It is very apparent that you have not done a Red Hat installation
recently. It is considerably simpler than a Windows installation.
I agree that it is more comprehensive than Windows; it is also more
reliable. I agree that Staroffice is not like Office, but neither is
Works, Lotus <whatever it is called>, but they are still installed as
default applications on "off the shelf" systems.
At least Staroffice _is_ available for both Windows and Linux, and is
compatible on both platforms.
--
Howard. LANNet Computing Associates <http://lannetlinux.com>
_____________________________________________________________
"We needn't, as socialists, get too concerned about privacy;
it's a bourgeois right, closely allied to the right to private property".
- Former Federal Health Minister Neal Blewett,
addressing the Fabian Society in 1988 in relation to the Australia Card issue.
On Tue, 17 Jul 2001, Robin Whittle wrote:
> Surely this is some kind of joke.
>
> The average user needs exactly the same computing environment as other
> average users, whatever its strengths and weaknesses.
>
> > "EverythingLinux, an online Linux store, announced today that it will
> > donate Red Hat Linux and Sun's StarOffice CDs to PC charities upon
> > request.
>
> Who at a charity has what it takes to negotiate the RedHat package
> selection inquisition, let alone read installation manuals, create boot
> floppies and partition hard drives? What are they going to tell the
> recipient when they get thrown into vi, and have no idea at all what is
> happening?
>
> :q!(enter)
>
> Why won't it read a floppy disc? Can I play Windows/MS-DOS games on
> it? I can't eject the CD. How can I install my latest inkjet printer,
> or scanner? The horror!
>
> Maybe one day open source desktop software will become easier to use and
> close enough to the mainstream experience to be interchangeable.
> Star-Office and Gnome/KDE are a step in that direction. But a charity
> operation is going to be giving computers to people who want their
> computer to be a helpful, familiar tool immediately. They don't want to
> be on any more of a learning curve than possible, and they certainly
> need to be compatible with the computing environments of all their
> friends, schools and workplaces.
>
>
> - Robin
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.1 : Tue Jul 31 2001 - 03:10:04 EST