Novice PC users more likely to embrace Linux

Ziff Davis Australia ^ | 06 April 2005 | Munir Kotadia

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

In a report published by research and analysis firm Quocirca, entitled "Migrating to Linux on the Desktop", the company found not only was it a myth that you had to be a power user to cope with Linux, the complete opposite is true.

According to the report, as users become comfortable with an operating system and start customising it, they are far less likely to want to change.

"The consensus amongst early adopters is that Windows power users are the most difficult group to migrate to Linux because of the breadth of applications they rely on and the advanced features they use within them," the report said." Replacing this richness with Linux-compatible alternatives, and at the same time dealing with their legacy data and home grown applications, is extremely difficult".

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

I've found this to be true. It was much easier to get my grandparents and mom on linux than it is proving to be with some of my friends.

Even when I've got a whole separate computer that is many times faster it's still hard.

[End Times Sentinel]

I can't speak for all new computer users, but personally, I'm a snoopy guy.

 

 Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

"I can't speak for all new computer users, but personally, I'm a snoopy guy."

Woodstock is way cooler!!!

[ShadowAce]

[Asphalt]

hm. i'll stick with what I've got

[melbell]

I didn't have much trouble at all switching over to Linux a few years ago.

Anyone can learn it, but you have to set your mind to it and it really helps to have someone who knows about it and can help you out in a bind. It's not something that you can take on lightly, you have to want to learn it.

But if you do want to learn it, then it's not that hard to grasp. Especially if you go with a commercial version like RedHat that comes with customer support.

[PissAndVinegar]

For anyone looking to get a taste of Linux but is afraid of commitment check out Knoppix

It's a live-CD based on Debian GNU / linux.

(A live CD means you run everything from the CD, therefore not changing your current config. You remove the CD, reboot and your back to Windows)

I recommend grabbing the CeBit edition (3.8) off BitTorrent

P&V

[chronic_loser]

I just installed the UBUNTU distro on one of our machines here in the office. WHAT A DREAM! Picked up everything on the machine, went out, looked at our network, (would you like to share this machine?), a FLAWLESS install!!!

I am running the following on crossover office

Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Microsoft Outlook Quickbooks Internet Explorer

Why? Because some idiots we broker for have all these little activeX widgets on their website, making it necessary to us IE. Quickbooks is the standard for accounting. The office junk was just because I did not yet trust the alternatives (open office -- also for WINDOZE -- is superior to office in every way), and initiallly had a hard time configuring ximian evolution with my Palm Pilot (works like a breeze with Ubuntu).

Why not just run windows, if I have these MS apps? Simple. SECURITY. If you get a virus/worm/malware for windows, it doesn't go down to the "guts" of the machine the way it does in MS. It "bounces" when it tries to get into the guts of your operating system, because it is in a virtual box EMULATING windows.

Won't they just write malware for Linux? Sure they will. I have heard it said that you can "root" an unprotected linux box (log in as the administrator and take over the machine) in about 3 hours of attacks. It is child's play on a windows machine, The tools are out there so that some halfwit who has to ask "how do I compile" can write a script and zombie your windows machine. The difference is that 1) You operate in relative obscurity (why write scripts for Linux when all the idiots are already using Windows?...., just send em another email promising them naked pics of Kournikova)
2) The open nature of the software makes it a sure thing that the problems get addressed immediately, rather than sitting on a desk in Redmond with some jerkoff trying to do an analysis on whether it would hurt the company's reputation to admit that there are holes in the software and no patches written for it yet.

[Tribune7]

bump

[polymuser]

So, would Linux work well in a PII or PIII machine? Can older machines get new life with Linux?

[A CA Guy]

Maybe in Austrailia, but around America, almost ALL computers come with Microsoft operating systems.

[LTCJ]

Excellent observations. A happy CrossOver Office customer here, too. I'm running it under SuSE Linux 9.2 to maintain compatability with a handful of customers/hardware/MSOS versions.

As for new users and Linux, it was almost totally transparent for my family. As the system admin, I had to spool up a bit - but trying to defend/maintain a multiuser Windows home network was starting to take way too much of my time and money. I couldn't compete with three other users shopping for malware while I was at work. I finally decided any of my dedicated computer time at home was going to go to learning Linux. Now I'm back in the black and have time for other things. Now I deal-boot to XP about once a month.

Very happy I made the switch.

[LTCJ]

So, would Linux work well in a PII or PIII machine? Can older machines get new life with Linux?

Absolutely. My home network has PIs and PIIs, & an AMD2800 all running late-release versions of Linux quite well.

[N3WBI3]

Like any os it depends on what you are going to do with it. I run a full webserver, mail server, ftp site, and other things but I dont run heavy graphics...

Im on a pIII 360, with 396M of ram, I am running about 4 disk in a software raid10. The thing runs great until I try to run gnome and do heavy graphics stuff. I like to use fvwm2 as my graphics layer...

If youre just running a desktop w/out all the background stuff Linux will greatly extend the life of a PC..

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

Yes sir. It would work with P2's/3's, and yes older machines get new life.

Though, you might want to do a little research based on your system specs. Memory usage on my fedora box upon bootup is only around 65-70MB. Some linuxes are more light weight than others.

I myself use Fedora, which is Red Hat's community version. From what I've seen in the development notes, 4 will be lighter weight than 3 is, and have more features.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

^^^^^^^^^^^almost ALL computers come with Microsoft operating systems.^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Almost. ;-)

http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/33724/

In case the article dies, here is the enclosed link....

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/precn_n?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

I've gotten to the point where I find myself bored at times :-P

You don't know what you've got until it's gone.........

[LTCJ]

I've gotten to the point where I find myself bored at times :-P

Yep. Well, prop me in the corner and call me a lamp stand - but thank the Lord it doesn't require me to google how to remove the latest HACKMETILLIDIE.SCUM infection.

My biggest problem these days is convincing my neighbors that I no longer know the best way to clean up their Windows system.

[Halfmanhalfamazing]

^^^^^^^^^^^^My biggest problem these days is convincing my neighbors that I no longer know the best way to clean up their Windows system.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sure you do. You're just not selling it right. :-P

If you have a spare hard drive, challenge them to use linux for a few weeks.

"you don't have anything to lose but the headaches"

[melbell]

I assume so. Don't use pentium so I wouldn't pretend to know.