[ale] Simple Desktop Distro for Remote Windows user

[BruceG]

Hey all,

	Thanks for the recommendations on a laptop. I ordered a Dell Latitude laptop 
from Dell Financial Services off e-bay. Should be getting it in a day or two. 
It's not the newest and fastest (650Mhz PIII, 256Mb memory) - but should be 
just fine for someone doing basic desktop work. Heck, it's faster than my old 
Gateway PII desktop!

	It will be for my sister. Read 47 years old, not terribly computer literate, 
but can find her way around a Windows PC and use a word processor. So - my 
idea is to make sure it is running KDE. That is very simple and 
straight-forward. Also - install the current version of OpenOffice. The older 
1.0 release series starts very slowly. The newer 1.1RC series uses a 
quick-start, and is much faster in loading. Unfortunately, the OOo user 
e-mail list is VERY busy, and would probably be painful for a dial-up user. 
So she'd need a manual.

	If you were setting up a laptop for basic office applications, and then would 
support it remotely over the phone (she lives near Pittsburgh PA - so I won't 
be running over when things break) - where would you start? I don't think she 
could keep up with the Red Hat subscription due to very limited finances - so 
RH is out. That leaves Mandrake, SuSE and Debian on the short list.

	I like the manual/user guide that comes with SuSE Personal 8.2. It is simple 
to read and follow. Mandrake 9.1 off the shelfs is CD only (so I'd just 
install from ISOs I already burned). I don't know the lead time in ordering a 
Mandrake 9.1 user guide - but would think it would be a few weeks. I know 
Mandrake is very easy to use, but have burned myself a few times mucking 
around there. I'd hate to have to fix it remotely, as I lost my temper and 
simply formatted my hard drive a few times after hacking things.

	If I opted for Debian, I'd "cheat" and do the Knoppix route - and then 
install Knoppix to hard drive. My concern is the lack of printed manuals at 
bookstores for a current Debian install. Maybe I could search for an online 
user's guide and just print it out - or have Kinko's print and bind it.

	Also - dialup. I've been checking ISP's that have a POP in her town. I'll 
need to do a 6 month or 1 year pre-pay and configure and test it. I've had 
good success with AT&T in several areas - but don't know if I want to pop for 
it. Also tried MindSpring (now Earthlink, right?) and BellSouth (ain't gonna 
happen in PA). Have you guys had good success with lower priced ISPs and 
unlimited access?

	Also - do you know of an active LUG in the Pittsburgh area? I'll search 
around - but that might help her out on occasion. Sorry for thinking aloud on 
the list. Just trying to get my ducks in a row.
Bruce