Is Linux a desktop operating system?

[Michaël Van Dorpe]

My situation is similar: student that cannot spend a lot on software and 
who wants to be in control of his computer. I switched from XP, although 
I didn't have too much problems with it at the time.

However, just half an hour ago, some other student asked me about Ubuntu 
(which is my screen name on msn), and I mentioned the 'being in 
control'. Also, to show that linux is REAL and actually usable, I sent 
them a screenshot of my desktop, so he could see his own messages in 
gaim, on a nice background with a couple of gdesklets, etcetera. I must 
admit it all looked even more user friendly than it actually is to set 
up for an average user.

His response?
Here it is: "Oh, I see what you mean! I don't like your Thunderbird 
icon, but YOU ARE IN CONTROL".

Indeed, my thunderbird icon is not the standard blue bird. But from his 
response, I derive that he actually thinks the difference between XP and 
linux is that you can change the icons of your files in linux...

This is NOT someone I am going to give my Ubuntu cd! He's just not ready 
for taking control. I did however, point him to the Gaim for Windows 
website. If he would use that, he wouldn't be that much better of than 
he is now (he wouldn't have as much adds as he has now), but at least, 
he would learn to go through some change and see that things CAN be done 
differently. It would be a small step forward.

Something else now: this is my 3rd day or so on Ubuntu, and it's great :-)



NateC wrote:
> Personally, I use Linux as my main operating system because I want to be
> in control, and be different then the "average" computer user. I'm a
> student, and do not have much currency flowing through my pockets to
> spend on software. The good thing about linux is that *most* of the
> software is free. 
> 
> 
> 
> I switched to linux full-time last July, after having Windows XP
> crashing because of numerous viruses/trojans. 
> 
> 
> 
> The main reason that people do not want to switch to Linux is because
> they are poorly informed on what it is and what it does. If that could
> some-how change, I think there would be many new linux users.
> 
>