Amarok is soon getting a Windows version, since they're using QT 4 now. I forgot VLC for a while, as I don't use it so much on Linux, although it was my best friend when I was using Windows. Same goes for Thunderbird. There's also Azureus, the Bittorrent client, for instance.
Another thing that will definitely help is Vista. Most people I know complain about it, and it's insane memory requirements, especially if their hardware is middle of the line, like mine. Now, how do you convince Joe Public to use OpenSource software instead of proprietary software? How do you spread the word? P.S. I nearly forgot, what about the EEEPc of Asus, it has Linux preloaded on it. Has anyone seen one yet in Malta? I know it's for sale, but I don't know anyone who bought it. What I do know is that most people regard it as being a very good device in general, with Linux only enhancing that image, even among people who aren't very hardware savvy. A possible solution might be to see what the Maltese market likes, modify Ubuntu and create a distro of our own (perhaps with a good Maltese translation? Who knows? Getting the Akkademja tal-Malti on our side might prove fruitful.) Then, collude with a local retailer to bundle it on a laptop, and see how people react to the product. Of course, we'd have to provide some means of support..as I can already foresee problems from the end users, especially as they try and use their own software on it/or plugin devices that are not compatible (This might really hurt..what do you tell someone whose expensive printer doesn't work?) Sorry for the long post... :D, and super long P.S., and good luck with Linux, Gianluca! And the exams :P On Sat, 2008-05-24 at 19:03 +0200, Gianluca Magro wrote: > Hi, first time posting on this mailing list, but here goes :P > > Continuing to what Raphael said, it is a bit difficult to push linux > into people who only use their computer for fun and don't even know > what e-mail program they're using. Therefore pushing OSS first is key > to achieve this. Firefox and OOo are of course ahead of the rest and > have already starting diffusing amongst the 'normal users'... Firefox > sort of seems 'cooler' than 'you know what', and maybe that helped in > pushing Firefox to these people. OOo was pushed because it was > installed on people's PC instead of office (saves money no?). Amarok > unfortunately doesn't have a Windows version yet so these users cannot > really try it and see what it's like. > > Moreover it will take some time before a stable build with features > that overcome WMP's, and only at that point can the software be pushed > forward. I would suggest pushing ahead software which has already been > in the Windows scene for quite some time. What about VLC? A video > player that saves the hassle of downloading a million and one codecs > for any film or tv series you download, which WMP can't play by > default. I've heard lots of complaints from people who can't play > their videos, and always solved their problems by redirecting them to > VLC. > > Gimp is a cool piece of software too but unfortunately not many people > are into graphic design, and those who are would already use other > software, so it's quite useless. What about Thunderbird? Great email > program providing everything that Outlook provides, of course with > customisable looks and stuff which Outlook doesn't have in addition to > those. > > However, what I think would be a good thing to promote, that most > people should start learning to do... would be sourceforge.net a site > for downloading any random software you'd need. People still search on > google to find software that converts MKV to AVI... they find some > program that needs you to pay, and download the program and the crack > from Ares. We can show people that searching for open source software > on sites such as sourceforge they would find programs that fit to any > of their needs are work better than the ones they spent ages to find, > download and crack. > > Sorry for the long post... but this comes from a user who's still > pretty new to Linux and doesn't have much background in it, I think > these are some points that normal users MIGHT be interested in > changing to :) > > - bix > > Anton Xuereb wrote: > > Seems I missed out a lot on the thread. Some > > people live at their desks it seems. > > > > I try to but don't always manage :( > > > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 5:11 PM, Raphael Borg Ellul Vincenti > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Personally I see it as a big sign of disrespect. Although > > the tshirt > > banner wasn't as bad. Seems I missed out a lot on the > > thread. Some > > people live at their desks it seems. I would like to voice a > > couple of > > things on the top of my head. > > > > First of all, I see a big difficulty in HR scene regarding > > Linux and > > or other system programing experience on the island. Based > > on the CVs > > that I see on my desk, yes we find it extremely difficult to > > find the > > right people to join our company. Yes