Informative Speech on Ubuntu . . . What should I show off?

[CheshireMac]

Hey folks. I'm putting together a five minute presentation for my Comms class, and I'm trying to think of what I could do to Ubuntu to explain it's wonderfulness (it's a word in my world) . . . I'm running a pretty lousy machine right now, so it can't be too fancy, but I'd like to be able to sell people on Ubuntu's validity as a system alternative.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. :)

[lisati]

Open Office has a presentation option - maybe you can use that as part of your presentation, with a comment about how Ubuntu can do many of the things that Windows does.

[toupeiro]

Try doing a search in this forum for keywords "ubuntu" and "homework" and you will come up with way more things than you could fit in five minutes! :)

[CheshireMac]

I think I should have clarified. I'm showing off Ubuntu for the presentation. I've already got Compiz running, and I've got a fairly unique desktop layout, but I'm trying to show how it's different from Windows, and how it can offer more . . .

[billgoldberg]

Hey folks. I'm putting together a five minute presentation for my Comms class, and I'm trying to think of what I could do to Ubuntu to explain it's wonderfulness (it's a word in my world) . . . I'm running a pretty lousy machine right now, so it can't be too fancy, but I'd like to be able to sell people on Ubuntu's validity as a system alternative.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. :)

The repositories and the stuff that comes with it:

- synaptic / Add/Remove / apt / apturl
- update manager
- drivers install
- upgrade to next ubuntu version
- prompts to install codecs

Some other things you can mention:

- the whole non-virus in the wild things
- no admin acount -> sudo
- compiz fusion
- open source
- theming the looks of ubuntu (see link in signature :p )
- free
- community -> quick help (don't forget irc or the fact that canonical has paid support).

You could also mention that some big projects are using Ubuntu, like google, archive.org, french police, ...

[klange]

I think I should have clarified. I'm showing off Ubuntu for the presentation. I've already got Compiz running, and I've got a fairly unique desktop layout, but I'm trying to show how it's different from Windows, and how it can offer more . . .

If you're going to show Compiz, be sure to emphasize the useful elements (zoom, scale, etc.) and not focus on the extras.

[toupeiro]

you simply must demonstrate adding a printer. It couldn't be easier. To really imress them, make it an all-in-one. the HP PSC ones are well supported.

[billgoldberg]

If you're going to show Compiz, be sure to emphasize the useful elements (zoom, scale, etc.) and not focus on the extras.

And the expo plugin, don't forget the expo plugin.

It's the one I use the most and the most productive one in my opinion.

[earthpigg]

off the top of my head:

uninstall OpenOffice.org prior to the presentation. Install it in front of them. While you are downloading/installing it, lecture about FOSS. this is the only preaching you should do - the time it takes to dload 15 megs. cuz, really... i dont think most people care.

Then, now that you have OOo installed... bring up some nifty charts that show off the cost difference and the system footprint (15 megs vs... 500 megs?). people like money.

Then, give them a URL that they can go to to download the charts you just showed them in MS Office format.

Then start OpenArena or something for like 30 seconds... just let them see you running around in an FPS. stop after the first kill, maybe. (making sure you mention that OA was just as free and easy to install as OOo).

Then, show a high-quality you tube video demonstrating the compiz stuff... while they are watching, lecture on the lack of need for antivirus, and that newer versions of it run FASTER on the same computer and not slower. (people that dont care about it running faster will like the video. people that dont care about the video will be interested in an OS Upgrade that runs faster and not slower on the same hardware.)


rehearse, of course... cuz i dunno if that is more than 5 minutes.

[mp3_freak_721]

The fact that its free and that it can have fancy effects without a $200 graphics card. Thats what brung me to Ubuntu. But then I found out about Openbox.

[Lord Xeb]

I dont like open box >_> I use Gnome. But yeah, try to show off the useful features of compiz. Also, make a really kick *** presentation on OOP. Show off all the awesome apps that you can get on ubuntu as well by going into the synaptic manager and just scrollind down through some of them. Just type in "media player" and will find many. Be sure to let them know that it is NOT windows and that there is a learnin curve involved. Nothing too difficult. Its like going from a PC to a Mac/PC hybrid :D

[jakswa]

I just wanted to bump this topic, because I am also doing an informative speech for a required Comms course, and decided on Linux/OSS as my topic.

Mine is going to be more broad-reaching and basic, because I'm pretty sure most people in my class have no idea what Ubuntu or linux is.

Aside from just wanting more ideas to brainstorm, I am specifically trying to find Ubuntu/Linux statistics (however sad they may or may not be at this point) for my presentation... user counts, developer counts, application counts, are just a few statistics I can think of, but I'm looking for all I can get.

So, while I'm posting to hear from you guys, I am also going to be searching elsewhere and posting here for the next guy who is wondering about it. This thread came up when I searched "speech presentation," and I didn't see much else on the subject... so pardon me if there's a more official thread about this somewhere.

(Random happy thought: In Southern Georgia, in a tiny college town that has a strong showing of (_my opinion_) close-minded influences - not to mention a complete lack of linux awareness... I was very surprised to find out that, in a public speaking class of about 15 people, ANOTHER PERSON CHOSE UBUNTU AS HIS TOPIC. And he isn't even a CS/IT major! Just my luck, so much for having a unique topic. >_< )

[jakswa]

Before I leave my computer for more classes, I just wanted to post a couple links that *contain* statistics... I might edit this post with more later:

Total Cost of Linux (by lines of code)
http://linuxfoundation.org/publications/estimatinglinux.php

Linux Kernel Development Statistics (amount of changes, # of developers, etc)
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/publications/linuxkerneldevelopment.php

Ubuntu Pocket Guide (Free Electronic Copy)
http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download.html

[The Joe]

Definitely show the customisation choices - show them how you can make the desktop look and even the process of it.