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dboyer
11-13-2003, 10:55 PM
A friend of mine is setting back up her computer after it crashed horribly... we're talking old-skool P333... and shes not really setting up, shes having other people do it... shes not very good with computers, she uses hers for a few relatively simple tasks (mp3s, surfing, emails, etc)

which gave me an idea... If you don't understand windows, would it matter if you were using linux/gnome? For her computer ability, shes pretty much going "this button starts music, this button checks emails..." when the computer pukes or does something weird, she needs help... so, would it hurt her to install linux?

it could potentially run faster and stabler than win95 (what she had), and faster and more stable than win98 (what she would end up with).

What do you guys think? assuming the hardware/install was all fine and dandy... would a decently set up linux box be just as easy for someone who has no idea whats going on anyways? or would she want to do something someday ("lets install kazaa!"... which is a bad idea to start with... *shudders because of gator*) and find out that its not that simple, bursting the bubble?

I'm sure shes going to end up with win98 anyways, but it made me pause and wonder... everything she needs is there... xmms, gaim, mozilla, evolution, etc... no hunting down winamp online or anything... the computer might feel a bit faster...

I think linux is ready for the desktop, if you are patient and willing to learn it... but im not talking about the normal "under-the-hood-lets-recompile" type user...

would YOU do it? or are scared of becoming her 24/7 tech support? (lets pretend its a guy for that question :))
Fryguy8
11-13-2003, 11:03 PM
A linux desktop with a bunch of buttons would be nice I guess.
sharth
11-13-2003, 11:06 PM
Tech Support gets old after the first few weeks...
raz0rblade
11-13-2003, 11:11 PM
Just put some 128x128 icons of the stuff on the desktop and remove the terminal button :P
dboyer
11-14-2003, 03:09 AM
Originally posted by sharth
Tech Support gets old after the first few weeks...

Especially since the only mouse i'll get to double-click has two buttons... :-)
sharth
11-14-2003, 10:32 PM
I was hoping that you'd be smart and install a second superuser account (non root named, uid 0 though), and vnc as well.

Let her know, and say don't fiddle with that accound and don't fiddle with vnc, its so i can fix the computer when something fails.
psi42
11-15-2003, 03:50 AM
Go for it.


Just try and set it up so there are as few buttons as possible. Only what is needed--no huge gnome/kde menu. :)

Even if she did use windows, you'd still be doing the tech support, so... :D :)
Kaligraphic
11-16-2003, 05:10 AM
Tech support takes a lot longer to get old if they're paying you.
DFo3D
11-16-2003, 11:34 AM
I concur, you're still doing tech supp if she's on Windows.

Install limewire, mplayer, xmms etc

Remove the console button, set it up to automatically log her in at boot, and prolly go with KDE.

That should be idiot-proof enough.
sharth
11-16-2003, 06:32 PM
Originally posted by psi42
Go for it.


Just try and set it up so there are as few buttons as possible. Only what is needed--no huge gnome/kde menu. :)

Even if she did use windows, you'd still be doing the tech support, so... :D :) yeah. but im gonna assume that she knows more people with windows than she does with linux. and i doubt that she is going to understand the differance ( basically, i think that unless you prepare extreamly well, that i doubt you will be able to pull this off well)
dboyer
11-16-2003, 06:59 PM
This machine is never going to be set up... i know from experience that any linux machine i put together will constantly need tweaking and TLC to keep it working up to snuff... so, I'm diffenitly not the person to be doing it... and, as sharth said:

yeah. but im gonna assume that she knows more people with windows than she does with linux.

if she goes with linux, every time she has a hiccup, there is one person in the dorm who can help, where there are dozens who can give her a hand if shes using windows (normally the stuff an end-user needs help with arn't that complicated)


I was more proposing this as a general test case... I used to work at a library that had several public terminals for internet access... and of course, they were handmedown p133s and p200s... and of course all the patrons installed gator and bonzi buddy and all sorts of other performance-enhancing software... Why couldn't a really simple linux terminal with just a few applications (abiword or OO.o/firebird) be installed...? the city ended up buying a bunch of 2k licenses (originally 98 machines) so they could be secured, etc... seems like linux would have been a simpler, better solution...

seems to me the problem with a "desktop" computer is that it can potentially do thousands of different tasks.. its hard to become proficient at all of them (unlike servers, which do 7 or 8 tasks)... but here, we are talking about a machine that does the 1 or 2 tasks on demand... tasks that linux can do well, and cheaply, if you take the hour or so to really tighten down the machine