25 Apr
2008
25 Apr
'08
17:03
Oddball wrote: > Sid Boyce schreef: >> >> There will always be "The problem" for the "new user", the new user >> who doesn't know or hasn't got herself familiar with what a GNOME or a >> KDE is. > > Nail on head. > That is why it is important to know, as new user, that they can be > installed both, without have to reinstall, persee. > > My experience is, that after a few days, most likely a reinstall > happens, because the inconveniences show only after installing, and > using the system. > And that is not a big deal, because you get familiar with the os, and > the methods used, this way, and you are not (yet) attached to it, so not > a difficult decision.. > I discourage reinstalling whenever anyone has raised it, it's a Windows trait. If a new user has no one to call on I can understand it. I have advised that every new user repeats the following every time, "I know jack about Linux". It's the ones that reckon they know all about computers that get frustrated and confused, they're trying to use Linux as if it were Windows. They also forget they struggled with Windows at first. >> I don't see how we fix that, > see above.. > >> other than eliminating choice, something that the many reviewers >> recommend constantly - > >> new users are supposed to be pretty stupid, > They are not stupid, they are used to a system that is closed on the > outside... ;) > >> easily confused, horrified at the amount of disk space and memory >> called for and frightened away from Linux in general and openSUSE in >> particular. > I would not dare to say that... >> I was saying quite the opposite, I was just putting over the nonsensical sentiment you often see in articles - Linux is hard, doesn't support this or that, is lacking ......., for experts only, etc. I'd be a rich man if I had been paid one dollar for every negative Linux article I have read and the statements I have received in conversation. On the positive side, I have asked quite a few authors who rubbished Linux many years ago to do a follow up article a year on and in most cases they were either converts or their follow up articles were much less harsh. >> I can also sympathise with Zonker's annoyance, encountered the same >> situation up to yesterday and countless times in the past, needing as >> usual to install GNOME, KDE3 and KDE4, but I always find a way of >> doing it and give that to anyone who needs it. >> >> I can't see a "BEST" way and doubt there is one that will meet >> everyone's idea of what best is. > Best is, take a way fear, and confusion, by being clear about things > concerning the 'new user': > 1) They are attached to their other os, and don't want to harm it, until > they are sure, the new one is better. > 2) They have to 'trust' the new OS, this means: the new os must show, > that it knows there is/are other os on the drive/s, and best what they > are by name. > 3) They must know that there *cannot* be made a 'wrong' choice, because > other 'DE's, or windowmanagers can be installed, without reinstalling > the whole system. > (that they want to do it themselves lateron, is not important at this > time... >> >> >> Regards >> Sid. > > No doubt true, though often their other OS is a real pain to them, but it is what they use daily. Try even some seasoned professionals, guys who know Solaris and z/OS very well and suggest you try a Linux live CD on their PC or laptop. Experience tells them to suspect you are just about to infect or ruin their Windows installation. The ones who have read up quite a bit on Linux will typically be the ones to give it a try. One colleague providing support on hardware and first line support on Solaris and z/OS once said he had installed Linux on his PC at home and wondered after you installed Linux, what you could do with it. I simply pointed to my laptop on the desk opposite which was doing everything he did plus quite he bit he couldn't do with Windows. New users are not all of the same mindset or ability, that's why the platform is seeing such growth. Regards Sid. -- Sid Boyce ... Hamradio License G3VBV, Licensed Private Pilot Emeritus IBM/Amdahl Mainframes and Sun/Fujitsu Servers Tech Support Specialist, Cricket Coach Microsoft Windows Free Zone - Linux used for all Computing Tasks --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-factory+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-factory+help@opensuse.org