AfterDawn: News

Sentences passed down on 'world's biggest' software pirates

11 pirates, considered the "world's biggest" software pirates, have been sentenced to jail time today by the Futian People's Court in Shenzhen, China.

The group were 'ringleaders' in a counterfeiting syndicate that specialized in 'high-quality' fake Microsoft software. It is estimated that the pirates manufactured over $2 billion USD worth of counterfeits.



The sentences, the longest ever for intellectual property crimes in China, ranged from 1 year to 6.5.

The counterfeits were found in 36 separate countries on five continents and were produced in at least 11 languages.

The Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) was responsible for tracking down the pirates and the bureau claims "tens of thousands" of buyers verified the software was fake using Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 1 Jan 2009 20:25

• Previous article

• Time Warner and Viacom settle over fees

• Next article

• Microsoft Zune bug 'fixed'

• 32 comments

• bryston

  Is this going to be a regular event, or just a photo op shoot ?
  
  
  Jo

  1.1.2009 21:20 #1

• sn0m

  Well if microsoft will charge you as much as you make in a year, you will buy pirate copies, wouldn't you.
  However I hope people will realise that there's linux out there that will do almost everything that the average Joe does with his computer and no need to buy pirate copies.

  1.1.2009 21:43 #2

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by sn0m: Well if microsoft will charge you as much as you make in a year, you will buy pirate copies, wouldn't you.
  However I hope people will realise that there's linux out there that will do almost everything that the average Joe does with his computer and no need to buy pirate copies.
  Despite the stability of Linux (most distros), it is still NOT for even the slightly more techie than avg end users. Until it's made totally friendly for all users, it's really not an alternative.

  1.1.2009 22:06 #3

• joe777

  Quote:Originally posted by sn0m: Well if microsoft will charge you as much as you make in a year, you will buy pirate copies, wouldn't you.
  However I hope people will realise that there's linux out there that will do almost everything that the average Joe does with his computer and no need to buy pirate copies.
  Despite the stability of Linux (most distros), it is still NOT for even the slightly more techie than avg end users. Until it's made totally friendly for all users, it's really not an alternative.If you are talking about driver support for linux, with certain hardware. Then ahl give you that. But you obviously have never tried using any flavour of linux, have you now?
  Try downloading a live distro of say, ubuntu, suse, fedora, debian or a similar desktop USER FRIENDLY OS. Then you will realise, that you should not have made that comment. Now please dont make another comment, misinforming the rest of the readers, please.
  
  Folks, Ubuntu is 1 of the most user friendly OS's available.there are tons and tons of software that come with the distro's. If your looking for more software, all you would need to do is open SYNAPTIC PACKAGE MANAGER search for the prog and tick the box for installation, then apply. What you get then is a community supplied prog that is clean,free and relatively bug free and supported by the community with a ton of forums to go along with it. you do not get that from microshaft now do you.
  Very very very easy to work with, especially for the complete novice.

  1.1.2009 22:53 #4

• Shegax

  Quote:Despite the stability of Linux (most distros), it is still NOT for even the slightly more techie than avg end users. Until it's made totally friendly for all users, it's really not an alternative.
  
  
  I agree with you. It's not currently in the state of a decent replacement. However When it does become that simple (and linux is getting better and better every year) I'm sure linux will become a formidable movement. Alot of us hope that mabey one day it will be that easy to use....until then the pirates reign.

  1.1.2009 22:57 #5

• Smurff

  mandrake isn't a bad distro (atleast it wasn't the last time i used it.)
  

  
  
  
  
  
  Lotz of Gamez, couldn't fit them all, all are legit retail, hit me up or look at MGC if u wanna know

  1.1.2009 23:45 #6

• Hopium

  Originally posted by Smurff: mandrake isn't a bad distro (atleast it wasn't the last time i used it.)lol mandrake doesnt exist anymore its mandriva now and it kinda fell out
  
  until linux has easier accessibility such as getting rid of installing packages manually and the whole sudo crap and gets better support for drivers. otherwise i would use it but currently there is no support for my wireless usb adapter and streaming media to my 360 via linux became more of a hassle then it was worth

  2.1.2009 00:06 #7

• joe777

  Whats that smell?????????
  Is it cow? no wait.......... its bullshit.
  Try using linux first before commenting on how difficult or accessible it is!!!!!!!!!!!All that sudo crap indeed. pmsl
  Are there some microshaft reps in today?
  Difficult to stream media. The tears from laughing are streaming down my face. he he he
  All in good fun eh newbies.
  Stay lucky.

