Give grandma the right reasons to use Ubuntu

Joel Bryan Juliano joelbryan.juliano at gmail.com
Fri Dec 7 14:31:29 UTC 2007


On 12/7/07, Rakotomandimby Mihamina
<mihamina.rakotomandimby at etu.univ-orleans.fr> wrote:
> M. Fioretti wrote:
> > First of all, I would recommend to not install (ie force on them) any
> > Gnu/Linux distro if those people are already comfortable with
> > Windows.
>
> I would agree with you but:
> - Why brand new PCs are sold with Windows? Do the customers explicitely
> ask for Windows?

No, the customers does not explicitly decide Windows for their PC's,
but most of the decision were made by reseller out of their infectious
fear of customers having issues with using Linux OS's, and losing them
from frustrations. It's undenyably that Linux needs more advertising
(particularly in schools, work and government), and to educate people
that they can be comfortable with Linux, not as geeks, but as en masse
of people who uses computers.

> - The commercial practice of Microsoft made Windows the leader OS for
> lambda people _AND_ sunday developpers (have a look at all the little
> VB, C#,... softwares all over the internet, you will even find some
> software to wipe your ass after going to the WC but windows-only)
>

Most of the schools here in the Philippines still uses VB6 to make
their projects. 90% of them use their tools from piracy. It's
hilarious that in front of La Salle where most richest  people are
enrolled, piracy is rampant! (I looked at the CD's with pity of the
small ISV's where their software are being pirated by rich people)

Given the infectious assumptions that most people believe that Windows
is free. They deploy VB6 apps.

> So, people will never know the existence of free software if you dont
> push them a bit, just a bit.
>

I would rather not force people to use Linux but to let them decide
for themselves.
We never know, maybe one day, companies will start bundling Ubuntu in
bookstores and record bars, artists will advertise Ubuntu as a viable
alternative to Windows where it can get more publicity coverage from
more people just like how iPods and Macs where advertised in movies
and TV shows.

OR maybe, there is a reason why Linux isn't viable enough for most
people. Maybe we need to lose the brown theme a little bit, add more
colors and expressions. Because currently such things in Linux
desktops are only attractive to geeks.




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