Don't confuse what the user wants with what the user gets. Two different subjects.
Just because it works out of the box does not mean no choices. You don't like KDE? Go to the menu and choose Gnome. Microsoft enjoys the perception of something that "just works". Not because it's any good but because they have a marketing department to die for. Can you imagine where your company would be today if they were selling your product? The end user I'm talking about knows where the coffee cup holder is on the front of the computer. She processes a document, spreads a sheet and serfs the net but ask her to install any operating system and the eyes glaze. Not too long ago I asked a secretary who had been using Wordperfect all her life (sort of) what kind of computer she had. She said "Wordperfect." Later, I found out it was a 386 running DOS and WP 5.1. She knew how to turn it on, choose Wordperfect from the menu and type. She didn't know anything else and that lack of knowledge did not interfere with her ability to work. The unwashed masses don't know that Office 2000 and Windows 2000 is two different things. When it comes to Linux, they're knowledge extends to either they are pretty sure it's not lizard (but they could be wrong) or they've never heard of it. When I'm presenting a solution to whatever problem they called me in for, I don't tell them it's based on Linux unless they really want to know. One response I heard, "Linux!?! We are running Outlook. The server needs to be Windows NT." I patiently explained that Outlook didn't know or care what the server was. On 2002.03.18 18:28 Jacob Meuser wrote: > On Tue, Mar 19, 2002 at 12:33:30AM +0000, Bob Crandell wrote: > > "I just want it to work." is all the end user really cares about. > > So, then why is there no distribution that "just works"? I mean, pop in > the CD, there are no choices during install, no choice of window manager, > no choice of shell, no choice ofprogram per task, basically. It "just > works" because the lack of choices lets the developers focus solely > on those packages the distro comes with. Or is there such a distro? > Choices with defaults don't count. They're still confusing, people often > have a hard time making decisions. > > Because it would be too M$ish? Because what "just works" is subject to > dispute? > > > We only need 3 little things to take over the desktop: An environment > that the > > user is already used to, a marketing department that can talk it way > out of a sun > > burn and teachers who can explain it throughly and simply. > > These are all much easier if there is 1 thing they focus on. Yeah, I > know an OS is many parts, but if all people want is something that > "just works" ... > > -- > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >
