Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2002 08:07:42 -0700 From: Nathan Kinkade <nkinkade@dsl-only.net> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Windows as opposed to Other OS's Message-ID: <20020914080742.753eb018.nkinkade@dsl-only.net> In-Reply-To: <00ff01c25bc8$004c1c50$0a00000a@atkielski.com> References: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0209112012550.1224-100000@janeway.vonbek.dhs.org> <007301c25b88$b9083d40$32040101@hume> <00ff01c25bc8$004c1c50$0a00000a@atkielski.com>
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On Sat, 14 Sep 2002 10:23:27 +0200 "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@freebie.atkielski.com> wrote: > Charles writes: > > > ... at that point my interest in computers > > went from purely play to actually wanting to > > understand them. [snip] > However, the best choice is Windows, and that is not > changing. Nobody outside the community of geeks uses anything else. > > > So, what it comes down to is: Use whatever > > you are most comfortable with, no matter what > > anyone else tells you. > > Yes. What the geeks never seem to understand, though, is that > everyone else is comfortable with Windows (except for a handful who > prefer the Mac). At this point, I think one of the big reasons that everyone seems to be using Windows has much to do with awareness. I believe most average users are not even aware that there are viable alternatives to Windows and Mac. Case in point: I've been nominated for an "Information Technology" Peace Corps assignment in Belize leaving June 2003. I'm excited about the opportunity. However, a few weeks ago, as I reflected on the position, I realized I might relegated to simply teaching people how to use Windows. For reasons that most people on this list will understand, I was quite troubled with this notion; so much so, that I called the Peace Corps placement officer and expressed my concerns. She put me on hold for a few minutes, and upon returning asked, "Well, what other OSs are there other than Mac?" Similarly, I have a friend who is currently working toward a PhD in environmental education. As a scientist, she spends a good deal of time on a computer. A few nights ago while speaking with her about how she uses computers in her job, it became apparent that neither did she know that there were really viable alternatives to Windows and Mac. I explained a few things to her, and now she is willing/ready for me to set up PC to dual-boot Windows/FreeBSD. She openly questioned that if she, an educated person in the sciences, was only marginally aware of something called Linux, how much less will most people be aware of alternatives? Regarding your comment, "...the best choice is Windows, and that is not changing." While it may be true that a majority of people are using Windows, I do not believe that it is always the right choice. Neither do I believe that the status quo is not changing. Further, on your comment, "What the geeks never seem to understand, though, is that everyone else is comfortable with Windows." Again, this may only be true due to a lack of awareness. I think that most people could easily become comfortable with, for example, a FreeBSD/KDE system that is properly configured. If your rebuttal be that most people could never configure/maintain the system, I'll say that even most Windows users probably don't know how to do even basic configuration and maintenance on their PC. I've had a few desktop support related jobs in the past and I can tell you that even people who use Windows every single day for years on end often have no clue how to configure the system. They simply know how to open their applications, start/stop the machine, and create shortcuts, among other trivialities. Such people could just as easily be taught how to perform the same actions in, say, KDE or Gnome. Nathan To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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