What the Majority think.
I first tried Linux before this thread started (back in 2005). Back then it was much harder to install than it is now and even harder to install programs. I had a wireless card that wasn't even supported by Linux and some of the solutions that were offered to 'fix' the problem were simply mind boggling.
I am an extremely experienced of user of Windows and have been since 3.1 It's interesting to see how this thread developed and even more interesting to see that linux is fast going down the route that Windows has been on for many years. Almost everything now seems to be point and click. I recently installed a distro and found it's installation and operation an absolute cinch! No more trying to work out what is mean't by the term 'mount' and less frustration about where the hell the file just went that I downloaded. I'd go so far as to say it looked stunning!
But to the elitists that say that Linux is bullet-proof in the right hands, I say that so is Windows.
A fully patched install of XP in the hands of a normal domestic user very rarely gets any problems. The only problems I usually see come from systems infected by users opening email attachments or by the users visiting 'dodgy' sites and in both cases by them ignoring the security warnings. That said, I have read that it is not a good idea to run Linux while logged in as 'root'. Will that advice stop normally people doing it? I doubt it. After I advise about when thier problems came from, they are normally more careful in future.
I have had the same install of XP running pretty much since they released it. And further more, my 9 year son has taken more than a year to 'break' his installation of XP and he could care less about virus updates and hotfixes. I fixed the boot partition and cleared out the crap on his box and it was running again in under an hour.
Yes, education is the key, but I know what I am doing. But the hundreds of people whos PCs I have fixed have no interest in learning my job whatsoever and why should they?
There are lots of analogies to cars on here, but they don't run deep enough. Normal people have desired to own cars since thier inception. very few of those people want to 'fix' thier own car and many haven't even looked under the bonnet. Today, cars are even easier, they have sat-nav, ABS brakes, air bags and even 'auto-sensing'braking' is on the horizon. But at the end of the day, they just want a car to get from A to B.
People want a new Cadillac/Ford/whatever just to go shopping, to the school or visit Granny. The problem is, these cars are common, so people break into them and steal things (if not the car itself). By ratio, because they are everywhere, they have more accidents and more breakdowns. 'Common' car 10 years ago used to breakdown more often than they do today. The car industry is constantly finding ways to make the cars safer and more secure. But there will always be the few with no morals who try to steal them.
On the otherhand, there are people who want to drive a kit car. Even if the kit car arrived assembled, if you might want to add new bits to it. If so you are going to need a set of spanners and some knowledge of what you are doing. When your kit car is finished, you will proably go out to meetings and meet other kit car drivers and point fingers and laugh at the 'stupid' normal car drivers.
So, kudos to you if you want to drive a Linux 'Kit Car', but to the majority of people, a computer is a just a means to an end and Microsoft is making the 'computer' easier to use for the masses who simply don't care how it works. They are also taking steps to ensure the OS is more secure than ever. No mean feat when there is an army of people out there constantly trying to find chinks in the armour.
So, please don't forget, you 'Kit Car drivers' are probably more careful drivers because you are passionate about your vehicle.
But to the majority, a car is just a car and a computer is a computer and as long as they get from A-to-B they really don't give a toss what the 'mechanics' of the world think. Many people would gladly be in a chaffeur driven car. It's good news that Microsoft is working to make the driver a little safer!
Until Linux can run all of the software commonly available in the highstreet labelled as 'PC-CD' and you can say to people, "yes, install Linux and all the software you already own will work perfectly", Linux will always remain in the shadows. Even saying "Oh, also, it's free!" won't be enough.
This is not designed to be a contraversial post, I am just trying to empart the 'feeling' of the masses.
Rgds
Mike
