Catch them young?

[katie-xx]

My Mum always says that gas and electric companies fight to give away their cookers to school domestic science classes because its generally believed that if someone learns to cook on gas, for example, at school, then she or he will most likely want a gas cooker when its time to get your own apartment / house etc. The same applies if he or she learns on electric cooker ..they will likely want electric cooker when they leave home to live independently.

Can we use the same argument regarding computers? During my time at school we used Windows based computers to the exclusion of everything else. I understand that most schools do the same but a minority use Macs.
Does that explain why most people seem to go out and buy a Windows computer for at home (there are different reasons for business mostly related to life cycle costs and standardisation) ?

Have I hit on a ground breaking consumer theory :) ? or is there a better reason why people buy Windows machines for their leisure use at home?

Kate

[crlang13]

While it's a factor, there's alot more to it than that. You have to remember that personal computers were in offices before they were in schools on the scale that they are today. Most offices use Windows and schools are expected to train people in technology that is appropriate for their life in the outside world.

[lisati]

It's probably a factor. When I was at school, having a hand-held calculator with only basic arithmetic was a big deal, but these days I'd probably look for something a bit more. Having a home computer was virtually unheard of.

[fatality_uk]

The fact is that trying to buy a PC with anything other than Windows is hard. Additionally, for 99% of the population, Windows is a PC. They have virtually no visibility of other operating systems.

I am REALLY looking forward to ChromeOS as this will lift Linux's profile within the general public.

[crlang13]

It's probably a factor. When I was at school, having a hand-held calculator with only basic arithmetic was a big deal, but these days I'd probably look for something a bit more. Having a home computer was virtually unheard of.

I know what you mean. In highschool, the curriculum required you to have a Texas Instruments TI83 graphics calculator, so anyone who went one to study more maths just uses Texas Instruments as the default. Good calculator, but there are many more out there.

[murderslastcrow]

It's good to expose children to a VARIETY of computing environments, so they can choose the one that best suits their needs. In many cases, if Linux shows off its good points, they will prefer it to the others based on speed, program availability, ease of use and customizability- the personalized feeling of it.

Then later on they may learn that, hey, free things are nice, oh free doesn't only mean price? And then they can learn the role it plays in their personal freedoms, whether they care to have software that respects those freedoms or would rather rent/lease/contract an operating system.

In the end, I think it's best to give children options, and allow them to explore, lest they be close-minded and foolish in the future. Even some people who love free software grow so attached to their personal reasons that they want others to like it out of the same reasoning. It's just as bad as someone imposing closed-source software because they're 'used to it'.

No matter how venerable your cause, use what works best for the given situation, and with the least amount of fuss. :3 That's where Linux' true worth will be tested.

But I totally agree- I know a lot of people who are getting hooked on compiz, then the speed, then the security, and then they just start to loathe Windows and wonder why you have to pay for it. You don't have to be a kid in school to get hooked on Linux.

[Yes]

People buy computers with Windows on them because

-It's what they learned in school
-It's what they use at work
-They don't know about alternatives
-They know about alternatives but like Windows more
-They can't find a computer without Windows

Most of these can be attributed to Windows being used in school, but you could also argue that Windows is used in schools because it's more than likely what the kids will be using where they work and later when they get their own computer.

[Kai69]

I put edubuntu on my lappy a few weeks ago I have 4 kids we brought them a lappy for xmas yep W7 but one my daughters loves edubuntu shes learning a lot more but thinks shes just playing a game she recently had a maths test in school on a computer and came out top also fastest at the test .
On their lappy ive put a lot of OSS stuff on like Gimp, open office etc also brought a wacom tablet Ive never seen kids want to draw so much. At least im not paying for paper anymore :D

[katie-xx]

I am REALLY looking forward to ChromeOS as this will lift Linux's profile within the general public.


My apologies ... I gave a false link.
Try this instead ... have fun and do please report back :)

http://dev.chromium.org/chromium-os/building-chromium-os

Kate

[Giant Speck]

My family didn't have a personal computer until I was about fourteen years old, so there's really no influence there. And my hometown's school system is primarily Mac-based, so until high school, I was used to using only Mac OS. I didn't become exposed to Windows and Linux until high school and those are the two operating systems I use now.

[skymera]

My Mum always says that gas and electric companies fight to give away their cookers to school domestic science classes because its generally believed that if someone learns to cook on gas, for example, at school, then she or he will most likely want a gas cooker when its time to get your own apartment / house etc. The same applies if he or she learns on electric cooker ..they will likely want electric cooker when they leave home to live independently.

Can we use the same argument regarding computers? During my time at school we used Windows based computers to the exclusion of everything else. I understand that most schools do the same but a minority use Macs.
Does that explain why most people seem to go out and buy a Windows computer for at home (there are different reasons for business mostly related to life cycle costs and standardisation) ?

Have I hit on a ground breaking consumer theory :) ? or is there a better reason why people buy Windows machines for their leisure use at home?

Kate

I believe this is true, well for software anyway.

