Ubuntu & an 11 year old brother.

[NewWithoutClue]

Hello there.

My little brother is soon going to get one of my older systems. I am thinking about introducing him to linux at his age ( 11 ). All he does on a computer is play a game called "Rune Scape". This game was written in java. Do you think i should just go with windows? This system is a very slow system. He would like to play his game without any problems. I would be doing all the admin stuff via ssh from my main system.

Share you thoughts and suggestions.


Thanks,
Paul.

[erikpiper]

Linux.

1 game? At 11? I was playing TONS of games at 11...
Even typing.
Windows costs $$

[aysiu]

See if Rune Scape runs in Wine.
Otherwise, go with Windows.

[erikpiper]

Wait-
Ooh. Runscape needs windows.
(The java threw me off)

Never mind.

[NewWithoutClue]

Failed to mention that this games runs from a web browser ( miniclip.com )

sorry,
Paul.

[bjweeks]

No, you can run runescape on any system that suports java. So yes it will run under ubuntu.

Edit: azz I win.

[az]

It should work no problem. You will need to install java. Java is cross-platform.

(What he said.)

[NewWithoutClue]

Alright, Linux it is!

Now about the browser....
FireFox?
and what about complications when i'm not around? how do you think he would like that? i would hate to hear a "Pj, can you put windows on my computer..linux is too hard" :-|

thanks,
Paul.

[bjweeks]

Firefox is the same as ie, he will get use to it.

[BWF89]

Firefox is the same as ie, he will get use to it.
No, it's much much better than IE.

[bjweeks]

I ment the ui, besides tabs its the same.

[majikstreet]

@ the runescape issue, there should be no problem. I've played it on ubuntu. (I'm 12 by the way, and I don't play any games at all)

[ssam]

get him learning python or something.

in a couple of years he could be very useful :-) 11 is a good age to start programming.

also if he demands windows, then have a play with the themes, make it look like windows. i bet you can convince him, and the placebo effect will make him think it works as he wants it.

[az]

Alright, Linux it is!

Now about the browser....
FireFox?
and what about complications when i'm not around? how do you think he would like that? i would hate to hear a "Pj, can you put windows on my computer..linux is too hard" :-|

thanks,
Paul.
From a plain and simple useability point of view, Ubuntu is different because it uses gnome as the desktop. But gnome is more intuitive (usually) and if you are not locked into a certain way of doing things, easier. The dialogue boxes uses verbs, for example instead of "yes" "no" and "cancel".

[jrib]

Hello there.
My little brother is soon going to get one of my older systems. I am thinking about introducing him to linux at his age ( 11 ). All he does on a computer is play a game called "Rune Scape". This game was written in java. Do you think i should just go with windows? This system is a very slow system. He would like to play his game without any problems....


I remember someone on #ubuntu asking for help getting runescape to work. The sound did not seem to be working. I loaded up the game on my own system and I couldn't get sound either. If your brother is really into this game he may insist that the sound works, so you will probably want to check it out.

Good luck, hope he goes with ubuntu anyway. Why not let him try your computer for a while and ask him if he would like to try ubuntu?

[jdong]

It should work no problem. You will need to install java. Java is cross-platform.

(What he said.)

BTW, Azz, not all Java is necessarily cross-platform. There are some software that nastily use win32 extensions of Java (through JNI modules)

[Brunellus]

Go for it. My 11 year old brother uses Ubuntu (gnome and all) with zero issues. He spends most of his time on GAIM, Yahooligans, and so forth. He deleted a gnome-panel by mistake, and with absolutely NO help from me, added a new panel and set it exactly like he wanted it. Pretty awesome (both for him and GNOME!)

[gil-galad]

Hehe, my 11 year old brother uses ubuntu also. It was his idea. He dual boots and uses ubuntu to play NWN and uses synaptic to install games.

[xequence]

All he does on a computer is play a game called "Rune Scape". This game was written in java. Do you think i should just go with windows?

My 11 year old brother plays that also. It worked for me in firefox, in ubuntu to get him playing it. He said it was slow, but it really wasnt - he just doesent like linux. (I gave him an account on ubuntu. He kept messing up his password logging in and he said linux was broken.)

[totalshredder]

Dang, I have an 11 year old brother too (and some other ages) and they use Ubuntu for school, games, and just plain webbrowsing. Now and then I get complaints, but anybody can use it, windows is only a state of mind.

Anyway, this is where it really gets freaky, my 11 year old brother's friend's dad gave me a computer that was screwed up to fix, so I put ubuntu on it. Now my brother's 11 year old friend uses ubuntu as his school computer and for almost everything. He even uses wine to play windows games! Ubuntu is just fine for younger kids!


(I cannot believe how many of us have 11 year old brothers, lol)