  2.1.2009 00:45 #8

• Hopium

  thats the attitude to have

  2.1.2009 00:51 #9

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by Hopium: thats the attitude to have
  Real piece of work Linux freak there, huh? Not even really worth the effort to try arguing with if he's gonna be so self-righteous, unreasonable and otherwise obnoxiously rude!

  2.1.2009 04:18 #10

• lecsiy

  Linux is brilliant, innovative easy to use.
  When it works
  
  Quote:If you are talking about driver support for linux, with certain hardware. Then ahl give you that. But you obviously have never tried using any flavour of linux, have you now? Thats a huge thing your just skimming over there joe.
  Until you can install Linux on every current laptop and have EASY TO INSTALL drivers. It is not in any way a viable mainstream alternative.
  Try getting the average Joe to even contemplate using ndiswrapper to configure and set up his average security enabled wireless.
  
  Until that's a possibility. Pirates Rein.
  
  Lecsiy
  
  (This is coming from someone that has tried most distros out there, and is happily using linux mint(a Ubuntu based distro))

  2.1.2009 08:34 #11

• TheftAuto

  joe777, you are a linux fanboy.
  
  I can use ubuntu second nature, but if I was to try to get my other 3 members of the household to use it....like my dad, mom, or brother...I would have to start showing them how to do stuff daily.
  
  You are really naive if you think any linux distro is "user friendly" for the average user. You have no idea how many people use computers and are not computer literate...no idea. If the massive amounts of people were even somewhat computer literate, I would be out of a job.

  2.1.2009 10:47 #12

• creaky

  Let's not turn this News item into a linux flamewar please.
  Of course there's many flavours of linux out there, some very easy and some pointlessly difficult with lots in between. I'm not the stereotypical *nix person ie i don't fling insults at every turn so please let's follow my lead and keep the thread civil.
  

  
  gif created by phantom69, he's a good lad
  Forum Rules - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/2487
  'Verbatim Taiyo Yuden', vanilla Verbatim, vanilla Taiyo Yuden & RICOHJPNR03 are the ONLY media allowed near my Burners/standalone players
  

  2.1.2009 11:33 #13

• beltline

  Originally posted by TheftAuto: joe777, you are a linux fanboy.
  
  I can use ubuntu second nature, but if I was to try to get my other 3 members of the household to use it....like my dad, mom, or brother...I would have to start showing them how to do stuff daily.
  
  You are really naive if you think any linux distro is "user friendly" for the average user. You have no idea how many people use computers and are not computer literate...no idea. If the massive amounts of people were even somewhat computer literate, I would be out of a job.Agreed

  2.1.2009 11:35 #14

• joe777

  Ok ok ok. I was a little sharp with my comments and I appologise.
  Sometimes there are folks who have not tried linux and persist in saying how difficult it is to work with when they have not given it a whirl. That really annoys me. If the average user would use linux then the 3rd party driver support would increase ten fold. Dell have realised also that linux is dynamite compared with windoze and are selling pc's and notebooks with linux pre-installed.
  Ah mean hell, I still use windoze with my Digital Audio Workstation, cause my EMU 1820 with patchmix, isn't supported in linux yet, dam!!!!!
  But for the noob that wants to surf, read email, watch or listen to media, rip cd's/dvd's, play with graphics and most importantly, run a system that is virtually virus free and use'e the power of your hardware wisely. Then its a no brainer. Use linux.
  The nieghbours from me are using ubuntu(thanks to me I might add) they are all very new to the personal computer and had trouble with vista. The fact that there pc was a tad underpowered did not help. The shop keeper told them he could upgrade there pc with more ram. I upgraded their pc with ubuntu and now there's plenty of headroom. Windoze deserves to be pirated. For gain or not!!