At college i saw a Microsoft Dreamspark poster, when i checked this out it allows students to have many different Microsoft software entirely FREE. This includes Visual Studio 2008 and 2010 Ultimate, Windows Server 2008 R2, XNA Game thingy, complete with serials.

A clever strategy, get young people to have your software, free, they become locked in only knowing MS stuff which helps their sales in the future.
I downloaded all software from Dreamspark, and never touched any of it.

[kmsalex]

this makes me think of my 8th grade computer litercy class. she gave us a list of computer terms like spredshets input output decice and next to them they have there deffiniton.

browser: Internet exploer
:lolflag:

[the yawner]

This reminds me of an old article I've read years back regarding the tobacco industry's questionable campaigns to lure the younger generation to start smoking at a very early age. It's called building a market base. Or something like that.

Microsoft allowing their OS to be installed even on PC clones certainly helped in establishing a market base.

[Kingsley]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/cingularrox/pedobear9914297hd3.gif

[Lightstar]

It's true, alot of people stick to what they know, instead of going with the new and different.

Same goes for Windows vs linux
ipod vs other brands
parents' religion vs your own (though this one seems to be slowly changing)

Yeah, so my kids will grow with both linux and windows
they'll grow with both english and french
etc etc

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

At one time Apple dominated the business and educational system markets. If my memory isn't failing me, that was in the early to mid 1980's. At work we only had Apple personal computers. I remember that Apple had arrangements with schools to subsidize the computers in schools by offering a discount on the price. Apple also arranged for people in the community to help purchase the Apple computers for the schools by donating their change when they bought groceries at the local stores. Very few people had a computer in their home at that time. I happen to have a PC in my home, however.

Apple's strategy worked for a while. However, IBM made the specifications for their hardware public. This resulted in low coast IBM PC clones. And, independent software developers could write software for those machines. People started to learn about home PC's. More people started to buy them. Apple didn't offer the same discount pricing to individuals that it offered to schools. People looked at US$4,000 for a PC clone including the software compared to US$8,000 for an Apple including the Apple software. US$4,000 was about 10% of my yearly salary at the time. It was similar to buying an automobile. It should be obvious what choice they made. What may not be obvious is that IBM was forced out of the PC computer market by opening up their hardware standards.

It isn't quite as straightforward as “catch them when they are young”. Apple tried that and failed. IBM tried to open their hardware standards and failed. Today's environment is more complex with the introduction of OSS and FOSS.

I'm glad I am not a CEO trying to predict the future consequences of my business decisions. :)

To get more on topic:

1) It seems that many people buying a computer these days think the pre-installed OS is free.
2) Also, may people seem to think of a computer as an appliance; therefore, they don't actually know what is installed on it or that there are alternatives.

[CJ Master]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/cingularrox/pedobear9914297hd3.gif

Lol'd

[chucky chuckaluck]

To the op - how willing are you to let your own children be indoctrinated by something you've never heard of or couldn't care any less about?

[Giant Speck]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v412/cingularrox/pedobear9914297hd3.gif

You win an internet.

[aysiu]

Most of these can be attributed to Windows being used in school, but you could also argue that Windows is used in schools because it's more than likely what the kids will be using where they work and later when they get their own computer. That argument doesn't hold water, though:
Teach kids computer skills, not computer programs (http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/teach-kids-computer-skills-not-computer-programs/)

[lykwydchykyn]

It isn't quite as straightforward as “catch them when they are young”. Apple tried that and failed.

It's not the whole picture, but I suspect it's no coincidence the Gates foundation provides free (Windows) computers to schools and libraries. The "catch them when they are young" idea isn't lost on Bill Gates either.

We had a handful of these at the public library when I was doing tech work over there, and I had to go over the grant agreement at one point to see if we could do some things the library administration wanted to do. I noted that a requirement of the grant is that the machines must be used with Windows and all the software provided.

Not saying that providing these is wholly without altruism; but just as with Apple, it doesn't hurt to expose kids to your products at an early age.

[user1397]

I think its a lot simpler. For most people, a computer or 'PC' IS windows...aka they might not even know that the two are different...

some or maybe even most people have heard about macs by now...what with all the advertisements and the media...

but the massive amount of people that have never heard of linux or its very name has passed through one of their ears and out the other is staggering...

[jwbrase]

"Catch them young" does apply, but my school district through 9th grade was fairly low budget, so the computers I used at my elementary and middle schools, as far as I recall, were using something like DOS with a "Text Mode GUI". We also had a bunch of old Apple II's at the back of one of my 5th grade classrooms. At home we used Windows for all but the earliest and least rememberable years of my childhood (although not always the latest version. Our home-machines were generally a few generations behind. Our latest machine came with a Vista license and XP downgrade).

[Qualia]

Yeah, one of my old schools used Mac and Window machines, so we were taught to learn how to use both. However, my current programming class requires us to have some knowledge of how to use Linux operating systems, and this was one of the reasons i ended up using Ubuntu. :D

But i have to admit though, having to learn how to use Mac, Windows, and Linux-based machines in my school has turned out very helpful, especially
for programming courses

[Khakilang]

My daughter use Linux now and she is only 16. Hope in the future she is good enough to contribute to the community.