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Linux For Housewives. XP For Geeks.
Posted by
CmdrTaco
on Wed Jul 09, 2008 09:00 AM
from the or-just-cheapskates dept.
from the or-just-cheapskates dept.
Talinom writes "ZDNet has an article sure to raise the hackles of any self-respecting geek. They report that housewives buying small laptops like the Asus EE are causing Linux usage for that demographic to spike. A reporter for Tech-On states that 'Retailers and contract manufacturers in Taiwan say that novice PC users there, like students and housewives, tend to buy the Linux version of the Eee PC701, while geeks go for Windows XP.'"
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I 4 1 (Score:5, Funny)
I 4 1 amd welcomming our new script bashing apron wearing apple pie bakeing overlady's!
Re:I 4 1 (Score:5, Funny)
I would mod that comment up if the spelling wasn't so terrible.
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Re:I 4 1 (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:I 4 1 (Score:5, Funny)
I will mod you up as soon as I'm done baking some cookies.
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Not sure it applies here as much (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Not sure it applies here as much (Score:5, Informative)
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Re:Not sure it applies here as much (Score:5, Informative)
MSN works fine on Linux. I use Pidgin (formerly GAIM) to chat with work contacts and push them to google messanger when MSN goes down.
No MS Windows needed.
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Re:Not sure it applies here as much (Score:5, Interesting)
Taiwan culture is not US culture, of course.
Maybe not, but the UK is much more similar, and I've stood in a Dixons store here and listened to the salesman talking to a novice about the EeePC on display, explaining its OS as "Linux is low powered and suitable for a beginner."
Granted, Dixons aren't the only people selling EeePCs, but they are definitely targetting EeePC at the less technically savvy.
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You stood in a Dixons? (Score:5, Interesting)
True story, I once worked with an ex-Dixon's manager who admitted they looked for ignorant and easily cowed staff because they could exploit them, whereas the technically capable could easily get better weekend jobs somewhere else. Of course, you can guess the kind of managers they employ.
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Re:Not sure it applies here as much (Score:5, Insightful)
It's interesting to observer how the mere mention of the word 'geek' on /. is automatically assumed to mean someone who has at least an interest in IT.
Geeks were around before computers. Not all geeks are IT savvy, not all IT savvy people are geeks.
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Hmm.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Hmm.. (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Hmm.. (Score:5, Funny)
Exploits of a Mom [xkcd.com]. XKCD has a comic for everything ;-)
Yeah and it's always that one.
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Re:Hmm.. (Score:5, Funny)
A perfectly natural thing to do.
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Reasoning? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Reasoning? (Score:5, Insightful)
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My girlfriend has got an eee (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:My girlfriend has got an eee (Score:5, Insightful)
And this shows that Linux is now usable for non-geeks when preinstalled. Many of those users wouldn't be able to reinstall their Windows either ;-)
There is still a lot of software that is only available for Windows (in particular games), but the OS itself is just as usable as Windows.
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Re:My girlfriend has got an eee (Score:5, Insightful)
Nice troll, but I'll explain the difference to all the previous Linux installations:
Among geeky types, it was already widely believed that Ubuntu (for instance) is just as easy to setup and use as Windows. But those people already have computer knowledge which may help them over some points where a non-geek may feel stumped. So they do not exactly represent the average user.
Computers that come preinstalled with Linux have been rare, and this is the first time lots of them get into the hands of non-experts. So people like GP's girlfriend are the real test of how newbie-friendly linux is. One of them is anecdotal, lots of them make a valid test. Give it a few months and both your and my post will be irrelevant because the results of the test are out.
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Windows (Score:5, Insightful)
I didn't know that the day would come, when I would feel more unfamiliar (didn't say uncomfortable - but I guess that's coming, too, with Vista (oh yeah, I don't intend to move to Vista - ever)) in Windows than in Linux. But, alas, that day has come and now I have no clue how to troubleshoot Windows anymore. It's just way too arcane and complicated. In Linux and Solaris I know how to at least start troubleshooting, and then I can search the 'net for specific keywords (error messages, log entries, etc.). Some of this could probably be done with Windows as well, but I just find the "whole experience" of troubleshooting it, more hairy and unsettling.
