Re: GRUB2 bad problem!
Originally Posted by
Goldfish!
I know the idea and concept of making Linux more 'windows like' is redundant man, but this isn't my first Linux / Unix rodeo either. I had high hopes for BeOS way back when because it was a good shot in the direction of a totally independent OS though.
Linux as an OS and the GUI have become more 'windows' familiar and it has been both a good and bad thing, however mostly I think it has been going towards a GOOD thing. It isn't good for techies and tinker type people because we like to think and know that we can be on the inside out of the computer but it is good as far as making headway to users becoming familiar with it.
Ubuntu does a lot to bridge that distance and I have been playing with it because of that for quite awhile. It has now gotten to a point in it's development that I can actually be comfortable booting into it and letting a client use it without being confused about what they are looking at. It is more common that I get a question like 'Why are you using this?' than 'Where the hell is (fill in the blank)?'.
I'd like to be able to see a Linux distro I could just boot into and have no questions asked about how to use it and such should someone not tech fit sit down and try to use it. That is the reason I am asking the questions I am asking. Ubuntu is pretty user friendly and I don't get much BS about it but seriously it could be more familiar to users who aren't all that techie.
Booting up a PC, powering on a cell phone, and all that comes in between those things makes first impressions on people. If it looks cumbersome or unfamiliar people are going to go into instant 'DO NOT WANT' mode.
Again I know what you are saying and Linux in general should not be a Windows clone for all the right tech reasons. However it should be (in my opinion) something seamless to an end user who doesn't care about the clockwork underneath the computer they are trying to use.
Aw hell, you got me after my morning coffee...sorry about that. But seriously it is why I am aiming at doing what I am doing. Making something as familiar as possible out of Linux for the average PC user.
The sad truth is about one half of the average PC users don't even have a clue about the OS most of them use- Windows. Making something more familiar which the person does not understand to begin with is futile in my opinion. Most PC users expect everything to just work and unfortunately with windows even if it does initially it does not last. I have developed a decent work at home part time business working on PCs. The vast majority of my work is from Windows users who for the most part know how to turn the machine on and point & click a few things. They do not know even the basics about windows and do not want to learn. They look at their PC like a toaster- they put the bread in depress the handle and expect toast. Unfortunately as you and I know that is not the reality of a PC. Trying to make Linux more Windows-like will only disappoint & frustrate the majority of Windows users who try linux and just create unfavorable word of mouth advertising against Linux. We all know word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising or promotion.
This is why I believe we need to stick our ground. The best "sales" approach is not to emphasize the failings of your competitor but rather to "sell" the things that your product can do which will enhance the experience of the "purchaser". In this respect it is exactly the differences between linux & windows that make linux a better OS. A final word I try to live up to: To thine own self be true!
P.S. Never forget this: Linux is not for everyone, just as windows is not for everyone. I could not care less if Linux ever catches up in market shares with windows or Mac. I use linux because I choose to. I am not part of a movement that wishes to overtake windows nor convert windows users. Those who will come to linux will probably come because they truly want a better OS. That is why I am here and for no other reason. We can talk about freedom and choice, but the bottom line is most of us want a better experience running an OS. Let's not ever lose sight of that and think that our mission is to convert the PC world to linux. The principle of attraction rather than promotion will garnish more "converts" than anything we can say or do.
Last edited by presence1960; January 15th, 2010 at 02:48 PM.
Multi-boot: Arch linux, Ubuntu 12.04, Windows 7 & Windows 8
Bookmarks