On Thu, Feb 26, 2004 at 05:40:55AM -0800, Michael Costolo wrote: > --- Jeff Kinz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Telling people "Oh, you gotta learn all new applications"... > > But you already proved this to be wrong at the library. It doesn't > matter that they *thought* they were using MS Word. They weren't. And > they had no complaints.
You have it backwards. It shows that a completely random and untrained population sample will be able to use Linux when it looks and acts exactly like what they already know, Windows. They didn't have to learn a new application. Since these boxes only performed internet browsing and word processing it was relatively easy to accomplish that but these systems did not come configured that way out of the box. Is the same look and work identical alternative available for the rest of the Windows software in existence? Of course not, and that is the issue. - But we are making progress. For the folks who think I've decided that Linux on the desktop will never fly please take a look at this presentation given to the OCEAN club at MIT almost a year ago. Its linked to from this page: http://www.ocean-usa.org/oitc/event329.php You will find the link on the right hand side of the page labeled "Jeff Kinz's slides". The presentation was created in Impress (OpenOffice :-) ) but is in powerpoint format because that was what was requested by the OCEAN club. Fortunately Impress does both .sxw and .ppt :-). The presentation is 47 slides long and has some stats and numbers that are very interesting closest to the end. The Library users had no problems (They still had complaints :-) ) using the application because it worked and looked exactly like what they already knew how to use - Microsoft Word. The users did not have to learn a new application. If it hadn't looked exactly like Word they would not have been able to use it. If they had had to learn a new word processing application, it would not have been successful. This is one of the few areas where the users would not have to learn a new application. Other areas which will/may require the users to learn a new application (One which is not a work and look alike clone) will remain as hurdle to desktop Linux adoption. Please note that I am not saying that Linux desktop adoption is impossible. It can't be obviously. (See contents of my presentation documenting several companies using Linux on the desktop.) -- Jeff Kinz, Open-PC, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA. "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" is copyright 2003. Use is restricted. Any use is an acceptance of the offer at http://www.kinz.org/policy.html. _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss