Quote: "Graphics drivers are not simple. They require some of the most invasive interfaces with the kernel to operate at high speeds, dealing with multi-core and multi-threading issues. There's a reason that very few device drivers have enough power and complexity to crash a modern system other than a graphics driver. They coordinate thousands of individual or clustered processors that are usually run in parallel, one of the hardest paradigms in modern programming. I don't mean to sound overly harsh, but modern GPUs are most definitely not a simple device to program a driver for."
I never said they were simple, I said they were basic. My point being that they're just about the very first thing you install on a fresh system. They're absolutely necessary in most cases. They should be easy to install.
I understand that graphics drivers are incredibly complicated beasts to create, but they are an integral part of modern PCs and should require a degree in IT to use.
Quote: "did you expect there to be a professional GUI waiting for you in Linux or expecting a plug-n-play auto-configuration step for most of the packages you download?"
Yes, actually. I expected those features would be standard on any modern OS. It seems Linux is a long way behind in that respect.
Quote: "The Linux community often values flexibility and power over flashy or slick interfaces that auto configure the tools for you."
I don't care for "flashy" interfaces. I want practical, well-designed, smooth, fast and responsive interfaces. Linux does not do any of that whereas Windows does that AND gives me nearly as much flexibility as Linux. Windows is way underrated in that respect.
Quote: "That is very different from the Windows community where it is all about plug-n-play/wizard-drive configuration."
What we value is easy config and automated setups
where appropriate; i.e. when it's unnecessary to force end-users to perform the configuration themselves. Linux just seems to take the "let's just make the users decide on good settings" approach.
Quote: "Just a quick look at some of the tools and it seems that you only need to edit some configuration files and run some given terminal commands to get it up and running"
You make it sound so simple. After using Lubuntu I realise just how smart Microsoft was when it comes to UI design. It's little things. For example, when you click an icon in the task bar in Lubuntu, nothing happens. You just have to assume that you actually managed to correctly click the icon. In Windows, the icon visually depresses and glows for a few seconds to make it very clear you clicked it. Another example is how Linux treats folders. In Windows, when I copy a folder and another folder exists with the same name, it asks me if I want to merge the folders,
then it asks if I want to overwrite files. In Linux, folders are treated as files, so when I paste a folder and it asks if I want to merge the folders, ticking "Do this for all items" then proceeds to overwrite any duplicate files in the folder.
It's little things like that that make the Windows GUI feel so much more fluid and usable than Lubuntu's GUI.
Quote: "it appears that you switched OSes and expected your software to be delivered and executed just like it is on Windows."
To some degree, yes I did. For example, to install the graphics drivers I expected to download an executable file and run it (by double-clicking its icon). Then I expected a simple GUI to appear with options to select what components of the driver to install. Then I expected to click Install, have the screen flicker or go off, then (because, weirdly, I wouldn't expect Linux to be able to install drivers without restarting like Windows can) I expect to restart the PC and have any displays that were connected display at the correct resolution.
Quote: "While not necessarily unfair/unrealistic, it is somewhat naive."
For the past couple of years I've been told repeatedly by Linux fans that Linux is definitely as easy-to-use as Windows. Is it really that naive of me to expect things that are simple and natural on Windows to be equally simple on Linux?
Quote: "Again, if I come across as angry or upset, rest assured I am not. I just get a little too passionate occasionally. Please let me know if I stepped over a line."
Ha, don't panic; I'm probably more passionate about Windows than you are about Linux, and I'm more likely to step over the line
Quote: "There's a reason that very few device drivers have enough power and complexity to crash a modern system other than a graphics driver."
Just for the record, since I began using Windows 7 in 2011 I have seen maybe 5 crashes total, excluding the repeated BSODs we all had from installing Networx. On rare occasions (maybe once a month) the screen will go black for a second and then come back on, and Windows will report (in a little notification bubble in the system tray) that the graphics driver crashed and was restarted. Windows 7 is an incredibly stable OS.
