HELP WINDOWS XP

[Leonard Chatagnier]

--- Chris <racerx at makeworld.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:57:38 +0800
> Chris Jeffries <chris at candm.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> > The approachability of Ubuntu by new users is
> crucial to success. The
> > open software project will not succeed if it
> cannot get 'Joe Public'
> > on board without fuss. Even though I am a literate
> computer user
> > myself (since 1964), my mate who often asks my
> help is not, so I am
> > going to reference his responses to my experience
> as well as my own.
> 
> *** Snipped to get to the point ***
> 
> Chris and others, while I understand your
> suggestions and agree with
> some, first and for most I think that Ubu (and the
> whole Distro
> community) needs to finally decide is;
> 
> Is Ubu going to be THE Linux entry point for your
> mentioned users.
> If the distro community can agree to that one basic
> point, then and
> only then should all attempts be made to "dumb-down"
> (for lack of a
> better word) Ubu while leaving the other distros to
> continue to
> support the "clued" users.
> 
> If the above is globally recognized, then the other
> distros should be
> pushing Ubu on the sites something like this:
> 
> New to Linux? We suggest using Ubuntu, Click here.
> Ready to move
> beyond Ubuntu? Welcome blah blah blah.
> 
> Let everyone know that Ubu IS the Linux to be used
> as a jumping off
> point. In fact, demand it!
> 
> One of the reasons I "left" the BSD (FreeBSD to be
> direct) community is
> much of the same discussion. How "User friendly" can
> FreeBSD be made.
> And with that sort of indulgence, adds bloat and
> features that
> are not needed by the larger user base as a whole.
> 
> I know that many of you here on this list have at
> least used
> FreeBSD (and I know many still do) can agree - that
> there are some OS's
> that ought to be left alone (meaning, newbs and
> limited *nix knowledged
> users should at all costs, be steered away to
> something else).
> 
> Just an idea while reading Chris' ideas.
> 
In pprinciple, I definitely don't agree. There is
definitely no good reason why any operating system
designed for desktop use should be so complicated that
only geeks, phd's in computer science, etc, etc, can
use and appreciate. Before Debian Woody bf2.4 I used
windows exclusively without problems noting that I
didn't know or take advantage of all that was there.
But using the internet, Office, WP's, spreadsheets etc
was not a problem and neither was setup.  However,
when I started Debian Woody bf2.4, there was so much
setup hell that I almost left linux.  I would have
eventually except for a nice lady on the list
suggesting (K)Ubuntu which changed my whole outlook on
linux OS.  Suddenly linux was easily installed and
much more easily setup; not that there weren't some
problems.  I don't think Debian per se has ever helped
to inspire use of linux especially for newcomers. But
Ubuntu has at least for me.  I have a new computer
that came with Vista and haven't used it since
installing Ubuntu on it. Don't sell Ubuntu's easy
install and setup short.  It's what brings and keeps
the newcomers to linux if they know about it.  The
secret is getting them to know about it.  A good Ad
program would help, IMHO.


Leonard Chatagnier
lenc5570 at sbcglobal.net