[Glastonbury] Just a little idea

[tim hall]

Last Tuesday 09 November 2004 14:27, mauricemail was like:
> I want to leave MS behind. But I need to speak to my digital slr (would the
> new card readers solve that problem?) and a few other things where there
> seemed to be no Linux applications. For example dictation systems. I also
> need to access web sites which complain if IE is not being used to talk to
> them.

It's usually possible to spoof the browser's id string, not an ideal solution.

> I'm a serious home user. I built my first system in 1978 using a 25 watt
> soldering iron, a Nascom 1 based on the Z80 chip and programmed it in basic
> machine code then later, Z80 assembler. Advanced to Digital Research's CPM
> and groaned when BG ground it down to PC Dos for IBM and MS Dos for the
> rest of us.
>
> But Unix foxes me. Maybe it's my advanced years? And my ancient brain is
> much slower than it used to be. In any case, now-a-days I want to reliably
> use applications not fathom out how to mess about with the underlying
> structure.
>
> Is Mandrake as bad as some of your seem to infer? What would you recommend
> an inexperienced linux person to do?

Mandrake isn't bad at all, for what you want it'll probably do nicely. Also 
worth looking at Fedora and SuSE, they all have lots of happy users.

Most people on this list use either Debian or Mandrake, that's why we talk 
about them so much, therefore there's more support here for the distros I've 
mentioned. If I experiment with other distros, when I have more time, it'll 
be in the Gentoo or archlinux direction or GNU/Darwin or if I get hold of an 
old Mac, see if I can get AGNULA/DeMuDi to work on it, now, there's a worthy 
challenge!

Best advice is probably pick one you like the look of and stick with it for at 
least a year.

Then you'll be ready for Debian ;P
(sorry, sorry ... I'll just get me asbestos coat ;)

cheers

tim hall