Letters to the Editor
PCLinuxOS is quite interesting. I run it in dual boot with XP. A serious drawback for Linux in general remains the boot time:
Xp = 15-20 secs. Linux = 1min and more.
I believe that Linux will always stay behind unless the boot time is improved.
John Talbot
Thanks John for sending this letter and I am glad that you find PCLinuxOS interesting. Since installing PCLinuxOS 2007 I have found that the gap in boot times has closed considerably. I think if you stick with the dual boot for awhile you will begin to appreciate all the other benefits of Open Source software versus that of the proprietary types, like cost and the need for fewer resources.
Papawoob
Hi, and thank you for a good and fun magazine, I have made some contributions to the PCLOS hardware database, I really want that you publish my personal review of PCLinuxOS in the next issue. Perhaps this could help some new users in deciding which distro to use.
Thanks,
Jose Cesaro
Thanks for the compliments Jose! Read on to see your review.
Papawoob
Could you write an article on how to install R for Statistical Computing on PCLinuxOS?
Mr. Muchtar Kusuma
As it is not recommended to install packages that are not in the PCLinuxOS repositories, I would suggest to make a request in the Package Suggest section of the main forum.
Papawoob
Ubuntu's Hype is misleading.
What a load of crap. I don't know if I should laugh or cry. I've never seen a more biased appraisal of a Linux distro than this article's 10 out of 10 prefer PCLinuxOS, and 0 out of 10 prefer Ubuntu. Get real. I'm an Opensuse user myself, so I'm not directly mingled into your catfight.
"I'm running a computer institute and I have new, middle and advanced users. People who know Linux very well and those who don't even know "L" of Linux." I smell a rat.
If you want to be considered a serious publication, don't claim objectivity on false pretenses. PCLinuxOSMag is advertisement and service for PCLOS users. Don't try to produce fake or extremely biased "tests" written by "IT professionals". I don't care, if the test is actually carried out or if Anant Gowerdhan is in fact "running a computer institute". It's still a poorly written and biased test.
That's all.
Thank you for your attention
Mads
Thank you for your letter Mads. This article is simply one individual's personal experience, and speaking for the Magazine Staff, we did not publish this article with any ill will intended. Many PCLinuxOS users (myself included) multi-boot Ubuntu (or one of it's derivatives) along with PCLinuxOS. When deciding whether to run this article, I looked at this article as a testimonial of the sort where the testifying individual lists his way through the different distros that he has tried and rejected on his way to why he decided on the one he is testifying about. The Magazine Staff and myself would like to make it clear that it does not matter which version of Linux you use, as long as you use Linux.
Papawoob
Hi Papawoob,
In the attached document, I have some detailed feedback on one of the articles in the last magazine release. I apologize for the length, but I hope you find my comments useful.
Al
Thank you Al, for your comments on the Ubuntu's Hype is Misleading article. I would have loved to publish the entire PDF, but am unable due to space constraints. Your points were well thought out and I will take them into consideration when reviewing articles in the future. We try to edit for readability, while leaving the article as close to the original as possible so as to maintain the Author's style. As I stated in the previous "Letter", I was looking at the article as a testimonial and did not intend any ill-will towards any other distro.
Papawoob
Browsing through all the editions of this magazine published so far, I must say it really is one of a kind! It's really easy and concise, making it perfect for newbies and pros alike. Keep up the good work!
As for PCLinuxOS itself, it's nothing short of a miracle. Having tried lots of different Linux distributions, this has been the only one that really managed to get all of my hardware (laptops, desktops, media centers, etc.) to work properly.
Even my wife wanted it installed on her laptop, since she'd been having problems with malware and viruses as well as sluggishness of the OS lately. PCLinuxOS 2007 to the rescue, her old laptop now seems like a racing machine compared to before and the virus and malware threat is gone now.
I can encourage everyone to try out PCLinuxOS and read through all the editions of this magazine. The word needs to be spread that there finally is a way to escape the monopoly and PCLinuxOS is definitely one of the best ways to do it!
Best regards,
Jay
Thank you very much Jay for your beaming endorsement of both this Magazine and the Development Team. Letters like this are what makes our efforts seem worthwhile.
Papawoob
"Linux is an entire Operating System in itself. What is an Operating System? It is a set of computer programs meant to manage the hardware and software of a computer you want to run."
I had to disagree with you in this matter. Linux is just the KERNEL of your so-called Operating System. Most of the tools, programs, and libraries included to make it a system usable to users are the works of the Free Software Foundation or simply the GNU organization. To call it as an Operating System, GNU/Linux will be the appropriate term.
Edsel Elpedes
Thank you very much for your clarification of this point. The term Linux is often misused in this way.
Papawoob