Testing how an average computer user is able to use Ubuntu Linux. http://www.hexydes.com Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:24:56 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc12 Oh yeah, great. So basically, your dad said \"yeah, well, I don\'t care...\" That was very useful. Thanks. Guillaume Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:04:31 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc13 Isn\'t that perfect, Guillaume? No one expects him to be in rapture over an OS, the fact that he found nothing interesting shows that it did its job and left him to do what he wanted. George Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:11:50 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc14 99% of the computer users DONT CARE. That\'s the point! They just want to send their email, browse the web, bank online and create spreadsheets and flyers. The sooner developers understand that most people are not geeks, the better. http://www.cafepress.com/pay4college mike Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:16:11 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc15 It all goes to show you that most people go with what they have... If they have Windows... they use it. If they have Linux... they use it. It\'s just a matter of getting people to change... ...this is all a good example Aaron Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:20:13 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc16 Nice, however I really wonder if things would have been equally well on a notebook ... cc Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:20:29 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc18 [quote=cc]Nice, however I really wonder if things would have been equally well on a notebook ...[/quote] No, my guess would be not. I have Ubuntu on one of my notebooks, and it works...but I\'ve had to do a lot of work to get it that way. Honestly, if one of my parents was getting a notebook, it would probably be a MacBook. hexydes Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:31:27 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc19 Depends a lot on the notebook. Most notebooks, especially ones that aren\'t brand new technology, work just fine right out of the box. James Sat, 03 Nov 2007 15:36:07 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc21 I have a dual-boot XP/Ubuntu 7.10 on my notebook and it works without a hitch. I\'ve had to tweak things a little in the past, but with Ubuntu, especially 7.04 and 7.10, it is a very pleasant ride without any problems. My notebook is about two and a half years old. :) proog Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:13:02 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc22 I installed ubuntu on my father in laws pc. He is 74 years old and does not know the difference between windows and linux. I installed it mainly because he kept picking up viruses while visiting porn sites. He likes ubuntu and I don\'t have to clean up his mess. Jon Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:54:53 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc23 I installed ubuntu edgy on my mother\'s computer after she was having heaps of trouble with win2k, now she won\'t even touch windows if she can get away with it. as far as hardware problems go I think that is just the tiniest little niggle about people converting. I seriously think that the *actual* problem with mbutt adoption is that software developers haven\'t been that willing to produce linux versions of their software. Waide Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:00:05 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc24 [quote=Jon]I installed ubuntu on my father in laws pc. He is 74 years old and does not know the difference between windows and linux. I installed it mainly because he kept picking up viruses while visiting porn sites. He likes ubuntu and I don\'t have to clean up his mess.[/quote] Wow, 74 and still lovin\' porn sites! :lol: Jimw428 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:04:36 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc25 This is one of two perfect users for Linux right now; either someone who knows how to do everything, or someone who knows how to do nothing. :wink: hexydes Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:18:46 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc26 That\'s why you need to support the companies that do, like Ahead (Nero), so that they see it is financially a viable option for them. :) hexydes Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:24:40 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc27 :D To be fair though, people just click on stupid things. My wife is very good with computers, and occasionally still hits something; the malware groups are so pervasive nowadays, the best security is using a system that won\'t even run the malware. :wink: hexydes Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:26:30 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc28 Ubuntu trumps Windows for many reasons. no viruses, no pricetag, and it\'s more efficient. sure it\'s slow to boot, and the average computer user will have some difficulty getting used to a new file format for applications. but it\'s free, and the software is free. what more can you ask? the best replacement for Windows out there. http://noninedaywonder.blogspot.com/ Alex Kozdra Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:50:18 