CrunchGear

Couldn’t have said it any better myself. I think that is the real issue. People can’t take the small changes they have to make to use Linux because they don’t want to change. Until you can go buy a CD with GnuCash on it at Walmart or a book on how to use it there, then noone is going to even know it’s there.

Not enough is done to promote Linux outside of the internet. Noone besides geeks and a few parents and relatives of geeks even know what an Operating System is or Linux for that matter.

The real way to get Linux in the hands of the non geek is the insidious way….in devices like the N810, the Asus Eee PC and other embedded devices. Sneak in regular Linux stuff like Open Office and then they will say why can’t I run this on my desktop. Then someone will say oh but you can and then the ball will start to roll. Get it out there, make it simple to use (like the Eee PC) and then it will start to roll but only if there’s a non-geek ecosystem out there. Dummies books, off the shelf software (both free and non-free) and books on how to use the free software.

The great part is, geeks like us can help! We can submit books on GnuCash and other free programs if we have the knowledge to write them. Even if all we do is write a cheat sheet to lead someone through it, it can help the person who is willing to learn.

The reason stated by Walmart as to why they stopped the linux products in the store were based on profit. There is not enough profit for Walmart. (Walmart likes a minimum of 50% markup, and that was not possible).

Walmart squeezes the suppliers to get low cost in order to get the markup they need. Just do take note. Walmart is almost never the lower priced store. They win against competitors by having the largest profit margin, and by matching and rarely being a penny or two less expensive.

Oh yes, they also squeeze their employees regarding salaries.

Has anyone ever checked the Average I.Q. of someone who shops at Wal-mart? I mean really, they can barely operate a mouse, let alone Linux!

Linux has become easier and easier for new users to adapt to, IMO it is no different than Mac in the learning curve and I think what drives some users away is the shear fact that the Linux philosophy of RTFM still lives on.

I am not going to defend man pages, I think they are cumbersome and need updating badly so that people with I.Q’s less then Einstein can read and make sense of them.

I am all for the low cost PC that has Linux on it, I just don’t think that Wal-mart is the place for it. I hope to one day perform a “Average I.Q. of wal-mart Customers” in my area. I think it will make me sad to see the results, but lets face it. If you were to walk up to a Random Wal-mart customer in The United States and ask them to name ONE country that starts with a ‘U’ they would say “yugoslavia”.

What it is going to take is people building Linux PC’s for the less fortunate and helping them learn through classes and hands on experience to operate and maintain their systems. A lot of people have a hard time realizing that in Linux you can’t just browse the Internet for Crap to download on your computer! I think it is high time something like that happened. Let’s just NOT rely on Wal-mart!.

BTW, Wal-Mart is the cheapest place to buy groceries and other life needs. Here in South Florida at least. I shop at Target, they are somewhat more expensive, but the store is cleaner, and it doesn’t stress me out to shop there.

Mr. Parten,
1. I’m a devoted fan of Wal-Mart.
2. I started with Red Hat 5.0 and I now use Debian.
3. I was a dues paying member of Mensa for fifteen years.
Do you really have an I.Q. high enough to justify your insulting post?

1. Wal-Mart is probably one of the single most disgusting places to shop in America next to Winn-Dixie. Those with any class prefer Target if they NEED to shop at a large “buy-it-all-here store”
2. Wonderful, you sound like a Debian Elitist…sigh
3.That is wonderful that you were in Mensa…that impresses… no one

Actually I have never taken an IQ test. Don’t know why exactly, probably because I have a few better things to do in my life then to converse with those who believe they are grand because of their IQ.

Really? If any store ever institutes an IQ test for shoppers, you better hope it doesn’t include a spelling test. It’s ’sheer’ not ’shear’.Get spell checker cracker.

Cracker eh? Was that really the best word you could come up with?

Perhaps you should expand your vocabulary then maybe you might insult me more.

Well, if you think man pages are cumbersome, then why don’t you write some new ones? I know, why should you have too….

Linux isn’t just about the OS. It’s about community. The community can do something about it as a whole but only if we’re united.

Your right….the RTFM attitude of some in the Linux community is a huge turn off to those wanting to join in. However, learning how things work and why things are the way they are is also important. Linux will and should never try to be like Windows. That means new users who are used to windows are going to have to learn new things. The only way they will learn is if they decide they want to learn. I can’t help them do it alone. Noone can.

You have to want to help yourself too.

With that said, I do see some documentation that is lacking and if I ever get around to it, I intend to help that. I don’t know how, but someday it’s going to happen. Windows can’t live forever. DOS died at some point. Windows will also die.

That is the point of my website, however due to school and me having a complex life at this moment, I cannot devote as much time to it as I need.

We already have drafts written, they just have to be reviewed and uploaded.

Really if Linux wants to make headway, its better off being on the internet, word of mouth, etc etc etc, then ever being sold at Walmart.

I agree in the sense that the below average person that goes to WalMart 99% of the time is not even going to buy a PC. If there going to the Electronics section right now their buying a game console, a flat screen tv, or an ipod/mp3 player. Or their getting Cheetos and beer….

