onihr
October 9th, 2005, 07:32 AM
I'm new to Kubuntu and I have been a Windows user forever and I see that information is too spread out for people making the transition. I have spent hours and hours doing google searches, jumping to many different forums and tuturials, reading ubuntu and kubuntu guides etc...to help me accomplish simple tasks. Most people are all ready timid and hesitant to make the transition to a linux o/s and when they do a lot of them give up on it thinking it's too difficult. I don't think it's impossible for people to learn I think what makes it difficult is the lack of organization,structure, and focused support for transitioning windows users.
There should be a page just for windows users that breaks it down from point a to z. Here are some of the problems I encountered;
1. Burning the iso image file on cd(I had to do a google search to find this info on some boondock website/waisted a few cdr's when I tried using the nero wizard)
2. Once installed no interactive or visual wizard type tutorial to get accustomed to KDE(KDE's quick tutorial could be improved. I know it can be improved. Kubuntu is powerful-don't tell me we can't hook it up with a flash tutorial or something interactive with voice and sound. I think the goal should be to have great support and tutorials that will make windows look difficult to use from a newbs prospective)
3. Windows users are used to "my computer" or knowing where their drives and files are(again a really quick tutorial at start up would be nice explaining the most common features"interactive tutorial would be ideal with tux doing the instructing")
4. I used up a lot of time trying to figure out how to download programs(the unofficial guide is just not good enough for people making the transition-I ended up finding where that was in a forum because the guide left some simple steps out like how to access and edit the sourclist.)
5. Be very thorough at explaining processes example: Editing the source list (unofficial guide says open up your /etc/apt/sources.list file then...blah blah.. Where is this sources.list and how do I get to it? Found out by posting a question in the forum and I found out there are a couple of ways but the easiest way for me, and the only one I figured out, was kwrite. Sudo nano within the terminal method required me asking another question like how do I select ^exit...oh ^ means control..got it.
Most ordinary computer users transitioning from windows want to do the following:
1.Download games
2. Download familiar or similar file sharing applications like limewire
3. Anything mp3
4. Use ms office type programs like open office.
5. Installing hardware and printers, scanners etc.
6. Setting up email
Point is we need a page just for non computer geeks transitioning from windows outlying the most simple and basic tasks that everyday computer users utilize. We don't need to direct newbs to an unofficial guide containing stuff that most newbs don't care to use(it just slows them down trying to sift through info to get to the bits they need-by the way the unnofficial guide is so hidden to the newb searching for info on kubuntu)
So please someone anyone please create a very clean crisp "welcome to kubuntu former windows users" page containing the foundation of applications (as listed above) that non geeks use. Make sure it's in jock talk not geek talk and don't skip steps. I shouldn't have to sift through ubuntu's tutorial, kubuntu's tuturiol, ubuntu's guide, kubuntu's guide, users sites, multiple forums, multiple threads, endless google searches, etc just to get the most basic information. KISS and build the info on one page just for former windows users!
I know their are some angry linux users and die hard geeks out there who are saying well we don't need you guys. But I feel, and I'm sure other people agree, pretty much everything should be open source therefore we need to make it usable and accessable for the idiot(this is done through an organized help and training support plan). Is it not the point to get more people to use open source software so we can advance tech? More minds=more creative ideas.
So please make a page or two for only transitional windows users. It should be clear and concise so that even my grandma could get started. Remember most people have kids and jobs and they just don't have time to try and sift through all this scattered data. Make it professional not like some geocities project. Recruit the most talented of volunteers and make a plan, become structured, unify, brainstorm, put yourselves in others shoes, and focus on quality and support.
There should be a page just for windows users that breaks it down from point a to z. Here are some of the problems I encountered;
1. Burning the iso image file on cd(I had to do a google search to find this info on some boondock website/waisted a few cdr's when I tried using the nero wizard)
2. Once installed no interactive or visual wizard type tutorial to get accustomed to KDE(KDE's quick tutorial could be improved. I know it can be improved. Kubuntu is powerful-don't tell me we can't hook it up with a flash tutorial or something interactive with voice and sound. I think the goal should be to have great support and tutorials that will make windows look difficult to use from a newbs prospective)
3. Windows users are used to "my computer" or knowing where their drives and files are(again a really quick tutorial at start up would be nice explaining the most common features"interactive tutorial would be ideal with tux doing the instructing")
4. I used up a lot of time trying to figure out how to download programs(the unofficial guide is just not good enough for people making the transition-I ended up finding where that was in a forum because the guide left some simple steps out like how to access and edit the sourclist.)
5. Be very thorough at explaining processes example: Editing the source list (unofficial guide says open up your /etc/apt/sources.list file then...blah blah.. Where is this sources.list and how do I get to it? Found out by posting a question in the forum and I found out there are a couple of ways but the easiest way for me, and the only one I figured out, was kwrite. Sudo nano within the terminal method required me asking another question like how do I select ^exit...oh ^ means control..got it.
Most ordinary computer users transitioning from windows want to do the following:
1.Download games
2. Download familiar or similar file sharing applications like limewire
3. Anything mp3
4. Use ms office type programs like open office.
5. Installing hardware and printers, scanners etc.
6. Setting up email
Point is we need a page just for non computer geeks transitioning from windows outlying the most simple and basic tasks that everyday computer users utilize. We don't need to direct newbs to an unofficial guide containing stuff that most newbs don't care to use(it just slows them down trying to sift through info to get to the bits they need-by the way the unnofficial guide is so hidden to the newb searching for info on kubuntu)
So please someone anyone please create a very clean crisp "welcome to kubuntu former windows users" page containing the foundation of applications (as listed above) that non geeks use. Make sure it's in jock talk not geek talk and don't skip steps. I shouldn't have to sift through ubuntu's tutorial, kubuntu's tuturiol, ubuntu's guide, kubuntu's guide, users sites, multiple forums, multiple threads, endless google searches, etc just to get the most basic information. KISS and build the info on one page just for former windows users!
I know their are some angry linux users and die hard geeks out there who are saying well we don't need you guys. But I feel, and I'm sure other people agree, pretty much everything should be open source therefore we need to make it usable and accessable for the idiot(this is done through an organized help and training support plan). Is it not the point to get more people to use open source software so we can advance tech? More minds=more creative ideas.
So please make a page or two for only transitional windows users. It should be clear and concise so that even my grandma could get started. Remember most people have kids and jobs and they just don't have time to try and sift through all this scattered data. Make it professional not like some geocities project. Recruit the most talented of volunteers and make a plan, become structured, unify, brainstorm, put yourselves in others shoes, and focus on quality and support.