In the past, my wife hated linux when I tried to get her to use it instead of Windows. She didn't complain at all about having to use linux this time. As I was complaining over the phone to her tonight about having to update a windows server at work and how long a reboot takes, she mentioned that she has really grown to like the multiple desktops. It wasn't like I asked, it was an unsolicited remark.
I think it is as much a function of the transition towards the web for everything. She hardly uses anything other than document editor or a browser. Linux does those two things as well as, or better than windows. It's come a long ways since I installed Redhat 4.2 from CD that I could only get via special order from our local computer shops way back in 1997.
I have fantasies about turning all of the office PCs into thin clients, with remote desktop in to the Windows 2003 server as needed for the Windows-based accounting application, and switching over to Google for mail / calendar. Apart from the fact that I don't want to leave a support headache if I were to leave my current job, I would have done it already (still easier to find windows people, though).
All the main systems at the $ISP are Linux (or FreeBSD) with 3 19" screen displays.
If the MiniMice and Mrs Mouse can use Linux on the desktop, I don't see why anyone else can't....
Out of curiosity, are they interested in how computers work, or just in how to get stuff done? I sometimes hear that "kids today" are proficient computer users but don't know or care at all about the guts.
(The mini-clovers and nieces/nephews are all too young to read, much less use vi. My only interactions with elementary school kids is fairly scripted, i.e. "get off my lawn".)[ Parent ]
Mr Minimouse is quite capable of installing his own software and uninstalling it if he doesn't like it. In summary he's not afraid of the machine and will normally work out for himself how to get it to do what he wants.
When he's old enough, I will explain to him that vi is the True Editor and that Emacs advocates should be immediately burned at the stake.....
Others are userland Linux issues, such as the lack of responsiveness for windowed apps - probably getting great throughput, but from the user's perspective it makes the box feel frustratingly slow to use. Or the fact that after clicking an app to start it, I have no feedback to let me know it's actually starting. Cue staring at a blank screen, wondering if I should give it a few more seconds before guessing I "misclicked" and trying again.
Others are kernel issues, such as the recent update that stopped my machine shutting down at all, instead just sitting in text mode saying something about breaking IRQ affinity.
Either way, there are definite issues that make it very fucking annoying as a desktop OS.
As a server and admin platform, however, it's just great.
I remember installing Slackware on my Pentium 90 and being really impressed with how it looked just like the Sun workstations at school.
I also remember how much I had to dick around with the X config files to get there.
Some things have improved immensely, but it isn't nearly as seamless as it should be. Some days it feels like we're approaching the tipping point, some days not so much. [ Parent ]
Isn't that the very definition of a tipping point? :-)
All I can say is thank %DEITY% for Ubuntu, they've managed to get things moving in the right direction again after a couple of pretty stagnant years.[ Parent ]
Well, sure you would, because you'd rather push a Ford than drive a Chevy.- Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
---- I just ate about 7 pounds of meat -theantix [ Parent ]
