[plug] LINUX IS ONLY FOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS

[HILL Walter]

	Rick wrote:
	> LINUX IS ONLY FOR SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS, AND PEOPLE OF THAT
ILK.

	Actually, so is Windows. It's just so unwilling to check for
problems
	that users can run (walk) for months with a problem and never
know it.
	With Windows vs Linux boxes set up by professionals in the shop,
as
	almost every machine is these days, the Linux machines have far
fewer
	service calls, and many of those are from new staff who want to
install
	their favourite virus^H^H^H^H^Hgame on the office system or such
like.

This statement implies that Windoze & LINUX are equivalent products
which we all know not to be true. Yes they're both OSs but so is VMS &
MVS. Despite that fact that LINUX is evolving rapidly, it is going to be
a long time before it usurps Bill's glitzy package. It stands to reason
that anybody who specified that their PC be set up with LINUX rather
than WinXX would already be more clued in to the benefits than the
average punter.

I worked as a network administrator in an IT section for a number of
years supporting a community of 420+ users who came from a wide variety
of backgrounds.  From the complete (computer) ignoramus through to "they
think they know it all to actually know sod all" (The dangerous type).
To a very few people who actually were reasonably proficient. I think
LINUX is a great product but it is not yet ready for the average user to
install, configure & maintain. The jargon, quirks and presumption of
prior (computer) knowledge make it too great a leap over the more
brainless Redmond offerings. 

OS/2 was also a superior product & so was the BETA video format (which
incidentally most TV stations use). While I'm not suggesting LINUX is
destined to the same future. It is going to require a maturation of the
product in order to succeed in the wider market place. People don't want
to know about IRQs, DMA, LBA or whatever. They simply want to print out
their documents or spreadsheets, whose pages they've manually number
because they don't' realise the software can do it for them!

Walter...
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Walter Hill                                   ,-_|\
w.hill at computer.org                          /     \
walter.hill at customs.gov.au                   \_,-._/
+ 61 8 9430 1505 (Voice) + 61 8 9430 1391 (Fax).