From: nospam@dfs.com   
      
   On 1/7/2026 11:13 AM, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:   
   > DFS wrote this post by blinking in Morse code:   
   >   
   >> Douglas Jewell   
   >> Former Computer Technician (1994–2011) Sun   
   >>   
   >> Question   
   >> Why do computer manufacturers not deliver consumer computers installed   
   >> with open source Linux operating systems instead of the Microsoft   
   >> Windows operating system? Does Microsoft pay them to do so?   
   >>   
   >> Jewell's Answer   
   >>   
   >>    
   >   
   > Makes sense.   
   >   
   >> Now, these days there are notebooks sold with a customised Linux - we   
   >> call them Chromebooks. They benefit from the fact that there are better   
   >> online applications, than back in 2007, but they are still quite limited   
   >> compared to a Windows or Mac notebook.   
   >   
   > Not so sure about that. My two grandsons, and all their   
   > classmates, use Chromebooks heavily every day at school.   
      
   As I recall, the very first Chromebooks wouldn't let you save anything   
   locally.  I have to assume they long ago overcame that restriction.   
      
   They're still somewhat locked down vs Windows or other Linux distros,   
   but I did see you can run Android apps and install a "Linux environment"   
   on a Chromebook.   
      
      
      
   > This all is no-shit-sherlock material.   
      
   To us, but not to the 'average' computer user.   
      
   The best part of his answer was the part about him seeing high return   
   rates for Linux netbooks, but putting full-price Windows on them and   
   reselling them like hotcakes as refurbished, with a higher price.   
      
   I wrote a ditty about it 14 years ago.  Remember?   
      
   "N is for netbook, upon which Linux fails   
   The people cried out "We want Windows for sale!"   
   The return rates were high, and for very good reason   
   Lunix slop always was and will be out of season"   
      
   heh!   
      
      
      
      
   > People are fed Windows,   
   > some jump to Macs, some schools and businesses find Chromebooks   
   > (Chrome OS) is a Linux derivative, and some people are savvy   
   > enough to deal with new type of software.   
      
   I learned long ago that only 8 MS-hating, disgruntled advocates on cola   
   are qualified to evaluate operating systems and application software and   
   make the right choice [GuhNoo/Linux of course].  The rest of the world   
   is stupid and brainwashed.   
      
      
   >> MS is doomed   
   >   
   > You sound like a broken record.   
   > You sound like a broken record.   
   >   
   >      MS is doomed   
   >          MS is doomed   
   >              MS is doomed   
   >                  MS is doomed   
   >                      MS is doomed   
   >                          MS is doomed   
   >                              MS is doomed   
   >                                  MS is doomed   
      
      
   It's me against the sustained idiocy of cola, which at least EVERY WEEK   
   sees new "MS is doomed/dying" posts from advocate putzes.   
      
      
      
   > AI Overview   
   >   
   >      Linux has a small but growing share in the desktop OS   
   >      market (around 4-6%), dominating in servers (over 40%),   
   >      supercomputers (100%), and embedded systems, with significant   
   >      developer adoption (around 28% for Ubuntu), showing strong   
   >      momentum in recent years, particularly in the U.S. (crossing   
   >      5% in 2025) and India (over 16%).   
      
      
   I'm digging many if not most of the Google AI overviews and AI mode   
   responses.   
      
   I recently asked Google something like 'bash code to split a sentence   
   into an array' and the AI Overview gave a bunch of good examples,   
   various options, etc.  Far, far better info than a year ago.   
      
   I felt it was even more productive than StackOverflow.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)