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc29 Please, make this question to your father. If I tell you Windows would cost you up to $250 and Ubuntu Linux really cost $0... Would you consider using Ubuntu as a replacement to Windows? José Miguel Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:59:46 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc30 I\'ll tell you right now he would take the free option, but the problem is that Windows is \"free\", because it just comes with Dell, or HP, or whatever else. It is a hidden cost that you just don\'t think about. Dell needs to start putting Ubuntu as an option on their cheapest computers, not just their mid-range computers. hexydes Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:11:03 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc31 \"the best security is using a system that won\'t even run the malware.\" however, once linux takes up a big enough portion of the market share malware will start being targeted at systems that use linux. syn0ptik Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:26:56 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc32 Absolutely. I do think that Linux fixes will come out faster than they do for Windows (or would for MacOS), but it certainly would happen. That is another reason we don\'t want any one platform to be dominant; if no OS has more than 10% of the market, that is a very unattractive target for hackers. They then have to create something that either targets that small demographic (sort of pointless), or works across multiple/all platforms (much, much more complicated). hexydes Sat, 03 Nov 2007 23:38:27 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc33 Do I understand the first part correctly: You had to re-install the OS trying to get Compiz-Fusion to work? That\'s so easy to install it\'s like a 3 step walk through right there on the website. Garry Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:14:22 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc34 My mother has been using Ubuntu for a couple of years now. She falls into the category of users who just wants to read their e-mail, surf the Internet and use a digiatal camera. The only maintenance so far has been upgrades. Zaltabar Sun, 04 Nov 2007 00:18:05 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc35 I work as a network admin in a Windows environment which forces me to use Windows. I had ubuntu 7.04 on my laptop for about 8 months but had to switch over to Windows again for compatibility reasons. At home, I only use Ubuntu so i don\'t have to do network administration at home :-). And BTW, compiz-fusion still drops jaws of Windows users and sometimes is the little push they need to switch to Linux. stefan Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:13:48 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc36 [quote=stefan]I work as a network admin in a Windows environment which forces me to use Windows. I had ubuntu 7.04 on my laptop for about 8 months but had to switch over to Windows again for compatibility reasons. At home, I only use Ubuntu so i don\'t have to do network administration at home :-). And BTW, compiz-fusion still drops jaws of Windows users and sometimes is the little push they need to switch to Linux.[/quote] My dad did say that he thought the rotating desktop cube was pretty cool. I showed it to him one time, just so he could see it. He said he forgot how I did it, so he couldn\'t use it, but that he liked it and would have used it if I showed him how again. hexydes Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:52:44 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc37 Basically nix is currently dominant... In terms of malware/spyware/virus what platform would you use to program on ?? Most likely the use nix platform to program and test on Windows... Should there be security flaws in any apps there\'s always bug reports and community/propriety support for bug fixes.. The problem with Microsoft is that the feeling of being dominant by actual fact they are not. Am just waiting to see the reaction when WinXP support is stopped... hoyanf Sun, 04 Nov 2007 15:33:15 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc38 My 71 year old father, a Mac user for the past decade, got sick of Apple and their expensive upgrade path. He opted to go with the new Dell 14.1\" Notebook with Ubuntu pre-installed. Imagine my joy...being a Linux professional for over a decade...when my father asked me about going with a Linux system because he was tired of Apple\'s BS and sure as heck didn\'t want to go with Microsoft. Aside from a short learning curve for a few things (learning a new desktop, menus, etc.), he is just as productive as he was on the Mac...maybe even more so. What is even more impressive is the pride he now has...he has shunned the herd mentality and is learning something new at 71...he\'s also the coolest old fart down at the library or coffee shop. As far as the author\'s complaints about hardware support go, he has three choices in my eyes, all of which implicitly include the caveat: \"Stop Whining\": 1) Start writing hardware drivers yourself or at least contribute financially to developers who do. 2) Meet with the CEO\'s of each and every hardware manufacturer in existence and fully convince them to actively collaborate with the Linux community as part of their product development strategy. 