we have products which > > are based > > on Linux let alone core infrastructure. So its crucial for > > us (2X) to > > find local talent which we could surely use. > > > > Second of all, Anton you forgot world domination somewhere > > in your list. :) > > > > The workshop is on the top of our list. Well it was before > > we lost our > > mirror and the world collapsed. Angelo, we would really like > > to help > > out if there is the need for OSS awareness. Even from the > > academic > > point of view since OSS reflects most values in academia of > > publishing > > your work. I am not talking about MS vs Linux here. > > > > Regarding other arguments, yes conversion starts from the > > applications > > which we use daily on our linux desktops and then to the > > actual linux > > distribution. I know that after Firefox and OOo, Amarok will > > be a big > > pusher in the propaganda of OSS and free (as in speech) > > online music > > stores. > > > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 2:08 PM, Anton Xuereb > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > that egging video was hilarious > > > > > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 1:59 PM, Jean Azzopardi > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > wrote: > > >> > > >> Yes..or some hungarian students will get creative with > > some dairy > > >> products. > > >> > > >> On Sat, 2008-05-24 at 13:48 +0200, Anton Xuereb wrote: > > >> > > >> > Something tells me that Ballmer wouldn't accept and for > > the love of > > >> > God don't expect me to stand still while so many chairs > > would be > > >> > waiting to be broken against his back :( > > >> > > > >> > ;) > > >> > > > >> > M > > >> > > > >> > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 1:45 PM, Jean Azzopardi > > >> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> > > > >> > I vote for Stallman, Torvalds, Shuttleworth and > > Ballmer as > > >> > guest > > >> > speakers. > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > On Sat, 2008-05-24 at 13:30 +0200, Sebastian > > Cachia wrote: > > >> > > Regards OOo, I used to teach ECDL a few years > > back, and can > > >> > back up > > >> > > what Anton said, that a number of students > > had bought PCs > > >> > with OOo > > >> > > pre-installed, and either just stuck with it, > > or didn't even > > >> > know they > > >> > > were using a different product. Getting > > people to switch to > > >> > Linux > > >> > > would be great, but as Jean said, a number of > > other open > > >> > source > > >> > > applications exist, and getting people to > > switch would be a > > >> > great step > > >> > > forward. Also once people are used to using > > products like > > >> > Firefox, > > >> > > OOo, Gimp, etc, the prospect of using Linux > > is no longer so > > >> > bad. > > >> > > Afterall, for average user, the concept of > > the OS is purely > > >> > at an > > >> > > Application layer, and has little to do with > > what kernel is > > >> > running > > >> > > underneath. > > >> > > > > >> > > Last year at Uni, we had an Introduction to > > Operating > > >> > Systems course > > >> > > (or something like that) by the CIS > > department. It is > > >> > however > > >> > > generally accepted to have been quite a > > disapointment. > > >> > > > > >> > > A good place to start might be some sort of > > Open Source > > >> > seminar, > > >> > > organized by MLUG for Uni ICT students. A > > list of guest > > >> > speakers could > > >> > > be identified, both from within MLUG, as well > > as the Uni > > >> > staff. Also, > > >> > > it is generally better to get people > > interested through > > >> > seeing and > > >> > > doing. Some sort of workshop, in a linux lab > > perhaps, where > > >> > anybody > > >> > > can bring along a laptop and be led through a > > given topic by > > >> > somebody. > > >> > > Perhaps these could all be joined together to > > form some sort > > >> > of day > > >> > > long event. > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > >> > > MLUG-list mailing list > > >> > > [email protected] > > >> > > > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > >> > > > >> > _______________________________________________ > > >> > MLUG-list mailing list > > >> > [email protected] > > >> > > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > >> > > > >> > > > >> > _______________________________________________ > > >> > MLUG-list mailing list > > >> > [email protected] > > >> > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > >> > > >> _______________________________________________ > > >> MLUG-list mailing list > > >> [email protected] > > >> http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > MLUG-list mailing list > > > [email protected] > > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > MLUG-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > MLUG-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list _______________________________________________ MLUG-list mailing list [email protected] http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list
