Desktop Linux (fwd)

[Jeff Kinz]

On Thu, Feb 26, 2004 at 05:40:55AM -0800, Michael Costolo wrote:
> --- Jeff Kinz <jkinz at kinz.org> wrote:
> > Telling people "Oh, you gotta learn all new applications"...
> 
> But you already proved this to be wrong at the library. It doesn't
> matter that they *thought* they were using MS Word. They weren't. And
> they had no complaints.

You have it backwards. It shows that a completely random and untrained
population sample will be able to use Linux when it looks and acts
exactly like what they already know, Windows. They didn't have to learn a new
application. Since these boxes only performed internet browsing and word
processing it was relatively easy to accomplish that but these systems
did not come configured that way out of the box.

Is the same look and work identical alternative available for the rest
of the Windows software in existence? Of course not, and that is the
issue. - But we are making progress. 

For the folks who think I've decided that Linux on the desktop will
never fly please take a look at this presentation given to the OCEAN
club at MIT almost a year ago.  Its linked to from this page:
http://www.ocean-usa.org/oitc/event329.php

You will find the link on the right hand side of the page
labeled "Jeff Kinz's slides".

The presentation was created in Impress (OpenOffice :-) ) but 
is in powerpoint format because that was what was requested by
the OCEAN club.  Fortunately Impress does both .sxw and .ppt :-).

The presentation is 47 slides long and has some stats and numbers 
that are very interesting closest to the end.

The Library users had no problems (They still had complaints :-) ) using
the application because it worked and looked exactly like what they
already knew how to use - Microsoft Word. The users did not have to
learn a new application. If it hadn't looked exactly like Word they
would not have been able to use it.

If they had had to learn a new word processing application, it would
not have been successful.

This is one of the few areas where the users would not have to learn a
new application.   Other areas which will/may require the users to
learn a new application (One which is not a work and look alike clone)
will remain as hurdle to desktop Linux adoption.

Please note that I am not saying that Linux desktop adoption is
impossible. It can't be obviously.  (See contents of my presentation
documenting several companies using Linux on the desktop.)

-- 
Jeff Kinz, Open-PC, Emergent Research,  Hudson, MA.  
"jkinz at kinz.org" is copyright 2003.  
Use is restricted. Any use is an acceptance of the offer at
http://www.kinz.org/policy.html.