[Cialug] Ubuntu 11.04

[Stuart Thiessen]

While I understand, appreciate, and support the desire and need for being able to mess with the internals when necessary, I also have found that sometimes it is nice just to have a system that works and doesn't require tweaking to get stuff done. For now, (unfortunately) that means a Mac for me. But I am always keeping my eye on this list and other Linux sites in hopes that we will hit a usability threshold that will allow me to move over to Linux for my work. I'm not an IT guy or a programmer by trade. My work only allows me to dabble, so I am not able to spend a lot of time tweaking. Some of the programs I need to use for work either work in Mac or work in Windows, but many do not work in Linux, yet.

I disagree that the "grandma" system is Windows and I disagree that a user-friendly system by nature is "not very good". I disagree that having a user-friendly system that just works for the novice is simply trying to "beat Microsoft at its own game". Windows doesn't satisfy everyone, and here is an opportunity to explore other ways of providing a positive user experience that can meet the needs of consumers who want something different. Frankly, I think the grandma system now is probably more a Mac or perhaps an iPad. (I have not had a chance to look at the Android tablets or I might include them also.)

I think that just like there needs to be a version of Linux that meets the needs of IT folks who need to tinker, there needs to be a version of Linux that makes newbies and novices feel comfortable adopting Linux for its own value. Ideally, the community does its work well enough that users are able to migrate over to more easily tweaked systems as they gain confidence without losing their data, applications, or satisfaction in the Linux (or BSD) system. That seems to be what Ubuntu is after. Good for them.

If we only try to satisfy one type of user (whether power or novice), I think it seriously hurts Linux and BSD in the long term. That said, there does need to be some more thought given to providing a unifying experience on Linux somehow. That is one thing that makes Apple software/hardware so attractive because no matter what device you pick up, you know certain things will work certain ways and there is not as much re-learning that needs to happen. There is the feeling of "it just works". I'm not saying that Apple is perfect or that there aren't times where it doesn't work. I'm just talking about the user perception. I know for some of my friends that is one reason why they have never taken the time to try it. Every Linux seems different and they don't have time to try to learn it all. Oh, well.

On May 19, 2011, at 19:10 , Nicolai wrote:

> he OpenBSD community doesn't want grandmas using their system, and for
> that I am thankful.  That OS already exists and it's called Windows, and
> it's not very good.  If Linux tries to "beat" Microsoft at its own game,
> maybe it'll win, but in the process Linux will be ruined.