[CoLoCo] Windows Is A PC Myth

[Michael "TheZorch" Haney]

After being a Linux users for a while and having been in the trenches 
(cubicles) of IT Support for more than ten years I've come to realize 
that there is something rather serious which is holding Linux back from 
really taking off.

Ease of use isn't an issue.  Hardy Heron is one of the most 
user-friendly distributions of Ubuntu to date so far as I've been able 
to see.  Coming from the perspective of a person who used to work with 
"computer stupid" people on a daily basis figuring out how to use the OS 
should be easier for the average Jane/Joe computer users than Windows.  
Kami-sama knows Windows isn't exactly the most user-friendly OS in the 
world, its downright hostile to the average user.

Ease of installation isn't an issue.  The Ubuntu installer practically 
does everything for you.  This new installer is much better than past 
versions since it uses terminology better suited for people who don't 
what the difference is between RAM and hard drive storage (believe it or 
not, there are some who don't know the difference and explaining it to 
them is like trying to get a Neanderthal to understand Quantum 
Mechanics).  Adding and removing software isn't an issue with Synaptic 
Package Manager.  How much easier can it be?!  There are still those who 
complain that you need to compile programs from source to install them.  
A lot of people on Digg keep bringing that up whenever a Linux and 
especially whenever an Ubuntu story hits the front page.  I and many 
others keep telling them they are living in the past.  Yes, a few rare 
programs still need to be compiled from source, but they are rapidly 
changing to package installs.

Hardware support has been an issue in the past but today's Linux and 
Ubuntu Linux distributions have better hardware support for a wider 
range of devices and more and more hardware makers are starting to build 
Linux drivers for their devices.  Companies like Dell are also working 
hard to promote better driver support for Linux.

DVD and MP3 support is an issue which can sort of be resolved but the 
average user will not take the time to do all of the things needed to 
make them work, nor will they really understand what to do either.   
Excluding these and making the user have to go and look for a way to 
enable MP3 or DVD playback is unacceptable if Ubuntu is to be taken 
seriously as a viable OS for someone's family PC instead of Windows.  
Its a harsh reality that must be dealt with if Ubuntu is to become 
accepted into the mainstream.  Same thing goes for Flash, but Adobe is 
actually trying to help in that area for once.  I'd also highly 
recommend that Wine be a part of every install of Ubuntu by default also.

Probably the most serious problem facing Ubuntu is one which can't be 
fixed by a programming genius.  Its the public perception that "Windows 
is a PC".  That's right, people out there, a lot of them, think that 
WINDOWS is a PC and don't have the faintest clue what an Operating 
System is.  These people have been so dumbed down by Microsoft and their 
propaganda-like ad campaigns and exclusive contracts with PC makers that 
they can't see a PC as anything else other than a Windows machines.  
Hell, there are people out there who thing their monitor is the 
computer!  Its a perception which must be changed, but its one that 
can't be changed easily.  People have been using Windows based PCs since 
3.1 in the early 90's.  I don't count 1.0 - 3.0 because they weren't 
successes and weren't very well supported.  So they've only known 
Windows since then, and kids born in the 90's have only known Windows 
PCs and were taught that Windows is their PC by their parents and 
schools use Windows PCs too.  A small number get to use Macs which is a 
good thing but it doesn't help Linux any.  The number of people using 
Ubuntu is growing and more and more people are starting to realize that 
Windows isn't their only option, but too many companies don't give them 
a choice when they buy a new computer.  Most of those who use Ubuntu 
aren't your average Jane/Joe computer users either and they get others 
to use Ubuntu after a very long, difficult process of persuasion.  
Microsoft's disinformation needs to countered by Linux truths, and the 
only way to do that is to get the word out.  Word of mouth advertising 
is good, it can sometimes be better than print or TV ads, but not all 
the time.  Ubuntu has become a small success through word of mouth 
advertising but that can't compete with large scale, multi-million 
dollar ad campaigns.  Most distribution teams can barely afford to pay 
their server upkeep fees let alone advertise, so must have to rely on 
sites like DistroWatch to get the word out.  Ubuntu has a large company 
behind its project, the culture of that company has contributed to the 
Linux distribution's success, but its that same culture which is also 
holding it back at the same time.  One way to get the word out is to 
have an "Ubuntu World Tour", a convention of sorts with plain-language 
technology demonstrations, workshops designed for those who are 
"computer stupid" to show them the benefits of Ubuntu and that a PC 
doesn't need Windows to be a PC, and more.  Get corporate support for 
such a world tour, get game makers who develop Linux games show off 
their latest stuff on machines running Ubuntu to show that there ARE 
GAMES FOR LINUX, and perhaps have some people from the Wine project 
there to show that Linux can run Windows programs too.  Show the average 
user that they don't have to give up on everything to switch to Linux.  
Make the transition from Windows to Linux for the average user as easy 
as possible and you'll win them over in no time.  Organize these events 
say to coincide with new Ubuntu releases in a different major city 
around the world; London, New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, Berlin, 
Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, etc, etc, etc).  At the same time do live 
video streaming from the events on the Ubuntu website,, and perhaps get 
better media coverage of Ubuntu releases too.  Sounds ambitious I know, 
but this is what it would take to get people's attention.  So what do 
you think?

-- 
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
thezorch at gmail.com
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