I think we all should keep in mind that most OSes in general aren't easy or intuitive. That wonderful feeling that you get when you show people that X Windows is just like MS Windows is *because* you know X Windows. The first time I installed Linux on a machine it took me over 1/2 to figure out the location of an installed application. The concept of a Root user vs a non-Root user is NOT intuitive. Linux in general behaves much differently than MS Windows (which in and of itself is hardly a problem--it' just a fact)Keep in mind that even workflow imporvements (like multiple desktop panes) have to be learned. THe whole point of an OS beginning guide is to show the frame work of the system and to give the user a good enough background so that they can ask pertinent questions and havve a good idea as to where they can go to get them answered.
Sometimes people forget how much of working with a computer is learned.
An interresting aside -- two Years ago, a freind of mine visited me from the left coast. This person had not used a computer since High School (in the Mid eighties). She said she heared that there was information she wanted to look at on the internet and asked if "I had the internet". I saind sure just go to my machine and click on the big letter N on the desktop to open the browser. She looked at me confused-- I figure she did know where to click. so I grabbed the moouse and pionted to the icon. I then said "see, click here" "How did you do that?" "What?" I said. "Get that to do something"- she said. I told her "I just double clicked on it with my mouse" "That thing in you hand is a mouse?" It wa sthen that I realized that she had never user the mouse. So I showed her that grgabbing the mouse caused the cursor to move around on screeen. She fell in lov and for the next 15 just moved the cursor around the screen. No clicking, no dragging just moving the mouse. She was amazed that her movements would cause something to move on screen like that. She thought it was the coolest thing, even though she didn't do anything with it. It was strange to see someone so excited by a mouse. I had forgot that there was a time during my lifetime that mainstream computers didn't have mice -- just like they didn't have GUIs. All of this stuff had to be designed.
Once products were bulit from these designs, people had to *Learn* how to use them. That's where a beginning guide is really handy.
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I think we all should keep in mind that most OSes in general aren't easy or intuitive. That wonderful feeling that you get when you show people that X Windows is just like MS Windows is *because* you know X Windows. The first time I installed Linux on a machine it took me over 1/2 to figure out the location of an installed application. The concept of a Root user vs a non-Root user is NOT intuitive.
Linux in general behaves much differently than MS Windows (which in and of itself is hardly a problem--it' just a fact)Keep in mind that even workflow imporvements (like multiple desktop panes) have to be learned. THe whole point of an OS beginning guide is to show the frame work of the system and to give the user a good enough background so that they can ask pertinent questions and havve a good idea as to where they can go to get them answered.
Sometimes people forget how much of working with a computer is learned.
An interresting aside -- two Years ago, a freind of mine visited me from the left coast. This person had not used a computer since High School (in the Mid eighties). She said she heared that there was information she wanted to look at on the internet and asked if "I had the internet". I saind sure just go to my machine and click on the big letter N on the desktop to open the browser. She looked at me confused-- I figure she did know where to click. so I grabbed the moouse and pionted to the icon. I then said "see, click here" "How did you do that?" "What?" I said. "Get that to do something"- she said. I told her "I just double clicked on it with my mouse" "That thing in you hand is a mouse?" It wa sthen that I realized that she had never user the mouse. So I showed her that grgabbing the mouse caused the cursor to move around on screeen. She fell in lov and for the next 15 just moved the cursor around the screen. No clicking, no dragging just moving the mouse. She was amazed that her movements would cause something to move on screen like that. She thought it was the coolest thing, even though she didn't do anything with it. It was strange to see someone so excited by a mouse. I had forgot that there was a time during my lifetime that mainstream computers didn't have mice -- just like they didn't have GUIs. All of this stuff had to be designed.
Once products were bulit from these designs, people had to *Learn* how to use them. That's where a beginning guide is really handy.