The future of linux

[warlord at MIT.EDU (Derek Atkins)]

Derek,

 * Currently she uses AOL..  There is no AOL client for Linux.
 * She uses Word and Excel.  Or maybe Works, I don't recall.  However,
I think she could probably use just about any word processing system.
 * She uses QuickBooks. There is no alternative for Linux
 * I think she may have some other third-party software which isn't
available for Linux.

You're right, she didn't install Windows (although she did install
her own printer, with my supervision).

As for maintainence of the machine.. what happens if the machine
crashes?  Linux isn't quite as user-friendly in terms of coming
back online.

Also, I'm not sure my mom would understand this "username/password"
thing.

I've not played with KDE/GNOME.. I plan to do so, but I haven't yet.
It may be a long ways towards where we need to be..  But I still don't
think we're quite there, yet.

-derek

Derek Martin <dmartin at ne.arris-i.com> writes:

> 
> 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
> -------------------------------------------------
> 

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/      PP-ASEL      N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available
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