  2.1.2009 12:23 #15

• varnull

  Quote:Originally posted by sn0m: Well if microsoft will charge you as much as you make in a year, you will buy pirate copies, wouldn't you.
  However I hope people will realise that there's linux out there that will do almost everything that the average Joe does with his computer and no need to buy pirate copies.
  Despite the stability of Linux (most distros), it is still NOT for even the slightly more techie than avg end users. Until it's made totally friendly for all users, it's really not an alternative.Obviously never tried any linux at all.. still bashing the M$ mantra that linux isn't user friendly.. actually with far better out of the box hardware support.. 99% of software installable legally and free with the click of the mouse and automatically configured and set up.. were is user unfriendly?.. To the full time linux user it's that closed down, locked in proprietary malware ridden clunky obsolete old fashioned crap peddled by the bankrupt minds at redmond to the hordes of drooling morons they have created that is user unfriendly...
  
  The "no drivers" argument is just as invalid.. I boot sabayon on fista laptops to find out what hardware they have in them... guess what.. unlike xp or fista it just works without pissing about finding this driver.. or guessing if that driver will work.. or having to make my own custom version of an M$ installer disk with specific added drivers just to run a sata hdd. hahahahahaha what a bunch of retards.. I say UP THE PIRATES.. because they have done well out of all you n00bs XD
  
  I'm with you joe.. they haven't ever tried anything different.. they haven't seen the light.. Let them have their windows7 and yet more malware spyware and drm.. I'm almost crying with laughter at them here too :lolololol: I wouldn't even bother to pirate windows.. it's not suitable for purpose !!!

  2.1.2009 16:26 #16

• joe777

  Thanks for the support varnull. Thought I was on my own there. Ah suppose I kind of hyjacked the thread, sorry mods.For the folks that want to try linux before installing. Then choose your flavour from the list of live distro's and give it a whirl
  
  http://www.livecdlist.com/
  
  Runs straight off cd / dvd / usb . Has nothing to do with your HDD.
  Then if you like it, click install. Also installing linux is a breeze.

  2.1.2009 17:01 #17

• borhan9

  Quote:The sentences, the longest ever for intellectual property crimes in China, ranged from 1 year to 6.5.
  
  The counterfeits were found in 36 separate countries on five continents and were produced in at least 11 languages.
  
  The Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) was responsible for tracking down the pirates and the bureau claims "tens of thousands" of buyers verified the software was fake using Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage.Wow what a hefty but deserved punishment handed down to these 11 nutters. Just imagine if they could make them available in so many countries and in different languages why couldn't they just do it the legit way, i know there is less money it in that way but at least u know u wont get busted for it.
  
  Goes to show "Crime doesn't pay" :P

  2.1.2009 18:39 #18

• xnonsuchx

  Quote:Wow what a hefty but deserved punishment handed down to these 11 nutters. Just imagine if they could make them available in so many countries and in different languages why couldn't they just do it the legit way, i know there is less money it in that way but at least u know u wont get busted for it.
  
  Goes to show "Crime doesn't pay" :P
  Well, at least it's not automatic death penalty like other non-violent crimes in China. Death penalty for computer viruses and SPAM Emails might not be a bad idea, though!

  3.1.2009 20:10 #19

• xnonsuchx

  Originally posted by varnull: Quote:Despite the stability of Linux (most distros), it is still NOT for even the slightly more techie than avg end users. Until it's made totally friendly for all users, it's really not an alternative.Obviously never tried any linux at all.. still bashing the M$ mantra that linux isn't user friendly..
  Wow! What a massively incorrect assumption! For the record, I abhore M$ and have used Linux (Ubuntu, SuSe, Red Hat, Fedora, Debian and maybe a few others) for several years. I still stand behind what I claimed because I've worked a lot with avg end users and am NOT going to blindly and foolishly assume that just because I find something easy to deal with that they will.
  
  Sure! Everyone should download one or more of the 'liveCD' distros to test it out, but you do realize a good percentage of avg end users don't even know how to boot from CD/DVD, right, let alone burn a downloaded disc image file?
  
