On Thursday 11 Sep 2003 7:12 pm, Bryan Phinney wrote: > > Well, Lindows is now offering 24 hour tech support by phone for $80 > per year, unlimited incidents. Again, I am not suggesting that we > try to replace the concept of windows with Linux by any means, I am > suggesting that we position this as, you are not buying the > software, you are buying the labor/knowledge that it takes to get > the software installed and working correctly for what you want to > do with it. Much like you would pay someone to cut down and remove > trees from a yard that needs to be cleared. > Sounds reasonable to me - the cost of windows and it's up to you to see if Joe next door can help you, or $60 and some genuine help (assuming that the quality is a reality). Not just USA, I hope?
> Once a competent person sets up a Linux system, it should, for > practical purposes, be pretty much maintenance free as long as the > tasks that they needed to do were identified from the beginning and > they resist the urge to muck about with it. > Sooner or later they will want to install something, but that, and the knowledge of how to safely get rid of it later, should be about it. (Course, I've seen an awful lot of people just delete directories in windows, too) > Computers are not easy to setup and work on, certainly not any > easier than an automobile and most people would not expect to be > able to build and repair a car themselves, why should they expect > to be able to do something similar with a computer? Microsoft has > oversold themselves, you can make a computer easy to install and > maintain or you can make it secure and stable, you simply can not > do both. Once someone understands that, they should be ready for > the plunge to Linux. > I have long held that for a first time user the 'plunge' is much less than for a long-time windows user. > Using publicity about worms, viruses, trojans, spyware, and the > like, all associated with Windows, should be enough to convince > them of the accuracy of that prospect. > It's one thing for the already computer-literate, but how do you do that for the real newcomer, without it just sounding like M$-bashing to sell your product? > > For now, seeing seniors use linux or any segment of the > > population that is of the mindset a comp shold be like a toaster > > (it just works), is a pipe dream. > > I agree that it is a pipe dream and we should start with fully > communicating that it is a pipe dream with Windows just as it is a > pipe dream with Linux. Trying to teach someone to secure windows, > or even to operate it without major problems is no more difficult > than to teach someone to operate with Linux. There are some things > that are too complex, others that can be done. Once we identify > which of those things they are capable of, they can pay > professionals to do the other. > If you can get a group sufficiently comfortable together to talk over coffee you can get across these ideas. > I can either stick with the status quo or I can agitate at every > possible step for a better way. I choose to not let a single > chance go by where I can suggest to everyone and anyone that Linux > is a better way. If they choose to go the windows route, at least > they do so with the knowledge that there was an alternative. There's the rub - so many go along to PCWorld (or whatever the equivalent is in other countries) and buy what they are given by salesmen who may, just, have heard of macs, but nothing else. Anne -- Registered Linux User No.293302 Have you visited http://twiki.mdklinuxfaq.org yet?
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