Bob George wrote: > > However, when someone indicates they're already given > up once on Linux
Following a failed GUI install. > and only have a limited time to try it out, starting with > a working system improves the odds they'll stick with it. Unless I am confused (which is certainly possible), the system we are talking about is a Pentium 66. Despite the fact that the worst secondhand Pentium sells for twice as much as the best 486, a Pentium 66 is no better than a 486. In fact, going by my handy chart of bogomips, my 486-100 rates twice as high as that Pentium. Now, I sometimes do run a GUI on my 486, and it goes well. But my GUI is extremely slim and finely tuned. I would hate to think what a GUI do-everything-for-you installation routine would do to my machine. It would turn to molasses. > I hope everyone GETS to the point "where the action is", > but I can also understand why some might want a more gentle entry. Sure, if someone has a reasonable Pentium (Pro,MMX,II), they can go for the gentle entry. But I can't imagine that a "user friendly" desktop GUI on a Pentium 66 will be a very pleasant experience. > Even if one does a full-bloat GUI install of RedHat or Mandrake, > one can still get to the the underlying innards easily. > Most users I know who've started with a GUI Linux install start > out using mindless point-n-click tools, but they eventually catch > on to the power of working directly with the OS, at least at some > level. Before you know it, they've got more xterms open than > anything else. Even with my slim GUI, an xterm is noticeably slower than the CLI. For example, 'ls -R' from my / directory takes less than one minute from the CLI and more than four minutes from an xterm. Perhaps on a fast Pentium, you don't notice the deadweight of the GUI, but on a survPC you sure do. This is the survPC list, so I tailor my advice to survPCs. However, if I am talking to an ordinary user with a powerful computer and a point-and-click background, I would naturally steer him toward the latest-and-greatest, do-everything-for-you GUI. Cheers, Steven To unsubscribe from SURVPC send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe SURVPC in the body of the message. Also, trim this footer from any quoted replies. More info can be found at; http://www.softcon.com/archives/SURVPC.html