3) Stick with Microsoft Windows. tuxtom Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:04:17 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc39 Is Linux ready for some desktop uses if someone goes to the trouble of setting it up for users? Yes, it is. Is it ready to take over Windows? No, and never will. It was never meant to be a consumer OS. Can\'t be explained in fewer words. Gordon Mon, 05 Nov 2007 08:17:25 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc40 sny0ptik, I\'m really, really, really tired of hearing/seeing comments like yours about how malware, viruses, etc. would affect Linux (or MAC OS) just as much as they would affect Windows should these OSes become more widely used. Comments like these demonstrate that you really do not know very much about the technology. This is a logical fallacy, nothing more. Linux, MAC OS, Solaris, etc. and other Unix-based OSes are designed in such a way that such harmful software either cannot run at all, or it is extremely difficult make them run. Even if some can run (there are in fact some viruses out there), their ability to cause damage is also very limited. Some of you people really need to get a better handle on your knowledge of computers and software. This is a prime example of how nonsense gets spread around, yet people think it\'s true.[color=aqua][/color][size=medium][/size] ztech Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:05:10 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc41 I think everyone seems to be a bit in the past with the driver scenario. Now, basically all wireless cards, sound cards, webcams, and video cards will work fine with Linux(not to mention other hardware) with a little configuration. I\'ve always considered drivers Linux\'s greatest acheivement. Ubuntu includes drivers for my wireless card, video card, and printer automatically, and all the other drivers are nicely hidden behind the scenes. Linux is 100X better then windows at drivers. Alex Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:36:35 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc42 As much as I admire the point this moron is trying to make, the article is utter rubbish. For example: > \"That said, I am not the average computer user. I am a power-user+.\" I boot three different OS\'s (Windows XP, MacOS X, Ubuntu 7.10).\" So, being able to boot 3 OS\'s makes you a \"power\" user? What a ridiculous statement. > \"But I\'m not the average user.\" Oh, but you are. By my reckoning the \"average\" computer user is someone who considers themselves to be a \"power\" user. My reasoning for this comes from a famous quote: \"The one thing that we all have in common is that we each consider ourselves to be above average drivers...\" Or words to that effect. I can\'t remember who said it. > \"The average user will take their computer to Best Buy when they get spyware, who will then proceed to format their computer.\" Bzzzt. Wrong. These are the actions of the below average user. > \"Linux is at a crossroads right now, and it is up to the community to collectively decide what to do at this point.\" Hang on, maybe you are a \"power\" user. I\'ve heard these words many times from woodducks like you... Your homework is to read this article and then correct yourself: [url]http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm[/url] Rob Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:11:51 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc43 The little problem with ubuntu fanboys is that they lack a sense of history. Linux is a free unixclone by the hackers, for the hackers, it was never intended for ease of use, Gordon man you\'re right on the spot. This is usually the same people that say wonders about Gnome, when KDE is a hell of a lot better in all departments. Unless people start thinking critically and stop believing all the crap it is said on the internet forums, windows will continue to be king, just because Microsoft knows how oblivious people are to history and evidence. SSK Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:17:03 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc44 My father in law has been using Mepis Linux for over a year now and he has only called me twice for printer help. When he was using XP he would call about twice a month with all kinds of issues (no sound, messed up video, slow downs, virus, malware, popup city, etc.. ) Now I haven\'t got over there to upgrade him to Gutsy yet but it will be easier and quicker than ever with my customized Gutsy livecd that I built using [i]remastersys[/i]. [b]GNU/LINUX ROCKS!!![/b] Clint Brothers Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:21:15 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc45 Why does Linux have to be a \"drop in replacement for Windows\". XWindows and Unix have been very innovative in the past years, and can go the lenght on their own. We don\'t need to compare it with something else. For example, I can do banking onb my cellphone, but I\'m happy that it doesn\'t look like (say) OS-X. In fact, sometimes I miss my PDA features on my desktop. So I say evaluate it for what it is. The fact that your dad could use the machine without (major) problems is reason enough for him to contimue doing so. Pradesh Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:26:32 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc46 I bet your modem doesn\'t work. Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:25:01 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc47 majority of notebooks have two or more components that with linux don\'t work at all or functionality is diminished. Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:31:00 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc48 Dear hackers, beg your pardon, but despite being an average (maybe even below-average, as I boot just gnu/linux and xp) user, I AM using the operating system you wrote for your own purposes, maybe because of evil comercionalists denivelizing it as low as my level lies. I liked the article and I think the point was, an utterly computer illiterate person CAN use any of today\'s major distros, IF there is someone at hand who will help, if glitches occur. In my full time winodws \'era\', I had to fix things in 95..xp for my family and friends. Now I\'m doing this in ubuntu and mandriva for some of them. And the pleasure it gives to me cannot be compared. We, common \'3-task\' desktop users, are on your ship\'s board because we like it, too. Don\'t dispraise, keep helping. Thank you. m. martinko Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:07:02 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc49 [quote]... their ability to cause damage is also very limited.[quote][/quote] Like 60000 servers limited? It\'s been done. So you seem like one who doesn\'t know much. Google, baby, google. Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:09:38 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc50 [quote]And BTW, compiz-fusion still drops jaws of Windows users and sometimes is the little push they need to switch to Linux.[/quote] No. They just see it as a toy that gets annoying after 10 minutes. Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:13:58 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc51 Rob, Even though your choice of words automatically discredits your comment, I think it still deserves an answer from a different point of view. - I think your statement about the goal of Linux is quite bold. ¿Are you a close friend of Linus or is it just your analysis of how Linux has evolved? - buttuming that Linux is intended for hackers, we shouldn\'t forget that we are talking GNU/Linux here - quite a different thing. - If, on top of that, we take into account that this analysis/comparison is always referring to a Distribution of Linux, the gap between the alleged aim of Linux and that of the final, complete OS grows significantly. You seem to forget that the purpose of distros like Ubuntu is actually that: to be a drop-in *functional* replacement for Windows. Not because Windows is the model to follow, but because it\'s what people are using on their home computers and what they wave learnt to use. I think you can have a replacement for Windows without doing things in the same way. It just needs to be able to do the same things (from a functional point of view) even if they are done in a different (and in theory, better) way. Another thing is whether you could ease the transition by being very similar to Windows in those aspects that might help the new Linux user. Maybe is that real hackers are afraid they are loosing control of their creature by making it accessible to the average user (and believe me, there are more computers in the hands of this type of user than in the hands of hackers). Maybe they are forgetting on of the big advantages of their creature: it has many faces. It can be the perfect Windows-killer and the hacker\'s dream at the same time (well, just as different distros). Cheers, Pumucky Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:21:42 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc52 [quote]...being a Linux professional for over a decade..[/quote] I have serious doubts about this. Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:28:05 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc53 [quote=Mr. Pink]I bet your modem doesn\'t work.[/quote] People still use modems? :shock: I personally have no way to test whether or not any particular modem would work, as I don\'t have a phone line anymore. Wires Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:43:54 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc54 I think the main problem your father was having is because you set Compiz Fusion to run at start up.. I know you were trying to show how great things could look in Linux, but turning it off would save resources and make it more stable.. I don\'t understand the having to do \"more maintenance\" than Windows part.. I have to always be updating the anti-virus and anti-spyware programs in Windows, it\'s a constant battle and even then your really not safe to go online.. :shock: MasktRacer Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:06:57 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc55 [quote=Rob]As much as I admire the point this moron is trying to make, the article is utter rubbish.[/quote] Thanks for the kind words. [QUOTE]So, being able to boot 3 OS\'s makes you a "power" user? What a ridiculous statement.[/QUOTE] So then you think the average computer user is able to partition their drive (to three different partition types), install three different operating systems on those partitions, and then get a boot loader running so that they can boot into any one of them? I\'m not going to kid myself; there are MANY people out there that know computers a lot better than I do, but even still, I am way past the point (technically speaking) of being an average user, who had Windows XP pre-installed on their Dell computer, uses all of five applications, and has to call tech support to fix the spyware they keep getting. [QUOTE]Oh, but you are. By my reckoning the "average" computer user is someone who considers themselves to be a "power" user. My reasoning for this comes from a famous quote: "The one thing that we all have in common is that we each consider ourselves to be above average drivers..." Or words to that effect. I can\'t remember who said it.