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[tickmike]

We Still Have A long Way To Go   
 See...http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2235550/microsoft-browsing-products

[roseway]

I don't think that serious Linux people really expect (or want) Linux to take over the world. A mixed system in which different OSes communicate with each other but keep their distinctness is a much more healthy long term situation. The problem at present is that one commercial OS is so overwhelmingly dominant, and that's not healthy for all sorts of reasons. So, evolution rather than revolution is the best situation, and it's happening.

[kitz]

>> A mixed system in which different OSes communicate with each other but keep their distinctness is a much more healthy long term situation.

I agree - problems start occurring when one company gets too big and wants to rule the world :/

[Ratae]

As someone who has only VERY recently taken a look at the Linux system. And also someone who is relatively new to computers per se (3 yrs). I think that I'm in a good position to judge the merits or demerits of Linux for ordinary users!
 
I can't help feeling that Linux is STILL an o/s that's for computer "geeks" (sorry but I don't know a better way to put it!) . Most of my pals who are absolutely computer illiterate, would never be able to get any grip on this o/s. Whereas they can usually do at least the basics with windows!

I suspect that if some of the softwear developers, at least PRETENDED that they needed to sell their products to survive, then the product would be a lot more 'user friendly'!

[roseway]

I think that the real problem is that people coming from a Windows environment expect to be able to do things in the Windows way, and get frustrated when it doesn't work. Linux isn't more difficult than Windows, it's just very different. It's like an English speaker moving to a country where they speak Hebrew, and getting frustrated because the words go in the wrong direction - it's not really wrong of course, just different.

I've been using Linux for many years, and have hardly touched Windows for the last five or six years, and I find exactly the opposite of you. In Linux, everything works in what for me is an intuitive way, whereas Windows is quite baffling and illogical.

[Ratae]

"It's like an English speaker moving to a country where they speak Hebrew, and getting frustrated because the words go in the wrong direction - it's not really wrong of course, just different".

  good analogy, and the more that I think about it, the more that I think that you're probably right!

My main problem is I often try to run before I've learned to walk, then get frustrated when I fall down!

[roseway]

>> My main problem is I often try to run before I've learned to walk, then get frustrated when I fall down!

I think most of us suffer from that.

[poppy]

Linux isn't more difficult than Windows, it's just very different.

Roseway - IMO you are spot on.
Ratae's trials and tribulations with the system are the same as my own. After a fair amount of time struggling with Linux (won't bore you with the details) I have finally got Mint properly installed on a dual-boot Vista laptop and Ubuntu dual-booting on another Vista laptop but via Wubi. Both are working OK but it is a steep learning curve to find out how to do things and slowly it is coming together (I am an 'older' lady and certainly not a geek).
Where I agree with Roseway is that I believe that if I had come to Linux first I would have found Windows a great deal more complicated because there is much in Linux that is very simple. For instance, everything is there - you can have it installed and on the Internet in less than an hour - with Windows it takes much, much longer.
With my Epson printer I just plugged it in and it worked - it is an all-in-one and the scanner also worked straightaway in Xsane.
Latest thing is installing Wine so now I can listen to Spotify which I enjoy immensely. Gradually I am moving to being able to use Linux nearly all the time and am using the Vista installations less and less.
My computer shop-owning acquaintance is all for Linux as he is fed up with Microsoft, particularly licensing and  reinstallation issues, but doesn't use it himself. He calls Linux a 'hobbyists' operating system and I think that this just about sums it up very well. You have to be determined to get to grips with it.
The Mac shop in our major shopping centre gives lessens to anyone who buys a new machine and I think that this is where Linux falls down - you can't go anywhere to actually learn about it. Plus schools use MS so the children will probably never get to know anything about Linux distros.
Ratae's comments about learning to walk before running rings very true - I got very frustrated at first and gave up for a while (still do for that matter). It just needs to be approached a bit at a time and gradually things slip into place (I think).

[Ratae]

Well..I'm still hanging in there with ubuntu. Still can't get the bbc iplayer to work, and the sudo 'thingy' commands are still a mystery to me, but however frustrated I get with this o/s..I just can't quite make myself abandon the project!!

Ratae (hanging on by his finger nails. )

[roseway]

Hang in there my friend.

[orainsear]

If you like Ubuntu I'd fully recommend giving Linux Mint a go.  It's  basically Ubuntu with a few tweaks and a different gui, and comes pre-installed with extra wifi drivers and media codecs etc.  I had a quick look at the live distro and it is pretty good, and IPlayer works fine.

[Ratae]

If you like Ubuntu I'd fully recommend giving Linux Mint a go.  It's  basically Ubuntu with a few tweaks and a different gui, and comes pre-installed with extra wifi drivers and media codecs etc.  I had a quick look at the live distro and it is pretty good, and IPlayer works fine.

Well I'll bear that in mind, but I don't want to flit from one distro to another just because one single thing isn't working! I'm still hoping that the developers of jaunty will find a solution to outstanding problems.
Thanks for the 'heads up' re Mint anyway!!

[bigbossa]

If you like Ubuntu I'd fully recommend giving Linux Mint a go.  It's  basically Ubuntu with a few tweaks and a different gui, and comes pre-installed with extra wifi drivers and media codecs etc.  I had a quick look at the live distro and it is pretty good, and IPlayer works fine.

Well I'll bear that in mind, but I don't want to flit from one distro to another just because one single thing isn't working! I'm still hoping that the developers of jaunty will find a solution to outstanding problems.
Thanks for the 'heads up' re Mint anyway!!

Ratae
Dont know if you have seen this thread over at the Ubuntu forum but it should sort any multimedia problems you are having...take a look.
   Comprehensive Multimedia & Video Howto    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=766683
Linux mint is a definitely the way to go if you dont want to do the "sudo thingy" as all the multimedia codecs etc are all pre-installed so no messing about.
I used to have problems with windows and really you still have to install certain codecs to get things working. Maybe try the KDE version
Good luck and definitely hang in there .I did and I am definitely not going back to windows ...what for ?