Re: Drag-n-drop - where are you?

From: David Wright (david_c_wright_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 03/13/05 

Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 09:27:57 +0100

Kevin Nathan wrote:

<snip>
>
> Don't tell him, then. *I* don't! I set up their new Linux system, show
> them which icons to click on and give them my email and phone number
> for support calls. After about a half hour of familiarizing them with
> how things work (browser, email, editors), they are happy to experiment.
> My support calls from new Linux converts are *far* lower than from
> Windows users that consider themselves 'competent'.

That is the situation I've found a well, those that just use machines and
know how to load and use their specific applications don't seem to have as
many problems as the reasonably knowledgeable or power users.

I think part of it is that the more advanced users who know Windows fairly
well are considered by their friends as guru's, whether they are or not,
and when faced with something new, where they will have to start learning
again alongside those that consider them guru's, they get scared they will
loose their status and they get bolshy and will do anything they can to
make this new "thing" go away so they can get back to the status quo of
being superior to the rest of the userbase they know.

Not all are like this, some will take the challenge of relearning, and often
find for the basics there isn't that bigger difference in basic usage, they
can still use the old drag and drop metaphore in KDE copying files and text
around in applications like Knode and OO.o etc.

I come from a background of varied hardware and OS's, but for the last 17
years, I'd been pretty much exclusively Windows (a little bit of VMS, MVS
or VME along the way, the occassional foray into Mac's, but almost
exclusively Windows from '94 to 2002). About 2.5 years ago I gave Linux a
try. I took it as a challenge and the first version I used (SuSE 8,0) was
OK, but I wouldn't have got rid of my main Windows machine, but I stuck
with it and learnt it and it grew on me. By the time 9.0 came along, I was
using Linux for most of my desktop needs. Today, I use Windows for
supporting Windows customers, gameplaying and watching DVD's (my SuSE box
plays DVD's as well, but the 5.1 sound system is still connected to the
Windows box at the moment).

I use it for most of my CD and DVD burning work these days as K3b seems a
lot more intelligent and easier to use than Nero, my e-mail is read almost
exclusively on the Linux box (running off a Windows Exchange Server backend
- installed to keep me familiar with the system for supporting my
customers), web browsing 99% under Linux. Only office products such as
Visio and MS Project are still regularly used on the Windows machine,
because I haven't found a file compatible alternative under Linux yet.

>
>> There is only one area where M$ products shine, and that is ease of
>> use. Until Linux cannot match it, it doesn't have a chance on the mass
>> market.
>
> IME, that is pure BS. Most of the people I've converted to Linux are
> amazed a computer can be so simple to use. Many of them have been
> calling me to help with those so-called 'easy' Windows programs over and
> over again; yet, after the conversion to Linux, the calls drop off to
> nearly nothing. And well over half of my clents are 65+ and very few
> younger than 50 . . .
>

My mum started using Linux and apart from noting that the "start" menu icon
didn't look familiar and then pointing her to which icons on the shortcut
bar she should use for her applications, she needed no further help.

Dave

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