Re: January meeting

[Craig@currantbun <nospam [at] currantbun.com>]

In reply to Richard and Robert, firstly. I would just like to mention that
the points I put forward were not necessarily my own viewpoints, but ideas
to induce some thoughtful discussion. That seems to have worked! Onto
replying to the replies...

> how about this for a small topic for discussion... How useful can
> Linux be, compared with Windoze, in an Office environment?
>

I've been using Star Office for more than a year and it's completely

compatible with MS Office.

I completely agree! I use StarOffice for pretty much all my college
work, because I know that when I bring home a Word document, it will work.
Also, having extensively used both the Linux and Windows versions, I can
honestly say that the Linux version is faster, more stable, and strangely
more complete than the Windows version.

> 2) Ease of use. Many people who I work with still only know as
> much as is absolutely necessary to run their PC's. To do something
> other than use a pre-configured spreadsheet or database, or type
> up anything other than the simplest document, they're stuck. Let's
> face it, EVERYONE who uses IT knows how to use Word, at least as
> far as to type a memo.
>

Star Office isn't much different from MS Windows stuff :-)

Again, agreed. However, when using Linux on my work PC one day, an
office staff member walked past to see StarOffice5.0, with KDE behind it.
When she asked what it was, and I told her, she said 'Oh, dear. We aren't
all going to have that are we? I can't even do Microsoft properly.'. My
point is, the issue is not ease of use as such, but a difference to what
people are used to which instills fear into their hearts, Don't ask me
explain why, I don't know either!

> a new operating system's methods, my job would be absolute murder
> (not least due to only two other people in the company, to my
> knowledge, even having a working knowledge of Un*x.)
>

All you have to do is teach them how to login with a graphical
login. The rest of it is point and click as well.

See points above. Also, people see something happening which they don't
expect as an error. If they move the cursor down and a 'K' appears, or they
click a different desktop and all the work disappears from the screen, panic
sets in. Again, individually not complex things to explain, but irrational
office types (at least where I work) panic because the printer takes 10
seconds longer than usual to print a document.

> 4) Speed of deployment. Put simply, build a PC, install Win95, and
> be on the network with Office97 and full network printer support
> in 3 hours.

What were you doing for the other two hours Craig ?

Finding missing components, wrestling with incompatible drivers,
attempting to log onto a flaky NT server, etc...

However, teaching a co-worker the most basic of
> commands (ls,cd,mkdir and the like) took more time than I'd like.
> Although this is not that far removed from MS-DOS commands, the
> fear factor prevents many people seeing how elegantly simply the
> whole thing fits together.
>

Why does anyone need to understand mkdir, cd etc ?? No one needs to
know that sort of stuff other than the system admin. You can just
blank off the terminal window from the average office worker and
they'll think that they are using MS Windows.

Not the tech support dept. :-)

> Just a thought, anyway, to get the old ball rolling!

Hopefully you'll come over to Blackwell's on Saturday ?

try keeping me away!

Anyway, Robert:
I know what you mean about the manager! Seen it far too many times!!

Good point about deployment. Again, I already think that, but many
people don't. Also, Windows doesn't work necessarily on identical machines,
so just duplicating installs hardly ever works in my experience.

I will send you the airplane thingumy when I get back online
(borrowed PC for the moment). Should be Wednesday.

Thankyou all for the comments! Keep 'em coming, if you like. Or save
them 'til Saturday. Whichever.

Craig

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