if the amount of effort that went into porting Linux to TI-85s were spent dumbing down Linux interfaces and Admin tools for the masses, we'd have Windows. Dumbing down anything is not a good thing. Look at MS OSs. Just a relatively short time ago (in the grand scheme of things) we had DOS, and if people wanted to use computers (especially if they wanted to do more than the absolute basic functions) they had to actually be bothered to get off their a$$es and LEARN something. They had to *gasp* spend a little time and effort learning to use the device. Then they dumbed it down with Windows, and people didn't have to learn as much so guess what? They didn't bother to learn as much anymore. Then they dumbed it down further with Windows 95, and 98, and ME. The more they dumb it down, the less people have to learn, and therefore the less they bother to learn. It will continue to go on this way.
Dumbing things down accomplishes only 1 thing - IT ENCOURAGES LESS LEARNING, AND MORE STUPIDITY.
It may not be fun to explain something technically complex to someone who doesn't know much, but that's when you have to push them to learn. The alternative is an increasing level of stupidity that will eventually come down to the level of people needing computers to think for them. Not my idea of a great thing.
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@Chris
if the amount of effort that went into porting Linux to TI-85s were spent dumbing down Linux interfaces and Admin tools for the masses, we'd have Windows. Dumbing down anything is not a good thing. Look at MS OSs. Just a relatively short time ago (in the grand scheme of things) we had DOS, and if people wanted to use computers (especially if they wanted to do more than the absolute basic functions) they had to actually be bothered to get off their a$$es and LEARN something. They had to *gasp* spend a little time and effort learning to use the device. Then they dumbed it down with Windows, and people didn't have to learn as much so guess what? They didn't bother to learn as much anymore. Then they dumbed it down further with Windows 95, and 98, and ME. The more they dumb it down, the less people have to learn, and therefore the less they bother to learn. It will continue to go on this way.
Dumbing things down accomplishes only 1 thing - IT ENCOURAGES LESS LEARNING, AND MORE STUPIDITY.
It may not be fun to explain something technically complex to someone who doesn't know much, but that's when you have to push them to learn. The alternative is an increasing level of stupidity that will eventually come down to the level of people needing computers to think for them. Not my idea of a great thing.