[/QUOTE] This doesn\'t even make any sense. I can tell you are trying to be philosophical here, or something...and that\'s fine, but it doesn\'t really make much of an argument for you. [QUOTE]Bzzzt. Wrong. These are the actions of the below average user.[/QUOTE] Then most of the computer users in the world are below-average users...which by its very definition makes them AVERAGE USERS. You need to stop playing semantical games here. Are you just trying to insult me, to say I don\'t know about computers, and you know more? You very well might, and if so, great! That makes you something even further past a super-user+. Most people don\'t know how to do much on their computers, past launching and using applications. These are the AVERAGE computer users. I\'m well past that point. hexydes Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:53:19 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc56 I have an HP Pavilion DV6000 purchased new in January of this year. Intel chipset (video, wi-fi, NIC, bus, etc), 120 GB drive, DVD-RW/CD-RW, synaptics touchpad, memory-card reader ports, USB, etc. About the time I got it, Kubuntu 7.04 Feisty was going into RC1. I installed that beta on a clean drive and everything worked out of the box from day one, without a hitch. I recently installed the released version of 7.10 (Gutsy), and once again, everything works. The only issue I have had is with one type of memory card: xD photo cards. The built-in Ricoh device would not read that one type under Feisty. I have not tried that cards (which I use in my Olympus camera) under Gutsy. However, every other memory card (SD, MMC) I\'ve shoved in that port has been instantly automounted. So, you would be wrong. joe_attaboy Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:15:06 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc57 My last two jobs, I managed a number of Linux servers and workstations. My first pro install was at a Naval health-related facility in 1996, where I installed a file server using Slackware equipped with Samba. My Linux workstation was used not only for routine stiff, but to remotely access the Linux server and an HP9000 box running HP-UX and Oracle. From 1998 until last year, I managed a rack of Linux boxes at a Navy weather facility. We used them for web servers, firewalls, file servers, and mail gateways. I once calculated that I saved that command nearly $250,000 in licensing and software costs. Instead of smart-butt remarks, why don\'t you offer something constructive? joe_attaboy Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:22:24 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc58 Does it have modem? Does it work? What about power management? Suspend to RAM? Suspend to disk? Does it all work? Does your video chipset have hardware mpeg decoding acceleration. Does it work? Or you using software decoding? Do you know? Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:38:19 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc59 Saying \"Linux rules\" doesn\'t seem constructive to me. But that is the expectation in linux community. No criticism just praise. Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:51:20 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc60 Would that surprise you that people still use fax machines? Mr. Pink Tue, 06 Nov 2007 15:52:30 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc61 [quote]Are you just trying to insult me, to say I don\'t know about computers, and you know more?[/quote] No. That was not my contention. I am sick and tired of hearing the same arguments recycled over and over again by people who continually miss the point. Most of the time they (like you) consider themselves to be \"power\" users and so therefore they think that their opinion should carry more weight than all the other noise floating around the internet. Did you read the \"Linux is not Windows\" article? It [i]will[/i] help you to better understand things. Seriously. Read it: [url]http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm[/url] P.S. Posted from different location, hence the different IP address. Rob Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:15:58 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc62 I think there\'s something wrong with Mr. Pink. me Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:48:44 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc63 If I had to choose teaching a totally-new computer user under Windows or Linux, I rather choose Linux. Why? Both new and average users use computers almost only to surf on the web. However, we all know here that internet is a bunch full of spywares, viruses, hoaxes, phishing, and even most powerful new machines turn out almost unusable under Windows. BUT under Linux, these things are not common. Automatic security updates, secure filesystems, bullet-proof software installation (a bit like on a Mac) are only a few reasons I could bring here. I use The Gimp to edit photos, with a Wacom Graphire4 stylus, with all the same