Re: OS differences (Was: Re: My experience with Ubuntu...not great)

2009-11-09 Thread bwright

In my opinion I think Ubuntu and indeed all Linux distributions are a
little bit of a culture shock for people whom are used to being given
software from a proprietary organization such as Microsoft or
Macintosh. Avoid the technical details between the systems I think
it's important to new realize that by using Ubuntu you are part of the
Ubuntu community, how active you are within it is completely up to
you. But since the entire project is community driven you have to give
some leeway to developers and community member's with the overwhelming
majority doing the work for nothing. I think it's quite outstanding
what distributions such as Ubuntu have achieved both in technical and
communal areas. If you are unsatisfied with it that is fine that is
how progress happens report what you don't like in a sensible manner
and we can help sort out your problems, whether that be a need for
technical change or perhaps some links to educational material. Anyway
I hope you choose to stick with Ubuntu it can be a little hard at
first but after a while I can assure you, you will want to stay.
George Patterson wrote:
 2009/11/9 Daniel Mons daniel.m...@iinet.net.au:
  Microbe wrote:
  I have no problem with Ubuntu or Linux as such, my issue was that
  Ubuntu in particular is being touted as a windows replacement.
 
  By whom?
 

 Good question...

  Ubuntu is not designed to replace Windows.  No Linux distribution is.
   I think you'll find that when it comes to development of Linux, the
  people actually writing the code generally aren't doing it to replace
  some other bit of software, but rather just because they are interested
  in developing their own system for their own needs.
 

 The often touted Year of the Linux desktop is not the right phrase
 as it depends on who's desktop are we talking about. In the past I
 have been involved with a non-profit organisation that refurbished
 computers and gave them to consession card holders and those that
 could not afford them.

 Linux desktop for
 - Technical Support Help Line:  possibly if they also have access to a
 Windows machine for replicating faults.
 - Accounts department in a largish company:  only if they can get
 obtain accounting software that complies with the taxation laws.
 - The CEO - Unless demanded, I'd say heck no as a new tools and
 workflow needs to be learned.

 We noted that those that would accept the Linux desktop the quickest
 were those that had not used a computer before. It partly comes down
 to preconceptions of where something can be found and how do do
 something. Some things are too hard, different to what you have learnt
 before or back to front from you knew from before.

 Part of the exercise of learning a new OS (or even differences between
 distributions) is putting aside some of what you learned before and
 learning with a new slate of curiosity. I find that it can be helpful
 to have a table of common tasks and the steps required or the location
 in the GUI.

 Certainly if something is broken, then report it on Launchpad. If
 something could be better documented, edit the wiki or blog about it.
 With any system sometimes the worst people to ask for documentation
 are the developers themselves as they are seeing the system from the
 code perspective and not the ends users.

 Regards


 George

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OS differences (Was: Re: My experience with Ubuntu...not great)

2009-11-08 Thread George Patterson
2009/11/9 Daniel Mons daniel.m...@iinet.net.au:
 Microbe wrote:
 I have no problem with Ubuntu or Linux as such, my issue was that
 Ubuntu in particular is being touted as a windows replacement.

 By whom?


Good question...

 Ubuntu is not designed to replace Windows.  No Linux distribution is.
  I think you'll find that when it comes to development of Linux, the
 people actually writing the code generally aren't doing it to replace
 some other bit of software, but rather just because they are interested
 in developing their own system for their own needs.


The often touted Year of the Linux desktop is not the right phrase
as it depends on who's desktop are we talking about. In the past I
have been involved with a non-profit organisation that refurbished
computers and gave them to consession card holders and those that
could not afford them.

Linux desktop for
- Technical Support Help Line:  possibly if they also have access to a
Windows machine for replicating faults.
- Accounts department in a largish company:  only if they can get
obtain accounting software that complies with the taxation laws.
- The CEO - Unless demanded, I'd say heck no as a new tools and
workflow needs to be learned.

We noted that those that would accept the Linux desktop the quickest
were those that had not used a computer before. It partly comes down
to preconceptions of where something can be found and how do do
something. Some things are too hard, different to what you have learnt
before or back to front from you knew from before.

Part of the exercise of learning a new OS (or even differences between
distributions) is putting aside some of what you learned before and
learning with a new slate of curiosity. I find that it can be helpful
to have a table of common tasks and the steps required or the location
in the GUI.

Certainly if something is broken, then report it on Launchpad. If
something could be better documented, edit the wiki or blog about it.
With any system sometimes the worst people to ask for documentation
are the developers themselves as they are seeing the system from the
code perspective and not the ends users.

Regards


George

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