Re:Windows (Score:5, Funny)
Silly, you don't troubleshoot Windows anymore.
First, you reboot.
If that fails to fix the problem, you roll back to the last restore point.
If that fails, you reinstall from the recovery partition.
And if even that fails, you call it a hardware failure and buy a new one.
Troubleshoot... Kids these days, sheesh.
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It's a No Brainer! :-) (Score:5, Interesting)
Housewives are used to getting the products that have the best cost-benefit ratio.
The Eee is a machine that provides wireless web browsing and email, instant messaging, etc.
And it's cheaper without XP.
It's a no-brainer then.
As for why do geeks prefer XP? I can speak for myself and say that I thoroughly know the beast, it is a pleasure to google for the most wild assed software/driver you can think of and find that due to the widespread presence of the thing, pretty sure SOMEONE has gone through the same ordeal as you, and has posted a workaround.
It works, and given current hardware configurations and provided that you configure it properly, it is FAST.
I know it is light years away from an elegant OS from an academic's point of view, but I rather have XP on an Eee and be open to all the possibilities of interaction with other peripherals (oh, how our choice of words reveal one's age) than spending time tweaking linux.
Re:It's a No Brainer! :-) (Score:5, Funny)
You aren't married are you?
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Yes and? (Score:5, Interesting)
I bough the 701 4G a few months ago. My father in law liked it so much, and after hearing the price, ordered two for his kids: 4yo and 12yo. (Kids from his second wife: I'm not married to a 4yo or 12yo).
Anyway, I'm surprised to hear the geeks take the XP version. I'm actually quite happy with the default Xandros install. It even has perl, ruby and python for crying out loud!
Year Of the Linux Desktop (Score:5, Interesting)
I guess that instead of the year of the linux desktop we should be celebrating the year of the linux laptop
Funny, Considering the fact that Linux + laptops used to be one of the biggest headaches in the world.
ZDNet confirms it... (Score:5, Funny)
2008 will be the year of XP on the desktop!
Er, laptop. whatever.
Sounds reasonable (Score:5, Insightful)
I've never bought a copy of linux.
Or windows, for that matter.
_>
Browsing and Mail (Score:5, Insightful)
In many cases a more technical person has to have a Windows OS, either because they have to test against it, or they code in Visual Studio, or run some XP only app.
The prevailing mindset is that it is better to run the same OS at home as at work, if, for no other reason, the work software can be often be used at home as well. But with all the free and cheap software, and with the often extreme difficulty of keeping a MS Windows machine running, it is no longer a sure bet to run MS Windows at home. Many people are realizing that MS Windows is targeted to the corporate user, and requires corporate resources for the average person to use.
*nix, OTOH, if it is kept simple, and has some vendor support, can be run by the average person.
Re:Browsing and Mail (Score:5, Insightful)
In my family, my mom does just fine on Ubuntu. She checks e-mail, browses the web, writes documents, etc. Occasionally she'll say "Do you know of a program that will let me ...", and I'll install it for her and show her how to use it. That's how it worked on Windows, that's how it works on Linux.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, I want complete control of my system. I want to be able control exactly what services run. I want to script specific events to happen at specific times. If the mood strikes me, I want to modify a program to better suit my needs. I have the knowledge and ability to do this, and Linux fits the bill far better than Windows.
In the middle, there's my dad. He got me my first computer when I was three. He has some exclusively Windows software that he needs for work, and they won't run under Wine. He'll frequently go out and download or buy a software package and install it himself. The expectations he has of his computer were defined by Microsoft going back as far as DOS. He's a quite competent computer user, but I suspect he'd have problems adapting to the differences presented by Ubuntu.
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Games (Score:5, Insightful)
Geeks play games that run under XP. Housewives (househusbands, most of the rest of the universe) don't play games often, and when they do, they're browser-based or included in the OS.
Nothing to see here.
Get back in the kitchen! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:or course (Score:5, Funny)
Yep. Because obviously somebody can't like or buy ANYTHING big/fast/cool these days without it being to make up for "inadequacies".
