Why Linux will win and Micro$oft will lose

[Tom Achtenberg]

On Saturday 10 November 2001 03:48 pm, you wrote:
> There is a big difference between using an operating system and
> installing or configuring one.
>
> Most Windoze users haven't a clue how to do either one.
>
> Give a preconfigured Linux box to someone who has never had a computer
> before and the ease of use
> is as good or better than Windoze. ( A recent report rated KDE 2 better
> than MacOS and WinXP for ease of use.)
>
> I personally have setup two Mandrake boxes for computer newbies. One to
> a friend of mine and the other
> to my girlfriend's daughter. In each case I helped them get their ppp
> setup. They have had very little
> difficulty in web browsing, using email, etc.. One of them had some
> experience with windows, the other
> had never used a computer at all.
>

This is all fine until the run down to the local Best Buy or the like and buy 
the lates game or any other software.  They will then sood discover that at 
this time the unknowing Linux users like themselves are out of luck. And 
they'll be calling you up to "fix" it.


> We must be careful when we talk about what the 'average user' wants
> to/can do. The average user
> just wants to turn it on and use it. In this case, a Linux box isn't any
> more difficult to use than anything else. (Until it comes time to deal
> with a proprietary file format/protocal. But there are office suites
> for Linux that help with that also).
>
> This is something to remember as we contemplate installfests and newbie
> meetings.