[ale] ALE NW meeting was a success?

[Matthew Magee]

On Friday 26 March 2004 09:56 am, Geoffrey wrote:
> Matthew Magee wrote:
> > I think that we would have been better served by doing the installs
> > before the meeting.  All three of those distros are designed to be
> > very easy to install, and one could expect that any difficulty would
> > be due to a glitch rather than an inherent design flaw in the install
> > process.  With all the machines up and running, there would be a
> > decent amount of time to compare/contrast the distros.
>
> But the one of the main points was to see how true they were to their
> 'easy to install' claim.  Xandros, for example, initially proved to be a
> challenge for Ray, who is quite experienced with various flavors of Linux.

If I remember correctly, that was due to the specific model of CD drive 
installed in those boxes.  If that is the case, then the vast majority of 
machines would not have the same problem.  Since these odd problems occur 
with any OS, even Windows, I kinda just factor them out of the comparison.  
That info could have been presented even if a pre-meeting install was done.  
A recap, of sorts.

I am thinking that the most valuable information for new Linux users would be 
post-install configuration.  That's where all the trouble starts.  My angle 
on this is shaped by many discussions with users as to what they need in a 
computer.  Most are concerned with what they can make the box do after it is 
set up.  If they get a Wal-Mart box with Lindows or Mandrake, it is already 
installed, but they need to know how to be productive with it.  These 
questions are usually "How do I get it to.....?", or "why can't I....?"

I guess it boils down to time.  I am concerned that if we take the time to 
properly review the install process, we are losing time to cover post-install 
configs, like choosing apps to use, getting everything working, determining 
if the product is suitable for the task, etc.  Since I am holding the 
assumption that the majority of newbies that these distros are targeting 
would not be attempting an install, (at least not alone!) I am more focused 
on using the limited time resources on setup.  

If we want to attract new users, then we have to provide the proper context, 
otherwise they walk out and don't come back.

1.  Does Lindows handle Win emulation well?  Can I really run my Windows apps 
out of the box?

2.  What email clients are available?  Are they like OE?  That's what most 
users are familiar with.  What does each Distro use by default?

3.  how do I play music?  Videos?  Are file extensions handled well by 
default?  Imagine a Windows user not being able to click on an MPEG and just 
have it come up.  Show Stopper.  (RH 8-9)  Which one handles multimedia best?

4.  Which of the 3 acts the most like Windows XP?  I imagine a newbie would 
want this familiarity.

5.. Any obvious advantages over Windows?  Disadvantages?  Why would a newbie 
bother?  Gotta give 'em a reason.

6.  Can I change printer driver options easily prior to a print job?  This is 
really easy in Win.  It's nice to just swap from color to econo black in two 
clicks, not have to open a config app.  When the print dialog box comes up, I 
should be able to click around and change this without extra steps.

7.  CD ripping/burning.  Wow! I really don't have to buy anything extra for 
this?  Could be a BIG bonus!  (plug for K3B)
 
8.  Which distro has the most intuitive window manager?  This is how Apple 
brought 'em in!

9.  Performance. Is there a real difference?

10.  Upgrading/patching  Should be easy and reliable.  MS offers it for 
"free", how about these flavors of Linux?  People need to know this stuff.

There's my first 10.  I invite everyone to add to it, especially anyone fairly 
new to Linux, as those opinions are the most important in this case.  If we 
start now, we can have some good stuff for April.