I dont care if its Linux, Windows or a Mac, the below average person out there who buys a computer still doesn’t have a clue on how to use it.

The other thing people seem to have missed is that Wal-Mart said they put the Linux laptop that they “field tested” into the “toy isle”. How in the world do people take a laptop seriously if it is put in the toy section? It also gives the impression that Linux, in general, is not taken seriously by Wal-Mart. Very sad to see.

Sad to hear the news.

People don’t like change, thats the reason windows remains so popular.

OSX has been gaining some market share (they remain a marginal player) because of their marketing.

It’s sad because linux has all the software you need for all your need. Most applications are on par with their commercial counterparts, some are even better (exaile, compiz fusion, …)

I think the MOST of the people do not like big changes,they like to be in the same known path, That,s why they are controled for the windows market, I have tried all known operating systems, and i like linux the best,I think it will grow big, whith the time you only have to be patient and the time will show the potential that LINUX, and other form o linux can do, It is improven very fast, and i will use it more, WINDOWS is declining and LINUX is growing.I am happy for the ones (including me) for the use of LINUX.

From My point i think its not much related to Linux of other OSs.
And is mostly about the people (market).
Just like In case case of MP3 players.
IPOD is a big hit @ US and But thats not true in case of
Eastern part of this world.
IPOD has few buttons and easy to use …. this may be good for
one region of the world.
and other Mp3s which have more customization and features suite different parts of the world.

Yea, you understand the real meaning, the people inclination to one kind of product, they test it, and if they like it, they start recommending to family members and friends, and by word of mouth,You know, Windows is very widely used in USA, And in Africa Linux is the #1 OS. In Europe the race is i think Even. The more you Know, the better you are, if you are informed, you see the BIG picture of the subject. (about OS linux has around 112 diferents variations of distros,i said the newest, Windows vista around 4, thats the diference.) only for information

http://appdb.winehq.org/appimage.php?iId=11394

thats quicken running on Linux, what everyone has missed here is that Wine which lets you run most windows apps (including Internet explorer) … has quietly made serious advances in running legacy applications and with .net and Mono (the linux version of .net ) all windows apps will run seamlessly on Linux within the next 2 years. Apple can’t say that… and neither can MS :)

@ Richard:
Wine has been ported to OSX many years ago.

Also, let no one forget that after some 12 years WINE is finally onto Version 1.0! Interoperability has always been something that Linux strives for;however, there are some things that will just not work i.e printers, video cards etc.

best buy for business has more ASUS surfs..

http://www.bbfb.com

http://www.bestbuybusiness.com/bbfb/en/US/adirect/bestbuy;jsessionid=E0F9B25F825D7D951A8FD70217BFB0EA.bstby1?matchKeyword=true&cmd=catSearchFrame&showAdvSearch=false&invokeSearch=true&startNewSearch=true&gotoAdvSearch=false&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuybusiness.com%2Fbbfb%2Fen%2FUS%2Fadirect%2Fbestbuy%3Bjsessionid%3DE0F9B25F825D7D951A8FD70217BFB0EA.bstby1&returnTarget=_self&doORSearch=false&matchPrimaryKeyword=true&matchKeywordDict=true&includeSuperseded=true&search=&OP=&searchType=&term=&categoryPath=&categoryIDs=&domProductQueryName=surf&by_category=

Installing Firefox in Windows:
Download Firefox from Mozilla.com to your desktop.
Click on the Firefox Icon.

Installing Firefox in ubuntu (from ubuntugeek.com):
sudo apt-get install libstdc++5
download firefox 3.0b2 from here
Now you have firefox-3.0b2.tar.bz2 file
Unzip the .tar.bz2 file in /opt directory using the following command
sudo tar -C /opt -jxvf firefox-3.0b2.tar.bz2
Now you need to link the plugins using the following command
cd /opt/firefox/plugins/
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/mozilla-firefox/plugins/* .
Now you need to create a link to your new firefox launcher using the following command
sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/firefox
sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox
sudo dpkg-divert –divert /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox.ubuntu –rename /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox
sudo ln -s /opt/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/mozilla-firefox

And that’s why Linux is for masochists.

Welcome to the world of package management. Very rarely do you need to do that to install something like Firefox because most respectable distros have it in their repositories for their package management systems.

Only those who want the bleeding edge crap need to perform such mundane tasks as this. 10+ years ago you HAD to do this; however, Linux is matured and finally a OS worth using for the desktop.

Or you could be some hardcore Debian user who wants total control over their system (or gentoo for that matter) and refuse to use packages and compile everything.

I don’t think Linux users get their pleasure from doing things that hard way, they are pleased knowing their systems inside and out and no restrictions! Unless you want to buy garbage hardware you will almost never run into problems with using Linux. As for software, as long as you only use trusted software from trusted sources (Linux philosophy) you will never have a problem there (so as long as you don’t try to be ‘cool’ and want to use bleeding edge “cooker” because it makes your internet penis look bigger).