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  From: Steve Nicholls <gl1500@chariot.net.au>
  To  : <linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au>
  Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 15:21:03 +1030 (Cen. Australia Daylight Time)

Operating systems.


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I have thought about this post for some time and offer it as food for dis=
cussion.

At the outset please note I am not a "WinTroll" or other childish put dow=
n offered by some list members. =20

I love the concept behind Linux. A free open OS enables a huge diversity =
of software solutions. I dislike the closed environment of Windows, I am =
forced to do everything their way. Doesn't mean that is wrong but I like =
the idea of choice.

Probably 12 months ago I tried RH 6.0 and it took me a few goes to get ev=
erything set up but it worked and I enjoyed the experience. For whatever =
reason I lost access to the Linux partition so went back to Windows. Unde=
r RH6 I couldn't get printer access.

I did find the file structure intriguing but concede that it offers a def=
inite cure to the "teenage bedroom" syndrome offered by windows. It reall=
y is a mess.

Recently I came across the pocket book with RH and MD so fired up Partiti=
on magic and installed MD7.2 with no drama. Everything went very smoothly=
, the only thing missing is my UMAX 1220s scii card.

This is my dilemma : The GUI of KDE or Gnome is great, excellent to work =
with, the preinstalled programmes are very good but to download off the n=
et is a nightmare. I have a folder full of downloaded programmes [rpm's, =
tars etc] and with few exceptions none of them work because something is =
always missing.

if Linux is to be more than a hobby system it has to address the problem =
of people like me that have reasonable computer skills but are not intere=
sted in peeling back every layer of the Linux onion to reach the core.  L=
inux does have an excellent graphic interface and it is simple to use BUT=
 there are not enough dialog boxes to tell you what is happening, where i=
t is happening and when it is finished. Take GNORPM a fairly straightforw=
ard programme to use but doesn't tell me it has completed its task. It do=
es tell me it has failed to install because of dependency issues. The fru=
stration in downloading files only to have them fail is enough to drive p=
eople away from the OS. I have looked at Connectiva 6.0 with its APT get =
function and that may offer some help.

It seems to me that Linux needs some uniformity when it comes to basic li=
braries concerned with compressed programmes off the net.=20

I realise I cannot use Linux for my business at present because of a lack=
 of a suitable equivalent programme to Quickbooks but everything else I n=
eed is there and maybe soon Linux will have the small business issues han=
dled. If Quickbooks 7.4 was available tomorrow for Linux I would move to =
a Linux only box but as it stands it can't offer me real life computing s=
olutions for my business, and the little I know of it shows me its superi=
ority over Windows in many respects.

In conclusion: I don't want to be a command line computer user but if all=
 else fails I will dig deep if I have to.

Steve Nicholls.
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<meta name=3D"GENERATOR" content=3D"IncrediMail 1.0">
</head>

<BODY background=3D"" bgColor=3D#ffffff style=3D"BACKGROUND-POSITION: 0px=
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      <DIV>I have thought about this post for some time and offer it as f=
ood for=20
      discussion.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>At the outset please note I am not a "WinTroll" or other child=
ish put=20
      down offered by some list members.  </DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>I love the concept behind Linux. A free open OS enables a huge=
=20
      diversity of software solutions. I dislike the closed environment o=
f=20
      Windows, I am forced to do everything their way. Doesn't mean that =
is=20
      wrong but I like the idea of choice.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>Probably 12 months ago I tried RH 6.0 and it took me a few goe=
s to=20
      get everything set up but it worked and I enjoyed the experience. F=
or=20
      whatever reason I lost access to the Linux partition so went back t=
o=20
      Windows. Under RH6 I couldn't get printer access.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>I did find the file structure intriguing but concede that it o=
ffers a=20
      definite cure to the "teenage bedroom" syndrome offered by windows.=
 It=20
      really is a mess.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>Recently I came across the pocket book with RH and MD so fired=
 up=20
      Partition magic and installed MD7.2 with no drama. Everything went =
very=20
      smoothly, the only thing missing is my UMAX 1220s scii card.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>This is my dilemma : The GUI of KDE or Gnome is great, excelle=
nt to=20
      work with, the preinstalled programmes are very good but to downloa=
d off=20
      the net is a nightmare. I have a folder full of downloaded programm=
es=20
      [rpm's, tars etc] and with few exceptions none of them work because=
=20
      something is always missing.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>if Linux is to be more than a hobby system it has to address t=
he=20
      problem of people like me that have reasonable computer skills but =
are not=20
      interested in peeling back every layer of the Linux onion to reach =
the=20
      core.  Linux does have an excellent graphic interface and it i=
s=20
      simple to use BUT there are not enough dialog boxes to tell you wha=
t is=20
      happening, where it is happening and when it is finished. Take GNOR=
PM a=20
      fairly straightforward programme to use but doesn't tell me it has=20
      completed its task. It does tell me it has failed to install becaus=
e of=20
      dependency issues. The frustration in downloading files only to hav=
e them=20
      fail is enough to drive people away from the OS. I have looked at=20
      Connectiva 6.0 with its APT get function and that may offer some=20
      help.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>It seems to me that Linux needs some uniformity when it comes =
to=20
      basic libraries concerned with compressed programmes off the net. <=
/DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>I realise I cannot use Linux for my business at present becaus=
e of a=20
      lack of a suitable equivalent programme to Quickbooks but everythin=
g else=20
      I need is there and maybe soon Linux will have the small business i=
ssues=20
      handled. If Quickbooks 7.4 was available tomorrow for Linux I would=
 move=20
      to a Linux only box but as it stands it can't offer me real life co=
mputing=20
      solutions for my business, and the little I know of it shows me its=
=20
      superiority over Windows in many respects.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>In conclusion: I don't want to be a command line computer user=
 but if=20
      all else fails I will dig deep if I have to.</DIV>
      <DIV> </DIV>
      <DIV>Steve Nicholls.</DIV></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD id=3DINCREDIFOOTER width=3D"100%">
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=09</TR>
=09</TBODY>
=09</TABLE>
</TD>
</TR>
</TBODY>
</TABLE><SPAN=20
id=3DIncrediStamp>
<P align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"=20
size=3D2>__________________________________________________<BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2><I>IncrediMail</I> - <B>Email has finally=
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evolved</B> - </FONT><A href=3D"http://www.incredimail.com/imstamp26.html=
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face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3><B><U>Click=20
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