Doubting the capability of windows

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the comparative capabilities of Windows and Linux operating systems, particularly in relation to tasks such as mounting virtual CDs. Participants explore the advantages and disadvantages of each platform, touching on usability, software availability, and the underlying philosophies of the operating systems.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant argues that Linux allows users to easily mount virtual CDs with simple shell commands, suggesting this is a limitation of Windows.
  • Another participant counters that Windows provides access to a wide range of software, presenting this as a fair trade-off against Linux's built-in capabilities.
  • A third participant claims that while Windows may be inferior as an operating system, it is superior as a platform due to its established ecosystem that supports developers.
  • One post raises the issue of Microsoft’s pricing strategy, implying that it extracts more money from consumers compared to Linux.
  • Another participant defends Microsoft’s pricing by comparing it to the automotive industry, suggesting that higher prices often correlate with better quality products.
  • One participant critiques Microsoft's proprietary nature, arguing that it limits users' understanding of the system's internals, while suggesting that Linux may provide more transparency.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the merits and drawbacks of Windows versus Linux, with no consensus reached on which operating system is superior overall. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of proprietary software versus open-source alternatives.

Contextual Notes

Participants express various assumptions about user preferences, software availability, and the implications of proprietary versus open-source systems. The discussion does not resolve these assumptions or the broader implications of the operating systems' philosophies.

Saint
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put cd in drive
assuming your cdrom is at /dev/cdrom
cat /dev/cdrom > /songs.iso
makes image

to load image, decide where you want it to be,
say /mnt/image1
mkdir /mnt/image1
mount -o loop /songs.iso /mnt/image1

the contents of the cdrom will be at /mnt/image1


As you can see, in linux, just a few commands in Shell, you can mount virtual CD. You do not need a specific software to do it.

But, we can't do this in Windows.
Isn't it Windows a handicap compared to linux ?


 
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Linux adds those basic tasks by default...windows gives you access to almost all of the software made the world over.

It's a pretty fair trade-off, IMO.
 
Yes windows the OS is inferior to Linux the OS, but Windows the platform is superior to Linux the platform in the general case.

Its sort of like Rome was a great civilization but it wasn't Caligula or Nero or Tiberius that made it that way. It was the society that could protect the artists and engineers from having to be farmers and soldiers so that they could advance the culture. MS provides a platform under which the developers don't have to reinvent the wheel every time they write a program. These days, linux does that too, but MS already has all the power. Oh well, so did Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero.
 
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MS squeezes more $$$ from consumers' pockets, right ?
 
Most companies that survive in the long run charge money for their product.

Microsoft charges for it's product. So do automakers. Most of the time, the more expensive auto makers deliver a better product.

I think that's the case with Msoft...they charge money for their product, but in many ways it is the best os you can buy.

Just like BMW charges more for their cars when compared to Ford, microsoft charges more for their OS when compared to other brands. Because theirs works best, with more. Period.
 
Basic MS philosophy is still: 1 butt = 1 chargeable customer.

MS works as a collective of partnerships surrounding the Mother System. The partners (software companies, for example) must answer to MS. This helps in a way, but making it work is not trivial. Once you click somebody's icon to do something (or invoke it indirectly) the ball goes into their court. Help might be in Kuala Lumpur.

the biggie: Windows is 100% proprietary and only real sharpers within the customer base are going to figure out how it works under the hood. MS presumes for everybody what and how they are supposed to do stuff. But I stick with it, because I am lazy. So if I can't figure out quickly how to do something, I don't do it. I suspect Linux has it all over Windows in this respect (meaning, telling the internals of the system).
 

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