Re: Serious Question - Mainstream Use - No Troll

From: Athanasios Migdalas (migdalas_at_ergasya.tuc.gr)
Date: 09/27/04 

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 22:48:06 +0300

houghi wrote:

>
> Not saying you are a troll could be a way to say you are. I will still
> bite.
>
> Phillip T. Murphy wrote:
>> 1. File and Print Sharing on a mixed network - Samba seems just too
>> difficult for the average user to setup and use
>
> No experience with Samba as I do not use Windows.
>
>> 2. DVD Playing - I still can't play a DVD on my system - Kaffeine says it
>> can't and the fixes I have tried to apply don't work
> http://packman.links2linux.org/?action=128
>
>
>> 3. Adding Hardware - the whole idea of mounting devices seems too
>> difficult
>> and troublesome. USB devices such as memory sticks, external drives, MP3
>> Players, etc. just don't work automatically like in Windows XP. If an
>> average user (my wife) got an iPod or a Dell DJ, how in the world would
>> they get it to work with SuSE (or ANY Linux System).
>
> The hardware I added was recognised imidiatly. USB camera, ZIP drive and
> USB printer/scanner.
>
>> 4. Software availability - there is a lot of free software, but many
>> (most) mainstream applications aren't available in Linux (commercial
>> games, apps, etc.)
>
> Games is a fact. If you want games, stick with Windows for now.
>
>> I see a lot of negative comments toward "Micro$oft" regarding cost and
>> security issues, but there still seems to be a lot of usability issues to
>> work out before Linux can become mainstream. I am pretty technical and
>> can work through all these isses, but my family definitely could not.
>
> These are NOT negative comments. These are comments. Plain and simple.
>
>> Are any of you using Linux as a mainstream desktop OS where "normal"
>> users are involved?
>
> Not me. I have read about plenty of 'normal' users using it and being
> happier with it then with XP that was giving Virus warnings and so on.
>
> As you are pretty technical and I asume you care for your familymembers,
> why not set the settings for the external machines they might have on
> one day? That is unless you have new hardware to install everyday.
>
> Once configured (and you should be able to do that, as you are pretty
> technical) there is no difference in clicking on an icon to start
> Firefox on Windows or on Linux. I do hope you let them use Firefox
> instead of IE?

I want to remeber I have seen a similar (or was it exactly the same?)
postage ssome time ago. In any case, I'll bite too. I installed without a
scratch 9.1 on a Compaq nx9010 just a few days ago. I did uptadet some
packages. The only non-SuSE thing I needed was a driver from Linuxant for
the winmodem (a Conexant) that came with the machine. It recognizes *any*
USB device I plugged it, even a Hitatchi DVDCam and an SD Card reader which
neither are mentioned -- despite hours of search -- as supported. The
machine burns the CDs like a blixt. Moreover, any device plugged in, will
open a konqueror (if you like this *windows-like* automounting). So please,
please ... despite the *bite* I do have difficulties to believe that his
wife cannot print from Linux. My grandmother uses the machine to search for
the latest recepies ;-)

Humble yours,

/Sakis

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