Why do people insist on using the “Granny test” when arguing if Linux is ” desktop ready”. I’m not refering to any particular piece of writing or site but I have to say I find the notion a little bizzare.
The PC as it stands is not a microwave, tv or other household appliance. Maybe in the future it’ll be seen like that but currently it’s not and that’s important. Firmware doesn’t get upgraded on household appliances and they generally have a single basic use unlike a PC. Has anyone in a marketing dept ever said “Take some of these buttons off the remote otherwise it’ll confuse grannies and aunts”? Didn’t think so. Hell, I use Linux, PHP, ASP and built my own machine. Can I manually program the video recorder? Can I fuck!
Some Linux distros can be difficult to install but then so can Windows. No, really. You give someone new to computing a Windows cd and tell them to install it. It should be easy but they won’t be able to do it alone because they’ve never done it before and will need reasurance. The obvious point here is that they don’t need to learn how because most new Pc’s come with Windows pre-installed. Granny will certainly never need to learn how to install Windows will she?
Unified Desktop? You show me any electrical equipment that has the same looking buttons in the same place across different models let alone makes. Granny uses something until it breaks down so she buys a new one. Are you telling me she’ll never use it because the buttons are different? No, she’ll adapt like the rest of us. If granny has never used a PC then she has no preconceptions otherwise use Gnome or KDE if she’s more comfortable with “bar” styles. There are ways to hide all that “confusing” text at startup as well.
There will never be a bell that goes off that says “Ding! Linux is desktop ready”. It’s the general public who’ll decide if it’s ready. We’ll only realise it after the event. Getting it onto machines that people will buy is the problem here not how they use it.
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