Comments on: Is Linux right for your mother?

Is Linux right for your mother?

[tenc21]

My mom teaches computer science at Carnegie Mellon

1. How can you even say it'd "probably" be the same learning curve to go from XP to Linux as it would be to go from XP to Vista...not ever having done it yourself, having only others to tell you so, and ignoring many others who might tell you not so?

2. You cite the costs of refurbished Windows machines capable of running Linux ($200 to $300), and you say "Linux can cost 20% as much as MacIntosh." From there I guess you mean to say, without specifically doing so, that Macs cost $1000-$1500. In omitting Mac prices, you don't reveal whether you are comparing old Windows PCs to new Macs or also Mac refurbs. Do you know for a fact that a Mac refurb cannot be had for $300?

3. You mention that Linux is free and compare it to Parallels and VMware's Fusion which are not. What about Boot Camp which the Apple website [http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/] offers as a free download that has received good reviews.

With the quality support, free software for running Windows only programs, similar refurb costs, similar or less steep learning curve, Mac would appear to be the choice over Linux from your own arguments. Moreover, how do your arguments hold up when one's mom is a prof at a certified geek school?

[dave32264]

Linux is the cheaper choice

Hmmmmmm.
1. How can you even say it'd "probably" be the same learning curve to go from XP to Linux as it would be to go from XP to Vista...not ever having done it yourself, having only others to tell you so, and ignoring many others who might tell you not so?
Quite frankly its the same. A monkey can point and click and the hardest thing to learn on linux is remembering names of programs most commonly used. Example: Word - Openoffice Writer. Excel - Calc etc.

2. You cite the costs of refurbished Windows machines capable of running Linux ($200 to $300), and you say "Linux can cost 20% as much as MacIntosh." From there I guess you mean to say, without specifically doing so, that Macs cost $1000-$1500. In omitting Mac prices, you don't reveal whether you are comparing old Windows PCs to new Macs or also Mac refurbs. Do you know for a fact that a Mac refurb cannot be had for $300?

As a tech and reseller, I can say the 20% is accurate + or - a percent. Even MAC refurbs are expensive (OS included). Finding a usable $300 MAC is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Also he clearly says in the article the refurbished computer is without the OS.

3. You mention that Linux is free and compare it to Parallels and VMware's Fusion which are not. What about Boot Camp which the Apple website [http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/] offers as a free download that has received good reviews.

Here again you missed the point. He is not comparinglinux to VMware or Parallels. He is simply stating the option of these programs to run on linux should the user choose to do so

With the quality support, free software for running Windows only programs, similar refurb costs, similar or less steep learning curve, Mac would appear to be the choice over Linux from your own arguments. Moreover, how do your arguments hold up when one's mom is a prof at a certified geek school?

Yes MAC has quality support, While linux itself is free. Ubuntu, Novell Xandros and many others have quality support should you choose to pay for it. And typically for a lot less than actually paying for a copy of MAC or Windoze. Oh and how many "moms" are professors at a certified geek school? The average user is what its all about ;-)

[tvphil]

boot camp implies re-booting

Boot Camp is a nice free program, but it involves re-booting into one or the other OS, not running both simultaneously, like VM Ware or Parrallels.That's where Linux has the advantage over Mac on this one particular program.As for hardware, your can't run the latest versions of Mac on these old Pentium 4 computers. You can however, with any current Linux distro. Any Intel Core Duo or AMD 64 processor is going to cost more than an old 32 bit Pentium 4 or earlier. Current versions of Mac require a 64 bit processor.Macs are great computers, they're just not dirt cheap like these Linux boxes..

[yesmathew]

Yes its roght for my parents

I know many parents struggling with windows box. I think windows box require more technical support than Ubuntu. This is my personal experience. My dad using Ubuntu since last 1 and half year without prior experience. Required no technical assistance for 1 and half year. Chears to Ubuntu project. I see not much learning curve by introducing Ubuntu to my sisters and using happily. Sisters even say they did not heard about Linux earlier.

[idoppler]

What if the 'mother' wants to use printer ?

