MJ Ray wrote:
Even if you want to facilitate people running Windows under XP, there's no need to assert it's the only viable way for everyone. With smart hardware choices and in most mainstream topics, that's no longer true, as several LUGgers demonstrate.
I didn't see that assertion, but in general I like your point of view more than I am currently able to agree with it (if that makes sense).
It's not so long ago that using Linux instead of Windows for many people was "impossible" (in their eyes) because too many things didn't work. Dual-booting allowed people to manage the migration slowly, so that they use each O/S for the task they feel it is best suited to - without this it would have just been "stick with Windows". Virtualisation allows those of us who have got a bit further into the migration and found very few things they need/want to do with Windows software to work more efficiently that dual-booting (after all, I'd rather encourage people to not have to switch off their FOSS in order to run non-FOSS).
In my case, what I have seen is that when this happens the Windows apps within the VM become, by their nature, "temporary". I actively look for FOSS alternatives to avoid the hassle of starting the VM and keeping it up to date with security patches. I have a TomTom satnav that I'm quite happy with, but when I see a decent competitor with software that runs under Linux that'll be a key deciding factor, which it wouldn't otherwise have been. I've pretty much decided now to ditch my Nokia loyalty because despite all they do with Linux they won't let me manage my Symbian phone using it (none of the FOSS options I've looked at have worked). So my next phone will, if possible, be chosen with Linux support in mind.
Without the half-way step I'd never make it to the end. I'm the only one in the office who uses Linux on the desktop, but increasingly others are SSH-ing into one of the servers to perform tasks they're discovering are easier in Linux (or asking me to do them because I have the tools), and that's the start of the process for them too. At home, the GF would never consider using Linux (doesn't have time to learn something new), but on the other hand will use my PC that's on rather than start up the laptop and wait for it to boot, provided she can do what she needs (which means just checking her email, oh and updating her farm and cafe on Facebook. Oh, and opening that spreadsheet she got from work. Oh and .....) She's overcome the "it's new, it's different, help!" and will be less averse to using it elsewhere now (she'd never admit it though).
All that said, I need people like MJR further along than I am fighting harder for what I believe to be right but don't have the time or motivation to fight myself. I absolutely support him in that even though I think he's being a bit unfair here, because I need him to try to edge things along a bit further.