Re: Fw: [Hampshire] Killer Apps for Linux

On Saturday 09 December 2006 21:28, john eayrs wrote:
> On Friday 08 December 2006 21:45, luis wrote:
> >I am a new Linux user, I do like to try the different distros but I will
> >say that Linux will never be a replacement for Windows, as long as Linux
> >remains non user friendly.
>
> and started something.
>
> I agree with what luis says.
>
> I have just downloaded Suse 10.2 installed it only to find it come up in
> text mode when I expected it to have a nice graphical display. Being
> ignorant of Linux and not knowing what to do to resolve this I re-installed
> it. I found that it had given the incorrect screen resolution.
>
> Windows I find easy to use. Yes you have to know where to find the drivers
> but this is not difficult. Even if drivers are not loaded it sort of works
> for the things I often do.

I'm going to say some things I believe to be true, none of my base statements
are operating system specific.

1.    a.    Anyone can use a computer if it's set up correctly
    b.    It's hard to correctly configure and maintain a computer

    It is a false assumption that because you can use a computer that you can 
correctly configure and maintain one. Many people can drive a car, only a 
handful are qualified to safely maintain a modern car.

2.    a.    If you are familiar with something it is inherently easier to use than 
something you are unfamiliar with
    b.    Your familiarity with item "x" biases your opinion of item "y".

    Therefore if you are a skilled administrator of operating system "X" you may 
find similar operating system "Y" easier to learn than dissimilar system "Z".

3.    a.    Almost all PC computers come pre-loaded and configured (often poorly) 
with Microsoft Windows, with all the correct drivers loaded and any 
proprietary "magic" applied
    b.    Almost no PC comes with Linux, therefore almost all Linux installs are by 
the user and require knowledge about the hardware that may be deliberately 
obscured from the user.

    Most users of any operating system will struggle when presented with a random 
assortment of hardware and the base operating system, and asked to correctly 
install and configure the system. In some cases this is impossible without 
special pre-configured install disks that have the required drivers added to 
them (e.g. Windows XP SP1 and older on SATA systems).

4.    a.    Any operating system can be correctly configured and set up to run 
safely and still be usable by the end user.
    b.    Good administrators are expensive and rare.

    It is not uncommon to find operating systems badly configured because of lack 
of a skilled administrator. For example most Windows systems are poorly 
configured but it is possible to make them reasonably safe if you know what 
you are doing.

About me:
---------

I have used Windows from versions 286 up to and including XP SP2. I have
installed and maintained versions 3.x, 95/98, NT4 and 2K. I use Windows XP
daily at work and expect to continue to use Windows for several years to
come.

I've used Solaris, IRIX, and AIX Unix, as well as Red Hat and Debian Linux.
I've installed and configured AIX 5 and Red Hat 5, 6, 7, EL3 and Debian
Woody/Sarge/Etch. I run Debian at home and for my family.


Now for MY operating system observations:
-----------------------------------------

For an administrator Window is harder to configure and deploy than Linux. For
one single system the difference is minor but as the number of systems grows
Windows is significantly harder and more labour intensive to support than
Linux or Unix systems.

Installing a second operating system onto a PC that already has one operating
installed is harder than installing on an empty system.


Finally MY deductions:
----------------------

Many Windows users try Linux. They often never installed Windows in the first
place, yet they assume that because they can use Windows they can actually
install it or another operating system with ease. They try Linux because it's
free and find it hard going to get Linux on without wrecking Windows.
Assuming they get it working it is sufficiently different from Windows and
they conclude it's hard and unfriendly.

If truth be told they probably couldn't install and configure Windows properly
in the first place. They are more familiar with Windows so Linux does feel
harder - which is to be expected.

Linux is an open source version of Unix, it is not designed to look or feel
like Windows in anyway. The only similarity is that they both run on PC class
computers. Your options are simple:

1) Buy Microsoft Windows - Microsoft will tell you what you can do and when
you can do it.

2) Steal Microsoft Windows - as about but cheaper and not legal in most places
in the world.

3) Install something like ReactOS, it looks like Windows and feels like
windows but is open source and you can fiddle if with it if you want.

4) Buy a Unix like operating system, e.g. Mac OSX. Many elements of it are
open so you can fiddle with it, some of it is closed so you can't. It will
run both commercial and free/open software.

5) Steal a Unix, as with 2 but your running Unix.

6) Install one of a wide range of open source Unix like operating systems,
e.g. Linux, BSD, Open Solaris. You can fiddle to your hearts content, but
they don't look like and never will look like Windows. You can make them
behave like elements of the Windows GUI and some of them will even run some
software designed for Microsoft windows, but they are not Windows.

Take your pick, if you choose 6 the LUG will help, pick something else and
help will be less forthcoming - try a Windows user group instead?

As Lisi said you are free to choose what you want. Don't go to a join a coffee
club if you don't like coffee.

--
Adam Trickett
Overton, HANTS, UK

Despite all its complexity, fuzziness, uncertainty and spooky action-
at-a-distance, quantum mechanics is probably a Good Thing.  However, I
must also note that QM permits Microsoft Windows to exist
    -- John Walker