[Glastonbury] Just a little idea

[Martin Wheeler]

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004, Greg Browne wrote:

> Didn't mean to start a spat, but did find many comments very useful thanks.

I have to admit, I haven't seen this list so lively in weeks!
(And I'd just told a new subscriber there's barely any traffic on this 
list!  Murphy.)

> I quite like the idea of  an Instant Whiz-bang flashy interface.

Yeah, that's fine.  I was trying to make the point that some people can't 
conceive of an operating system that *doesn't* have that type of 
interface -- i.e. if it doesn't look like Windows (an extreme latecomer 
to the game), it's not a 'proper'  operating system.

Three years ago, in London, and for the first time in my life, I had to 
train a student who had *never* encountgered a comman-line environment.
She was a developer; had a couple of years development experience under 
her belt -- but had //never// programmed from a command-line.
It was a mind-boggling experience on both sides.
[Remember I come from a background where the output from your 
first efforts at the keyboard appeared on a teletype -- in another 
building!]


> I'll try debian Sarge at some time but hope that it does give default
> options, ot I'll be lost in the set up.

As long as you don't have any really weird requirements, you should be OK.
[Remember, Sean and I are running Linux on laptops optimised for Windows 
--theey are definitely NOT expected to run any other OS.]


> My aim is to be able to give a first time elderly computer user a
> Linux computer that he/she can use and I can simply support.

Mandrake.  Without a doubt.


>  Only
> (dare I say) does win XP give this at the moment, IMO. Please don't
> delete me from the list for saying that <G>

<airily />Oh no; no probs.  I've just re-directed all the MS viruses 
we receive to your mail a/c, is all.

Cheers,
-- 
Martin Wheeler   -   StarTEXT / AVALONIX - Glastonbury - BA6 9PH - England
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