  I don't have a link handy, but one computer testing group demoed Ubuntu (8) to avg people on the street about 3-4 mos. ago to see what they thought and over 90% said they disliked it after using it to browse the Internet and use OpenOffice and only 3% actually seemed interested in using it.
  
  Yes, this is all too bad, but unfortunately true.

  3.1.2009 20:36 #20

• lecsiy

  Can i just add. Working with the "average joe" in computing myself. Allbeit only as a student as a past time.
  
  Most people are suprised when i tell them they have to pay for MS office.
  Most people dont even realise they have to pay for a bloody operating system.
  Linux is nowere near the level of appealing to theese people. As soon as linux comes pre installed on every computer out there. Then maybe things will change.
  
  Us humans are a people of habit. We dont like change. I cant see linux appealing to the masses for a long time. (Unless its forced on
  them)
  
  Lecsiy
  
  As for me, my feeling at the moment is,
  Linux is a computer enthusiasts best kept secret :)
  Ohh and props to varnull to introducing mee to it. Them were the dayss aye!
  
  Also going to add :
  Quote:actually with far better out of the box hardware supportTrue.
  If its not supported though. Which a lot of things arn't. It can be a mission to get working.
  The sound on my laptop still doesnt work propely even after weeks of scouring forums etc etc par example :)
  
  Edit Edit
  
  Thinking about it i think you creaky were one of the people that got me into linux.
  Didnt wanna make you feel left out.
  haha im suree you were in tears until you saw this little edit :)

  4.1.2009 11:04 #21

• lott

  I sell PC's to people and I give then the option to pick witch OS to pick, and not only that, I let then try different Linux version from SUSE, Ubuntu,slake ware,mandriva, and so on, well the point is no one can agree in the same OS and when I get to the cost of maintaining windows well they just get just that much more apprehensive, that will have to fork out another $189.00 windows $159.00 office and Another $ 39.00 to $60.00 for security suite plus some add ends. And the fact that Will be back ones or twice a year for recovery of data, because lets face it most people do not do that, you & me yes but most people do not know or they just do not think that they would need it, till it happens, you know to back up there system, I see it all the time ho ho my PC dose not start or it take for ever to start, or I turn it on and I open my Internet exploter and I get 20 -30 browser opening at same time, how often dose this happen in any Linux well how often most Linux Never load up, well I would gladly say that this never happens in Linux but it is a common thing with any of the windows versions or how often do you get a blue screen or a so call quick reboot no warning no data back up ups it just did it by it self, well in some cases I lend my customers that I know, for a couple of week a dual boot or multi boot system to let them choose what OS to install and some of then as me why I did not showed them Linux earlier and have to tell them, well when you can in to the store you asked for the crash master so I had no option but to give you just that, now I give the customer the option let them shoes what they want, and most cases after having gone throw a few recoveries of there system, they now prefer Linux and most have ask to install in there business, do to that fact time and cost, so do not say it is drivers because in most cases that is BS, most bender of mobo and hard ware are compliant for most Linux now days, just some the big companies that have contracts with MS that make drivers that are even backwards comparable, like most vista laptops but they are there just have to look at the make of the driver for that mobo. and for that other argument that given the choice that they would pick windows that is also BS most Linux from back 6 years ago, when i had to install them you turn every thing on at boot up and they were install ho lets say like my first install of XP pro on my brand new power PC, that I built all it had was 2 GB Ram a Sound blast 128, ATI 128 Rage 256Mg, or my Epsom photo 825, well there were no drivers for XP pro, I got mandrake 8.1 on preordered, got it 5 day later, and guess what OS install worked out of the box LINUX, and for windows had to another 6 month for to work right, on Linux out of the box, and it is still the same now days on a install on a live CD just turn it on and it works can windows say that, plug and play my ass it more plug & play with drivers and hope that you got right the first time, because if did not format and do over again, and again, and again, well you get the point.

  5.1.2009 07:33 #22

• drakshug

  Quote:until linux has easier accessibility such as getting rid of installing packages manually and the whole sudo crapEh?
  
