dell says bye bye to Linux

[Nicholas DeBord]

Well. A priori. I'm a dedicated legacy OS person. I cut my teeth on
command line DOS and then WIN 3.xx (these days that means WFWG 3.11). I drew
the line at WIN9x. Hate that beast with a true passion, but because it is 
the 800 pound gorilla, I have to find some way to accomodate it in the 
future.

So, here is the rub. Linux is a real PITA. Capital PITA. Unbelievably techie 
and that is bad. I say that because I was a techie in the DOS years. People 
came to me to do this or that thing that they couldn't do because they were 
not computer nerds. Like me.

I'm no longer interested in being the nerd of the moment. Youse guys have 
inherited that title. Too bad for you, I'm afraid. Because you have also 
inherited a mantle of leadership.

So, here is the point of all this. I want to run Linux. But I no longer want 
to be techie about it. I do not care to learn all the command line tricks of 
the trade. With that opinion, I am now no better than your average newbie 
who can't figure out what an enter key is. <sly grin>

I also do not ever want to run a modern version of MR BILL's monopoly OS.

So. This is what I want. I want a flawless, newbie-proof distribution of 
Linux. In it I want what all MS junkies require. I want WINE up and running 
with MS OFFICE capability. I want, because I am a dinosaur, DOSemu 
capability without having to compile this or that obscure nonsense. Just so 
I can run my ancient apps.

What I don't want to hear is any techie superiority. The writing is on the 
wall for Linux to my mind. I can say that because I've been around since CPM 
and have seen Operating Systems come and go. Either get transparent or 
vanish. And since the apps come in MS flavors (be they DOS or WINDOZE), live 
with it or kick the bucket.

just my two cents worth.

Nick