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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 > IMHO the average person who has Windows on their computer is a pretty > sophisticated user. Forget the person from the mid nineties who thought > that being familiar with Office apps was the bees knees. Word processing, > spreadsheets, even presentation packages are a given with anyone who has > ever worked in an office or on a shop floor. The person who has a computer > now has: > > More than one computer requiring networking > > Printer > > Scanner > > Camera > > MP3 player (or Ipod, certainly not Ogg Vorbis) > > Card reader, > > TV and TV recorder > > Video > > Music generator > > Personnal organiser/phone/camera > > Etc., etc., etc. > This isn't my experience I have to say, at least just from looking at my family! They all use the computer for e-mailing, word processing (and the other things from your list) etc, but very often they ask me for help or advice with something. I'm more than happy to help though as they have other things they're much more interested in; I think people on this list feel similar too - they're willing to share their knowledge and experience with people who perhaps don't have the same amount of time to give to computing? > > > And whatever you may think about Windows, these users have got their bits > and pieces running under that operating system even though there may be a > few warts with it. To transfer to GNU Linux is a major operation which > requires that you change from being a competent computer user to being a > computer technician, a bit of hardware savvy, a bit of software savvy and a > damned lot of patience. > I agree with you here that changing to GNU/Linux is a major change, but not one that requires you to become a computer technician. I think it's more adapting to doing things a different way - especially in distributions such as PCLinuxOS or Mepis, and increasingly Ubuntu with it's recent inclusion of some proprietary drivers for wireless and video cards. Patience is definitely a must when learning to do anything new though, not just use GNU/Linux - everytime I hit my forehand wide or long it drives me crazy but I stick with it (I do that a lot too!) > > > I had a main Win desktop connected to a secondary desktop via a wireless > ADSL router. I decided to convert the secondary unit to Linux, sorry, GNU > Linux, with a view to complete transfer. I wiped Windows and started > installing from Linux Format discs. But nothing recognised wireless on > install. I now know, or think I know, that this is because there are no > open source wireless drivers, or at least a grave, shortage, but it is > irritating that all installs warn you that they may be rubbish because they > can't access the net. I eventually got Mepis and PCLinuxOS to work. Not > Suse, Redhat or Ubuntu, but I may have another go at them. Printing only > cost a pinprick of blood. Cameras easy peasy. MP3 player a lot of manual > reading. File transfer between computers a pint of blood. Wine a tortuous > half work around I'm glad to see you got things going in the end :-)...I was wondering what you used wine for? If you have some applications that you really need to use you might consider paying for crossover office - I don't think a license is too expensive (£30?) but it makes things much more straightforward than wine for things you really need. If that particular app isn't vital, have a look around and you might find a native equivalent. > > > > By this time I am only continuing out of bloody mindedness and I join the > DLUG. And what do I read there? I must only use Open Source and be flogged > as a sinner if I use some of the not quite Kosher drivers. So I look at > what Mepis says about GNU Linux. They seem to think that it is an > overwhelming burden that Open Source insists on having the source code with > every distribution. And my other goer, PCLinuxOS, doesn't even acknowledge > the existence of Open Source. I'm sure you're exaggerating here, but just in case, I certainly (and I think everyone on the list) doesn't believe in flogging! What I believe is that software should be free for some very important reasons - have a peek at http://www.gnu.org/. In my opinion you're free to use whatever drivers or OS you think is best, but for me using free/open source, where ever possible is important. > > > > I must install Debian and redeem my sins. And therein lies madness. One > comment on the thread was that the manuals are generally dreadful and I > agree. You cannot work with Debian without a passing knowledge of Bash. > Having got into man bash, I ended up climbing the wall finding out how to > get out of it. And having finally got back to the command prompt (ah, a > nice familiar DOS term) I can't remember how I did it. I am now ploughing > my way through Rute which seems to be a nice sensible tutorial, so far. > > > > So what would the Windows man, the man on the Clapham Omnibus, have done by > now? Forked out in advance for his copy of Vista I suspect. The battle for > the server is going very nicely thankyou but I suspect that the desktop user > is back about where we were with Windows 3. > > > > And a happy New Year to one and all. > > > > George > > > > PS KDE over Gnome any day > > > Still I'm pleased you've stuck with it. GNU/Linux isn't perfect but it keeps getting better... Jon -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Fedora - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFFn31uGAvhzQ6lF2gRAtKNAJ48MRU3ehKBrozRBC7uw9T3+dt3zgCcDbeC xDQi4EInCR3/Cn/2relrqUA= =1F8f -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html