As a non technical user, who has managed to teach myself linux, then
done 4 TAFE courses of 4 hours per week X 18 weeks each over the past
year, and a whole lot of reading and is now attempting to support a very
non technical partner, there will be many hurdles than do not just work.
Currently Lisa's cd burning does not work, but mine does; edgy,
gnomebaker; no idea why; so she has dual booted back to windoze cause it
does what she needs. Dual booting is not a big issue and give a way out.
I started using linux to avoid some endless upgrade requirements, and
email viruses which it has been good for. I currently dont use windoze,
but Lisa needs it every now and then.
Ken
Sonia Hamilton wrote:
Here's an ethical question for you. I have a middle aged friend who
wants to "learn computers"; he's never used computers before (he's a
builder). In exchange for some work he's doing for me, I'm going to
install everything, get him connected to the net and teach him how to do
email, use the internet, write basic documents, and whatever else comes
up (eg playing music, watching videos). As a builder he also wants to be
able to submit documents to councils - I haven't been able to pin down
the format required by councils yet.
Do I install and teach him 'doze/M$ Office or Ubuntu? Or, setup dual
boot and teach him both? Or, install Ubuntu and Cross Over office?
The Linux lover and advocate in me says "Linux, of course", but is that
ethical? What I mean is that some time in the future I mightn't be
around to help him, then he'll be at the tender mercies of other
friends, PC shops, ISP phone support, etc, who probably won't know
Linux. If he goes to an internet cafe or reads a newspaper article,
he'll also be stuck in a 'doze world. I can point him at SLUG, but is
that really helping him?
On the other hand, with Linux he'll get everything extra for free, won't
have to learn about nagware/cracks, won't be stuck in the "upgrade
treadmill", won't have virus problems, and generally have less
problems...
I'm not trolling here - this is a serious question - imagine if you were
in the same situation with a friend/parent, and weren't going to be
around for ever to help them.
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