The key to getting more Windows users to switch to Linux | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

[Chris Bier]

John wrote:
> The average computer user often doesn't know what to type in a search
> engine because they don't know the terms of what to look for.  How many
> computer users would search for "realtek HD audio driver Linux" to fix
> their sound card, or know that they have an nvidia video card.  Many of
> them say they have a "60GB of ram" in their system, not understanding
> that is likely referring to their hard drive.  Let alone ask them
> whether it's IDE, scsi, iscsi, sata, sas, etc.  There is a minimal
> understanding of the hardware required before you can truely install
> linux and have everything working.
> 
> How about we talk about partitioning?  Most average users would go
> "what?".  Try and describe to them how you can have 4 primary partitons,
> or make extended partitions if you want more.  Try explaining what swap
> space is for, then move from that to relating it to how those hidden
> files they never knew existed on Windows existed on their drive.  Then
> talk about the kernel, the boot loader, X windows, window managers, move
> into startup scripts, updates through various utilities like yum, apt,
> up2date, etc.  How about managability.  Answer the "My system is running
> slow..." statement to an average user and get blank stares.  Many Linux
> users would offer the same blank look and not be able to tell you that
> you could look at top, vmstat, sar, ps, free, or others to troubleshoot
> why it's slow.  Then if they find the processes, it could be anything
> and would take a bit of experience in such things to trouble shoot. 
> 
> Linux is not without flaws.  It is more complicated than windows is. 
> Things require knowing what they are before you can work with them.  
> Linux still remains for the home user, a lot of work for something they
> can pay for and have working out of the box.  Regardless of what people
> think of Windows, they make their money because it does work for the
> average user and was designed for them.  The same thing goes for Apple
> with OS X.  It looks good, is functional, doesn't require much thought
> to point and click or understanding of what is under the covers.  A lot
> of Mac users I know don't use Windows or Linux, aren't technical and
> know how to load office, run photoshop, browse the web, send email, and
> share their images all without fiddling with the OS.
> 
> It's like getting all the parts for a new TV mostly assembled, having to
> reroute your AV cables, point and shoot for satellite signal and spend
> time talking to friends who know more about home entertainment systems
> to suggest help before you can veg out to your favorite show.  Thats why
> most just pay others to do everything but point the remote and click the
> buttons.
> 
> If you want more acceptance of Linux, then pictures, guides, step by
> step, key by key instructions that are intuitive for all things about
> the system is needed.  The user needs to be able to say, "I want to get
> online with my laptop" and not have to look for madwifi drivers, and
> fiddle with the ath0 interface to get it up.
> 
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: feba thatl
>     Sent: Jun 22, 2007 6:18 PM
>     To: kclug at kclug.org
>     Subject: Re: The key to getting more Windows users to switch to
>     Linux | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com
> 
>     How many average users are going to know to type "linux benefits OR
>     advantages" though? The average person doesn't realize the
>     shortcomings of computers, especially when they still get results
>     for questions (or even search engines like Jeeves ENCOURAGING them
>     to...)
> 
>     In regards to the article, I don't think this is "THE KEY!", but
>     it's one more thing that microsoft has going for them- people know
>     about it. heck, if some people would donate computers to schools on
>     the requirement that they only run linux and FOSS, even ten schools,
>     that could get thousands of kids using linux, and wanting to take it
>     and use it at home.  50 computers per school (enough for one large
>     lab or two normal sized labs), assuming 500$ each would only be a
>     quarter of a million or so for every ten schools. If you consider
>     the life of a computer in an environment where they hardly ever need
>     upgrades (which the basic Code/Write Essay/Do Research schools do
>     can be done easily on a decade old computer), and you consider
>     they're probably getting about 300 new students a year, that could
>     easily be 30,000 kids exposed to linux in a day-to-day environment,
>     and curiosity could easily lead at least 1/20th (one kid in every
>     class, on average) to adopt linux, that's 1,500 new linux fans.
>     Should come out to be about 170$ for each of those 1,500- and then
>     you've also educated the 30,000 about linux, so they're more likely
>     to pick it up later, or at least know how to use it and be more
>     likely to embrace it.
> 
>     Of course, I just pulled those numbers out of a hat, but 170$
>     doesn't seem too bad to get new users- it would probably even be
>     good business for a company like Linspire.
> 
>     On 6/22/07, *Billy Crook* <billycrook at gmail.com
>     <mailto:billycrook at gmail.com>> wrote:
> 
>         The author needs to learn how search engines work.  You can't
>         converse with them like a person.  "Why choose linux?" is not a
>         smart query.  Maybe "linux benefits OR advantages". 
>         Furthermore, the question is not why one would choose linux, but
>         why one would choose windows.  Especially when it is so
>         obviously inferior.
> 
>         And the last thing a newbie needs is a comparison of distros
>         unless that comparison clearly puts one above all others.  Too
>         much choice is bad for most people.  Take for example the
>         windows market.  There are varying degrees of "Home" and
>         "business".  A home user might want home, but maybe he thinks he
>         wants something a little more.  "business" sounds professional,
>         lets get that, but wait, does that mean it will miss the fun
>         things?  But if he buys "home", will he miss the professional
>         things?  Too much choice is a recepie for confusion and
>         frustration.  That's why microsoft has "Ultimate".  With a name
>         like that, Gladys in accounting can feel like she's "getting
>         everything". 
> 
>         The problem is linux doesn't have tiers, so it has no top tier. 
>         Until it does, sheeple won't know what they're supposed to think
>         they want. [sic]  Until it does, I'm handing out Ubuntu discs. 
>         When one of those doesn't boot right, they get Fedora.
> 
>         On 6/22/07, *Julie* < betelgeuse67stang at yahoo.com
>         <mailto:betelgeuse67stang at yahoo.com>> wrote:
> 
>             http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=519
>              
>             Some /interesting/ points can be found in this article. The
>             msg threads can be either quite amusing or exasperating, at
>             least to a point. If you have a zdnet account I hope you
>             chime in. If you don't have an account, there's no big deal
>             in making one. <wink>
>              
>             ENJOY!
>             Julie @};-

I've had my Mom using Ubuntu for about 3 years now.  She didn't need to
know much other than: "It doesn't get viruses", "You don't have to run
defrag", and "click here to do this".

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