So what you are saying is that since everything is working fine for you, 
then it means nothing is wrong with Linux and I have a perception 
problem.  So everything is fine with Linux if not for the perception 
issue? I think not.

Btw, For some reason, I can't suspend to ram any more. Either X crashes 
or nothing happens. I've opened a bug, but I can't say I'm holding my 
breath.

I have been using linux for 12 years, the last 8 exclusively. And 
professionally I've always used Unix / Linux. And I'm about to quit.



houstonbofh wrote:
> Ittay Dror wrote:
>   
>> houstonbofh wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> This really shows that we have a perception problem.  I am addressing 
>>> your issues, not to attack you, but to show you other answers.  The real 
>>> question is why you did not see them.
>>>   
>>>       
>> Why do you dismiss this as a problem of perception and not a real 
>> problem? Do you really think that Ubuntu's only problem is perception 
>> and not finding information? See my comments inline.
>>     
>
> Dude!  A perception problem IS a real problem!  It is huge.  It is real. 
>   And it is our biggest barrier to adoption.  It absolutely needs to be 
> fixed to even hope to resolve Bug 1.
>
>   
>> I have compiz disabled and I have 4 desktop applications running - 
>> thunderbird, terminal, firefox and eclipse. this is what free shows:
>>  > free
>>              total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
>> Mem:       4044664    2772556    1272108          0     476432     931564
>> -/+ buffers/cache:    1364560    2680104
>> Swap:      2851496      10896    2840600
>>
>> So 1.3GB is used.
>>     
>
> I do not have eclipse.  I do have a LOT of firefox instances and tabs 
> open, and my mail folder is about 2 gig in Thunderbird.
>
> lee@boat:~$ free
>               total       used       free     shared    buffers    cached
> Mem:       2074856     839148    1235708          0     131500    338428
> -/+ buffers/cache:     369220    1705636
> Swap:      6080560          0    6080560
>
>   
>> Running the same set of applications in windows doesn't take so much 
>> memory. I have now running outlook, firefox, word, internet explorer, 
>> emule and sketchup and the total used memory is 871MB.
>>     
>
> Or it could be your instance, as I am fitting in 2 gig just fine.  Or it 
> could be eclipse...  But it is not "Linux stinks!"
>
>   
>> My laptop is Thinkpad T61. I think the Thinkpad line of laptops is very 
>> reliable and widely used that it should just work.
>>     
>
> I have currently 2 Dell Inspirons, a Latitude, a IBM T42, a Compaq 
> Presario 2200 with no issues at all on Jaunty.  One of them had major 
> issues on Hardy.  So by my anecdotal evidence, the "Thinkpad line" 
> works, and by your it does not.  Again, it sounds like an issue specific 
> to you.
>
>   
>>> Same with Windows.  Buy well supported hardware and it will work.  Buy 
>>> poorly supported hardware and it won't.  I have a Paperport scanner that 
>>> won't work under XP or better, but will work in Linux.
>>>   
>>>       
>> As mentioned, my laptop is Thinkpad T61. I think it should be well supported
>>     
>
> What have you done to support that opinion?  A quick google shows more 
> than a few issues with Linux on this laptop.  Or did you just assume it 
> would be supported?
>
>   
>> I just made sure. To check the C drive in Windows, click Win+E, 
>> right-click on C, select properties->Tools and click Check Now in Error 
>> Checking. To fix errors you probably need to reboot, but just to check, 
>> there's no need.
>>     
>
> I do not have Windows handy, but with XP and older, to do a low level 
> check, you needed to reboot.  Perhaps Vista improved this...  I do not know.
>
>   
>> And even if I have to reboot, why is it so hard to ask a disk check? Why 
>> isn't there some intuitive way of doing it from the desktop? Why is 
>> there no way of defragmenting (I know, Ext is built so it allocates 
>> space in the center, so less fragmentation occurs,  still over time 
>> there is fragmentation)
>>     
>
> Did you look at the link?  There is a way, but it is not installed by 
> default.
>
> As to defragmenting, that is because it is not needed, and is not 
> possible in the typical way.  However, if you really feel you need it, 
> there are tools if you remount EXT2.  You will find that it takes time, 
> and does not help.  In a way, you are saying, "Where is the geese 
> fitting to lubricate my ball joints?" on a car with sealed ball joints. 
>   I would say sealed ball joints are an improvement.
>
>   
>> I think the bug is that Ubuntu uses a lot of memory, freezes, forces me 
>> to reboot when I need to take my laptop and has several usability issues.
>>     
>
> Yet there seem to be many people with uptimes over a year, running in 
> far less memory that a typical Windows system, and find Linux far easier 
> to use than Windows.
>
> So how do we get you from where you are now, to where I am now?  This is 
> a serious question.  Would it take something like a "Disk Defragmenter" 
> Application that when you run it tells you that it is not needed and 
> gives the sealed ball joint analogy?
>
> To fix this perception bug, which it is absolutely vital that we 
> address, we need to first fix your individule problems, and then figure 
> out why you could not, and than make it so that others can fix them more 
> intuitively.  No small task...
>
>