The future of linux

[dmartin at ne.arris-i.com (Derek Martin)]

On 31 Jan 2000, Derek Atkins wrote:

> I'd like to see Linux be a real condender to replace Windows.  In
> order to do that, I think linux has a long way to go in the usability
> area.  Ease of installation, maintenence, and everyday use are key
> to making Linux as easy to use as Windows.  Without that usability,
> I couldn't even conceive of giving Linux to my mom.

What would your mom use it for?  Probably e-mail and office type stuff,
right?  So you install Netscape and Koffice or Wordperfect or whatever for
her (or StarOffice if she REALLY needs MS compatibility), and my questions
are:

1) ease of installation:  Did she install Windows?

2) ease of maintenance:  What maintanence?  Once she's got an account,
and you've set up her printer (did she set up her own printer on
Windows?), what does she need to maintain to run e-mail and WP? 

3) everyday use: The user interface for KDE/Gnome is almost identical to
Windows, from an every-day use perspective.  Once the apps are
installed (which also really isn't that hard), what's the hard part there?

I'm not just trying to be argumentative here, I'm really looking for
answers.  I keep hearing these statements being made, but no one has
presented a plausible argument to back them up, so far.  If you have one,
I want to hear it, so that maybe I can help work on a fix.


-- 
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"    "Who watches the watchmen?" 
-Juvenal, Satires, VI, 347 

Derek D. Martin      |  Senior UNIX Systems/Network Administrator
Arris Interactive    |  A Nortel Company
derekm at mediaone.net  |  dmartin at ne.arris-i.com
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