My mum uses debian, not that she knows or cares what it is, she wanted a simple computer, couldn't afford a mac, so i put in debian, configured it, now she can use it pretty much as a black box.
It's easy to switch on, use the word processor (open office), dial up to the net, browse the web (she doesn't do this much), email, and print things. I can remote admin via ssh, so if she has a problem she can call/email me. It just works, i've never upgraded it since i installed it (if it aint broke, dont fix it), and it runs much faster than WinME on the same hardware. If you look at a linux machine running Gnome (in this case 2.4), it is much easier just to *use* than windows, it's the configuration that can be a pig, but the actual usage is very logical. i.e. to run an application you click the "applications" menu at the top. It is well designed. I like the whole HCI stuff going on with gnome, i swear by the environment, and the fact that its more stable than KDE *for me* > Craig Perry > TDMS Agent > Technical, Data, and Multimedia Support > > =T===Mobile==== > > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Harry Doherty [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 03 November 2004 20:13 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Scottish] Linux distro for mum? Hi My mum recently expressed an interest in getting a computer for dvds/email/web/etc at home. She was enthusiastic about GNU/Linux when I told her about it. She has little computer experience (but doesn't believe in learned helplessness). I've been using debian ~1yr (but still haven't configured X properly). I'm looking for the least hassle distro as mum will be 100 miles away. I'm thinking perhaps Fedora Core or Umbuntu if it's mature enough. Also any thoughts on hardware (laptop vs pc vs self-assemble) would be welcome. cheers H. ___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Scottish mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/scottish NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER: This email (including attachments) is confidential. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and delete this email from your system without copying or disseminating it or placing any reliance upon its contents. We cannot accept liability for any breaches of confidence arising through use of email. Any opinions expressed in this email (including attachments) are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect our opinions. We will not accept responsibility for any commitments made by our employees outside the scope of our business. We do not warrant the accuracy or completeness of such information. _______________________________________________ Scottish mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/scottish
