I did actually handle an eeepc...very nice machine altho totally useless for anyone who wants to _learn_ linux..If you just wanna use it then it's great and amazing!
Jean: about the modded distro...we have already discussed the idea during the last meeting, mostly for a distribution targeted to IT students with developement tools already installed. M On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 9:31 PM, Gianluca Magro <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > To be honest, I don't think converting software to the Maltese language > would really help... most people prefer to use software in English... I mean > there is the Maltese language in Windows.. but usually people choose English > as the language for their OS and not Maltese... Most tech words would still > be in English anyway. Of course the upstream would be a nice thing, and > could (maybe) give more exposure to Malta and MLUG in that case, but would > people really use it? > > Re: Azureus... ye, forgot about it, I don't use torrents anymore :p > > PS Thanks Jean & Raphael :) > > -bix > > Raphael Borg Ellul Vincenti wrote: > > I personally prefer fixing the problems upstream (sorry Gianluca ... > big word) and provide good translations to the distributions and the > desktop projects rather than creating yet another distribution. > Ultimately, the maltese don't want any different applications than > anybody else. If they really (really really) want they can change the > language to Maltese. But ultimately its the same software. > > I know someone who has the Eee PC at work, and Keith can probably back > me up with his impressions of the device, since I myself only saw it > in the hands of the salesman at scan and it was switched off - damn! > > I think the punchline is to convince them to use applications which > suck less :P Never do the mistake of promising the world. > > -- > Raphael > > P.S Printer configuring and scanner detection have been top notch > on my linux machine (latest openSUSE here) and I am far from > grumbling. I plugged it in into I don't know how many devices and it > just worked. Comparing that to the endless amount of detecting > hardware and general bugginess in XP, I am feeling better off. Dunno > about Windows but I heard that driver support there is even worse. > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 9:01 PM, Jean Azzopardi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL > PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Amarok is soon getting a Windows version, since they're using QT 4 now. > I forgot VLC for a while, as I don't use it so much on Linux, although > it was my best friend when I was using Windows. Same goes for > Thunderbird. There's also Azureus, the Bittorrent client, for instance. > > Another thing that will definitely help is Vista. Most people I know > complain about it, and it's insane memory requirements, especially if > their hardware is middle of the line, like mine. > > Now, how do you convince Joe Public to use OpenSource software instead > of proprietary software? How do you spread the word? > > P.S. I nearly forgot, what about the EEEPc of Asus, it has Linux > preloaded on it. Has anyone seen one yet in Malta? I know it's for sale, > but I don't know anyone who bought it. What I do know is that most > people regard it as being a very good device in general, with Linux only > enhancing that image, even among people who aren't very hardware savvy. > > A possible solution might be to see what the Maltese market likes, > modify Ubuntu and create a distro of our own (perhaps with a good > Maltese translation? Who knows? Getting the Akkademja tal-Malti on our > side might prove fruitful.) Then, collude with a local retailer to > bundle it on a laptop, and see how people react to the product. > > Of course, we'd have to provide some means of support..as I can already > foresee problems from the end users, especially as they try and use > their own software on it/or plugin devices that are not compatible (This > might really hurt..what do you tell someone whose expensive printer > doesn't work?) > > > Sorry for the long post... :D, and super long P.S., and good luck with > Linux, Gianluca! And the exams :P > > > > > > > On Sat, 2008-05-24 at 19:03 +0200, Gianluca Magro wrote: > > > Hi, first time posting on this mailing list, but here goes :P > > Continuing to what Raphael said, it is a bit difficult to push linux > into people who only use their computer for fun and don't even know > what e-mail program they're using. Therefore pushing OSS first is key > to achieve this. Firefox and OOo are of course ahead of the rest and > have already starting diffusing amongst the 'normal users'... Firefox > sort of seems 'cooler' than 'you know what', and maybe that helped in > pushing Firefox to these people. OOo was pushed because it was > installed on people's PC instead of office (saves money no?). Amarok > unfortunately doesn't have a Windows version yet so these users cannot > really try it and see what it's like. > > Moreover it will take some time before a stable build with features > that overcome WMP's, and only at that point can the software be pushed > forward. I would suggest pushing ahead software which has already been > in the Windows scene for quite some time. What about VLC? A video > player that saves the hassle of downloading a million and one codecs > for any film or tv series you download, which WMP can't play by > default. I've heard lots of complaints from people who can't play > their videos, and always solved their problems by redirecting them to > VLC. > > Gimp is a cool piece of software too but unfortunately not many people > are into graphic design, and those who are would already use other > software, so it's quite useless. What about Thunderbird? Great email > program providing everything that Outlook provides, of course with > customisable looks and stuff which Outlook doesn't have in addition to > those. > > However, what I think would be a good thing to promote, that most > people should start learning to do... would be sourceforge.net a site > for downloading any random software you'd