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Mom would have no problem moving to Linux

I can?t tell you how your mother would do but I can tell you how my 80+ year old aunt and uncle faired when I switched them over to Linux two years ago; no problem.

When my aunt and uncle originally called about two years ago and said that they wanted to get a computer to surf the web and do email to keep in touch with the grand kids and friends I originally advised them to purchase an Apple. For them a computer was a commodity to get a job done, they had no desire to acquire the knowledge and skill needed to maintain a Windows machine. They were looking for brand name machine, an off the shelve solution with a warranty and online help. I didn?t consider Linux a good solution for them.

Instead of taking my advice and purchasing an Apple they listened to their friends at the local senior center who were using Window machines and bought a Dell.

The problem with Windows (XP-Home) is you have to perform routine maintenance like renewing the anti-virus program when the trial period is over or downloading, updating, and running anti-spyware utilities on a weekly basis. Something my aunt and uncle didn?t have the discipline to do. As a result they had a dead computer every 4 to 6 months like clock work. Frankly I got tired of fixing the machine so after the third crash I loaded Linux (Mandrake) and they haven?t had a problem since.

With rudimentary computer skills it doesn?t make a difference what OS you use; they all represent a steep learning curve. In the case of my aunt and uncle they didn?t have a history of using Windows so moving them to Linux was fairly easy. Now that they aren't fighting the OS anymore they are getting more and more proficient using the computer and are enjoying it more and more and I no longer dread getting a phone call from them.

Posted by: mhuddy   Posted on: 08/08/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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