I just setup a machine for my in-laws last night, Mandrake 8.2. After getting through the "you are not running Windows 4.8, that is Netscape a web browers not an OS." talk, I configured thier dial-up (Earthlink) and showed them Mozilla, Mozilla mail, and the kppp app. This is all they ever really used under windows. I did install OpenOffice.org but I doubt they will ever start it.
Now here is where the problems start. They have a service called Callwave (www.callwave.com) that takes messages for them while they are online. This of course does not support Linux. 10 mins of explaining what this means and they think they can do without it. Next I am handed a copy of Norton Anit-virus, I don't try to explain I just set it down on the desk.
The big problem I see is end users (my in-laws in thier 60's, your aunt Joan, etc..) see a computer as a computer, and computers run Windows (or Netscape depending on thier frame of mind) and they just don't get why this machine won't run _all_ the applications they have and anything they download or more likely are sent in an email. I know this system will be reinstalled with windows as soon as my sister in-law sends them a "homemade" greeting card generated by some windows greeting card generator that produces a dancing bear and plays a midi of happy birthday all wrapped up in B-day.exe.
I know this will happen but I am fine with it I orginally bought this machice for my father, who has never used a PC and had no idea about windows or linux. Well his wife (not my mom) finds out that this new machine does not "have Windows" and pitches a hissy. So I take the machine and my in-laws want to try it out. I tell them it does not run Windows and they are game for giving it a go. I see this a some progress.
Some people _need_ windows because they do things you can't do under Linux in a user friendly way, like syncing a IPAQ running PocketPC 2002 (my wife has this problem, and no she would let me put linux on the IPAQ.) But the web+email+IM=computing crowd really has no attachment to windows, apart from that is what they are use to running. I say give it a try and if you don't like it go back to windows, if you do like it you have saved some cash and made your son in-law's trouble shooting your computer problems much easier. Easier to use distros (Lindows, Lycoris, and Xandros) might make this easier but the same problems of running silly greeting cards, and applications they are use to will still remain windows has the largest base of non-tech savy user and unless someone makes wine perfect, bundles everything codeweavers makes and ports IE into a distro, we will still have problems doing the parents linux install.
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KDE for cygwin:
http://kde-cygwin.sourceforge.net/
GNOME for cygwin:
http://cygnome.sourceforge.net/
Have not tried either but both have screenshots.
And if you have not used the -rootless option to the cygwin Xserver check that out too.
-c
I just setup a machine for my in-laws last night, Mandrake 8.2. After getting through the "you are not running Windows 4.8, that is Netscape a web browers not an OS." talk, I configured thier dial-up (Earthlink) and showed them Mozilla, Mozilla mail, and the kppp app. This is all they ever really used under windows. I did install OpenOffice.org but I doubt they will ever start it.
Now here is where the problems start. They have a service called Callwave (www.callwave.com) that takes messages for them while they are online. This of course does not support Linux. 10 mins of explaining what this means and they think they can do without it. Next I am handed a copy of Norton Anit-virus, I don't try to explain I just set it down on the desk.
The big problem I see is end users (my in-laws in thier 60's, your aunt Joan, etc..) see a computer as a computer, and computers run Windows (or Netscape depending on thier frame of mind) and they just don't get why this machine won't run _all_ the applications they have and anything they download or more likely are sent in an email. I know this system will be reinstalled with windows as soon as my sister in-law sends them a "homemade" greeting card generated by some windows greeting card generator that produces a dancing bear and plays a midi of happy birthday all wrapped up in B-day.exe.
I know this will happen but I am fine with it I orginally bought this machice for my father, who has never used a PC and had no idea about windows or linux. Well his wife (not my mom) finds out that this new machine does not "have Windows" and pitches a hissy. So I take the machine and my in-laws want to try it out. I tell them it does not run Windows and they are game for giving it a go. I see this a some progress.
Some people _need_ windows because they do things you can't do under Linux in a user friendly way, like syncing a IPAQ running PocketPC 2002 (my wife has this problem, and no she would let me put linux on the IPAQ.) But the web+email+IM=computing crowd really has no attachment to windows, apart from that is what they are use to running. I say give it a try and if you don't like it go back to windows, if you do like it you have saved some cash and made your son in-law's trouble shooting your computer problems much easier. Easier to use distros (Lindows, Lycoris, and Xandros) might make this easier but the same problems of running silly greeting cards, and applications they are use to will still remain windows has the largest base of non-tech savy user and unless someone makes wine perfect, bundles everything codeweavers makes and ports IE into a distro, we will still have problems doing the parents linux install.