Steam for Linux Client Hits Ubuntu Software Center

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[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]it would be nice IF one day linux is as user friendly as an windows PC untill then i cant see the most windows users going over to linux, i have used unbuntu 12.04 and 12.10, had lots of issues , lock ups try and exit some apps, games system locks up, then when it updated its self it locked up lol problems with keeping system stable if i installed something no of these problems i have when windows is installed, so for someone who dont really understand linux then windows wins everytime.. i agree linux has come a long way but it still has miles to go, down vote because some people dont like the truth makes me laff too, so you'll have to carry on living in the dream world for quite abit longer.[/citation]

Well, I found Linux not too difficult to learn how to use easily enough. I think that the average person can learn how to do most basic stuff that they'd do on a Windows system pretty quickly. For example, I've people can usually find and use the web browser just fine and that's easily the most important usage aspect so long as they know how to do a web search. At that point, the most that most people are likely to need to do is look for an office suite and such.

Windows mostly wins for the average person because it is generally set up by default when it comes to OEM and otherwise pre-built systems. I'd bet that for people whom mostly use the web browser and other such basic software, IE the average user, it wouldn't take more than a few minutes to get most such users well-acquainted with using a Linux distro such as Ubuntu.

[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]oh dont think you cant get virus/scams using linux to.https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Linuxvirus[/citation]

I haven't read all of the comments yet, so please forgive this stroke of laziness in asking, but did anyone really past a comment here saying that they thought that Linux can't get malware?
 
the part that puts most people off is when they have to start typing commands, like i said befor i dont mind linux once ya have it setup correctly i am far from being anywhere near an linux expert , for everyone i asked about unbuntu they want windows as they think for them its better and easier to use. you can hammer on as much as you like about how great linux is, it still dont change the minds of the standard user. look how simple things have to be made for the masses to want to buy/use these things .. linux is NOT simple for normal people who dont want to change there habbits .,... look at windows 8 ..
 
the way to swing things in linux is to put linux pc's in masses in schools let the kids learn how to use it, then they will have a better idea between windows and linux, most us older people are too set in our ways, im sure you can understand that?
 
the virus / scam was pointed out because marshsmello said

"I like win7 but have no patience left for all that malware, viruses, scams, frauds. I'm willing to learn some new things in order not to become a shearing sheep to mobsters."

your are not invulnerable just because you move to linux
 
[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]quote You must not have used Ubuntu forl years, Ubuntu will tell you that there are proprietary drivers for your video card and ask if you want them installed. You click yes and confirm with your password then it does the rest. It updates just as easily as windows or OS X too.yea i know, but can someone who never used linux get on with it ? all i can say is what they tell me and they would rather have windows .. why dont you people like that ? make me laff you lot.[/citation]
Of course it's a lot easier of Windows than on Linux. Let'sw see...

Windows: We have to identify the graphics card installed on our system, open up the browser and the chip manufacturers homepage, search for the driver, download the driver and then install it by clicking several times on the mouse button to go though the wizard, and then restart the system.

Linux: The OS will notify you that there are hardware drivers available. You simply click on the notification, then click on the activate button, insert you password, and then restart your computer when you're done. It's very complicated, you have to be a genius just figure out these steps, but to execute them you have to be very gifted.
 
next you be telling me windows is harder to use than Linux, this the fact point click run simple even idiot proof , windows is ten times plus more friendly to the masses than Linux. don't like it ? well that's not my fault now is it lmfao ?
 
Why recommend Ubuntu to new Linux users, and not Linux Mint? The Unity interface suffers from exactly the same condition as Windows 8 - the whole searching for programs and knowing what they are called, which is a throwback to DOS days. Mint includes all the proprietry stuff, and has an interface much more windows like than Windows 8. Since Windows 8 has appeared on the scene, I've recommended people switch to Linux Mint 14. Previously I would have told them to use Windows 7, as I felt Linux wasn't quite ready for the average non power user, but with the advances Mint has made, and the retrograde steps Windows 8 has made, it really is a no-brainer. Libre Office is fine for home / small business users (in fact anyone who doesn't have a load of complicated stuff tied up in Excel), plus Microsoft Office is not only expensive, but since the ribbon interface farce, and now the latest 2013 version, has become dog ugly and confusing for some people. Steam on Linux is an important step forward.
 
agreed steam on linux is a major step forward for (gamers) linux , its just not going to be the end all that some people seem to believe. and thats because windows has been around to long now so give up on the crap windows is dead lol
 
the day any form of linux is as user friendly including all the apps and games i paid for with windows work 100% as good with linux and its still free will be the day im converted ... not holding my breath though lol
 
[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]the part that puts most people off is when they have to start typing commands, like i said befor i dont mind linux once ya have it setup correctly i am far from being anywhere near an linux expert , for everyone i asked about unbuntu they want windows as they think for them its better and easier to use. you can hammer on as much as you like about how great linux is, it still dont change the minds of the standard user. look how simple things have to be made for the masses to want to buy/use these things .. linux is NOT simple for normal people who dont want to change there habbits .,... look at windows 8 ..[/citation]

Why input command line commands? That isn't necessary for anything that the average users are likely to do and even for most that they're not likely to do.

