[ale] GO Windows!!! ;-)

[Byron Jeff]

On Mon, Jun 21, 2010 at 02:02:03PM -0400, Asher Vilensky wrote:
> Continue....
> 

> My personal "fun" aside, as much as I like Linux, I feel that it's not
> yet ready for "the rest of us".  Don't get me wrong:  first of all, I'm
> working on Linux myself.  It pays the bills.  But there's a diff between
> RHELor SLES  on servers and running Ubuntu-like distros on laptops.  It's
> the later one I'm claiming "is not there yet".  If you have to google a
> solution (from another computer, since the one you just installed cannot
> connect) to manually solve it (in the best case) or just live with it
> (worst case) when it comes to wireless and audio/video and printing, this
> is a tough selling point.

> 

> The problem is not you and I.  The problem is that you can't "sell" Linux
> (pick any flavor and version) to the mass until these things work out of
> the box.  I want to convert those around me - basically so I don't have
> to keep install virus protection etc.  But I'm hesitant in doing so.  I
> don't want to either have to educate people too much or stand there
> embarrassed when things don't work.   I hate Windows like the rest of
> this group, but I also recognize that Linux is not a viable substitute
> for most users.  Not yet.  I would recommend Mac (to somebody like my
> in-laws) before I suggest Linux.

Actually I think is does require a bit of reconfiguration on the part of
the end user. A tough sell to be sure. It requires a bit of explaining.
A good analogy is asking them to imagine having a personal flying
hovercraft instead of a car. But in order for it to work, it requires jet
fuel instead of regular gas. So would you simply pull up to a gas station
and put gas into this craft because you used to put gas in your car?

Same with Linux. Every hardware device for a PC is designed to operate with
Windows. Some work well with Linux. Some not so well. But you cannot simly
expect to plug in any random device and expect it to work flawlessly. You
have to do a bit of research and be picky about it.

Most won't bother. But anyone who is willing to try will at least
understand why some things do not work perfectly out of the box.

We should in fact still be amazed that Linux works with anything at all.

BAJ
-- 
Byron A. Jeff
Program Coordinator: IT/CS/CNET
College of Information and Mathematical Sciences
Clayton State University
http://cims.clayton.edu/bjeff