Best Desktop For My Brother

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HI,

I recently installed xubuntu on my brothers laptop as the WiFi and Bluetooth wasn't working on Windows. I would have installed Ubuntu, but kernel restrictions meant i had to install xubuntu. He is 11 and has just moved into secondary school, so he will be doing word documents and presentations. I was looking for the most user friendly environment for him to use. I would also be grateful of any software suggestions for his school life.

I have already installed libre office but nothing else.

Thanks in Advance

[cbanakis]

I think pretty much any distro combined with Cairo-Dock is quite user friendly.

Libre is very good, but honestly MS Office might be a safer bet.

There are sometimes issues with formatting when libre docs are opened in MS, and could cause problems for him.
(He could spend all day making everything nice and neat, but when the teacher opens it using MS Office, it might look a bit messy)

Office 2003, 2007, And 2010 all work fine under Wine in my experience.

[Frogs Hair]

If you have hardware restrictions Lubntu is even lighter than Xubuntu. I was not aware Xubuntu used a different kernel though.
The information I find suggests the 12.04 Ubuntus all use the 3.2.xx kernel

I have used both desktops and don't find either hard to use but there is learning curve with any thing new. There are a number of education related programs in the software center and you would to ask your brother what he needs or wants. There is a package named the secondary bundle but it is a large package though.

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About the kernels the ubuntu kernel uses agm (I think it's called) where as xubuntu and lubuntu use on that doesn't require this.
I have ms office installed on my ubuntu partition of my laptop . I will probably install ms office for him.
The only forseable probelm is with printing. I have a laxmark 6500 series all in one. Printer wireless connected to my router.
Also the laptop has a wacom digitizer, i was wondering if anyone knows any good drawing programs that are simple and easy to use.
Thanks

[Frogs Hair]

You might want to take a look at Inkscape in the software center. Libre Office includes a draw program of course. As far as office programs go you need to know if the school has a preference.

I can't use Libre Office as a college student (dual boot) but you won't if the school is that picky unless you ask.

http://inkscape.org/screenshots/index.php?lang=en

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I think ive previously tried inkscape it is a good program just like photoshop, but im looking for a program that is more like a whiteboard program. As my laptop is wacom and touch as well.

[Frogs Hair]

I have only worked with Gimp and Inkscape myself and I mentioned the later because it has a single window unlike Gimp unless install the latest version Via PPA. Tux Paint from the software center is for kids and there are other drawing programs there as well.

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Thanks for the info, ill try these out see which one works best for my needs

[Sonoran Desert Rat]

If he turns in printed homework it's easy to export directly to pdf and print that.

I used open office with windows and that's how I did most of my work. I don't think it'll be any different from libre as open office seems to be libre for windows. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that.)

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I think it is near enough the same. I have a version of Microsoft office 2007 which i can use for his laptop. Thought he only problm that still remains is printing.

[cbanakis]

Libre is actually an off-shoot of open office.

I think some company bought open office, the the main developers did not like them, so they left and made libre.

Its not a question of compatibility.

MS Office, Libre Office, And Open Office are all capable of saving to a format that all the others can read.

The issue is mainly with formatting. (Margins, headers, fonts, etc)

If it looks nice in Libre, it may look a bit scattered when opened in MS Office.

But then you face the same issues when you open a file made in MS Office 2003 using MS Office 2010.

Then there is also similar issues between the Mac version of MS Office, and the Windows version.

Not too big of a deal, but should be taken into advisement.

[mike555]

I use " mypaint " with my digipro pad , it works well, should work with most brand pads.