Pre-built linux systems

NicNac

NicNac

NicNac

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I know a few bigger companies are starting to offer these machines I'm not aware of how much the sell for. To me personally I think they are a great idea, If priced right they could be a great way for someone without huge masses of cash to get onto the internet, use for writing documents etc I guess what I'm getting at is would you recomend to someone who is new to computing and at what price would they need to be so that it makes sense to pick one of these linux machines as apposed to a modern computer running whatever operating systen microsoft has out.:p
 
Yer, its a very good idea :) Look at how well the Asus Eee's have done, Microsoft have now come back with cheap licenses for these small systems though so im not sure it will last :p

But pre-built linux desktops are a great idea as well, i think dell offer ubuntu as a choice now don't they? Hopefully it will get stronger and stronger in the coming years as 'noob usability' forever increases :) At this point though, to someone who is new to computers im not sure i would recommend linux as imo it still isnt quite ready for that target audience yet.
 
yeah I know what you mean about new people to linux, I guess once you have used it for a while its hard to understand why people find it so difficult. I suppose though if you made the desktop or wm easy enough to use/understand it would make life easier. you could however access the system remotely via ssh or whatever and possibly sort out any problems. I suppose if you had the cash you could make it work
 
Dell does indeed offer Ubuntu on some of its machines. The new subnotebook, billed the mini-Inspron, will offer XP and Hardy as options.

Having Linux pre-installed on a machine, especially laptops with their persnickety wireless cards, guarantees that the manufacturer is thinking about whether the hardware included will work with Linux, great for us, and also it raises the profile of Linux as an alternative to Microsoft's offerings.
 
tntcoder said:
But pre-built linux desktops are a great idea as well, i think dell offer ubuntu as a choice now don't they? Hopefully it will get stronger and stronger in the coming years as 'noob usability' forever increases :) At this point though, to someone who is new to computers im not sure i would recommend linux as imo it still isnt quite ready for that target audience yet.
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Why wouldn't Linux be ideal for a complete stranger to computers? I actually think it's easier for a complete newbie who has never used windows or linux to start with say ubuntu or mandriva. It comes with everything you need preinstalled and you don't have to search the web for programs (.exe files). The thing is just that so many people are used to working with windows and the transistion might take some time...
 
sablabra said:
Why wouldn't Linux be ideal for a complete stranger to computers? I actually think it's easier for a complete newbie who has never used windows or linux to start with say ubuntu or mandriva. It comes with everything you need preinstalled and you don't have to search the web for programs (.exe files). The thing is just that so many people are used to working with windows and the transistion might take some time...
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It depends on what you are using the computer for though I would imagine.
 
sablabra said:
Why wouldn't Linux be ideal for a complete stranger to computers? I actually think it's easier for a complete newbie who has never used windows or linux to start with say ubuntu or mandriva. It comes with everything you need preinstalled and you don't have to search the web for programs (.exe files). The thing is just that so many people are used to working with windows and the transistion might take some time...
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I suppose if you look at it that way, i.e having never touched windows or linux in your life then you could be trained/taught with either OS just as easily in theory.

But to be honest most people will have used windows before, even just for a short time and from that point on they think thats how all computers should function, 'point click and be done with it'. Now take that attitude and give them linux, and suddenly even simple tasks require a fair background knowledge, and as soon as the shell is required its a different story... and many people give up. But to be fair linux GUIs are getting better and better at removing all the behind the scenes stuff from the user, making it much more suitable for your average casual non-geek desktop user. So as long as the user didn't mind putting in the time and effort to learn new stuff and adapt, then a pre installed desktop may be the perfect solution.
 
NicNac said:
It depends on what you are using the computer for though I would imagine.
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This is, of course, the case. for most new users who just want to use email, browse eBay, chat with friends, and watch YouTube Linux is a great fit.

Support can be trickier though. If I was a new computer user and I had a problem or question I could talk to just about anybody and get help. If I have a problem with Linux it would probably be best to ask online or at a LUG, but complete newbies might not know how to use these resources. I converted a friend of mine to Linux but he'd never have made it if I wasn't around to answer questions and fix his X server occasionally. ;)
 
In fairness, though, with regards to support, that only really applies to the hopelessly clue-defficient, the sort of people who use windows help wizards and think they've got a new and unique problem because it doesn't help.

