Re: Experience the New Windows

[Suresh Ramasubramanian <mallet@xxxxxxx>]

Atul Chitnis rearranged electrons thusly:

> In general, Linux installs perfectly fine on most machines. I was actually
> trying to focvus the discussion on the post-install experience that gets
> users productive quickly, and familiarising them with what's available.
 
ILUG-HYD (or more specifically Doc Partha of IlugHyd) is doing that too :)  Doc
Partha already has a linux pre-installation checklist that's a part of the LDP
(and is linked from linux.org).

He's currently writing a _post_ installation checklist (and some useful startup
scripts etc) for newbies to get up and running [quick|easy|safe]ly with linux.

> Downplay the tech (assume pre-installed!) and focus on productivity and
> applications.
 
Yeah - linux has _far_ to go as an "everyday use home PC" for the vast majority
of users.  This is not, however, *linux's* core strength (which is as a server
/ workstation / power user OS).  

It may be some distro's core strength (Mandrake, Corel Linux, Caldera etc are
extremely user-friendly and usable) though - and a user-friendly distro
(perhaps customized to Indian needs) is needed to enhance productivity /
applications.

A distro being a set of prepackaged apps, the choice (and nature) of apps /
tools in the distro is vital if you want to focus on enhancing productivity /
applications.  Installation is just one very minor part of the whole picture.

	-s

-- 
Suresh Ramasubramanian  <-->  mallet <at> efn <dot> org
EMail Sturmbannfuhrer, Lower Middle Class Unix Sysadmin
"What separates normal people from kooks is how they react when people disagree
with them or tell them "NO"  <-- Ron Ritzman on news.admin.net-abuse.email