might be on that one.  

-Scott