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foxy123
January 7th, 2007, 01:37 PM
I wonder how you guys manage to make your kids use Linux? Although there are alternatives for most of the Windows programmes, games and entertainment still a weak spot for Linux. The most annoying part for me is games and stuff which come with DVDs (Like Cinderella for example). It is obviously written for Windows and cannot be played on Linux. Also some children sites do not work well with Firefox, requiring IE.

Therefore I have to keep Windows partition for that and my daughter may think that Linux is inferior to Windows. As a result she may eventually migrate to Windows to avoid rebooting the PC every time she needs something Windows-only. It is a bit frustrating though I do not see any other alternative. It's just rant of course.

aidanr
January 7th, 2007, 02:01 PM
you could try the windows only games through wine, and for the ie only sites try ie4linux or the identify as internet explorer option in opera or try the ie tab extension for firefox

_simon_
January 7th, 2007, 02:01 PM
childsplay and gcompris which you can install via Synaptinc - educational games suites.

also

http://grubbygames.com/fizzball/

foxy123
January 7th, 2007, 02:22 PM
it is not that there are few games on Linux, but mostly about all the stuff you get with children DVDs and magazines, which is useless on Linux due to incompatibility.

bastiegast
January 7th, 2007, 02:36 PM
I can only say it is a sad fact that many companies still seem to ignore a - maybe rapidly- growing group of linux users.

Biggus
January 7th, 2007, 02:39 PM
Why not write to them, and inform them that you will no longer be using their products and/or services, until such time as they do provide support for Linux?

I do all the time.

_simon_
January 7th, 2007, 02:41 PM
it is not that there are few games on Linux, but mostly about all the stuff you get with children DVDs and magazines, which is useless on Linux due to incompatibility.

Yeah I know what you mean, kids choose their cereal based on what the free CD is these days. We just throw them away :(

v8YKxgHe
January 7th, 2007, 02:42 PM
Yeah I know what you mean, kids choose their cereal based on what the free CD is these days. We just throw them away :(
The kids, cereal or CD? :D

_simon_
January 7th, 2007, 02:43 PM
Usually both in the end lol

They choose it for the freebie then find they don't like the cereal!

foxy123
January 7th, 2007, 02:55 PM
Usually both in the end lol

They choose it for the freebie then find they don't like the cereal!

happens all the time, especially after watching cartoons which then end up on the cereals (Happy Feet was the recent case, have to go downstairs to get rid of it now, before I forget about it again :))

Mateo
January 7th, 2007, 05:29 PM
you could try the windows only games through wine, and for the ie only sites try ie4linux or the identify as internet explorer option in opera or try the ie tab extension for firefox

i think you have to have IE installed for that extension to work.

ssam
January 7th, 2007, 06:04 PM
linux need something like director (http://www.adobe.com/products/director/) which is used make a large amount of those interactive cds. I am sure it could be down with gstreamer or sdl, and python as a scripting language.

raldz
January 7th, 2007, 06:13 PM
my son is born with Linux... he doesn't like Windows.. here he is playing with Supertux...

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/1896/224913455lcw7.th.jpg (http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=224913455lcw7.jpg)

ubuntu27
January 7th, 2007, 06:30 PM
Yeah, I now how this feels.
My little sister alwyas boots into Windows since her favorite website like Disneychannel.com requires Flash 9.

I've updated recently flash7 to 9. BUt she is already used to boot into Windows now. (She used to use Ubuntu all the time and say that dosn't like Windows!!)


Also, when I watch Youtube videos, I happen to boot into Windows, simply because it is too slow in my Ubuntu box (whatever I am using epiphany or firefox), and it stops at random times.

Firefox in Windows loads quicker.

styven
January 7th, 2007, 06:46 PM
I may sound like a broken record as i have responded to more than one post about this......

Try and convince a ten year old that gaim or kopete is better than MSN! You don't have a hope.
Flashy emotions and easy webcam/audio messenging win it hands down.

I am not sure that games are such a big issue due to games consoles.

Apart from that my kids use linux all the time, it's just a shame they can't do in linux what windows users take for granted.

As i type this one daughter is in MSN, one is playing some cinderella game.

Steve.

tlacuache
January 7th, 2007, 06:52 PM
For the stuff that just won't work in wine, you could set up a virtual machine with the free VMWare player (http://www.vmware.com/download/player/) or Qemu (http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/). I don't have kids old enough to care about computers yet, but my wife uses it for the stuff that won't run in Linux.

styven
January 7th, 2007, 07:59 PM
None of my computers have enough memory to run xp/vmware, but going forward will give it a go.

Steve

IYY
January 7th, 2007, 08:25 PM
Why don't you just show them some of the awesome Linux games available from the repositories? Planet Penguin Racer, SuperTux, Super Tux Kart, Frozen Bubble... They're all suitable for kids, and much more fun than any of those games you mentioned.

az
January 7th, 2007, 08:35 PM
I wonder how you guys manage to make your kids use Linux? Although there are alternatives for most of the Windows programmes, games and entertainment still a weak spot for Linux. The most annoying part for me is games and stuff which come with DVDs (Like Cinderella for example). It is obviously written for Windows and cannot be played on Linux. Also some children sites do not work well with Firefox, requiring IE.
.

My wife's computer has a windows partition on it for exactly that reason. In the past few years, though, the girls have booted into windows only three times. They are quite happy to use whatever linux provides. They prefer Childsplay, Gcompris and the ton of other tools they have in linux. They are two-and-a-half and four years old.

I don't think it's fair to say linux lags behind because it can't run those games. Those games are made for Windows - they use DirectX. What lags behind is that the manufacturers make those games for Windows and not for multiple OSes. That's a question of market share and will probably go away quite quickly, considering the exponential growth that linux is currently experiencing.

So presently, it's not realistic to think Ubuntu will be able to run those specific games anytime soon.


Why don't you just show them some of the awesome Linux games available from the repositories? Planet Penguin Racer, SuperTux, Super Tux Kart, Frozen Bubble... They're all suitable for kids, and much more fun than any of those games you mentioned.

I agree. They all seem to be the same three or four games dressed up with some trademarked characters.

Dragonbite
January 8th, 2007, 04:06 PM
So far my kids still fight for the computer which is running Edubuntu (which is powerful enough for what I'm using it for too), but we'll still have Windows around for my wife. The kids were first set up with Windows but have taken to Edubuntu so much faster (I put their common apps on the desktop of both systems).

gCopris and ChildPlay are both good for them at this stage (6 and 4.. the 2year old isn't allowed yet). There's a variety of games for them, or they can use Abiword for writing (the 6 year old is making lists and likes typing people's names, the 4 year old just likes holding down the ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt...) or TuxPaint for drawing.

Have to half-laugh (and half-worry).. my wife walked into the room where my 4year old son was getting on the computer and she noticed instead of using his usual login (his name), he had "daddy" in there! He's trying to hack into my account already?!! At 4?! :twisted:

Now, why would I destroy that potential by introducing him to Windows? Not to mention, between gCompris and ChildPlay they have a variety of games to go through instead of a small collection that we have to pay for.

If I were to ever get ( a ) time and ( b ) talent I would look at trying to make a plug-in game for either of these projects but both are a little lacking at this point.

TooRight
January 8th, 2007, 04:28 PM
Have to half-laugh (and half-worry).. my wife walked into the room where my 4year old son was getting on the computer and she noticed instead of using his usual login (his name), he had "daddy" in there! He's trying to hack into my account already?!! At 4?!

lmaooo priceless!!!! :D

I have to install a duel boot for my girls... they see beryl and my karambas and want that on their comp too, lol