It Really is Possible to Make Linux Work!

Amazingly I finally have succeeded in getting Red Hat Linux 8.0 to work. I solved my mouse problem with yet another mouse. True, I am now confronted with an assortment of other problems, but I am basking in what is proving to be short lived triumph. The internet is working, but email is still not functioning due to MSN's obnoxious “features,” my printer apparently has absolutely no chance of ever working, and my sound card is not even recognized. In addition, there are at least 60 MB (I've done 20 MB so far!!) of updates that I need to download... on a 56k modem. I can hear my mom yelling at me already. Still, I'm impressed with how the GNOME interface has progressed since Red Hat 7.3. Even though I have KDE installed, I think that I can safely say that I now prefer GNOME over KDE. It is still not quite as easy to use as Windows (not to mention the fact that some programs are extremely unstable), but it is starting to have a chance. Linux gives the user a lot more flexibility than Windows does in terms of programs, interface customization (it is really easy to change the GNOME panel to function like the taskbar in Windows, or the top menu bar on Mac), and, apparently other more technical things. All and all, I'm impressed since it's Linux, but there is a long way to go before Linux will really become a practical alternative to Windows or Mac.