____/ BearItAll on Monday 20 August 2007 13:45 : \____
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>
>> Making My Grandparents Leet Linux Users - Part 2
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | Thunderbird, along with Firefox, are overkill for most Grandparents.
>> | Simpler applications would be easier to use. Epiphany is a good Firefox
>> | replacement, but I am not familiar with any other lighter-weight email
>> | clients.
>> `----
>>
>>
>
http://tomdryer.com/blog/index.php/2007/08/19/making-my-grandparents-leet-linux-users-part-2/
>>
>
> Give your grandfather a break. A browser is easy if you can point it at a
> web link and the page opens. How often do you use the tool bars and menus
> of a browser, other than the back button? It doesn't really make a
> difference which browser your grandad uses so long as it displays the page
> and is able to perform what ever functionality the page contains.
>
> So no need for your grandad to get rid of Firefox.
Firefox is not lighter however. In fact, it's getting heavier. Why use
something that's heavier than you require. Would you use Word 2007 to write
down some notes that a simple text editor can handle?
>> Here is a grandmother who prefers the CLI.
>>
>> Leo Laporte - Sunday 12 August 2007
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | Leo is impressed that Karin is using PC Linux OS, and she prefers the
>> | command line. Leo believes that she is definitely a geek and she should
>> | stop in Las Vegas next year for the hacker convention.
>> `----
>>
>> http://techguylabs.com/radio/ShowNotes/Show378
>>
>
> My mother took to the commandline quite well, she is much more comfortable
> finding her document and typing 'write documentname' than using the file
> browser ('write' is the shortcut I did). My dad had a lot more trouble and
> avoids using it.
It probably all depends on what you are taught and then become used to. Once
you get latched onto something (e.g. as a child at school), it's hard to
change. Thus the need to stop having children brought up on Microsoft
Office... it's a product, not a skill.
>> Related:
>>
>> Making My Grandparents Leet Linux Users - Part 1
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | It was time for a new computer for my Grandparents. Their ancient
>> | Windows 98 PC had become so slow that it was unusable. The replacement,
>> | an inexpensive Acer PC, came with Windows Vista preinstalled. It was up
>> | to me to set up the new computer and support it. So I decided to wipe
>> | out Vista with a Debian 4 base install and set up an easy to use
>> | environment for my Grandparents. In this multi-part series I will tell
>> | you about how I did it, starting with my reasons for choosing Linux over
>> | Vista.
>> `----
>>
>>
>
http://tomdryer.com/blog/index.php/2007/08/17/making-my-grandparents-leet-linux-users-part-1/
>>
>
> When M&D retired I gave them their first PC, Linux of cause because it's
> easier for me to look after, I think the first one I gave them was a
> Redhat, or maybe the first was a Mandrake 6 or 7 (it's a long time ago now,
> but will have been one of those).
>
> Dad had never used a computer in his life, boiler makers don't tend to need
> them, mam had used one of those dedicated word processors at work, one of
> those Amstrads.
>
> Because they didn't have any messed up ideas about computers, they took to
> it very well. We didn't have cam then, but they could spend hours in text
> chat talking to my sister in America. Then they were emails, sending
> pictures out. All the usual things people do with a computer.
>
> There was a learning curve of cause, but it wasn't nearly as long as I
> expected. It is true that they didn't stray far from the chat/emails and
> StarOffice (it was the integrated version of StarOffice at first), but they
> were doing the things they wanted to do.
>
> The only difficulty I had was convincing them that it was safe to browse the
> Internet. With all the virus's being reported, it was hard to convince them
> that they were safe. Plus, although I had squidguard onboard, a picture of
> someone's body part did get through to mum, that put her right off the
> browser part.
>
> Since that first machine, which it was my job to upgrade when ever they
> moaned because it wasn't fast enough, they have been through various
> upgrades and new PCs. Since Suse 9.3, (sigh, 9.3, what a wonderfull distro
> that was), I have kept M&D on openSuse ever since. It's easy for me to look
> after and easy for them to use.
>
> I also gave them a server quite a few years ago, I firmly believe that a
> family server is a good move, it wont break the bank and it is a good
> safetynet as well as speeding up home computer use. I used a Debian as the
> server and still do for them, but it could just as easily have been
> openSuse.
>
> They still do the chat to my sister, but they mix it using Skype voice/chat.
> Dad has army mates all over the world that he talks to, he managed to find
> quite a few of the men who served at the same time as he did in Egypt.
>
> They love it, dad is 78 and mam 80. Their computer took a more dominant
> place in their home than the TV for a long time now. After a few squabbles
> over dad taking more time than is fair, I put a monitor/keyboard/mouse on
> the server, saves them arguing. Except the server is a cold machine, so I
> can't use a high spec CPU/graphics, I use external hard drive to keep
> things in the box cool. So they still fight because they both want to be on
> the main PC.
>
> So anyone out there wondering whether your older parents/grand parents would
> take to a Linux, don't worry at all, they can take to it. How you deal with
> squabbles is beyond the scope of this news post.
It's more of a personal journal actually.
--
~~ Best of wishes
Roy S. Schestowitz | Windows leaves me peckish
http://Schestowitz.com | Open Prospects | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
Tasks: 113 total, 1 running, 112 sleeping, 0 stopped, 0 zombie
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