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

[Poppy]

On Sun, 2002-08-11 at 10:45, Suzi Anvin wrote:

<SNIP>
> Laptops are a bit of a moving target, and that makes it harder for the 
> developers to keep up with every firmware oversight and shortcut and 
> every wierd piece of specialized hardware laptops use.  I understand the 
> problem, and am willing to work around it, but that does not make it not 
> exist.  It is a weakness on Linux, and even when working closely with 
> developers, sometimes I can't get everything to work.  I still use 
> Linux, I still usually prefer it to windows or I wouldn't be here trying 
> to make things work.  But Linux is very much a work in progress and 
> there are things that just aren't up to speed yet.  If it was, we could 
> all go home...  :)

If admittedly, laptops are a difficult platform because they are a
moving target, wouldn't it be infinity more fair to say that the problem
is not with Linux, but with hardware manufacturers not investing
resources in open source to get the hardware working correctly? Why are
you assuming that the entire responsibility lies on the community, when
we should be making the hardware manu. at least partially responsible
for making sure the hardware will work. If I buy a mouse from BrandX
Perhipherals, and it doesn't work on my Windows machine, is that
Microsoft's problem, or BrandX's problem?

--Poppy


-- 
Poppy,
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