<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> </head> <body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <div class="moz-text-html" lang="x-western"> I have converted neighbors and family members to home-PC-Linux since 2003, lately exclusively to Xubuntu. They were all non-computer-tech people with various levels of experience and education. My simple approach (like an interview): Would you like to <ul> <li>avoid being forced to periodically purchase new hardware by the basic software vendor?</li> <li>avoid being forced to periodically purchase new versions of essentially the same basic software and office software?</li> <li>stop being tempted into stealing software from Microsoft and other Windows vendors?</li> <li>reduce time dealing with spyware and viruses because your "basic software" (OS) is being targeted by miscreants? Linux like Android could still be attacked but this is a probability question. One still needs protection on a Linux system. </li> </ul> Nothing is "free". There are ONE-TIME (fixed) "costs" in terms of personal time investment associated with adopting Xubuntu for a new non-computer-tech user: <ul> <li>During the migration, stored data must be backed up from Windows and restored to the new Linux system. </li> <li>Learn a new desktop and set of programs. Essentially, learn how to go find things one uses and operate, in general, in a different manner. Change is always a pain. Intelligence and curiosity helps. People locked into habits will probably not succeed. </li> </ul> Potential large hurdles: <ul> <li>Gamers and XBox owners. I said "potential". If this is a teenager, you can try to sell them about the rebellious open source community! (-: </li> <li>Migration of Microsoft Office to LibreOffice - Fortunately, the Microsoft Word-documents, Powerpoint-presentations, and Excel-spreadsheets are normally converted without too many issues; some will probably require some manual cleaning up. The big obstacle here is the Visio drawing tool. There isn't a way that I could find to convert their drawings to be imported by `dia` or other Linux drawing tools. Mine too. </li> <li>Outlook mail/calendar/etc. - I converted myself a long time ago by doing a lot of Windows and Linux programming which effectively moved me from Outlook to Yahoo almost-equivalents. I don't recommend this approach. This is probably an individual by individual solution, assuming there is one for a given individual (no other stumbling blocks). </li> <li>Photoshop to The Gimp? Photoshop is very complex to operate and so is the Gimp. I could not find a way to migrate one artist (my daughter) from Windows to Linux because of this single issue (she is already a Firefox and LibreOffice user). I don't think she is unusual in her disdain for large-scale change of habits. </li> </ul> I was lucky. The only complex user was myself. Others said "I don't need the files that much" or they converted them to PDF and manually re-entered the files in question. Everyone that I have converted said it was worth the effort because Linux is an excellent financial deal. All have gained a new respect for open source in general. Me too. Richard </div> </body> </html>