My parents now use Linux

[AndrewAPrice]

After re-installing Windows every few months, I've decided to let my parents try Ubuntu. I told them if they don't like it, I can run the XP cd through and have the computer back as it was before.

They can't believe how fast and stable Linux is

[inflater]

*My* parents can't even press the power button of my PC, estabilish a Internet connection and run Firefox. It's true though.

inflater

[mystran]

Actually, I think there's just one class of users that's holding back the adoption of Linux as the standard operating system in homes: gamers.

I mean, it so happens that so called "gamers" are mostly stuck with Windows, since that's the platform most games run with the smallest amount of pain. And it so happens that so called "gamers" are also the same people that computer illiterate people tend to call when they need their computers fixed. I'm going to claim that this class of users known as "gamers" is at least as important group as all the business users, because the moment "gamers" don't want to touch Windows, most people's personal tech-support is gone.

I'm going to predict, that if it ever happens that a large number of "gamers" decides to switch away from Windows to something else, most of the "my internet is broken" users will switch after them.

The sad thing is, I switched to Windows myself a year or two back in part because I got myself addicted to a certain large online game, which happens to run not-nearly-as-well under Linux. After no longer playing, it didn't take too long for me to realize most of the other stuff I do I could do much better under a more user friendly operating system.

Hence back under Linux, this time using Ubuntu.

[inflater]

Actually, I think there's just one class of users that's holding back the adoption of Linux as the standard operating system in homes: gamers.

I mean, it so happens that so called "gamers" are mostly stuck with Windows, since that's the platform most games run with the smallest amount of pain. And it so happens that so called "gamers" are also the same people that computer illiterate people tend to call when they need their computers fixed. I'm going to claim that this class of users known as "gamers" is at least as important group as all the business users, because the moment "gamers" don't want to touch Windows, most people's personal tech-support is gone.

I'm going to predict, that if it ever happens that a large number of "gamers" decides to switch away from Windows to something else, most of the "my internet is broken" users will switch after them.

The sad thing is, I switched to Windows myself a year or two back in part because I got myself addicted to a certain large online game, which happens to run not-nearly-as-well under Linux. After no longer playing, it didn't take too long for me to realize most of the other stuff I do I could do much better under a more user friendly operating system.

Hence back under Linux, this time using Ubuntu.

This may not be right. I play some games too, like CounterStrike 1.6 and Source on my old GF4 MX440, Mafia, Max Payne, etc., and I reinstalled formerly 2 times Windows 95 on my old 80486 and Windows XP one time due to virus infection. Without any pain and all was - and is - running as well, except for that 80486 (hard disk error, had bad sectors). Only one time I saw a BSOD under Windows XP on my machine and that was installing the old version of Nero Imagedrive.

Sorry, but I think this is some form of discrimination. Yeah, some "gamers" can't fix their Windows because they broke his own OS... But let's honour the exceptions, no?

inflater

[senaus]

I must say, I am a bit of a 'gamer' myself, and I have helped out more than enough "my internet is broken" users!

My desktop (gaming) PC runs Windows XP exclusively, the sole reason being that the Linux kernel has a bug with my particular setup (Dell Dimension 2350 w/ onboard Intel Extreme graphics and a Geforce MX 5200), whereby some kind of confilct between the cards causes the kernel to panic during boot, as far as I can remember. Virtually every decent distro I tried either hung or panicked during boot.

Unfortunately this means I am stuck with Windows (I've tried BSD, it's not for me) until this bug is fixed; I doubt that will happen anytime soon, as the bug is so rare.

However, even if I were to finally move on from Windows, my knowledge of it would not disappear overnight; I could, and would, still help out these "my internet is broken" users. This doesn't mean I wouldn't bring round my favourite distro of Linux and offer an 'upgrade' (I frequently install Firefox on their machines at the moment)

Cheers,
Senaus

[mystran]

Two things more: I never implied "gamers" don't know what they are doing. I'm pretty much a "gamer" at heart and I've rescued Windows boxes within few hours that any regular tech-support would have just reinstalled. Even the least knowledgeable gamers I know, can at least install their own drivers, Google for more info, and/or run Ad-Aware or something similar when called to get rid of popups. edit: And I'm talking about "hardcore" PC gamers here obviously

The second thing is that I get to help "my internet is broken" users all the time, even if maybe 30-40% of time during the last 10 years I've actually had a Windows box at either home or work. edit: Ok, I admit having kept some Windows boxes running for food as well. It's mostly the same skills (most important two being how to Google and how to not fear) that you need to fix Unix and Windows boxes.

[Colonel Kernel]

I found a simple solution to the "my internet is broken problem". I got myself a Mac a few months ago, and now if any Windows user has a problem, I just say "you're running Windows, what did you expect?"

The second part of my solution was to get my Mom to switch too -- now she has far fewer problems.

I consider myself to be a "former gamer", since I don't have much time to play anymore. It sucks that Windows has a near monopoly on PC gaming... I'm really hoping that 1) not many games are Vista-only and 2) VMWare and friends figure out virtualized 3D acceleration as soon as possible.

Just imagine all the gamers of the world using pirated copies of Windows XP running in a VM on their OS of choice just to run games.

[Alboin]

Luckily, I'm a console gamer (RPG's; Final Fantasy, Tales of, Dragon Quest, etc.), which gets me around the 'no games for linux' issue.

Aren't most PC game for some console anyway?

[Brynet-Inc]

What are these "games" you speak of?

