Desktop Linux (fwd)

[Travis Roy]

>> It took a little work to get the video card to work right (nVidia's
>> problem, really) and the VPN to my job was slow getting started, but
>> once set up the only things I found lacking are game and some
>> proprietary multimedia support.
>
> We most also not forget that the average home user does not want to
> spend time figuring out how to make their video card work, etc...
> They generally want stuff to "just work" for them.  Most acknowledge
> that some amount of work -- installing software, or following some
> (extremely simple) directions to make a change in some applet in the
> control panel -- will be required on their part.  But if they had the
> choice, they wouldn't even do that.

You also have to keep in mind the state of today's computer 
buyers/users. People are bringing up the problem of installing Windows 
software, and dealing with windows drivers and the problems encountered 
there.. Most people that buy a computer today buy pre-built, 
pre-installed WinXP machines from places like Dell, HP, or Gateway. 
They take it out of the box and use it. They go and buy some USB 
devices that plug in and just work. XP has come leaps and bounds over 
Win98 and even 2k. It's easy to use, and very stable.