  Synaptic? Yum? Kpackage even. I haven't installed a package manually for ages. There are repositories that do it for me quicker than finding freeware on the net for MS. You try installing MS net without all the dependent stuff and see how easy it is installing an MS exe file.
  As for sudo. I go root through a GUI and hardly ever use a command line unlike my MS partition where I use run quite a lot.

  5.1.2009 14:54 #23

• spin54

  Originally posted by lott: I sell PC's to people and I give then the option to pick witch OS to pick, and not only that, I let then try different Linux version from SUSE, Ubuntu,slake ware,mandriva, and so on, well the point is no one can agree in the same OS and when I get to the cost of maintaining windows well they just get just that much more apprehensive, that will have to fork out another $189.00 windows $159.00 office and Another $ 39.00 to $60.00 for security suite plus some add ends. And the fact that Will be back ones or twice a year for recovery of data, because lets face it most people do not do that, you & me yes but most people do not know or they just do not think that they would need it, till it happens, you know to back up there system, I see it all the time ho ho my PC dose not start or it take for ever to start, or I turn it on and I open my Internet exploter and I get 20 -30 browser opening at same time, how often dose this happen in any Linux well how often most Linux Never load up, well I would gladly say that this never happens in Linux but it is a common thing with any of the windows versions or how often do you get a blue screen or a so call quick reboot no warning no data back up ups it just did it by it self, well in some cases I lend my customers that I know, for a couple of week a dual boot or multi boot system to let them choose what OS to install and some of then as me why I did not showed them Linux earlier and have to tell them, well when you can in to the store you asked for the crash master so I had no option but to give you just that, now I give the customer the option let them shoes what they want, and most cases after having gone throw a few recoveries of there system, they now prefer Linux and most have ask to install in there business, do to that fact time and cost, so do not say it is drivers because in most cases that is BS, most bender of mobo and hard ware are compliant for most Linux now days, just some the big companies that have contracts with MS that make drivers that are even backwards comparable, like most vista laptops but they are there just have to look at the make of the driver for that mobo. and for that other argument that given the choice that they would pick windows that is also BS most Linux from back 6 years ago, when i had to install them you turn every thing on at boot up and they were install ho lets say like my first install of XP pro on my brand new power PC, that I built all it had was 2 GB Ram a Sound blast 128, ATI 128 Rage 256Mg, or my Epsom photo 825, well there were no drivers for XP pro, I got mandrake 8.1 on preordered, got it 5 day later, and guess what OS install worked out of the box LINUX, and for windows had to another 6 month for to work right, on Linux out of the box, and it is still the same now days on a install on a live CD just turn it on and it works can windows say that, plug and play my ass it more plug & play with drivers and hope that you got right the first time, because if did not format and do over again, and again, and again, well you get the point.
  People buy computers from you? I can't even make out what int he world you are saying in this run on paragraph with little to no punctuation, entire words replaced with something else, more than it's share of misused context and gramatical nonsense.
  
  First and foremost, I am amazed by that fact.
  
  On that note (and completely off topic from this news post now); Linux is simply OK and not something I would dare install on any relatives computer. Simply for the fact that they are so computer illiterate that they call me how to burn a cd every other day after being told at least 12 times already. And this is them being somewhat familiar with windows already.
  
  I have tried many linux distros and ALWAYS return to windows. (I also have to add that calling it "windoze" and "Microshaft" and "fista" has got to be some of the most used up cliche's on the planet by now and it is far from original. We know you don't like them. Refering to them like a 4 year old doesn't help your case.)
  
  Why do I return to windows? Because the things I do are far more accessible. Bottom line. If I want to buy a game? It comes on Windows. If I want to buy new hardware, there are windows drivers that come with it. I never have to touch a root command or a kernel manually. I don't care how much you want that to not be ture. If I don't want to, I don't have to.
  
  I still use dos commands, but that's because I know how. Ask the average joe to use a dos command YET ALONE a linux command and see what happens. And I don't care who says Linux works out of the box with apparently all hardware. That's BS. I have installed and used many different distros over many years up till today even and there is almost always a piece of hardware that takes some wacky installing through the command prompt.
  
