[Video] A casual user tries Ubuntu 12.10 for the first time

[rectec794613]

Hello community. I just wanted to show you guys, specifically the devs, a video by OsFirstTimer on Youtube. This guy gets his mom (who, I guess you could say, is a typical "casual" type of computer user) to try out various operating systems for the first time.

In this video, she tries out Ubuntu 12.10 for the first time. I thought it was great insight into what new users think and expect from operating systems. I think the Ubuntu developers should give this video a view, as it's important - if one is aiming for user-friendliness in their desktop - to know what new users think of it.

In the video, she points out how she doesn't like how Unity hides the menu bar and window buttons. I know we've tried to help new users with this by providing a "discovery" feature, but perhaps we could make it a little more obvious, somehow?

Anyway, just wanted to share this video with you. Feel free to share your own interpretation. I'd love to hear what you guys think about this.

VIDEO LINK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgGbZfR6Vec

P.S. He does have some misconceptions about Ubuntu in this video, but he corrects them in his latest video.

[Jakin]

His mother, sounds like my mother; Really seemed annoyed at the semi technical information he was spitting out, and couldn't wait to end the segment.

But hey, it addressed the real issue, can a first time user- use it?
I get the feeling she does use a computer regularly, which makes me think in these types of videos, why users (first time or not) don't automatically assume the Ubuntu symbol VS Windows symbol= start/home button.

It may have been a turn off he talked about converting the documents, which that if needed at all, would be a rare occasion- Libre should open the majority without a hitch.

what i really liked to hear though, is that, even though he told her numerous times it was absolutely free, she said she would pay every bit of what windows costs(though win is not worth).

[rectec794613]

It may have been a turn off he talked about converting the documents, which that if needed at all, would be a rare occasion- Libre should open the majority without a hitch.

Yeah like I said, he did make a couple mistakes with his knowledge of Ubuntu. He corrected himself in his latest (as of now) video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-PTQVeCF9k&t=13m15s

[smellyman]

Only way to fix it is to make it look like Windoes XP. An inexperienced user with a new gui is going to be trouble.

Heck, I have been in IT for 15 years and when I first used OSX I was confused by a lot of things and that is supposed to be a noob friendly.

[rectec794613]

Only way to fix it is to make it look like Windoes XP. An inexperienced user with a new gui is going to be trouble.

Heck, I have been in IT for 15 years and when I first used OSX I was confused by a lot of things and that is supposed to be a noob friendly.

I suppose, but if an inexperienced user is, say, quick learner there should be little difficulty figuring out the interface.

Also, if a UI is intuitive enough, and the user has at least minimal computer experience, there shouldn't be any trouble. The user could navigate the interface "naturally".

[monkeybrain2012]

Only way to fix it is to make it look like Windoes XP. An inexperienced user with a new gui is going to be trouble.

Heck, I have been in IT for 15 years and when I first used OSX I was confused by a lot of things and that is supposed to be a noob friendly.

Not really, look at how many people getting tablets with no prior experience and pick it up easily.

[rectec794613]

Not really, look at how many people getting tablets with no prior experience and pick it up easily.

Pretty much what I mean. Touch interfaces are very intuitive and interactive. So most people don't have too much trouble using them for the first time versus a desktop interface.

[smellyman]

Not really, look at how many people getting tablets with no prior experience and pick it up easily.


Ok. so huge icons all over the screen then. locked hardware so everything "just works" and really no content creation.

A media consumption device could be done on the desktop too. Like ChromeOS.


I would also shudder to think what my mom would do if I handed her my Nexus 7. It is bad enough with my wife.

[sffvba[e0rt]

User familiarity vs user friendliness.


404

[rectec794613]

Ok. so huge icons all over the screen then. locked hardware so everything "just works" and really no content creation.

A media consumption device could be done on the desktop too. Like ChromeOS.


I would also shudder to think what my mom would do if I handed her my Nexus 7. It is bad enough with my wife.

The "huge icons" are there to make it easier to press the buttons. Trust me, on a phone, those icons are tiny.

Not sure what you mean by locked hardware. AFAIK, the only manufacturer that really locks down their devices is Apple.

Phones and tablets are not intended to create content, nor are they easy to do it on, unless you count graphics tablets such as Wacom's.

My parents are terrible with technology, but not everyone is. A lot of people, specifically younger people, are very good at using technology and they pick it up quite well.


User familiarity vs user friendliness.


404

^This. Most of the time, people who are having a hard time using Ubuntu are trying to go about things as if they were using Windows. Window's interface and Unity are two different beasts. Ubuntu's job should be user friendliness. The new user's job should be to learn the interface and not try to do everything like they do on Windows.

If Ubuntu tried to go for a Windows look and feel, what would people who've never used Windows think? New users are not robots. Most can adapt fine, but for those who can't we have Zorin OS.

[smellyman]

I mean you aren't changing ram, video card etc. The OS is built around the specific hardware.

[rectec794613]

I mean you aren't changing ram, video card etc. The OS is built around the specific hardware.

Hm, well I'm not sure why you'd need to change a mobile devices hardware, but you could technically swap it for another device's. Android, for example, is compatible with ARM, and therefore it should be compatible with most, if not all, ARM processors, technically. I'm not sure though as I'm not a mobile hardware expert.

But the hardware restrictions are part of what attracts novice users to these devices, and makes the software more stable. Novice users usually don't care about if they can put in a better GPU or CPU into their device, or upgrade the RAM.