tim hall wrote:
PS: Watching my nine-year old and various friends
use my system, I'd
say the Linux Desktop for casual users is here, given the
availability of technical support. IMX it's the configuration that is
difficult, not the installation & usage.
Hi Tim:
A few days ago I wrote to the list and recounted a story about
setting up a Windows 2000 system for some
very non-computer-savvy friends of mine. Well, that saga knows no end:
I had to go to their house yesterday
and get it going for them again. It's true that they are *really* in
the dark about their machine, but it's got so
ridiculous that I've decided on a new plan. I'm going to set up a
Linux box for them and see how they do with it.
These people do very little else but use a Web browser (what they call
"the computer") so I want to see just how
hard or easy it would be for them to use a modern Linux system. It'll
be an interesting experiment, and if I have to deal
with the system at least it will be a real OS with real tools and the
real possibility of actually fixing it if it breaks.
Win2K is nice, but what a vacant system ! I can't believe people have
paid so much and received so little in return
for their money.
Anyway, if this experiment works I'll report back to this group. The
folks using this box aren't music/sound people,
but I do plan on setting up XMMS, RealPlayer, and possibly xine or
Mplayer for on-line video feeds. Let me know if
you have any suggestions for making it as easy as possible for them to
use.
My biggest suggestion is to install and run an ssh server and a VNC
server on it, so you can fix things for them remotely. VNC is also
handy for showing them how to do things while you're on the phone with
them, because you're looking at the same screen and using the same
keyboard/mouse that they are. It's been invaluable to me for working on
my mom's PC from 170 miles away.
-Anthony