features I would find under Windows, dual-screen setup. I\'m a proud Linux user and lover, and I\'m no geek or somewhat image the average people could think of. Just someone who got rid of those spywares and crap, who found his way under Linux and will spread the good news all around :P Wee Lee Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:12:15 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc64 I did read it, when was it written? It seems like it is about five years old. Most of the information isn\'t really relevant anymore. Much of what it is trying to impress upon the reader has been handled, is being handled, or is on the list of things TO BE handled by Canonical in Ubuntu. Obviously, Linux is not Windows. There are differences; the entire point of this article is that, viewed under certain lights, those differences are not so vast that it prohibits Windows users from trying, and eventually migrating to Linux. There is still much work left to do, but the road from where Linux was in the late 90s (when the phrase "Year of Linux on the desktop" first started getting tossed around) is a long one. I think if organizations like Canonical keep pushing the agenda of making Linux usable by average computer users, it will eventually reach a point where that becomes the truth. Honestly, I\'ve used more operating systems than I can count on my fingers (every version of Windows, most versions of MacOS, many distros of Linux from around 1997-on, BeOS, Amiga, SkyOS, FreeBSD...the list goes on). I try to be fair when I say something is "ready for the desktop". Linux (by way of Ubuntu in this instance) is getting there; again, in some instances, you could make the case that it is there. In other (probably more accurate) instances, you could say it still has a ways to go. I would say, at this point, both statements are correct. hexydes Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:25:09 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc65 I am an average user. I surf the web, do online banking, use turbo tax, use MS word, download music....but need help finding it in whatever folder my computer literate son made for me, check my 401K accounts daily, visit my HR website to enter my hours worked for each month, order books from Amazon, order holiday gifts from Harry and David. My mother (76) and father (75) are below average users...they turn on the computer, play solitare, and do e-mail in the basic form. Rob......get a script for some Xanax and settle down. Switching from Windows to Ubuntu was, for me, essentially seamless. Almost no learning curve, no hangups or snafu\'s were experienced. I can\'t even use windows anymore (but I still do) without running AVG spyware and whatever else my computer literate son installed for me \'cause there is so much virus \"stuff\" out there. and......if given the choice of \"free\" Ubuntu oper system vs. paying for windows......I would easily go for the free......\'cause I am a cheapskate and knowing that they both will allow for me to do what I need to do.....as an \"average user\" on a daily basis is all I need to know. Mr. Average User Thu, 08 Nov 2007 13:43:42 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc68 [quote=hexydes]Most of the information isn\'t really relevant anymore.[/quote] I don\'t know what you read, but the article I linked to is still very relevant. If it weren\'t, you wouldn\'t have written this blog entry. [quote=hexydes]Honestly, I\'ve used more operating systems than I can count on my fingers[/quote] Why do you have such an obsession with pissing contests? Cut it out, will you? I\'ve driven more different types of car in my 15 year driving career than I can count on my fingers AND toes. Does that make me an expert on all things automotive? Nope. Just another guy who drives cars. [quote=hexydes]I try to be fair when I say something is ready for the desktop[/quote] Linux is ready for the desktop. It has been for many years. My proof? A certain woodduck (me) with no formal training at all in computers/IT has been using Slackware Linux as a primary desktop since 1999 for EVERYTHING. Yes, gaming included. If I can do it, anyone can. Anyone who finds Linux too difficult only has one person to blame. Rob Sun, 11 Nov 2007 02:30:33 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc69 [quote=Rob]Why do you have such an obsession with pissing contests? Cut it out, will you?[/QUOTE] Sorry, you\'re the one trying to measure who is and is not a \"power-user\". I was simply trying to provide evidence for my claim. [QUOTE]I\'ve driven more different types of car in my 15 year driving career than I can count on my fingers AND toes. Does that make me an expert on all things automotive? Nope. Just another guy who drives cars.