Windows 7 plugs WoW
by Mike Schramm 
Sep 10th 2009 at 5:00PM
Interesting. Then again, World of Warcraft is a big game, so you can't blame Microsoft for jumping on its popularity while trying to sell OSes. But it's a little misleading -- of course Blizzard has supported Apple's OS X on the disc from day one, and while they don't officially support running the game on Linux, it's certainly possible to do. If you really are going to buy a new OS, playing WoW might not be the best criteria to base your purchase choice on.
Filed under: Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Humor, Hardware
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Engerz Sep 10th 2009 5:08PM
I'd like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.
Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.
There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called "Linux" distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.
James Riggs Sep 10th 2009 5:10PM
And no one cares what those differences are... to the planet it's Linux.
Rmschoir Sep 10th 2009 5:14PM
Nerd.
Jimmy Sep 10th 2009 5:14PM
Thank you for reversing years of people simplifying the name.
Grrrrrr This is why general non tech people refuse linux, they believe it's too technical!
stabbington Sep 10th 2009 5:14PM
Welcome to WoW, Richard Stallman. Nobody cares here either.
Seriously, could this be any more off topic?
Jimmy Sep 10th 2009 5:20PM
Idk, he just wants to use Wiki to feel better.
Seriously, it matters not, this is (Sings) *wowinsider*
asdfghjkloo Sep 10th 2009 5:26PM
I'd like to interject for a moment...
...just incase something was missed:
Linux (commonly pronounced /ˈlɪnəks/[5]) is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL[6] and other free software licences.
Linux is predominantly known for its use in servers, although it is installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from embedded devices and mobile phones to supercomputers.[7] Linux distributions, installed on both desktop and laptop computers, have become increasingly commonplace in recent years, partly owing to the popular Ubuntu distribution[8] and the emergence of netbooks.[9]
The name "Linux" ( listen (help·info)) comes from the Linux kernel, originally written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. The rest of the system usually comprises components such as the Apache HTTP Server, the X Window System, the GNOME and KDE desktop environments, and utilities and libraries from the GNU Project (announced in 1983 by Richard Stallman). Commonly-used applications with desktop Linux systems include the Mozilla Firefox web-browser and the OpenOffice.org office application suite. The GNU contribution is the basis for the Free Software Foundation's preferred name GNU/Linux.[10][11]
Gnosh Sep 10th 2009 5:27PM
And watch as they fall before the might of the Great Linux Pasta
kittytrainer Sep 10th 2009 5:29PM
this is why I use windows....
Silversol Sep 10th 2009 5:56PM
A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the genus live and raise their young. Natural beehives (typically referred to simply as "nests") are naturally-occurring structures occupied by honey bee colonies, while domesticated honey bees live in man-made beehives, often in an apiary. These man-made structures are typically referred to as "beehives". Only species of the subgenus Apis live in hives, but only the western honey bee (Apis mellifera) and the eastern honey bee (Apis cerana) are domesticated by humans.
AM I DOING IT RIGHT?
miketehspikez0r Sep 10th 2009 6:36PM
This statements fails on two levels.
First, you call things whatever you want, as long as the other party understands what you're saying you can call it anything. Example, everybody calls World of Warcraft either WoW, or warcraft, or the game.
Second, if you state that you have to call it GNU/Linux because it is both Linux and the GNU programs, then you have to call it Gnome/KDE/Amarok/glxgears/X/etc.../Linux, and obviously we're not doing that.
Yes there are many distributions of Linux and most of them use the GNU tools. But we call them Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, etc. with no GNU attached to it, as much as we don't attach the other software that is bundled with linux.
What you are is one of the people brainwashed by the free software foundation, I was like that before, for 2 days, until I researched it deeper and the thoughts sank in. It's stupid to call it that.
But I'm in to call Windows Solitaire/Windows. Anyone wanna join me?
Theldaris Sep 10th 2009 7:36PM
It could be worse, he could have said First
Pemberton Sep 10th 2009 7:40PM
Save it for Trade channel!
akuenu Sep 10th 2009 8:02PM
I love it. Somebody tries to teach you guys something and you down-rank him.
Bunch of intellectuals, you lot.
Xiol Sep 10th 2009 9:22PM
Hahaha, a /g/ troll on WoW.com.
Never thought I'd see the day. OP made my day, and received an upvote from me.
Womble Jun 27th 2010 8:01AM
To be honest, I've been running Warcraft on Ubuntu [it's a Linux OS, to you and me] with better performance than that of my Windows partition.
Also, having Warcraft compatibility as a selling point makes me wonder if they have (m)any other USPs, all things considered [I can run all of the Windows applications that I need, I can quickly and easily find drivers for a Graphics card and Cheese supports most webcams for your video show needs].
Just my two cents.
Tristan Sep 11th 2009 1:12PM
Dude, really? I use Linux & I don't call it GNU/Linux. Why? Because I'd sound even more like an asshat than I do when I plug Linux to my friends. They'd ask what GNU means & I'd have to explain that it's a recursive acronym meaning "Gnu's not Unix".
Yeah, sounds like a killer time to me.
It's just a lot easier to call it Linux. And, with some operating systems, GNU shouldn't be in there. Because, according to wiki:
"GNU is a computer operating system composed entirely of free software."
Now operating systems like Crunchbang Linux, which is a variation of Ubuntu, comes with software pre-installed to play mp3s & non-free codecs. So, while it's Linux at the core, it can't be called GNU/Linux.
Also, have you used open source video drivers? I have yet to find one as good as the proprietary drivers. Those make me able to play WoW in Linux.
Torlaz Sep 11th 2009 4:02PM
http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2009/09/linux-foundation-to-microsoft-stop-secretly-attacking-linux.ars
^ This is just one of the questionable practices MS has introduced in regards to Linux.
Valt Sep 10th 2009 5:08PM
In b4 endless Mac vs Windows vs Linux(+Windows emulator) battle
Theyas Sep 10th 2009 7:47PM
Me too!!! I've experienced at least a 20+ FPS increase since installing Windows 7 :D