[Sussex] Percy Verence gets one more.

[Gavin Stevens]

Hi Angelo,

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 10:42:19 -0000
"Angelo Servini" <Angelo.Servini at claybrook.co.uk> wrote:

> My technophobe friend finally accepted an install of Ubuntu on her PC
> and has agreed to give it a few weeks provided I give the support and
> "show and tell" she needs.  Reasoned argument prevailed, in that 1.
> Her needs are few - Internet, Office and the Gimp for graphics.  2.
> Even in m$ she would'nt have a clue how to maintain and setup - in
> effect no difference is there, from her perspective?

As someone who is keen to bring non-techie people into the Linux fold, I
think this a key point - someone who would need help with Window$ setup
& maintenance is going to be in exactly the same situation with Linux.
If someone is giving Linux a try, I will always try to help them.
> 
> I think that if people like this (she has very little knowlege of
> computers) can be brought on board, ANYONE can.

Ubuntu does seem to have made itself appealing to many people. For some
reason they don't seem so daunted by it. I think this the next,
long-awaited, leap forward in perception of Linux as a friendly desktop
system.

> The trick is, that what impressed her was the ease and speed of
> installation (mind you the promise of support, had to be written in
> blood!).

Blood? A small price to pay, surely? I only have to think of Mr Gates &
especially those dismal postcards M$ have been sending to businesses
reminding them of M$ licencing terms, to be willing to offer my own red
stuff as ink if it means bringing others onto the path of the penguin.

I have always been quite balanced regarding Microsoft & Windows (qv, my
moot talk last year), but these postcards they have been sending
recently have most definitely got my goat. 

> 20 minutes to up and running on a 1.3ghz Duron.  Not bad.

Not bad at all, but quite disconcerting at first, especially after a few
Debian installations (don't get me wrong, I love Debian, but it does
take time). In fact, Ubuntu's installation is amazing given that, not
far beneath the surface, it is Debian.

Gavin.