[/QUOTE] This analogy is specious at best, and I think you know that. Using a car would be equivalent to simply using an OS, not getting information on what OS you wanted to use, installing it, partitioning different sections of your drive, formatting those partitions to the format necessary for the other OS\'s you wanted to install, installing them, installing a bootloader so that you could use the multiple OS\'s in tangent...etc... This might be similar to having multiple cars that you use for different purposes every day, and knowing how to change the various parts in the car if they break down, or when you want to customize something. I actually do some of this on my cars (though not nearly to the extent that I do on my computers), changing my oil, changing brake pads, calipers, transmission fluid, etc. Most car owners would simply take their car to the dealership to do this stuff, but I don\'t; I would consider myself a \"power-user\" of my car. I\'m certainly not a mechanical engineer (analogous to a software engineer), but I do things to my car that the average person would not do on their own. And again, I do this to even more of an extent with my computers, hence, the term I applied, \"super-user+\". So that comparison doesn\'t really hold much weight, but again, I think you probably knew that... [quote=hexydes]Linux is ready for the desktop. It has been for many years. My proof? A certain woodduck (me) with no formal training at all in computers/IT has been using Slackware Linux as a primary desktop since 1999 for EVERYTHING. Yes, gaming included. If I can do it, anyone can. Anyone who finds Linux too difficult only has one person to blame.[/quote] So then...what are we even discussing here? I simply said, in some instances, Linux very much could be ready for some users\' desktops. You then proceeded to say that I was a moron, and that the article (and therefore, I can only conclude, the point I was attempting to draw) was rubbish. hexydes Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:30:58 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc70 [quote=hexydes]Most car owners would simply take their car to the dealership to do this stuff, but I don\'t; I would consider myself a power-user of my car.[/quote] Next you\'ll tell me that you can calculate your own taxes, iron your own shirts and make your own breakfast too. So, you\'re really a power-adder, a power-cleaner and a power-cook. But wait... Why stop there? I bet you change your own tap washers and light globes too, so you are also a power-house-liver. Why, I bet you can even make your own coffee AND take the plunger apart - making you a power-coffee-drinker! Hey... wait a second... if you can do all of this stuff, are you sure you\'re not God? If you are, I\'m sorry for not listening to you earlier. [quote=hexydes]So then...what are we even discussing here?[/quote] This sort of comment really gets up my nose: [i]\"Linux is at a crossroads right now, and it is up to the community to collectively decide what to do at this point.\"[/i] And it is usually preceded by a whole bunch o\' BS about how cluey and experienced it\'s writer is. Your case is clearly no exception. I called you on it. Get over it. And PLEASE, puhLEEZE stop writing this drivel. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:13:32 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc71 [quote=Anonymous]I called you on it. Get over it. And PLEASE, puhLEEZE stop writing this drivel.[/quote] I have a rule that when someone is out of points to make, and simply declares themselves the winner on merit alone, that generally means I came out on top, so I\'m going to go ahead and apply that rule in this instance. hexydes Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:14:54 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc72 [b][i]1. Put LARGE amounts of effort into making open community software that can be a drop-in replacement to the normal software that Windows users use. Firefox is of course the glowing example here because it is so good that it is actually starting to remove Internet Explorer\'s dominance from the market. Average users that use Firefox on Windows are right at home on Linux with it. This needs to happen everywhere, including the office suites, media players, etc.[/i][/b] This is actually the key in this \"Desktop Linux\" situation. Its the applications. Question is: Which or what applications do people really need? I guess that\'s a project we can start? :) tumb_sc Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:30:45 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc73 [quote=hexydes]I have a rule that when someone is out of points to make, and simply declares themselves the winner on merit alone, that generally means I came out on top, so I\'m going to go ahead and apply that rule in this instance.[/quote] Whatever helps you sleep at night, Peaches. Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:20:25 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc74 > \"The average user will take their computer to Best Buy when they get spyware, who will then proceed to format their computer.\" Bzzzt. Wrong. These are the actions of the below average user. --- Nah dude, that\'s what the majority of people would do. I don\'t know what computer lala land you come from, but if you know how to install multiple OS, you are a power user. (considering how 50% of the population don\'t know or care about what Operating System is) ryuho Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:45:22 +0100 http://www.hexydes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=67#josc83 Mr. Pink. You really should just \'google baby google\' all the hacks against M$ products that have brought down even the most secure networks in the world - Aaahh, hundreds of millions of times. Kind of makes 60,000 insignifigant.....especially considering how long ago it happened. I think you will find that Microsoft is playing catch up with Linux in terms of security. Just look at Vista, they\'ve stolen so many ideas from Mac and Linux that they\'ve coined as their own \'invention\'. Mr. Yellow Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:37:37 +0100