Windows 8 was poorly received not just because people didn't want to change their habits (although that was undoubtedly a large part of it), but also because it's default UI doesn't make a lot of sense in many ways. For example, you wouldn't have any clue about how to get any of the side bars and such in Windows 8 without knowing about them before trying to navigate (such as if you looked them up or someone else told you) or screwing around on the desktop until you accidentally come across them.

With many Linux distributions, things aren't like that. The same can be said about Windows 7, but that's beside the point. It most certainly can be quite simple and strait-forward with distributions such as Mint and many more. I'm not "hammering on" that we should all switch to Linux or anything like that. I'm simply saying that for the average user's needs such as web browsing and office work, there are many Linux distributions that are no worse than Windows for pretty much everything. The option is not only there, but it is feasible and has been for some time.

[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]the way to swing things in linux is to put linux pc's in masses in schools let the kids learn how to use it, then they will have a better idea between windows and linux, most us older people are too set in our ways, im sure you can understand that?[/citation]

Yes, I understand that. Without Linux being brought to their faces, they won't hear much about it, let alone do anything with it. That's not just out of not wanting to change, but simply out of not having a need to change and for many, not knowing that the option is even there.

[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]the virus / scam was pointed out because marshsmello said"I like win7 but have no patience left for all that malware, viruses, scams, frauds. I'm willing to learn some new things in order not to become a shearing sheep to mobsters."your are not invulnerable just because you move to linux[/citation]

You're not invulnerable, but you're a lot closer to it in the sense that there's a lot less malware targeted at you.

[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]next you be telling me windows is harder to use than Linux, this the fact point click run simple even idiot proof , windows is ten times plus more friendly to the masses than Linux. don't like it ? well that's not my fault now is it lmfao ?[/citation]

No, Windows is not so much more user-friendly for the masses. For people who'd need to work with stuff like WINE to get going on Linux such as gamers and many professionals, it'd be a hassle, but for people who just do basic stuff such as browse the web, use office suites, and such, Linux is no worse than Windows if you choose the right distribution. It actually can be easier when it comes to drivers so long as there are Linux drivers for what you need. If you use Windows, you may have to hunt them down whereas many Linux distributions don't need you to hunt them down. Heck, even somewhat more difficult distributions such as Tinycore are better about this in that all you have to do is go to their repository (of which there is an icon right on its *task bar*).

[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]look this says it all what people want ... it just seems you think other wises , although i dont know how true this is but seem about right but no dout you will disagree lolhttps://www.google.co.uk/search?q=l [...] 24&bih=604[/citation]

Market share has never been a measure of anything other than market share. MS is a huge company out to make money. They advertise and almost all OEM computers come with Windows. That's not proof of Windows being better nor worse; that is merely proof of Windows almost being presented as the only option.

[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]agreed steam on linux is a major step forward for (gamers) linux , its just not going to be the end all that some people seem to believe. and thats because windows has been around to long now so give up on the crap windows is dead lol[/citation]

That, I can agree with. Most people aren't likely to switch to Linux unless they have good reason to. Linux being an option is not good reason to switch unless what they're currently using, Windows, is incapable of doing the job adequately. Even Windows 8 has proven to be a viable gaming platform once you get over the different UI or customize it to something you find more preferable and the large numbers of XP, Vista, and 7 gamers aren't likely to switch either. Windows will probably be around for a long time. Steam running natively on Linux is a step forward for Linux, but it's not like Steam is everything and even if it was, so long as Windows does the job, there's not much motivation to go through the trouble of switching operating systems or using a dual-boot system to do what a single system that you already have is capable of.
 


You've yet to provide serious examples for why you think that Linux is necessarily so little user-friendly. Other than not being 100% compatible with Windows, what is so unfriendly about it? You've mentioned command line several times, but I don't see why. I hardly ever use it for anything and when I do, it's only because I want to or I'm doing something that isn't normally done (such as installing VMWare Player on a distro that isn't officially supported). I can understand not wanting to use it because of games and such not always being easy to set up, but that's not an issue for the average user, nor is the command line.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that anyone switch unless they have good reason to, I'm just saying that the average user shouldn't have a problem so long as they're given a distro that has a decent UI. There are many that have a decent UI.
 
[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]the day any form of linux is as user friendly including all the apps and games i paid for with windows work 100% as good with linux and its still free will be the day im converted ... not holding my breath though lol[/citation]

Who cares what you do? My grandmother can't use email, it's too complicated for her. She won't use it until it's simple enough. Or more likely she'll die first.

