I hope that nobody mistakes my position on this issue for liking
Microsoft...

> My comments were mostly spawned from a personal dislike of Micro$oft and
> the way they think they know what is good for me (When they don't).

In my opinion, the end user should have to deal with as little "computer
stuff" as possible.  You and I and other power users are going to want shell
access because it's powerful and has cool stuff, but if all you want is chat
and email, you shouldn't be forced to worry about anything else.  If having
a "wizard" walk you through some stuff where you click next, next, next is
the solution to making end users worry about "computer stuff" as little as
possible, then imho there's no problem with is at all.

> Do you think people would be better off with a non-Linux OS because in
> general they don't have experience with it or because Linux lacks the
> "wizards" and little animals asking if you need help setting up this and
> that?

If I gave my Grandpa (both of my grandmothers are dead) a Linux CD, I doubt
he'd even know what it was.  Not Linux, I'm talking about the CD itself.  He
was over at my parents house the other Sunday for dinner and asked "what
those new-fangled CD players are, anyway".  My Dad decided he'd show him, so
he went into the living room with my grandpa, and couldn't figure out how to
work the stereo.  I had to leave before I started laughing.

I think that this would be a good test, but the "average user" isn't going
to know what to do with a Windows CD either I bet.  You'd want to get a
group of several end users, give half a Windows cd, and half a Linux cd, and
see who has the most problems.

> Has anyone ever given their wife or grandma a Linux CD and wished them
> luck?  Doing so, in my mind, would be the first step in finding out
> where Linux really is lacking for home users.

Finally - are inline comments "in style", or am I supposed to be doing this
some other way?  I usually don't worry, but I saw someone say something
about it earlier...

Dan


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