If the user has any inclination to learn how to use their machine, the documentation and community support for Linux hammer that of windows. I mean I've typed "man iexplore" a 100 times and never got a manual ;)

In terms of documentaion, I remember "proper" computers, that came with manuals that taught you stuff about them. I remember being scandalized when I bought my atari ST and the "Manual" comprised instructions on how to switch on, and format a floppy disc. I've never seen anything even THAT usesless in a box with windows.

And with forums, in most windows forums (though oddly not on ocuk), you post your problem and get 12 answers, none of which work for you. On a linux forum, you probably get 12 different answers....but all of them work.



One of the oddest arguments against Linux is "it's so hard to set up for newbies", well, it can be, but then, did the self same newbie install windows himself or have it pre-loaded?
I still find windows more annoying to install than Gentoo.....and Gentoo takes a VERRRRRRY long time to install.

This "not ready for the desktop" thing amuses me, I must have been tripping for the last 7 years, cos I could swear I've been using Linux for all desktop functions barring games and Cubase, for most of that time.

And a final thought for the day.......
"linux is not ready for the masses".
Good.
Keep it that way.
The masses sign up for AOL, click popups that tell them they've won a playstation, open attachments called britney-naked.exe, send the bank details to "dear friend, alfonso MacDermot" in Nigeria so he can give them huge sums of cash, sign up to "free unlimited broadband" for 3 years and call tech support to ask "which key is the "any" key".
Frankly I LIKE the idea that there is an operating system available that does not pander to these people, the should stick with windows, because if Linux becomes muppet-friendly and/or windows-identical, I'll have to start looking at BSD or something. ;)

PS, nothing in this, excepting the first paragraph, is aimed at anyone at all, i'm just playing penguin's advocate.
 
Nice post I agree with most of it. linux to the masses we want that it gets us drivers for stuff and a bit more support because even though lately linux and most things you buy just work out of the box it never used to be that way. I think that let the clueless people have a very basic setup, something that stops them doing too much damage. but as long as there are distros like gentoo for example then we are safe :)
 
Of course, you are right, there can be a dribble-resistant version without ruining the versions for those of us with thumbs ;)


(my bro, drunkenly, ranted at me about Ubuntu having a registry like DOS-XP or something the other night, can't really believe that.)
 
The eeepc (I own the one of the 700's) when you first switch it on it gives you a very basic gui all nice big icons but when you add some repo's and install a package it gives you a full blown kde desktop.

Maybe something like that would work?
 
Linux installed on new PC's & Laptops isn't a new thing though. I remember a few years back a distro of linux called Linspire formerly Lindows was being shipped on a lot of PC's in places like Walmart, Target & Sears in America. Unfortunately it never took off in the UK but it was a good system to work with. Looking at the site bow it looks like Linspire is being developed on Ubuntu.
 
Isn't Lindows the distro where you're automatically assigned as a root user and with no need at all for password? Sounds downright dangerous...

Btw, I converted a complete PC n00b to Ubuntu today. He had some viruses on his XP install, so I decided to install Ubuntu on his box. He's really happy with it. Way more responsive and no more viruses :D . BUT, if I didn't set it up and installed everything for him, he wouldn't have stood a chance. Although he'd struggle setting ip Windows as well...
 
+Rep 4 U

I had Mike Parker of LRG over here today buying my old 060 card. He was amazed at the progress of Ubuntu stating "Thats easily good enough now for the general masses".

This is a fresh install having replaced the naffed X700 with an XFX 8800GT.
I switched the printer on for the first time since install and Mike was impressed the way it fetched the correct driver automatically and the print quality thereafter.

SuesPC.jpg
 
The printer support in Ubuntu is also great, that is very true. I haven't come across a single printer where it's needed to install any extra driver. Just plug it in and print :) . With windows vista/xp you usually have to install a driver with the cd that comes with or search the internet for a driver.

Is that a very dodgy water cooling setup you've got there?! :D
 
Outcast said:
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what do you use that system for? seems a tad overkill to me. Unless your using it for something other than linux

I'm still using athlon xp's/pentium 4's I even have a dual pentium 3 system waiting to be worked on. Thats me though to be honest I like taking systems people think are useless and giving them a use:D
 
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