On 9/4/05, Neil Bothwick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Sat, 3 Sep 2005 15:56:34 -0700, Mark Knecht wrote: > > > In general I'll have to take the unpopular position and say I > > disagree. All those potential converts are just like you - They don't > > run desktops they run apps - and because they are so entrenched with > > dollars already spent on Microsoft Windows, Microsoft email, Microsoft > > Office, Quicken,, etc., they won't come just because they can save > > $400 buying a new PC. > > > > To become a Linux user is a commitment. People don't make new > > commitments lightly, and making a light commitment to Linux is doomed > > to failure. It's far too hard to use. Imagine knowing absolutely > > nothing about any Linux editor, nor even terminal commands, and trying > > to configure networking. It's nigh on impossible. > > You're confusing using with administering. Yes, administering a Linux > system takes more knowledge than clicking a few buttons in Windows, but > using a correctly setup system is no harder with Linux, even Gentoo, than > Windows. My partner is about as computer-illiterate as they come, but she > uses a Gentoo system. She runs apps, not a desktop and not an operating > system. She uses KDE, not because she prefers it, but because it's what I > use, so it was the easiest one for me to show her around. But as long as > her mailer, browser and office programs work, she doesn't care what's > underneath. This is someone so technophobic that she cannot use a VCR, > but Linux is not hard to use for her. > > > -- > Neil Bothwick
Neil, But to use it you have to set it up, right? ;-) I'm not confusing administering a system with using a system. Although my skill set is permanantly locked somewhere around the 6 out of 10 level I do understand that difference. I also understand what it's like on the other side. I administer not only my own Gentoo systems (numbering 3) but I also administer my wife's Gentoo box, my son's Fedora box, my father's Gentoo box and 4 Pundit-R's that are used as MythTV frontend machines. I get the difference. I love Gentoo, and Linux in general, but it took a long time. The point is that not a single one of those people could even begin to take a Gentoo CD and end up with a running system, or if they did it would take weeks. Everyone of them can do that with Windows in an afternoon. They have. None of them could even begin to do what's in a Gentoo install doc in terms of configuration. The editors are arcane, the instructions sometimes a bit vague, and RTFM instructions would simply send them back to Windows in a heart beat. We both understand that without vi or nano experience that without luck you'll probably never get networking, and without networking you go nowhere fast. We both can see that if someone tried to use Linux on a Windows network the first question after getting the machine up would probably be some Samba oriented issue about 'Where is network neighborhood' Windows gives me that. How do I get my files?" ...etc... I've had to solve that for my family. Browsers are almost OK these days, as long as you don't want or need multimedia, flash, etc., but after I'll hit the real issue that was raised earlier. Even if the machine is up and working perfectly, I need M$ Word, Excel, Outlook, or all my old stuff is lost and I'm just starting over. Damn, the kid sure is screaming loud about his stupid games not working, my wife want's her 'Family Tree' program or some other such thing. I give up and go to the pub for liquid therapy. I've done this, both for myself and for 3 family members. Granted, I ain't that smart, but I've seen the problems. On the other hand I think many hot shot Linux folks cannot always see the forest for the trees and take far, far too much for granted. For someone who just wants to browse the web and get a little email through GMail Window gets the job done until it fails. When it does they wipe their disk, reinstall, and go on. That sort of user is never, IMHO, going to make a commitment to learn vi... Just my two cents, respectfully given. I'm not bashing Linux, or developers, or anyone here. I'm just saying life isn't all about CS majors just out of college. cheers, Mark -- gentoo-user@gentoo.org mailing list