need. People still search on > google to find software that converts MKV to AVI... they find some > program that needs you to pay, and download the program and the crack > from Ares. We can show people that searching for open source software > on sites such as sourceforge they would find programs that fit to any > of their needs are work better than the ones they spent ages to find, > download and crack. > > Sorry for the long post... but this comes from a user who's still > pretty new to Linux and doesn't have much background in it, I think > these are some points that normal users MIGHT be interested in > changing to :) > > - bix > > Anton Xuereb wrote: > > > Seems I missed out a lot on the thread. Some > people live at their desks it seems. > > I try to but don't always manage :( > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 5:11 PM, Raphael Borg Ellul Vincenti<[EMAIL > PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Personally I see it as a big sign of disrespect. Although > the tshirt > banner wasn't as bad. Seems I missed out a lot on the > thread. Some > people live at their desks it seems. I would like to voice a > couple of > things on the top of my head. > > First of all, I see a big difficulty in HR scene regarding > Linux and > or other system programing experience on the island. Based > on the CVs > that I see on my desk, yes we find it extremely difficult to > find the > right people to join our company. Yes we have products which > are based > on Linux let alone core infrastructure. So its crucial for > us (2X) to > find local talent which we could surely use. > > Second of all, Anton you forgot world domination somewhere > in your list. :) > > The workshop is on the top of our list. Well it was before > we lost our > mirror and the world collapsed. Angelo, we would really like > to help > out if there is the need for OSS awareness. Even from the > academic > point of view since OSS reflects most values in academia of > publishing > your work. I am not talking about MS vs Linux here. > > Regarding other arguments, yes conversion starts from the > applications > which we use daily on our linux desktops and then to the > actual linux > distribution. I know that after Firefox and OOo, Amarok will > be a big > pusher in the propaganda of OSS and free (as in speech) > online music > stores. > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 2:08 PM, Anton Xuereb > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > that egging video was hilarious > > > > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 1:59 PM, Jean Azzopardi > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > >> > >> Yes..or some hungarian students will get creative with > some dairy > >> products. > >> > >> On Sat, 2008-05-24 at 13:48 +0200, Anton Xuereb wrote: > >> > >> > Something tells me that Ballmer wouldn't accept and for > the love of > >> > God don't expect me to stand still while so many chairs > would be > >> > waiting to be broken against his back :( > >> > > >> > ;) > >> > > >> > M > >> > > >> > On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 1:45 PM, Jean Azzopardi > >> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > > >> > I vote for Stallman, Torvalds, Shuttleworth and > Ballmer as > >> > guest > >> > speakers. > >> > > >> > > >> > On Sat, 2008-05-24 at 13:30 +0200, Sebastian > Cachia wrote: > >> > > Regards OOo, I used to teach ECDL a few years > back, and can > >> > back up > >> > > what Anton said, that a number of students > had bought PCs > >> > with OOo > >> > > pre-installed, and either just stuck with it, > or didn't even > >> > know they > >> > > were using a different product. Getting > people to switch to > >> > Linux > >> > > would be great, but as Jean said, a number of > other open > >> > source > >> > > applications exist, and getting people to > switch would be a > >> > great step > >> > > forward. Also once people are used to using > products like > >> > Firefox, > >> > > OOo, Gimp, etc, the prospect of using Linux > is no longer so > >> > bad. > >> > > Afterall, for average user, the concept of > the OS is purely > >> > at an > >> > > Application layer, and has little to do with > what kernel is > >> > running > >> > > underneath. > >> > > > >> > > Last year at Uni, we had an Introduction to > Operating > >> > Systems course > >> > > (or something like that) by the CIS > department. It is > >> > however > >> > > generally accepted to have been quite a > disapointment. > >> > > > >> > > A good place to start might be some sort of > Open Source > >> > seminar, > >> > > organized by MLUG for Uni ICT students. A > list of guest > >> > speakers could > >> > > be identified, both from within MLUG, as well > as the Uni > >> > staff. Also, > >> > > it is generally better to get people > interested through > >> > seeing and > >> > > doing. Some sort of workshop, in a linux lab > perhaps, where > >> > anybody > >> > > can bring along a laptop and be led through a > given topic by > >> > somebody. > >> > > Perhaps these could all be joined together to > form some sort > >> > of day > >> > > long event. > >> > > > >> > > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > _______________________________________________ > >> > > MLUG-list mailing list > >> > > [email protected] > >> > > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > MLUG-list mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ > >> > MLUG-list mailing list > >> > [email protected] > >> > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> MLUG-list mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > MLUG-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > > ____________________________________________________________________ > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing [EMAIL > PROTECTED]://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing [EMAIL > PROTECTED]://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing [EMAIL > PROTECTED]://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing [EMAIL > PROTECTED]://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > >
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