Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
When I first used Ubuntu, it was version 9.04. WOW! It reminded me of what Red Had v.2 had - no nonsense, solid, stable, but Ubuntu had a strong update for today. Apple is losing its base with computers, I live in an area of Apple country. After Leopard and Snow Leopard release, the Apple-lifers started looking for something else. This is not just one or two, folks are not happy with Apple. Because of this attitude, I cannot understand the success of iToys. The problem is not the backbone of the software which is excellent, it is the layout and attitude of the designers.
Microsoft got scared and formatted Windows 7 similar to iMac on steroids. This is the worst mistake in design since the “Blue Screen” crash on the release of Windows by Bill Gates (April 20, 1998, at COMDEX.) The Windows 7 engine is excellent, if anyone can use it other than some twelve-year-old. It is built upon Windows 2000. Again, an excellent engine, but with designers’ ego in the way.
Ubuntu was poised to take over the market on April 23rd, 2009. Yes, there were some back-end issues that needed addressing. Instead of improving the engine-side (the kernel), Ubuntu went off on tangents, as did the big boys. Ubuntu 10.04 and 10.10 were slow, and prone to lockup and crashes. The bells and whistles were overwhelming the foundations of Ubuntu.
The newest release, Ubuntu 11.04 with Unity, is destroying the underpinnings of Ubuntu. I backed down to version 9.04 from 10.10. I am staying here until Ubuntu and Canonical return to what was being attempted - a solid working engine for computers in open source. I have publicly proclaimed such, and will load 9.04 and continue teaching new users the workings of Ubuntu. I will not load or use the later releases.
The new toys added since 9.04 may have been added in order to help Canonical or some of the design folks to have larger bank accounts. Whatever the reasoning, good, bad, or indifferent, the results are not good. In the Full Circle Podcast, episode #19, the comment was made that Ubuntu was losing its support in hopes of gaining Windows and possibly iMac users. I am sorry that a specific quote cannot be given, the ramblings of the podcast were hard to follow. Saying this, it is still an excellent tool to use. The podcast needs to be only tightened, not scrubbed - good job.
It should be encouraged that all of the availabilities (repositories) of version 9.04 be re-opened, and that if software is being designed, a stable version for 9.04 be included. As a second step for release 12, the version 11 ideas should be scrapped as a bad dream, and re-building from version 9 should recommence. But let us not abandon these ideas, read on.
What about all the new toys in 10 and 11?
A simple fix is to have these as either tangent versions of Ubuntu, or as add-ons for those who wish such features. The ability of backing away from such features should be easy and painless.
The whole digital field is expanding in almost every direction almost at the speed of sound. A platform that is rock-steady and dependable, such as Ubuntu 9.04, should be the basis of future releases. One person’s great idea is another person’s Hell. I still miss my IBM Selectric typewriter. I am now looking for a replacement for the one I sold.
Designing for the future
This is what I believe users wish from their computers: • Faster service and usage. • Dependable service and longevity. • Security from spying and other back-door espionage by outsiders and software providers. • A Common-sense approach to software layout, and at least relevant information about the software easily provided.
Yes, this may dip into the profits of some by having Ubuntu come back to its roots. From this sound building block of an always improved 9.04 Ubuntu, the other features are now the simple option of each user choosing instead of someone deciding to cram something down the throats of others.
How can software be designed?
Let us remember how many of the old DOS packages were made. They were totally self-contained with only the need to add tentacles into the operating system. Yes, the old ways will not work today, but the idea is solid, totally self-contained software packages with something that is a new version of the old DLL files linking to the operating system.
Let us always remember
The end-user always has the final no. It appears that version 11 is failing, let’s not have Ubuntu fail also because of some bad decisions by the developers on how the new features will be made available. The Windows and Mac users are starting to understand open source. It is surprising how many computers have free software such as OpenOffice as a replacement or parallel to Microsoft Office. The time has come for Linux, if Linux and Ubuntu will provide the foundation.
If desktop computers are going to survive, they have to be fast with the software, not an obstacle to fight. The real success in software will be when software is designed to fit into the world-view of each user, not the developers. Just as in days past when computers were slow and cumbersome, they have again returned to being slow and cumbersome - not from technical issues, but from the poor design and egos of developers who have great ideas and little world experience. By working together we shall have the best system for everyone. The miracles of design in some of the software is unbelievable, the weakness is not allowing the professionals in each field the opportunity to design the layout.