Debate: Is usability holding Linux back?

[anjovi05]

While using Linux one day I thought maybe the humble OS would be more popular if it was made more user friendly?

I mean, Windows, thought it has many a flaw, does have a high degree of usablity, it's easy to navigate and setup for the average uninformed user. Do you think that what Linux lacks is that similar ability?

Would Linux be taking more market share if it could be this easy?

[Disk_Contented]

Certainly, no doubt there would be more takers if things were more simple, but lets face it, Linux needs a fair degree of "mechanical mindedness" to install and get it running properly.
I asked Six random PC users to create a boot floppy. Not one knew how to do it.
This is what i see every week. They just want to turn it on and use it. Who can blame them, that is the way in which windows is portrayed.
So can you imagine most people even being tempted towards Linux, and of course there's software compatability.
If Linux came as an option on all systems, was as "easy" to use as windows and had the compatability then without doubt its popularity would rise, but i doubt that it would ever be as popular as windows. There's the corporate sector, and people just can't be bothered when things work allready.

As an aside, the Amiga (i still use one) is to be relaunched with another OS. It will be interesting to see what happens then.
I use windows XP now, simply because at the moment, nothing holds a candle to it.

[Protocol Droid]

Hello all, this is my first post.

I personally think that the use of Linux as a desktop OS will grow. It may not become as popular as Windows though.

Traditionally, Linux has been an OS that most people would find very hard to use. But nowadays, there are many different distributions of Linux, some much easier to use than others. None of them are as easy as windows, and typical computer users will still find even the easiest ones hard to use. But, you no longer have to be an expert to use it. I think if a user can consider themself better than average as far as computer knowledge goes, they should have little trouble. The distribution I am running now, Mandrake 9.0 is actually very easy to install and get running. I think even a beginner could do that with this Distro. But, installing new software for example, can be a little less straightforeward.

Software compatibility is another issue. And that all depends on what kind of software a user is going to run. For example there is an Office suite that runs well on Linux that is completely compatible with MS Office. Linux has an Emulator that allows use of most WIndows games. There is actually very little you can do on Windows that you can do on Linux. But, to do it you have to download and install new software, which is almost always free, but takes time.

In the hands of someone who has spend an amount of time learning Linux on the other hand, Linux is a very customizable, free alternative and will even outperform Windows.

[Diamond]

Whatever you choose, stay away from Lindows. Its the biggest piece of garbage. The new Mandrake (.0 installs easy and is much improved on user friendliness.

[Protocol Droid]

Of the many reasons to use Linux over Windows, Security is one of the biggest. There are several reasons that Linux is more secure. One is that since it is less mainstream, fewer viruses are made for it. Another is that since the source code is open, security patches can be made very quickly. The 3rd, and most important is that even if a virus does get in, the vital information is protected from it unless the virus can gain root access, which is very rare. Lindows always runs in root...and that eliminates this line of defense. Lindows is also expensive, whereas Mandrake and most of the others are free. So I second the opinion that Lindows is certainly not the best choice for Linux, even for a beginner.

[smiley]

For me, installing Mandrake 9.0 was as simple as popping in a cd, rebooting the computer and pressing enter. During the installation the instructions were VERY straightforward, my grandmother could do it. It found all of my hardware without a problem. I was particularly impressed with how it set up my ADSL connection - I never imagined it would be easier to set up under Linux than Windows.

Yes, software installation can be greatly improved, I personally have no idea how to compile stuff so I just stick to the RPM packages. www.rpmfind.net happens to be an excellent site when looking for a specific package.

Also, the Documentation was not your typical HOW-TOs aimed at intermediate users - it was VERY easy to follow.

It might sound like I'm giving out too much praise - but for a piece of free software Mandrake 9.0 surely kicks some A$$.

[Protocol Droid]

Originally posted by smiley
For me, installing Mandrake 9.0 was as simple as popping in a cd, rebooting the computer and pressing enter. During the installation the instructions were VERY straightforward, my grandmother could do it. It found all of my hardware without a problem. I was particularly impressed with how it set up my ADSL connection - I never imagined it would be easier to set up under Linux than Windows.

Yes, software installation can be greatly improved, I personally have no idea how to compile stuff so I just stick to the RPM packages. www.rpmfind.net happens to be an excellent site when looking for a specific package.

Also, the Documentation was not your typical HOW-TOs aimed at intermediate users - it was VERY easy to follow.

It might sound like I'm giving out too much praise - but for a piece of free software Mandrake 9.0 surely kicks some A$$.

I have to agree, installing Mandrake 9.0 is as easy as installing windows. It really deserves all the praise its being given by smiley. I use it at work dispite being surrounded by peopel using various forms of windows, and not only does it not slow me down at all, its actually sped me up. No more BSOD for me. And necessary help is available on the web or in the HOW-TOs. Installing new software with RPMs is as easy as it is on windows. But then again with RPMs, you get the flexability of windows, and you usually don't get the latest version. Compiling is, 90% of the time, as easy as these fore commands:

download ****.tar.gz
in the directory that you placed the downloaded file into enter:
$ tar xzvf ****.tar.gz
this creates a new directory usually, go to that directory and
$ ./configure
then
$ make
then
$ make install

sometimes, you will need to have root access to install them (you always will for RPMs), and its always good to read the README after the first step.