[Qgis-user] What is the matter with QGis versus MS Windows?

[Werner Macho]

Hi

before that all gets to personal .. I never said that you are
incompetent .. 
I even said that I'd like to have you with us to make QGIS better on
Windows.

And yes - you are right there are a lot users out there that never get
to choose the OS - but I don't know why you assume that they all use
Windows..

And like you say in the first sentence .. "with all GRASS and Gdal
dependencies working from the start" - with QGIS that are at least three
independent projects - that try to work together but .. well it's open
source .. you can do with it whatever you want .. And if i remember
correct GRASS has been started as a *NIX only project .. And is now also
working on Windows.

And.. I'm not doing any windows build - and I try to avoid windows
whenever I can. I don't say that Windows is a bad operating system.. But
I would have never discovered Linux when my Windows would have been
stable a lot of years ago.
And - Yes also to "the world has changed" .. XP is stable and running
smooth in my Company.. but why should I switch when I'm more then
satisfied with what I have..

Before thats getting out of GIS and into a pro/contra Linux/Windows
discussion I invite you again to work with us on a stable and functional
Windows build of QGIS. (Beside that I surely don't think that I'm not a
normal person).
Please don't take it all too personal.. I'm just a bit disappointed that
people want free software.. Complain about broken things.. But stop
using it instead of taking the opportunity to give back and help the
community.

And .. I agree that it is not a good idea to discuss such things on a
GIS mailing list..
I apologize if some of my words have been too offending. English is not
my mothers tongue too - so probably something gets written in an other
way that it was meant to be understood.

... and i still hope you'll come back some day..

best wishes
Werner

> Ok I'll take it all back the minute somebody writes to this list and
> reports a flawless, standalone QGis installation on any Windows system
> with all GRASS and Gdal dependencies working from the start.
> 
> Don't you realize that many users never get to choose OS? 
> Or needs to cooperate in environments where there is no choice?
> 
> And I am really insulted by the accusation that I as a Windows user,
> automatically is regarded as an incompetent user with no care or
> concern about my system. I've worked with computers since 1984 and I
> have learned to take care of most problems. And I have invested lots
> of time and love and money doing that.
> I am using ESRI products. I am using MapInfo products. I am using FME.
> I am using MicroStation. And I am using Windows. I would like to
> confidently add QGis to my toolbox too, but resent being looked down
> upon. You seem to regard Windows as something the dog dragged in,
> writing 'people fiddling
> around with a Windows build' and so on. 
> 
> See if you can find it in your heart to indulge with us ordinary
> people who *has* to use Windows but still likes GIS and Open Source. I
> think the QGis user community would grow and profit from that, and
> open source efforts must behave like other software to gain
> acceptance.
> I will not debate this further.
> 
> Regards, Mats.E  
> 
> 2009/11/29 Werner Macho <werner.macho at gmail.com>
>         Hi all!
>         
>         Usually I just don't answer to such emails but in this case I
>         completely
>         agree with Paolo. Moreover I'd like to say that nobody is
>         forced to use
>         Linux. Just use the operating system you think that is best
>         for you.
>         
>         And as paolo said it seems that you're a user that don't want
>         to invest
>         something (time, money, love). So what? - if you use Windows -
>         you
>         obviously have enough money to buy it - so what about using
>         GIS Software
>         written just for Windows? (ESRI?)
>         
>         It is indeed just easier to compile and write open software
>         with and
>         under open software (sic!)
>         
>         I for my person can just say a big thank you to all the people
>         fiddling
>         around with a Windows build .. and releasing QGIS also for
>         Windows.
>         (brings me to the question why MapWindow is Windows only)
>         
>         I like the viewpoint of not asking which program is running
>         best on my
>         OS rather then which OS is working best with the program i
>         like to use.
>         
>         Complaining about things others created is the easiest way to
>         go.. Come
>         on join us - and bring your experience with windows to QGIS. I
>         know
>         thats the harder way -  but much more people would benefit
>         from this way
>         then from a complaining mail (wheres the bugreport?) and not
>         recommending QGIS for Windows systems.
>         
>         But I still hope that you give QGIS a try from time to time
>         when windows
>         support is improved..
>         
>         regards
>         Werner
>         
>         
>         
>         On Sun, 2009-11-29 at 15:47 +0100, Paolo Cavallini wrote:
>         > Mats Elfström ha scritto:
>         > > There are dozens of Mac and Linux versions with funny
>         names but only two
>         > > Windows versions that apparently never works
>         satisfactorily.
>         > > I have all but given up recommending QGis for Windows
>         systems.
>         >
>         > Hi Mats.
>         > I think you are wrong: I do not use windows myself, but I am
>         running a looong series
>         > of very successful courses, most of them on windows, and I
>         always report all the
>         > problems encountered (see trac issues), which are very
>         occasionally different on
>         > windows systems because of specific idiosyncrasies. The same
>         can be said of OSX systems.
>         > What is true is that many (but not all, fortunately) windows
>         users pretend a system
>         > that just works, without bothering to invest anything (time,
>         money, love) on it. This
>         > is not how free software works. If you are using a piece of
>         software, and you find a
>         > problem, you have the choice of fixing it yourself, or pay
>         someone to fix it. Of
>         > course, you can always complain about it and/or stop using
>         the program, it's your
>         > choice, but IMHO this is not the best option.
>         > All the best.
>         
>         
>         
> 
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