Or scanner, camera, webcam? As much I know Linux and hardware are not very good friends. What if she wants to do her taxes online ? Or run some common commercial software available in all stores ?
On the other hand, if by 'mother' you mean some half-idiot who uses computer only to read email and visit two web-pages (that accidentally happen to work in non-IE environment) then yes, Linux is the perfect match...

[dave32264]

Hardware on linux

While I agree peripherals can be an issue, most printers are now able to work very nicely with linux. HP, Lexmark, and now Dell all have open drivers for their printers. Scanners are also, for the most part, very good with linux. Webcams are just now getting their chance as well. HP and Lexmark are supporters of the OS and many of their all-in-ones work out of the box. As for software, ever hear of crossover, wine and VMware? Most all webpages now support firefox and other browsers. It's the two webpages that only work in an IE environment that can be a problem but even that has been solved. It seems to me you haven't even tried Linux lately ;-)

[DiBosco]

Scanners, cameras etc.

Scanners and cameras work well on Linux now. Web cams are still a struggle, but it's certainly achievable if the mother has someone who knows Linux well (how many mothers want to run webcams? ;-).

Don't know what country you're in, but I did my last on-line tax return on Linux.

The fact is that unless you have a very nichey piece of software that won't run under WINE, you can do most things under Linux now. As far as websites running only on IE, I have only seen one in the last year or two and that was something that was only available to employees and distributors of an electronics company.

[BCZF]

Immune? Wha? Really?

OS X has now been certified "immune from malware"! This made me chuckle, what a tool...

[allanregistso]

I think this poster is a half-idiot?

idoppler:
Or scanner, camera, webcam?

allan: Some scanners will work, as well as cameras and webcams.

idoppler:
As much I know Linux and hardware are not very good friends. What if she wants to do her taxes online ?

allan: It means ignorance on your part. It is safer to do online banking and paying taxes online with Linux without worrying that someone has been spying on you through keyloggers and other malwares.

idoppler:
Or run some common commercial software available in all stores ?

allan: Use coadweavers. Or use wine. If those don't work, get back to Windows or Mac. Simple.

idoppler:
On the other hand, if by 'mother' you mean some half-idiot who uses computer only to read email and visit two web-pages (that accidentally happen to work in non-IE environment) then yes, Linux is the perfect match...

allan: Most websites will work with Firefox, so the statement of yours is pretty stupid. And Google is not a half-idiot company who run their business using Linux. Microsoft is I think is not a half-idiot when it work with Linux companies for interoperability. What is the use of dealing with half-idiot companies? Desktop for grandmas and mothers, Linux is perfect for them (Since most grandmas and mothers aren't graphic designers)it will reduce more technical support because for there is no BSOD and other Windows specific problems.

To consider your argument, someone may use Linux for web surfing and email and I tell you, he is not a half-idiot.

[pasufi]

I came to this website because I purchased an ASUS eee PC 4Gb with Linux pre-installed. It was easy to connect to a wireless network with WEP at a friend's. But trying to connect to my home network with static IP address (required, as otherwise my network computers can't find my printer attached to the modem-router when the IP address changes), Win-XP WPA, firewall and MAC-address filtering enabled - I can see the eee PC has the network "enabled" - however, I can't go on the internet (Mozilla Firefox) or see my home network. And guess what, I can't "google" a solution easily.
I consider myself reasonably computer-savvy (from a non-computer background) - well Linux is still not going to be my choice for my next computer. And Apple_Mac - forget it - I tried it for 6-months and gave up because all the new jargon was complicated. All this new concept about mounting, different keyboard shortcuts that took me weeks to months to discover, files stored in places where I don't want them, days it took me to figure out an easy way of ejecting a CD - guess what, I'm sticking to Windows which I have figured out! A couple of hundred pounds vs umpteen more hours of my time - it is a no-brainer for me (a run of the mill non-geek, non-IT professional)!

[mtb3141]

This is now an old article but it bears mentioning that Windows can be run in a free virtual machine called qemu which works much like VMWare, is free, and quite fast.