From: Dan Hatton on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 2:01 PM
On Wed, 6 Aug 2003, Keith Watson wrote:
Going back to where this all started, I wonder if we aren't all talking out of our collective backsides. We all seem to be implicitly accepting that GNU/Linux is in some way inferior to Windows WRT the average non-technical user.
I don't think many of us would be here if we believed that. But I think the discussion could be based on the following assumptions, and I think that maybe many on the mailing list would find some or all of them plausible. Anyone?
1 We live in a context where most computer users have had more practice with GUIs, than with command lines or text config files.
Yes, I'd accept that (magnanimous of me eh? :o) ) if you mean in the context of the average home, office or educational PC user.
1.1 In such a context, GUIs are easier and more user-friendly than command lines or text config files.
In such a context they're irrelevant. This sort of user, whatever OS is installed on their PC, would never have to touch one.
2 LUG mailing lists, which are the primary means of interactive tech support for Linux, tend to suggest text config file or command-line solutions to problems, rather than GUI solutions.
Only for technically minded computer literate people like ourselves, the sort of users we are talking about would not go near one anyway, they'd find someone like us and let us do it. I'm not being facetious here, as soon as word get out that you know a bit about PCs you instantly become the neighbourhood PC quack.
3 For some tasks, especially sysadmin tasks, the command line or text config file is the only solution, i.e. there is no GUI.
Yes, but this can also apply to Windows and I wouldn't see the sort of user we're talking about having (or wanting) to do this sort of task.
3.1 GUI-less tasks are more common in Linux than in Windows.
I'm not convinced about this. I would say, because of its ancedents, GNU/Linux gives you more options for driving things by hacking a config file but for most of the simple configuration tasks that the average non-techie user wants to do there's also a GUI somewhere.
3.2 The ubiety of home computers forces every computer user to become a sysadmin, highlighting the existence of the GUI-less tasks.
No sorry Dan don't agree with this at all. The sort of users we're talking about probably use a standard office application suite (e.g. word-processing, spreadsheet, graphics/presentation), a browser and an e-mail reader and half a dozen games. The nearest thing to sysadmin they might have to do is set up their ISP details, but mostly this will have been done for them. If they install new software they may get into difficulties, but then see my comment against 2 above.
Regards,
Keith ____________ Sushi! - its not fresh, its raw.