I've been thinking about this lately as well. Mainly about the fact that<rant>
I used to be a Mac user and was always telling people that MacOS was
better and easier to use. Yet people still kept using DOS and Windows
3.1. Now the one thing that I do know is that Linux is much easier to
use than DOS or Windows 3.1. Now my question is, if the masses could use
these operating systems back in the day even when there was a system
available that was much easier to use, could people now days go back and
start using these systems again? If home computer users were smart
enough to use DOS 10 or 15 years ago, then don't you think that these
same people could use Linux today?
As for the current version of Windows, it is easier to use in some ways,
but harder in others. I have my share of problems in Linux, and I've had
my share of problems in Windows. The difference is that Linux is much
easier to troubleshoot. In linux you are actually able to configure
everything, and if something breaks, it usually gives you an error
message. In windows it is very easy to get stuck and be forced to
reinstall the OS. In Linux you also don't have to worry about virii and
spyware. I cannot tell you how many peoples computers don't work, or
barely work because there is so much spyware and viruses on the
machines. I would think that most people would rather have a computer
that works, than doesn't work at all. There are many other great reasons to run Linux. The problem for most
people is not that it is hard to use, it's that they are scared to try.
Jesse
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Is Linux ready for the desktop? Well in my house it is. I have been using Linux for 5 years so I find it easy to use, the last two years my family have been using nothing but Linux (Windows free for 2 years!). The family is made up of my wife and four kids 11,7,5,2 and they have no trouble using it for what they need to do such as surf the net, check email, play games, write letters, download pictures from a digital camera, make business cards and labels, burn music.... So in my house yes Linux is ready for the desktop. Sure I handle all the setup, but it is pretty easy these days. The only device that I have to setup using the command line was for my wireless network card on my laptop and that was less than five minutes. I am using Mandrake 10 on my desktop and Mandrake 10.1 beta1 on my laptop and it found all of my hardware, even my wireless card, I just had to load the firmware by hand. Do you know how many Windows friends I have that contact me about problems they are having? Lots. Lately I have been telling them that I can't help them as I don't run Windows and I don't have the problems that they do! So if Windows is ready for the desktop, then why are there so many business that offer help for Windows? Look at how many training places there are to use Microsoft Office, and how about those Windows for beginners classes and not to mention all the Windows books you can buy to help you. Is that what it means to be ready for the desktop?
Check out this link for a good view on ready for the desktop. http://penguinsbyte.ca/news4
</rant>
Brian
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