Why I can't recommend Arch or Gentoo

[Chris Brannon]

Tony Baechler <tony at baechler.net> writes:

> but if the Linux community wants the blind Windows community to take
> Linux seriously, there needs to be a talking GUI which just works.
> Unless someone really likes DOS, they aren't going to like the command
> line enough to give it a fair chance.

Maybe I'll answer some of your other criticisms in a subsequent reply.
All in all, this is a great post.

I make no bones about being an elitist snob, so take what I say with
that in mind.  Neither Arch nor Gentoo is really aimed at winning
converts from Windows, so this is an unfair criticism.  It's like
criticizing gourmet cooking because it doesn't appeal to the palates of
people raised on McDonalds hamburgers.
Yes, there are distros that try to be more like Windows, but Linux still
has a very low market share, and I don't see that changing on the
desktop.

On the other hand, if you really want a Linux with a usable talking GUI,
look at Android.  I love it.  Yes, it has lots of rough edges, but I'm
definitely a fan.  And it is seeing mass adoption.
The fact is, over time, the desktop will become less and less relevant.
Here's a great talk from Rob Landley at the Embedded Linux Conference in
2013 where he discusses this in a bit more depth:
http://the-brannons.com/elc2013-landley-toybox.ogg
Maybe someday in the not too distant future, the thing you know as
desktop Linux will pretty much be subsumed by Android.

All the best,
-- Chris