Re: Experience the New Windows

[Atul Chitnis <achitnis@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Suresh Ramasubramanian wrote:

> 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).

Ummm, a strength is what you make of it. There is nothing wrong with Linux
as such - it is the presentation that sux. We all know that it is possible
even today to use Linux in a very productive manner. But if the trend of
presenting Linux as a hackers/programmer's OS continues, the much-needed
change in presentation isn't going to get the attention it needs.

> 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.

While I consider the concept of Linux as appropriate technology for India,
I am wary of the concept of an "Indian Linux".

Before you aim your bazookas as me, consider this - after much hoo-haa
about Indianised Windows, how many people are actually using it?

I am sure that there are people who would benefit from an "Indian Linux",
but we are not talking about those kind of people in this discussion. The
typical purchaser of a new PC today, with Windows ME/XP installed, speaks
English, and expects to use his machine in English.

HOLD IT! Let me finish!

I know that you are not talking about the language of the interface.
Neither am I - I am just trying to point out that the average Indian user
of a machine is not in any way different from the average user in the USA
or Europe.

There really isn't anything like "an Indian need" - usability issues are
universal. And if you refer to "Indian needs" as in "SIS cards, Yamaha
cards, etc." you are again slipping back to installation issues which I am
*not* trying to address in this thread.

> 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.

Correct. And as Raju had highlighted a few days back - Linux now comes
pre-installed on machines even here in India. For the purpose of this
discussion, let's concentrate on the "out-of-box-experience" (OOBE) of a
pre-installed Linux box that meets its owner/user for the first time.

Atul

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