You're like my grandmother. Less useful, less productive, less adaptive. You don't need to be converted. Stick with what you know. Let's see who wins.
 
lol i dont care too, mate look at market share. says it all what people want. what you think and i think makes no odds, sales do. lol but you the experts not me lol.
 
and i cant just see everyone dumping windows just because linux can run some games on steam lmfao you lot or should i say people like you live in a dream world.
 
thing you need to take into account is how much software people already own that runs on windows based pc's and how much money they have spent on their software, that linux wont run, maybe run some under wine but thats hardly perfect now is it . so these people are going to throw out all their paid for software to use free software on linux are they ? i dont think so some how. but i know someone on here will beg to differ lol
 
[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]next you be telling me windows is harder to use than Linux, this the fact point click run simple even idiot proof , windows is ten times plus more friendly to the masses than Linux. don't like it ? well that's not my fault now is it lmfao ?[/citation]
That is because most people buy computers from an OEM with Windows pre-installed with all drivers up and running. Most people wouldn't know what to do if they had to install windows from the ground up.
Also don't blame the OS on your own shortcomings. I've seen elderly people using linux (my mother included) without any kind of difficulty. Why do they adapt very easily to Linux? Because most of them never used a computer, so they come with their slates clean. That is unlike a windows user like your self that expects everything to be identical to Windows, and if something isn't on the place you expected to be in Windows then you claim it's harder.
 
[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]agreed steam on linux is a major step forward for (gamers) linux , [/citation]

Love to know how.. all i do on my pc is game.. Not once have i thought about moving to linux for gaming, nor will steam on linux bring me anything to my gaming experience..

The only thing steam will do for games on linux is for the people out there who use linux in the first place.. and the last time i used steam was when half life first came out. havent used it since have no reason to. Any game that requires me to sign upto some stupid site, steam , uplay etc just to play a game doesnt get my custom.
 
[citation][nom]stevevnicks[/nom]the day any form of linux is as user friendly including all the apps and games i paid for with windows work 100% as good with linux and its still free will be the day im converted ... not holding my breath though lol[/citation]
That will never happen, for the same reason you can't run the same Linux/Mac OS apps and games on Windows. Even though Wine has come a long way it will never be 100% compatible with Windows.
 
pmsl ?

quote
Also don't blame the OS on your own shortcomings. I've seen elderly people using linux (my mother included) without any kind of difficulty. Why do they adapt very easily to Linux? Because most of them never used a computer, so they come with their slates clean. That is unlike a windows user like your self that expects everything to be identical to Windows, and if something isn't on the place you expected to be in Windows then you claim it's harder

okie dokie mate you keep telling your self that lmfao
 
well i've give ya all somit to pick on me about because you say its this lol woohoo real experts on here .. iwas just pointing out the issues what wrong with that lol not my fault you dont like it pmsl ..not laffed so much in a long while still lol.
 
quote



Love to know how.. all i do on my pc is game.. Not once have i thought about moving to linux for gaming, nor will steam on linux bring me anything to my gaming experience..

The only thing steam will do for games on linux is for the people out there who use linux in the first place..

spot on fella. but becareful they gang up on ya in here if ya tell them how it really is.

better add ,thats why i put " Gamers(linux)"

guess some people cant admit they are not always right? (not saying i am but its facts lol)
 
@stevenicks

A wise fellow once remarked that "....all operating systems suck - they just do so in different ways."

IF I played many games, especially the biggest/baddest/fastest/latest shoot-em-up, MMORPG, what have you, I'd surely have a Win7 box (I abhor multi-boot, although I'm fine with virtual machines (problem being that vm's don't get automagic access to any of the host's video cards)).
For my simple game playing, mostly Civ V and Silent Hunter 4, along with the Amnesia games and some other Humble Indie Bundle stuff, using Crossover XI on my Ubuntu 12.10 64-bit sys works fine.
Many people find that Windows is "easier" for them, especially when one factors in that that's all they're familiar with. Many of them do have problems, which they accept as normal: peripatetic updates (one reason I highly recommend Secunia'a Personal Software Inspector), infections (often caused by PEBKAC) and a few assorted gotchas which happen to most of us anyway.
OTOH, I've moved a half-dozen or so people to a Linux distro for personal and business use, when that use co-incides nicely with what's on offer. Apart from some specialized biz apps, a Linux distro works just fine for most all office stuff. And for many, who mostly surf, email, maybe some chat, watch TV or listen to music, Ubuntu and others work just fine. They like it fine.
Can a Linux install get bit by malware? Most definitely - a few rootkits in particular can be nasty. Luckily, of the 70 or so known viruses (a lumpen definition), all have been patched, ditto for the rootkits (although, if memory serves, a careless user can still fall prey to one or two of them - then it's rescue your files, wipe the drive, re-install, just as on Windows) Using an anti-virus app on Linux is mostly done to protect Windows users when sharing files and documents.
I moved entirely to Linux three years back in part because I got tired of the drag of maintenance. Even with PSI, Soluto, and other stuff, just doing updates could be a tedious process. With Ubuntu, for instance, it's a few mouse clicks and entering my password. I'm getting old and lazy, and don't wish to spend more time than necessary to admin my system.
That said, yeah, I've had my share of problems with Linux. As with any modern OS, everything works just fine - until it doesn't. Then it's hair-pullin', head-bangin', invent new cuss words all kinds of 'ain't computers fun' hell.
Apart from a quibble or three, I expect were mostly in agreement on this stuff. When reasonable people talk reasonably about OSes, they understand that wise fellows statement and just get on with it.
 
phew thought the next comment was going to rip my head off lol , we like what we like that simple really.
 
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