Linux for my sister?

That plan looks more than what I have done for my 3 oldest kids, ages 9-14. They do email, instant messaging and browsing along with OpenOffice.org for all drawing and report writing on Linux.

The only one not doing all that is my 6 year old. He just plays games on Linux.

I left cookies on in Mozilla but all pop-ups off. I log in remotely and cleanout the cookies once in a while.

Fonts are not much of a problem to me or them. Red Hat 8.0 and 9 have very nice fonts. My kids use Red Hat 7.3 (it's an under-powered but adequate machine) and the fonts are a bit uglier there but they don't mind. What font problems are you talking about?

Alan

-------Original Message-------
From: Ed Skinner <ed@flat5.net>
Sent: 08/14/03 04:30 PM
To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
Subject: Linux for my sister?

>

>      What criteria would suggest that a naive user could probably make the 

move to Linux with very little trouble? Here's my guess:

1) Computer use is limited to surfing the net and exchanging email.
2) Someone with minor (?) Linux-savvy is available to do the initial
install,
printer, network, browser* and email configurations, and to do an hour or
two
of "hands-on" instruction, and an occasional "hand-holding" via cellular
phone (while the user is dialed-in trying to do something).
3) Hands-on instruction would include:
3A) how to turn the machine on,
3B) launch and operate the browser,
3C) launch and operate the email program,
3D) how to make those programs exit (without losing data), and
3E) how to bring the machine down to a poweroff state.
*Note: Cookies on or off? What's safe versus what will the naive user
"need"
for "Microsoft-like" browsing?

     A slightly more sophisticated user might add the requirement for 
"Microsoft Office tools". That requirement could be answered through 
OpenOffice with the following criteria.

4) Computer use includes Word and Excel (but not PowerPoint or Access).
5) Someone with OpenOffice**-savvy is available to do some "hands-on"
training
and follow-up "hand-holding" by telephone.
6) Hands-on instruction would include:
6A) how to launch OpenOffice,
6B) how to open existing Word and Excel files,
6C) how to save them as OpenOffice, or Word/Excel files,
6D) how to decide when to save them in one format versus the other, and
6E) how to exit (without losing data) from OpenOffice.
**Note: Fonts seem to be an on-going problem, or is that just me?

     Would those two categories cover the majority of Windows users?
     What have I missed?

--
Ed Skinner, ed@flat5.net, http://www.flat5.net/

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