Do you do the reverse? I know I don't look at the guy pulling out of the shoebox apartment (old Pentium 75 visible through the windows) in a rusted out Geo Metro and think "Man, I bet he's hung.".
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Re:or course (Score:5, Funny)
Cheer up, young fellow, and read A Nerd's Guide to Getting Laid [slashdot.org].
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Re:Different reason (Score:5, Informative)
The geeks are buying the XP version to install their own flavor of Linux as a dual-boot?
Then they are stupid geeks. The Windows version has a smaller disk, so it makes more sense to buy the Linux version.
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MMmmmm... Housewives!! (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:MMmmmm... Housewives!! (Score:5, Funny)
I think we may have spawned a whole new genre of geeky pr0n. Personally I'll wait for "I_banged_my_friends_sister_while_she_recompiled_her_kernel.mpg".
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Re:MMmmmm... Housewives!! (Score:5, Funny)
MMM.. Milfs on linux.. I think we may have spawned a whole new genre of geeky pr0n. Personally I'll wait for "I_banged_my_friends_sister_while_she_recompiled_her_kernel.mpg". :)
I recompiled your mom's kernel! Oh, and I have root access to your sister. BAM!
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Re:MMmmmm... Housewives!! (Score:5, Funny)
you forgot about finger and mount
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Re:MMmmmm... Housewives!! (Score:5, Funny)
Tad bit nuts, or the inventor of a filesystem with a russian bride. (Too soon?)
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Insightful)
No no, this makes perfect sense.
Housewives don't play video games and download a bajillion "utilities". Geeks do.
Housewives want to browse the web and use e-mail, and have a stable safe system.
Geeks love the chaos and security challenges that is posed by Windows.
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Insightful)
I have been living this reality for awhile now. My parents and grandparents use Ubuntu (I forced/tricked it onto them), and are getting along just fine. When it comes to basic computer use, Linux has been ready for the Desktop for about a two years. I myself cannot stand using it, since all the weird apps I use only work with Windows. I like Linux, but it is the applications that are important, not the operating system.
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Informative)
Internal 4GB SSD based Hard Drive
Intel 900Mhz Mobile ULV 512MB DDR2 Memory
Intel 910GML Chipset
7" LCD screen with 800x480 pixels resolution
10/100 LAN WiFi b/g
Built-in 300k pixel webcam
Built-in stereo speaker and microphone
Interfaces include SD card slot, 3x USB 2.0, Mic and Headphone Jack, VGA Out
Ultimate Speed - 10 Sec Bootup, 5 Sec Shutdown
Windows XP compatible
Optional USB Based External Optical Drive
Optional Carry Case
3 hours of battery life
Measures (WxHxD) 225 x 21-35 x 165 mm
Weighs 890g
Who is "video games and download a bajillion 'utilities'", geek or housewife? That is unless your talking about games from 1998.
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Informative)
the Windows version is cheaper, or so I've heard.
You heard *very* wrong.
When comparing identical hardware, the Windows version is much more expensive. When you look at the model numbers, the Linux and Windows versions are the same price, but the Linux version comes with a much larger SSD.
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Informative)
The last thing they want to do is wait for Windows to load, defrag for an hour, update the antivirus, and then start using facebook...
Ugh, tell me about it. We had to buy a Vista laptop for my wife to run a medical practice management app, and it's a dual-core system with 2GB of memory. By all accounts it's a fast computer, but by the time Vista finishes booting, all of the "update me!" dialogs have been clicked, and it's actually ready to use, she's cussing at the thing.
By contrast, my Eee PC 4G goes from powered-off to using Firefox in under 30 seconds. It actually ships with an antivirus app if you must have that weekly display of pointlessness, but it doesn't run by default. What's not to like about a system that's infinitely more usable than the much faster, more expensive computer sitting next to it?
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:BLASPHEMY! (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:hmm (Score:5, Funny)
uh... you're supposed to get a Mac if you want to feel like an elitist-asshole... duh. Preferably a Macbook Air with solid state drive... $5000 or so... then install Linux on it.
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