<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">Hi everyone,<br><pre>Cyrille Berger Skott wrote:<br>> I also think that gimp/windows problems are more of a social problem<br></pre>I totally agree :-)<br><br>Windows users are usually very different from Linux Users :-)<br><br>To keep it short: <br>- They buy a computer where there is already a system installed (now Microsoft 7)<br>Windows 7 is probably the best system ever released by Microsoft.<br>This means they are lucky from their very beginning :-)<br>Everything works out of the box. No need to install anything (e.g drivers).<br>- Most of the time this new computer has already many softwares installed (e.g. Office 2010 or Photoshop Elements as Demos).<br>- When they want to use a graphical softwares they are the MOST blessed among all computer users.<br>In essence, from Adobe to Autodesk to Corel, there is always some company willing to
sell them something :-)<br>Naturally, most of the time, given the very *high* cost of this software, it is top-notch.<br><br>As a consequence, in my view, it is really "difficult" for them to understand why a software might crash...<br>Every commercial company (e.g. Adobe) is always fighting hard to give them the message that their software is "perfect".<br>Not only that, they "invite" them all the time to buy their very new version because it is even more "perfect".<br>Every company has plenty of Commercial staff who does this on a regular basis.<br>When a software crashes the "common" Windows user thinks that it is worth s***!<br><br>In my view, it is probably odd, and maybe even naive, to expect from Windows users some sort of *big* contribution.<br>Particularly, technical stuff (e.g. expecting patches from them).<br><br>For most of them, their software is only a product (like a refrigerator or a car).<br>When you hire a bricklayer or a carpenter you
are not supposed to help them (you reckon it is "their" job) :-)<br>On the contrary, you are asked to pay him when he is done (provided the job is ok).<br><br>This is THE big difference.<br>Windows users, on the whole, are used to pay for their software.<br>In return, they DO expect that their software works smoothless.<br>Actually, many of them, don't buy their softwares (e.g. Photoshop) because they download it illegally (From eMule and so on) :-)<br>But in the end the result is the same: they use this software nonetheless...<br><br>Gimp is many respects is a perfect example about this dilemma.<br>Very fews contribution from Windows' users in return of a lot of criticism from them...<br><br>In my view, maybe, the perfect way to go to Windows is the "Blender way"<br>You release your software for free on Windows but "in exchange" you try to get the most from it (in essence money...).<br>I know it is a bit "hard" to swallow. <br>It is not even easy
getting money: FAR from it!<br><br>Not all open source softwares have the luck to have Ton Roosendaal to promote them...<br>Probably, put this way it looks even simplicistic and naive.<br>However, if you think about the progress Blender has done lately (compared to Gimp) there is maybe some salt of true on this.<br><br>Best regards,<br><br>Silvio</td></tr></table>