Re: Linux is not for consumers!
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 02:37, Alvin Oga wrote:
> On Thu, 11 Dec 2003, Johann Koenig wrote:
> > No, its not for consumers. Well, at least Debian is not. Perhaps
> > Mandrake or SuSE, where you can pay for support, is what you're looking
> > for.
>
> i think "debian" folks is selling [it|your]self short .. but claiming its
> not for consumers ....
> - have you ever tried to isntall redhat on a motherboard
> that is redhat unfriendly ???
> - i can give you a hundreds of brand new mb,
> and you-* will NOT be able to install rh ( 9.x and EL )
> ... but debain, xandros, slackware, suse all seems
> perfectly happy to install/boot/run ...
>
> - and vice versa, i can give you a mb that debian will not
> install on either .. or at least it'd take you the better part
> of a day or two to bend over backwards..
>
> - and on and on with sound, X11 and network config problems
>
> - than add performance tweeking problems on top of that...
> - you'd be surprised what the speed differences is
> between distros and/or between tweek'd or not
>
> what is the criteria for "suitable for consumer" and
> "suitable for eng gen neerz" ??
>
> the typical consumer buys it ready to go off the shelf ...
> ==
> == tom, dick and harry PC store down the street built it for them
> == complete with installation ...
> ==
>
> - some consumers might be able to get it hooked up with their
> ip#/gw/routers .. otherwise ... their neighbor or friends come
> and play with their new toyz
>
> then, typical consumer pluggs it in and expects to see:
> - mozilla/netscape ...
> - outlook look alive email client
> - kde/gnome desktop
> - "office"
>
> - they dont care about anything else ...
> ( "they" also includes business .. small and large businesses )
>
> rest of the "what to do with the box details" is way beyond most consumers
> .... and even still beyong some "eng gen neerz" too
>
> people can pay for "debian support" too ... just like they can
> pay for redhat or suse or mandrake or gazillion other distro's support
>
FWIW I agree with you in general. Over the last 2 years or so I've installed
a few Mandrakes 8.2 - 9.0, Redhat 9, and Windows XP Pro, as well as Debian
Woody.
The absolute worst to install is WinXP, and Woody wants a little more
knowledge. Mdk and RH are a breeze to install.
So far as using the system is concerned once installed there is just no real
difficulty. I have done some volunteer work for a charity who hand out
refurbished legacy hardware c/w Debian + KDE + OO to financially
disadvantaged folk. Some of those beneficiaries are students but some have
intellectual handicaps. They have no more trouble running Linux than they do
Windows period.
Your Joe Average user was never able or willing to install Windows or any
flavour of Linux but that has nothing whatsoever to do with whether it's
useable by consumers. Availability of preinstalled systems is more to the
point. And that scene is changing rather quickly too.
cheers
Bob
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