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Windows vs. Ubuntu — Dell's Verdict
Barence writes "Remember how Dell put up a website declaring Ubuntu was safer than Windows, only to later change its mind? Well, the company has gotten right back into the Windows vs. Ubuntu debate with a highly sophisticated website arguing the pros and cons of each OS. People should choose Windows, argues Dell, if: they are already using Windows, are familiar with Windows, or are new to computers. People should choose Ubuntu if they're interested in open-source programming. Brilliant."
...we require hundreds of hours of training (supposedly anyway) to operate a motor vehicle but we require nothing to operate a computer? (Yes I know a computer can't usually kill someone when misused but it still can ruin someone's life.)
AFAIK there should be a training requirement for operating anything other than a kiosk-mode system. _Especially_ basic security.
On some level though that's being handled by learning to use computers in the school system so a large amount of this stuff will fall off when the current generation of offspring come to power. (Though you can also argue that since many of them were trained on Windows the 'sins of the past' so to speak will still haunt us.)
As far as the Dell website is concerned it doesn't even mention Macintosh and regardless of if you love or hate them it's still a glaring omission.
For my money though things like Mint Linux (an Ubuntu flavor) are easy enough for my mother to use and would go a long way towards having to deal with service calls 5 hours away when she runs into a problem. I wouldn't just have her dump her Windows cold though - a dual boot would likely be first.
"Bah!" - Dogbert