  If I wanted my usb tv tuner to work with linux, I would be bald the first hour.
  
  I love linux. I really do, but even if you are a total fan boy, you can't claim it's an end all to microsoft.
  
  Take the Asus EEE for example. It started with Linux only. I got one, my girlfriend got one. We both used the linux front end and within a week I installed windows on both of them. And then asus became aware that people wanted them with xp because the linux distro they provided was pure crap.
  
  Sure it was more of a distro issue than just a linux vs. windows issue, howeverit still stands thaat they made the wrong choice offering linux as the main OS for it. The only reason I can see why is because Windows does like more power.
  
  I am not saying windows is without flaws... billions of flaws. But even being computer savvy and building systems sine I was 12, I wouldn't just put linux on instead of windows.
  
  I don't care if you use Ubuntu or fedora or anything, there IS a learning curve that most people do NOT want to deal with.
  
  And don't even start with using windows in a virtual environment on windows. First, the average joe has no chance of understanding that and second it doesn't provide the abilities I need for the software I use. I have distros of linux set up as virtual machines on my windows machine. I don't touch them. I have no use for them.
  
  And the only reason these pirates don't pirate Linux is because it is free, which is great, but if it was a widely used application which then would force money to come involved (admit it. You can't have the computer world thrive without the economics behind it), then the pirates wouldjust pirate Linux and it's applications.
  
  Switching to Linux isn't going to solve all these problems magically. Some people love it and it works for them. But saying it's oh so much better and easier and such a great alternative is just being a fanboy. It's just like arguing if the ps3 is better than the 360 or World of Warcrat is better than EVE Online. It's preferance. I love EVE, but I wouldn't have a casual WOW player touch it being a totally different and exponentially more complex system. I love my XBOX 360, but I jsut got a PS3 and only use my 360 for netflix and Gears of War lately. I still love them both. And the Wii I guess would be the "Linux of the console world". I for one don't like the Wii at all and sold it after it sat on my shelf for months.
  
  There is no winning any of these arguments. Facts presented, it still comes to preferance no matter what. Based on whatever you do most, let it be gaming, or graphics, or folding, or media. Doesn't matter. It's what you are comfortable with, even if it is loaded with bloatware. (Which I believe would happen to linux as soon as it became the main OS used around the world).
  
  Ok, i've written a novel! Who wants to buy my book?

  5.1.2009 21:47 #24

• avoidz

  @lott - Sentences! Paragraphs! I was going to read your post, but it's written with ADHD-like intensity.

  5.1.2009 21:52 #25

• Tomcito

  blah, blah, blah,
  
  linux
  
  blah, blah , blah
  
  it is still easier to find a free bootleg copy of windows that can pass the Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage.

  6.1.2009 07:22 #26

• georgeluv

  ^ problem is they keep sneeking in wga software with the security updates. you use to be able to turn off wga and still get the security updates, now i have that stupid bootleg notification in my tool bar. im an "advanced" user. ubuntu would just plain old suck for me. i need windows, i dont like limiting myself. i want access to all the wonderful (free) fruits the internet has to offer.

  6.1.2009 12:29 #27

• lecsiy

  Im sorry but,
  
  Quote:im an "advanced" user. Doesnt go very well with this statement
  
  Quote: i need windows, i dont like limiting myself. i want access to all the wonderful (free) fruits the internet has to offer. If you want free applications from the internet. Linux is undoubtedly the way to go.
  The amount of free applications you can get is amazing.

  6.1.2009 12:32 #28

• IguanaC64

  Honestly...I tried running Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) as my main operating system. Lack of game support just hurts it too much for me. I understand it's the game developer's issue and that they won't support Linux. Until they break free from their DirectX dependency it will remain this way. I really mainly play Everquest, but like to play other stuff as well on occasion. Winex is just too flaky. Everquest player models disappear and their body parts end up at coordinate 0,0 unless you have a hacked directX dll. Couldn't even get Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines to install because I could not unmount a CD image during a multi-CD install. It would tell me the CD was still active. No amount of trying to force umount to do it...or any of the utilities I tried worked.
  
