Hi Judith,
On Sun, 29 Jul 2001 08:48, you manipulated electrons to produce:
> Sridhar wrote:
> >> You mean it isn't "intuitive" for a Windos user? Then you are
>
> correct. For people who have been using *nix for a while this can
> be very intuitive. <<
>
> Whoa! "Intuitive" has nothing to do with what OS someone knows how
> to use. "Intuitive" means "known or perceived through intuition."
*********** Aha! A "born" debater! :-)
Most of my working life was spent trying to introduce Western
Technology in Asia - at the USER level. The greatest problem in
presenting alternative - not even better - solutions to tasks is the
cultural problem. "*My* way has to be better, or this means I am
wrong".
To readily understand this point is simple: consider Religion! :-)
However, INDUCEMENT to change is the highest requirement for rapidly
overcoming the inbuilt habit/prejudice/bias of the student.
In the case of Windows vs Linux, to really appreciate the differences
requires comparing apples with apples (not Apples) and here we need
to separate the application intention of the user:
1. Geek.
2. Tool user.
In (1) there is utterly no question. Linux wins. The Internet runs
on the stuff - despite Big Bill's massive efforts to sell the MS
Server solutions. It is simply so superior that any true geek would
become aware of it in a week or less - as happens.
In (2) Mandrake is almost there! It is a problem of residual
intention confusion that is the main outstanding difficulty.
Pavarotti in an interview once said that he "admired the dedication
of all those other Opera Singers who can practise so hard, hour after
hour, day after day." When reminded of how much time he spent working
on his music he said, " but I just sing!"
We are getting there very quickly. It is astounding that it *IS*
happening so quickly and efficiently. People tend to forget that the
vast bulk of great work done on this System is done by individuals
and small groups who somehow find the time and energy to get it all
together and create a cohesion that we still have yet to see come out
of Redmond. ( Mind you, there is a different intention inside
Redmond.)
Even more amazing is the fact that the people being called on to make
the System "User Friendly", are not by instinct of the same
mind/culture/Religion!
As I keep saying - this exercise is massively cross-cultural. At one
extreme are the Civilemes and Sridhars who actually LIKE the
complexity and challenges, but they were born to it.
At the other extreme is YHC, your humble correspondent, who an
hundred years ago thought automatic gearboxes on autos was a
blasphemy, but who sure learned to appreciate them in stop-start
traffic jams, which were invented at the time, to sell automatic
gearboxes....
Now that I have a complex life out in the Cyberbog, the last thing I
need to do is go catch a goose, yank out a tail feather and sharpen
it and make some ink to create my daily bread. That ain't fun to me.
Only the writing -as some of you have noticed - is, I looove the
Biro.
HOWEVER, to make this thing work is not that difficult if approached
a little differently. It is only in the separation of the "cultures"
and understanding of the requirements - or goals of the other, that
it does simplify.
Natural Mechanics.
Drivers.
The money is with the Drivers. We outnumber the mechanics by the same
ratio of auto mechanics to drivers. The whole computer system is just
a tool, nothing more. It is useful only to contact Grandma cheaply,
SPAM each other and write the great novel of the century. We just
want to use it to go from A to B.
The requirement is simple: AUTOMATE IT. Give us this day our daily
GUI and deliver us from the Command Line.
Four-wheel Drive and double-reduction 6-speed gearboxes are great -
on an Army vehicle, they are useless to a normal user as the Urban
equivalent. Dangerous in an accident, extremely expensive to
maintain, uncomfortable and no longer impress anyone - they all have
one too.
We only need a system that works as far as possible on MINIMUM
CHOICES. 3 Automatic gears are fine! We only need to do repetitive
and simple things.
Mandrake only has to focus on on one simple zone to really fill a
giant vacuum:
K.I.S.
EVERYTHING on the Desktop.
No Server option on install.
No Multi-desktops - Gnome *or* KDE whichever is "windowiest".
An Email program - as close to O.E as possible.
A REALLY good Wordprocessor - Doze-like interface
(Star Office seems pretty close to workable now - except for font
problems)
THEN for later on, the AUTOMATIC updater/installer option - ON the
Desktop!
For "MIGRANTS" - "ESCAPEES", "REFUGEES" :
A DEFAULT install Trial Win4Lin.
Mandrake is still a long way from an "easy" transition - transitions
are NEVER easy, as whole habit patterns have to be burned out and
replaced.
Then there is the problem of expectation! Remember, that's how Bill
became a Billionaire!
Mandrake is about the level of W95 in development terms, which is a
great testimony to the people all over the world who are involved,
mostly as part-time activists!
But, for me, a very typical Driver with a long journey ahead and
already running late, the logical solution seems to be Mandrake plus
Win4Lin, especially for any business user and you have the best of
both worlds.
IN SUMMARY:
My conclusion after reading thousands of messages and hands on
experience in the last four distros and culminating in Mandrake8, is
that I would not advise anyone attempting to run M8 or any other
Distro without determining the following:
1. Are they a NEW Newby? No prior Doze experience
2. Are they "mechanically" inclined?
3. Are they a commercially serious user?
4. The age/equipment of the machine to install on.
For:
1. Very much (as in Doze) need a live helper alongside. A local User
Group is MANDATORY. *IF* the install worked, I see no more difficulty
in learning M8 than Doze. I know of none personally that worked in
one go.
2. Doing it for the "fun" of it as much as anything else. Not
reliant on it for their daily bread. ( See 1., minus the live helper)
3. Preferably professionally installed -almost mandatory - if a
Network and incorporating Win4Lin. (Same as Doze)
4. Be prepared to spend whatever money necessary to buy
peripherals/components that are *known to work* with the Distro. Most
workarounds are unstable and inefficient.
>From all that I have learned, it would appear that modern Distros
like M8 won't break your Doze machine setup PROVIDED you do a
"routine" auto-install.
Therefore, I would say try and install the Opsys and hope that it
worked. If it breaks down, it may take months, if ever, to get your
components/peripherals working. I now consider for a business user
that Win4Lin is almost mandatory.
Despite very high-level aid given me, the solutions to my many
problems have not been resolved as of this writing.
CAVEAT: This is not professional advice! The database is a very
small derivation, but I consider, very representative.
However the incentives to change are massive and growing.
--
Cheers,
John
http://counter.li.org GO HERE IF YOU SUPPORT LINUX! ( Nobody
does...??)
Fablor is now Webhosting?? What on earth for??
Info here: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
(it's only an Autoresponder) :-)
