There are some very common errors when trying out Linux:
1) People try to use it in a way that the target group won't.
2) People try to find all the things missing compared to Windows and then stop. Instead of finding all the things it does that Windows doesn't.
3) People try to install it on hardware that is not tier-1 Linux compatible.
Linux won't capture 90% of the desktop market in a couple of months, if that's what you think, but my guess is that in a year, we have:
- A Red Hat Linux with graphical boot process.
- Gnome OpenOffice included (StarOffice 6)
- Preinstalled on consumer PCs with emergency CDs included for reestablishing a fully working computer in no time.
- Lots of shops selling $600 consumer Linux PCs with Office suites, composer software, multimedia software, lots of games, graphical tools, programming tools etc. included.
People won't start using Linux until they see a clear benefit. And then try to imagine Mr. and Mrs. Jones going into a computer shop, choosing between:
- $2000 PC with Windows XP, Office XP, a speed ruining virus scanner software and incomprehensible firewall software.
- $600 PC with StarOffice 6 and a lot of software that is not on the other PC. This one is secure and does not need antivirus stuff, and it runs Linux.
Some of them might choose the expensive solution, but I'm quite sure, that a lot will choose the more trouble-free Linux PC. It won't give them access to all the Windows hardware and software, but if the software included is enough, they will be very happy to get a system that just works and is extremely much cheaper. What you get is a computer that works from the first day you get it and continues to work. And if you should get into one of those dialogs that requires you to enter a root password, you can always reestablish the PC without deleting your settings or files just by using the recovery CDs.
I haven't met anyone who had more difficulties using a Linux computer than a Windows computer. The only people I've met that had real trouble with Linux were people with a lot of technical Windows knowledge that suddenly had trouble using that technical knowledge to administer a Linux computer. But that's not something the end-consumer cares about.
Btw.: Kids love Linux. At my parents, my nephiews always use my mother's Pentium 400 Linux instead of my father's 1.2GHz Windows 2000. It's just more fun.
Lars. |
