I’m sort of tired of the question whether or not Linux is ready for the desktop or if it is grandma suitable. Maybe it is because Management and I have been using it with no exceptions for the last 4 years that I am a bit touchy on the subject but the question is silly and the often the responses more so. Think of it, would you ask if OSX is ready for the home user? Is Microsoft ready for the enterprise? No, you likely wouldn’t unless you are being snarky.
Case and point. My mother-in-law wanted a laptop for her birthday. She is running Windows XP on an aging HP desktop and wanted an OS that is secure and easy to use as well as a laptop that is well made and affordable. My recommendation? Go with ZaReason (she got a LightLapSR and now, after playing with it, Management wants one for herself).
Yes, I know I keep beating the drum for this builder but they build a great machine and have an excellent support team but more importantly, their machines “just work” and with all the peripherals she has collected over the years. From printers, scanners, to cameras, and iPods she is not left out in the dark with any of those devices. She was able to flip open the laptop, register herself as a user, sign onto her network, and check her mail in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea.
My mother-in-law is not a technocrat. It has taken her years to get comfortable with her XP machine but only comfortable in the sense that she has a passing familiarity with the way things are done on it. A couple of minutes after getting set up she found Mahjongg and was busy collecting tiles. She is much like 90% of the users out there. They want to surf the Internet, check their email, watch movies, manage photos and music, and maybe play a couple of hands of solitaire. Linux can do all of that and more.
Bottom line, Linux is ready for the desktop and ZaReason is mother-in-law approved.
Hi James,
hehe thanks for the wonderful “review” of Linux in general, and also for the recommendations.
I’m in quite a similar situation: we use Linux since some 8 years or so in our household. That’s Linux *only* if you don’t count a once-a-year tax declaration made with proprietary tools - but that also changed by now. About Linux being compatible for the masses, well after seeing how much better it was, I first tried with my brother (he’s using Ubuntu now). My son (Kubuntu) tried himself, and very successfully. An aunt, 68 years old by now, got a box set up with Debian - no complaints at all. Just like your mother-in-law, she started working and playing. Our small one loves childsplay and gcompris.
Even a good and long time friend, who was “defending” (his use of) proprietary a lot, tried it, liked it - and now he has all his personal machines on free software and OSs (Ubuntu), bought an Asus Eee (and loves it), and an UltraLapSR from us (loves that one, too).
Yes, I would say we’re there. Finally.
best,
wjl aka Wolfgang (from ZaReason EU)
Thanks for sharing!
One of the things that I thing critics of Linux generally miss is that not all window managers are the same and these experiments like getting one’s girlfriend to use it are similar to the comments of someone driving an unfamiliar car: “Um, how do I turn on the lights? Where’s the knob for the windshield wipers? How to I open the gas cap my car has a lever and yours doesn’t…” Give that person an afternoon and the car’s layout will make more sense just like if you let that girlfriend spend a weekend tinkering she will likely find it is just as easy as her usual OS.
Personally, I think its “ready” only if you have someone who knows Ubuntu well enough to be able to deal high-level linux problems.
One issue I keep coming up against, time and time again, is dependency resolution failure when you’re dist-upgrading.
Apart from that, yes, definitely ready!
Hmm… The only time I run into that issue is if I am using non-canonical repos like the ones for AWN and Compiz (both of which didn’t like the upgrade to Hardy). With regards to my mother and wife’s laptops they all use the stock repos and upgrades are smooth like butter, and beyond my aforementioned problem my laptop has gone from 7.04 to 7.10 to 8.04 without a hitch.
That said, I still need to do my server which is on the previous LTS…That will likely be a hairy experience and I am NOT looking forward to it.
I tend to had problems with boxes that had run the beta versions of Ubuntu, but I’ve had it with a box which didn’t have any of the nasty stuff added… I’ve also seen (and worked on) a bug report on launchpad, in which the reported had his packaging system lock up because there is a bug in the Feisty > Gutsy firehol upgrade process somewhere.
(Still not managed to track it down - it seems people prefer to just remove firehol than help me pin down the problem :()
Still, its not going to be too long before Ubuntu is ready - its certainly ready for the desktop if you bought a PC with Ubuntu pre-loaded from “PC World” where you have support people to help you out.