  So then I tried installing it on my wife's computer. She decides she wants to play games (as well as my kids wanting to play all sorts of Popcap games on it). Some of them pull up web pages. I forget what little web browser you need to install on it to support it, but that didn't work. I installed Firefox inside WineX which totally confused my wife (Firefox inside Winex didn't fix the problem and ran very buggy). The native Linux Firefox would randomly just shut down and disappear...no error message or anything (was running Firefox v3 which had just came out when I was trying this Ubuntu experiment with my wife). She wanted to play Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines as well, and you read that heartache. I did get Bookworm Adventures Deluxe to install in Winex, but that was really my only solid success story.
  
  Too many issues taking too much of my time trying to get people in the house to use Linux.
  
  Call me ignorant or whatever...I've been using computers since I was 11 with my Vic-20. I have 10+ years as 2nd level desktop support for companies like Exxon & Amoco...and now set up servers for industrial automation...but I could not get my Linux to game as well as I wanted to.

  6.1.2009 14:51 #29

• lott

  Granted there is no perfect OS.
  But it P O me when pick on Linux.
  Windows has just as many problem like most other OS, but most major distro of Linux do work out the box, unlike windows new releases, I have use windows sense my first PC and that was a Amstrad with a wapping 256 k with 286 processor. So I do know a little bit of PC history and programing.
  I have worked for Cisco Systems for quite a few years, work Sun system, and micromedia, and done programing on in bedded systems.
  And as for all the bibliography, of who is better there is no better system much less OS, there is all ways something new in the horizon.
  Today windows tomorrow its OS X, and some cases it is Linux, BSD, so on.
  So do not BS any one saying this is better and that is crap, you are all full of it!
  What I do mean a bought Linux, there is a Linux just for anything that you can do, and a Linux distro for everyone out there.

  6.1.2009 17:15 #30

• lott

  And by the way, I was not the one who start on discussion of distros.

  6.1.2009 17:19 #31

• lott

  Originally posted by IguanaC64: Honestly...I tried running Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) as my main operating system. Lack of game support just hurts it too much for me. I understand it's the game developer's issue and that they won't support Linux. Until they break free from their DirectX dependency it will remain this way. I really mainly play Everquest, but like to play other stuff as well on occasion. Winex is just too flaky. Everquest player models disappear and their body parts end up at coordinate 0,0 unless you have a hacked directX dll. Couldn't even get Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines to install because I could not unmount a CD image during a multi-CD install. It would tell me the CD was still active. No amount of trying to force umount to do it...or any of the utilities I tried worked.
  
  So then I tried installing it on my wife's computer. She decides she wants to play games (as well as my kids wanting to play all sorts of Popcap games on it). Some of them pull up web pages. I forget what little web browser you need to install on it to support it, but that didn't work. I installed Firefox inside WineX which totally confused my wife (Firefox inside Winex didn't fix the problem and ran very buggy). The native Linux Firefox would randomly just shut down and disappear...no error message or anything (was running Firefox v3 which had just came out when I was trying this Ubuntu experiment with my wife). She wanted to play Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines as well, and you read that heartache. I did get Bookworm Adventures Deluxe to install in Winex, but that was really my only solid success story.
  
  Too many issues taking too much of my time trying to get people in the house to use Linux.
  
  Call me ignorant or whatever...I've been using computers since I was 11 with my Vic-20. I have 10+ years as 2nd level desktop support for companies like Exxon & Amoco...and now set up servers for industrial automation...but I could not get my Linux to game as well as I wanted to.For Linux distribution and games just go to http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Gaming#distrosearch. Or just http://distrowatch.com/
  And if you like to use a torrent lg-live-0.9.4 this is a live version, of Linux gaming there are several distro that do gaming.
  http://live.linux-gamers.net/ or http://www.linuxconsole.org/ or http://www.supergamer.org/
  the point is just do a little reading and you can find a gaming platform that can work for you.

  6.1.2009 17:46 #32