[ubuntu-uk] Ubuntu Direction

[alan c]

On 11/09/10 17:11, Rob Beard wrote:
> On 11/09/10 16:39, Daniel Case wrote:
[...]
> Thinking back a few years ago, one of the complaints that I heard from
> some Windows users (one complaint I had myself when I first started
> using Linux was that I couldn't download a setup program).  Some people
> kind of expect this too and I think maybe the simplicity of the Software
> Centre is a good thing until they learn that they can add repositories
> and install deb (or even rpm packages with Alien and .tar.gz packages).

Users who want simple use, like a toaster, easily get confused, or 
worse,  if apparently ordinary (alien) downloads do not go as they expect.

I recenlty spoke to a distant friend who had originally gone out of 
their way to actually purchase an Ubuntu pre installed laptop from a 
specialist vendor.

They used Ubuntu for about a year, then gave up, apparently quoting 
difficulty with installing BBC iplayer seeming to be the last straw. 
This was a very non technical person who had originally wanted to run 
Ubuntu only. Maybe a bit over ambitious just now, but this is likely 
to be the future market for Ubuntu en mass.

Although I wished they had contacted me, because I guessed such a 
problem might simply be that a downloaded  binary might have needed an 
executable permission set (maybe), it came to mind how much easier the 
software centre is making life for such users.

The Ubuntu Partner thing for Flash is maybe an example. If BBC was an 
Ubuntu partner (I guess it is not?) we might still have had an extra 
member of the wider public using Ubuntu.

-- 
alan cocks
Ubuntu user