Linux + Wal-mart?

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by Capper

I've been toying with Ubuntu the last couple of days for an article......its a decent option, but driver support and making changes are a pain in the ass, and definitely not what I'd consider to be user friendly

Well to expand on what the Capper said. Lets not focus on Ubuntu but Linux Distributions in general. Till recently as in the past maybe 4 to 5 years Linux was something reserved for the computer savy, read into that "Computer Geeks". Hell yes, geeks loved and still do love Linux. Linux has also become much more user friendly. However, still has a long way to go.

Why has Windows been so successful? Look at the evolution of Windows. Bill Gates had a vision for his evil empire. His objective was to bring the computer, then a complex monster, into the average home and make it user friendly. Bill Gates and IBM shared that thought or dream. Looking at the evolution of the Windows operating system it has come a long way. Forget the geek stuff, forget the games, forget all the fancy software.

A large portion of "Average" home users are Grandma and Grampa who want to Google a few things, browse the Internet and excahnge email (preferably with pictures of grandkids). Now before we scream they can do that with Linux or to be more specific Unbuntu we need to ask which is easier to grasp. Easy learning is a good thing. Remember in this case we are dealing with Senior Citizens not youngsters.

Off topic but one of the problems I see with Linux is the flavors. I looked at Unbuntu once last year at the Linux Fest in Columbus, Ohio. Personally I run with Suse Linux 9.3 which does fine for me in a dual boot with (gasp) Windows 2000 Profesional (which I happen to also really like). There are so many flavors of Linux it is difficult for software writters to actually write for all the platforms. Linux is just so damn divided. Every few years another flavor seems to come along.

Last year the local Micro_Center had piles of really good machines for sale. They were running Lindows. Never took off. Years ago Wal Mart embarked on Lindows: Linux.com :: Wal-Mart shipping PCs with Lindows pre-installed and likewise it never really flew. I don't know what makes Wal Mart think Unbuntu will fly?

Developers are going to write for a large customer base. Until the Open Source community settles on a few distros I don't see that happening.

Just my take...
Ron

[gvblake22]

My Ubuntu experience was similar to Capper and yellowhello. My sound and internet both worked right from the get-go, but I had a hell of a time getting my video working right. It took a lot of messaging with Yuri (Yurimxpxman) to get it to display 1920x1200 correctly; and I'll be damned if I could ever repeat it!

Until drivers and driver installation is more streamlined and reliable, then Ubuntu is never going to be a real alternative for the average "power user" who is completely new to Linux. I still get the feeling that unless you know how to tweak the back-end through the command line, you're not going to get the experience you should/could.

[gamerfreak]

Until a few months ago, I only ever used raw command line Linux for servers. I hardly touched the GUI. But after I decided to ditch vista on my laptop, I installed Ubuntu 7 and everything worked perfect right for the start. No configuring unnecessary. It was all actually much easier than XP.

As of Ubuntu 7.10 everything was b0rked, needed to do allot of configuring to get it to work.

Since then I switched back to Vista on my laptop due to lack of quality audio drivers.

[Carl Martin]

I have to agree with Rearendron on who the "average" computer user is. At the same time, one has to realize that these "average" users also find Windows difficult or nearly impossible to install, configure, maintain and update. Thus we have Geek Squad and its many variations.

From the perspective of these users, a Ubuntu PC isn't any different than a Windows or Mac PC. They need somebody to set it up, care for it, and show them how to use it. (That's what grandsons are for!)

I suspect that a lot of these will be sold as secondary home PCs - an inexpensive desktop for the kids to use.

Finally, for those struggling with Ubuntu installation, give OpenSUSE a try. Yast is easier to use than synaptic and the OS will probably find and install all your necessary drivers upon instalation. openSUSE.org

Carl