I don't play games... I've played Doom and Quake in the past, But I don't see and purpose for games beyond wasting time.

I have noticed most of the "Windows" users not willing to switch away are "religiously" gamers.

[AndrewAPrice]

What are these "games" you speak of?

I don't play games... I've played Doom and Quake in the past, But I don't see and purpose for games beyond wasting time.

I have noticed most of the "Windows" users not willing to switch away are "religiously" gamers.

I converted my parents to Linux, but I still do use Windows.

There's two reasons:
- Games - Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 2, Armadillo Run, Impossible Creatures, Restaurant Empire (I'm listing the first few on my start menu). I've tried Cedega, but a few games don't run at all, some games have graphics glitches/run slow/randomly crash, and then some games run better than under Windows (they're the ones where you can set the graphical options on high, it still runs smoothly under Linux, and your heart takes a little leap of joy).

- OneNote.. I'm yet to find an equivalent program for Linux. I wouldn't mind putting up with Cedega if it wasn't for OneNote. I know there are tablet journaling programs for Linux, but none allow me to organise my notes into folders, tabs, pages, and sub pages, search for text within handwriting, audio recordings, and images, spell check handwriting, allow me to export entire tabs full of handwritten pages into a single typed text document, let me embed files (related PDF, text documents, lecture presentations) into pages, and provide a limitless sheet of paper to write on (write, scroll, write, scroll, and go on forever ).

[supagu]

Actually, I think there's just one class of users that's holding back the adoption of Linux as the standard operating system in homes: gamers.

I mean, it so happens that so called "gamers" are mostly stuck with Windows, since that's the platform most games run with the smallest amount of pain. And it so happens that so called "gamers" are also the same people that computer illiterate people tend to call when they need their computers fixed. I'm going to claim that this class of users known as "gamers" is at least as important group as all the business users, because the moment "gamers" don't want to touch Windows, most people's personal tech-support is gone.

I'm going to predict, that if it ever happens that a large number of "gamers" decides to switch away from Windows to something else, most of the "my internet is broken" users will switch after them.

The sad thing is, I switched to Windows myself a year or two back in part because I got myself addicted to a certain large online game, which happens to run not-nearly-as-well under Linux. After no longer playing, it didn't take too long for me to realize most of the other stuff I do I could do much better under a more user friendly operating system.

Hence back under Linux, this time using Ubuntu.

I AGREE!
im a gamer, im stuck with windows 'cuz not all the games i play work on linux and i cbf having a multiboot with linux, why restart my pc to browse the internet

I do try out linux at least once a year to see if it has matured, its slowly getting there but still has crap gamming support.

What are these "games" you speak of?

I don't play games... I've played Doom and Quake in the past, But I don't see and purpose for games beyond wasting time.

I have noticed most of the "Windows" users not willing to switch away are "religiously" gamers.

what good are computers if not for playing games?

[Brynet-Inc]

What are these "games" you speak of?

I don't play games... I've played Doom and Quake in the past, But I don't see and purpose for games beyond wasting time.

I have noticed most of the "Windows" users not willing to switch away are "religiously" gamers.

what good are computers if not for playing games?

You're joking right? I occupy my time with better things, more productive that's for sure.

I'll never comprehend that weird gaming addiction... It'll never be better then a good Science fiction book/movie.

Be sure to contact me though when geek code "C++++" becomes a possibility.

[mystran]

Btw, back to the original topic: my parents have run Linux for the last 10 years or so, and I'm not sure if they fully ever understood it...

I mean, back when I lived with them, there was a minor issue with getting phone line to my room, and it was easier to have one computer near the phone jack with a modem, and then share the connection over network to my own computer. Back then we were talking about 33.6k I think, and any "real" firewall/router/NAT would have been prohibitively expensive, but I'd started using Linux already, and new I could do a masquerade NAT with it.

So I made one. And guess what? The box retired around a year or so ago. The good old 486DX2/66, with 425MB disk partitioned half for Win95 and half for Linux, and another 120MB disk added for Linux later. One of the disks broke. I'd guess it wasn't booted into Windows after I moved away, and it'd been practically Linux only box back then for a few years already.

Nobody ever bothered moving the modem into another computer as long as the Linux box worked, and there was little administration to be done, as it ran DHCP server for the local network, and NAT masquerade.

I remember doing a minor adjustment a few years back: make it call the ISP automatically when booted, so nobody would need to bother with logging in. In it's early life my sisters and father actually used the console for surfing as well, but later it just acted as a glorified modem...

[supagu]

What are these "games" you speak of?

I don't play games... I've played Doom and Quake in the past, But I don't see and purpose for games beyond wasting time.

I have noticed most of the "Windows" users not willing to switch away are "religiously" gamers.

what good are computers if not for playing games?

You're joking right? I occupy my time with better things, more productive that's for sure.

I'll never comprehend that weird gaming addiction... It'll never be better then a good Science fiction book/movie.

Be sure to contact me though when geek code "C++++" becomes a possibility.

no, i see it has uses in buisness and R&D, but for the home user extremely useless. what do you do with your computer at home (non programming related) thats constructive?

[Brynet-Inc]

no, i see it has uses in buisness and R&D, but for the home user extremely useless. what do you do with your computer at home (non programming related) thats constructive?

I do things programming related .. I check out various forums and news sites and I read various books and technical papers.

And when I need a break, I watch some TV or a movie..

I never have the need to "play games"..