Hi all,
After hearing many people talk about how linux is not suitable for the
desktop, I figured I'd add my 2 cents worth..
IF Linux was setup to default to only the same functionality and install
options that windows has,, it would be really easy to install and just as
easy to use...
think about it..
take one mdk install,
remove all servers and the multiple apps of the same apps, settle on one for
each,, one word processor, one spreadsheet, one text editor,, one of
everthing...
settle on just Gnome or KDE, nothing else.. (probably KDE as its just that
bit more like win blows to look at)
no choice of console or X at boot, make it always boot to GUI...
Wouldn't that make for a tiny, neat and efficient usable os for newbies??
then once they have the hang of it,, introduce them to the pleasures of a
full distro...
I had the idea to do that about 2 years ago... I wanted to make a linux
intall based on redhat and make it as close in spec and appearance to
windows, so as to make them feel at home.. long enough to get them hooked on
linux...
( I know the purists amonst us would object to that as akin to removing the
best features of linux, but think of how many something like that could lure
away windoze users without scaring them off or making them feel inept...)
because of its fixed contents, support would be a piece of cake,, no servers
means more security and less hassles by default... and they could make a
really "pretty desktop with office folders and productivity folders and
stuff like that.. and any windoze newbies could be up and running very
fast...
Corel seemed to be a good step in this equation, but they didn't go far
enough,, they still offered way more then a windows install and it was good,
but not as easy as windoze... a mandrake version would kick its ass...
they could call it "Mandrake Linux for Windows users." the power of linux
with the ease of windows...
that would grab windoze users who don't want to rent XP or whatever by the
droves..
because all current linux distro's still offer so many packages on install,
they will never make it look as simple to newbies.,...
The differences are simple..
- winblows asks you if you want to install a notepad..
- Linux asks you how many different text editors you want to install, or
worse, it asks you if you want to install a package by name, and that name
is nothing a newbie would know or recognice or know.
I honestly can't belive someone still hasn't released a massivly cutdown
desktop release of linux (apart from offering it as in install chose, which
isn't the same as its not known about until you are installing it.)
It has so many extra featurs over windoze,, consider the following..
1. It's cheaper by a large margin.
2. No expensive office package to buy.
3. Setting up dialup with kppp is actually easier then windoze by a good
margin.
4. Completely upgradable.. package by package.
5. An app for every occasion...
6. far better stability and reliability with less overheads...
The problem is that the people who put the linux distros together are not
newbies. they are experianced programers for the most part,, so they can't
imagine what its like for a newbie anymore...
Here is what is needed..
1. A current 2.4 kernel...
2. a poll to ask everyones opinion on what is the easiest most useful of
each app type that should be included in this distro.
3. One of each app type only... use the above poll to determine what app
should be chosen for each app type.
4. No servers included in this distro.
5. market it as linux for windoze users... the power of linux with the ease
of windows. (that may not appeal to us, ,but it will appeal to windoze
users..)
6. possibly even a file manager that calls / (c drive) /home (my docs) and
/usr (prog files) and /proc (linux) and /mnt/floppy (a drive) /mnt/cdrom (d
drive) to help them feel at home, although thats proably overkill...
7.
you get the idea, the reason that linux isn't considered desktop material,
is because noone has made it that way...
because it cuts down on alot of the reasons that linux is great, but it
should still be done because its the best way to lure disgruntled windoze
users over to the greener pastures..
I wish I had the talent to do this,, I have a suspecision that it would
quickly become the distro of choise for newbies, although they would no
doubt change to a full distro once they got the hang of things, the full
distro is what stops them trying in the first place....
think about it, and picture yourself as a complete linux newbie who has used
windoze in its many variations over the years,, isn't that a nice easy way
to introduce yourself to the concept of linux?
MS were right in their approach, win95 98, Me and 2000 pro and now XP
home... are all simple limited in choise installs that don't require any
real knowlege to use and install...
they have very few of the options of NT, NT server SBS 2000 server, 2000
advanced server ect....
as a result they don't suffer the consequences of dabbling with stuff they
are not ready to understand...
they just screwed it up by makin alot of bad choices and software of dubious
stability....
we are offering the linux equiv of "winblows 2000 advanced server" to the
average newbie, who can blame them if they think its way too complicated.???
anyway, thats my opinion, if I am ever in a position to do something like
this, I would at the drop of a hat..
it would be a labour of love for me to create something that could intice
thousands upon thousands of newbies to the joy of linux..
And if someone does do this, MS would really be in trouble... (I personally
think Mandrake are the best people to do it because they have demonstraited
time and again that they have a talent for making hard things easier and
easy things dead easy...)
regards
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of John
Sent: Saturday, 30 June 2001 11:50 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [newbie] curious ....
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On Friday 29 June 2001 06:50 pm, you wrote:
>
<snip>
> >Many of you have provided so much help to us
> >newbies but your past experience and with some of you with a formal UNIX
> >education go through command lines as if they were just plain englsih(or
> >perspective native language). Personally, I don't get excited and find
> >command lines boring and unnecessary. With a GUI it is point and click
and
> >so on. It is not lazy or an aide to the stupid. Frankly, not everyone who
> >has a car wants a manual transmission or work on it to make the
adjustment
> >so that car runs the way the owner wants it to.
>
I've no formal computer training. I got a computer 6 years ago, and just
started playing with it. Seeing's how I live way out in the woods, there was
nobody around to 'teach' me right from wrong...so you can imagine the tough
times I had of it. It was Winblows 95, then 98SE
>
<snip>
>
> >I love Linux but I can honestly say as unbias observer Linux is not for
> > the common person. So far all the usrs I have encountered are techies,
> > wanna be techies, hackers(as in enjoyers of software and not a cracker)
> > and those with a formal UNIX education. As Linux moves to become easier
I
> > think it is losing that thing that has given the rise and recognition.
> > Still though evolution has a funny way of throwing a monkey wrench into
> > the mix now and then. I am curious to see what the future holds for all
> > OS.
>
I consider myself a 'common person'. I'm a construction carpenter. I love
to cuss and cut-up with my buddies, get lit dern near every night, and get
into fights almost every weekend. I might be considered somewhat geeky...by
someone in a big city I suppose, because I also repair computers in my spare
time, yet no one around here even uses the term 'geek'...it's damn near a
foreign word.
So...I used Winblows, and got used to it, but ever since about 3 months
ago, I've been playing with Linux (LM 8.0) and rarely boot into Win anymore,
other than to play a game or two, but even that is becoming boring and
costly. Anyway, as just one of the 'little people', I can say 'screw
winblows' and their monopolistic, greedy, snobbish ways (I actually wanted
to
put it a good bit harsher than that...mutter), if they can't take good,
decent competition without using poor taste and even poorer sportsmanship
and
honesty, then they've lost another person who's 'smartened' up...Me.
Sorry for carrying this thread along, but this dumb 'desktop' and 'common,
everyday computer user' thing not being right with Linux is just pure BS.
Plain and simple.
John Berger
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