On 12/02/07, James Tait <<a href="mailto:james.tait@wyrddreams.org">james.tait@wyrddreams.org</a>> wrote:<div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> Robin Menneer wrote: > You also need to carefully define your target eg the huge population of > semi-bored computer-illiterates might be more productive than > experienced-with-windows men-in-the-street ? You may very well be right.  I think especially with people who are not already seasoned/regular computer users and are just deciding to venture in to this brave new world and buy a PC at home for the first time, one very important question they will ask is "What do you use?", shortly followed by "Why?".  I think this type of campaign would be particularly effective for these people. That's not to say that I don't think it has a potential audience among the Windows-faithful.  I still believe that Vista is an opportunity for Ubuntu to come to the fore, with people who would normally have said "I'm buying a PC, therefore I'll get/need a copy of Windows" now pausing for a moment to consider the alternatives.  Again, such a campaign would, I think, prove effective.  I do have regular Windows users asking me about Linux and I'm more than happy to tell them what it is and why I use it.  It hasn't yet resulted in any full-blown conversions, but the message is beginning to get across. > And once they get the > message, they will tell their grandchildren. Indeed.  Up until now, conventional wisdom has suggested that having a PC means running Windows.  With more visibility to those not already acquainted with FLOSS and more positive association, I think we will see a snowball effect. JT </blockquote><div> Promoting GNU Linux I've always found to be on a case by case basis with most even after discussion preferring to stick with the devil they know. Over the years I have had success with complete converts and limited success with others, getting them to use apps like Firefox and Open Office on their Windows machines. Best success I've found is appealing to peoples wallets, security benefits and showing people the alternate day to day apps for web browsing, office work, email, chat etc. that they would get on a GNU Linux system; the fact the Ubuntu desktop looks nice and is simple eases a lot of peoples fears and helps with making people comfortable. Though I will note that I do drop the default panel layout and change it to be more Windows with a single panel at the bottom of the screen. Vista I do not see as that much of an opportunity but a greater threat to GNU Linux than XP was. I currently run two Vista systems and both are very good and stable. One thing that does erk me sometimes is people who push the thousands of apps in the repositories when most normal folks only use a small core of applications. A real annoyance is when people fire up synaptic and see what are quite frankly rubbish descriptions for apps and libs etc. that sometimes leave even me wondering what the hell is that really. Regards Phil </div> </div>