Why not getting a Windows system for a new user is a good thing
,----[ Quote ]
| Going with Linux is quite easy as every Linux distribution comes
| with the bare software that everyone uses, an office suite, a
| browser and an email program as well as media players. With Mac
| you would just have to download and install an office suite like
| OpenOffice and the novice user should be on their merry way
| without you have to troubleshoot all their issues that can
| arise when using a machine with Windows.
`----
http://gnuman.com/hardware/why_not_getting_a_windows_system_for_a_new_user_is_a_good_thing.html
Related:
World of open-source software continues to evolve
,----[ Quote ]
| The learning curve has changed, Wolff said. The operating system
| was once usable only for skilled computer people, but now he
| says his mother, who is not so computer literate, can use
| Linux with ease.
`----
http://media.www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2007/02/20/ScienceTech/World.Of.OpenSource.Software.Continues.To.Evolve-2729244.shtml
http://tinyurl.com/2bgtew
7 Reasons you should switch Grandma to Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| 1. Security
| 2. No Blue Screen of Death
| 3. Price
| 4. Ease of Use
| 5. Runs Fast on Old Machines
| 6. Linux plays well with others
| 7. Support is Everywhere
`----
http://forevergeek.com/linux/7_reasons_you_should_switch_grandma_to_linux.php
,----[ Quote ]
| 'I hearby pronounce the neverending joke about this finally being
| the "year of the Linux Desktop" officially dead. Linux IS on the desktop,
| and my grandmother DOES use it for everything most people use
| Windows for--email, web browsing, music, watching movies, casual
| gaming. ...and if you are indeed arguing that desktop Linux is
| nonexistant, then you're a goddamned ignorant troll.'
`----
http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=192983&cid=15838014
Why you should switch your parents pc to ubuntu
,----[ Quote ]
| About a month ago my mother called and asked if I could help her
| with a problem on her computer that I build and installed for her.
| The computer reacted slowly to her input and was opening unknown
| websites for no reason. It was immediately clear that some sort of
| spyware or even worse virus or trojan was responsible for this
| behavior. She was really desperate and I began to scan the
| system immediately.
|
| [...]
|
| I'm not a linux pro but I was able to setup the system and install
| everything (import mails and the like) in a matter of hours and
| teach my parents how to use their new system. It basically does
| the same but looks different, not much teaching had to be done
| to be honest.
|
| Another advantage is that the system seems to run faster than
| before. They have a Celeron Cpu with 256 megabytes of Ram and
| Windows seemed to be really slow compared to my own computer.
| I got rid of many power hungry services like indexing but
| that was obviously not enough. It simply feels faster with
| linux as the operating system.
|
| To sum it up:
|
| * Windows is: less secure, slower, requires more administration
| * Linux is: secure, faster, requires less administration
`----
http://www.ghacks.net/2006/12/20/why-you-should-switch-your-parents-pc-to-ubuntu/
Yo Mamma Likes Ubuntu
,----[ Quote ]
| My mom's become an evangelist to some of her friends. She told me
| that last week she and her lifelong friend had been on the phone
| talking about how they love their new Ubuntu systems and comparing
| cool features they've discovered. I think it's fair to say that
| Linux has come home.
`----
http://shootingthekids.dpblogs.com/2006/12/14/yo-mamma-likes-ubuntu/
Xandros Desktop 4.0
,----[ Conclusion ]
| Xandros 4 is a difficult distribution to form an opinion about,
| simply because it is so contradictory in nature. It outshines any
| other distribution when it comes to Windows compatibility, and it has
| the best file manager of any distribution I've ever seen. The installation
| is easy, and the hardware recognition is outstanding, and having my
| bcm43xx chipset work right out of the box is very, very welcome. The
| downsides, however, are not to be downplayed. The distribution looks
| like used toiletpaper, the amount of applications in Xandros Networks
| is too small, and the security center can be annoying.
|
| Is your grandmother still running Windows 9x/ME? If so, Xandros 4 might
| be a perfect choice, as it gives them a solid Linux distribution,
| which will play nice with all their Windows files and even programs
| (through Crossover Office). The inclusion of Versora also facilitates
| the switch.
|
| However, for more experienced users like you (I guess?) and me, Xandros
| is simply not the best distribution you can get.
`----
http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=16082
Ubuntu for your grandmother.
,----[ Quote ]
| They say its for geeks, they say its for nerds, they say its for those
| whose pinkie finger has the imprint of the enter key tattooed on it. We
| say its for your grandmother ! Yes my friends, I kid you not, for all
| of those who are afraid to dip their little toe into the great Linux-Lake
| let us reassure you : If your grandmother can do it ? So can you. Before
| we start , let me clarify : We are not talking about turning your
| Linux machine into a clustered database server with SQL, PHP, Apache,
| Samba and what have you. We are talking about the advantages of using
| Linux .. as a desktop.
`----
http://www.knightwise.com/content/view/154/9/
Desktop Adapted for Dad
,----[ Quote ]
| I set my father's computer up with a GNU/Linux operating system. One
| basic feature of Linux is that each user has their own login to the
| system, and normally you do not login to the system as the super-user.
| This limits what my father is able to do on the system as he is not the
| super-user. To my surprise my father was delighted that he was restricted
| in that way, because then he knows that he cannot break the system by
| accident.
|
| To conclude I would say that my experience with my father and other
| inexperienced computer users convinces me that the modern desktop software
| is not obvious but that with basic training it is very easy to use. I
| firmly believe that anyone can use a computer, but it is essential that
| users have a properly configured desktop suitable for their use, as one
| size does not fit all.
`----
http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/466
|
|
