My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done • Hacker News Board

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#61

Post by marcloney » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:37 AM UTC

DSMan195276 wrote: post #25

nmridul wrote: post #3

The same experience here. My parents also use Ubuntu now (firefox, Libre office). The main issue with Linux is, some one needs to install and setup everything for them. Finding and installing that missing wifi driver is not something that they can do. Windows installation is breeze, just pop-in the disk and it will install everything for you. Hope pre-installed ubuntu systems get common.

Honestly, I've had better luck installing Ubuntu or Mint then I ever have with Windows. Assuming that a Linux driver exists, the only case I've ever seen a driver not get used automatically is with proprietary drivers. Even then, it's usually just one more click on a GUI that tells you which ones were not used. For Windows, at best everything is working except for graphics. Even then though, the drivers are usually n…

I recently bought a new laptop and dual boot Windows 8 and Ubuntu 13.04. It took me 3 hours to get all the drivers working in Windows whilst the only issue I had with Ubuntu was the fact my video card drivers (ofcourse, Nvidia) were going to be proprietary.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#62

Post by jdefr89 » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:38 AM UTC

arbuge wrote: post #39

This is one way to look at it. Here's another: I have Ubuntu on a couple of machines at home and still can't get them to talk to my Brother MFC-685CW printer. I'm a PhD in EECS.

Another way to look at it is.. So is my professor and he can't tell the difference between when he is on Windows or on a UNIX machine.. :-\

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#63

Post by marcloney » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:40 AM UTC

This is a fantastic anecodote and after the year we've had I'm finding the challenges people are having from entering Linux are becoming less and less.

Earlier today I marvelled at running a game through Steam whilst listening to streaming music through Spotify whilst being able to switch window into bash.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#64

Post by trentmb » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:45 AM UTC

I tried making my parents use *nix. It didn't go over well. My worthless anecdote counters yours.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#65

Post by broodbucket » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:47 AM UTC

rpgmaker wrote: post #54

I use Linux and I find this post sad actually. It's 2013 and Linux users are still insecure enough about the OS to gush about someone using the OS for something productive? Isn't that what all of us have been doing all this time?

Yes, us. People on Hacker News are either professionals in some technical industry or enthusiasts, for the most part (I'd imagine). On the other hand, if someone who isn't tech savvy can use it over another system that they've been trained to use for many years, then that's significant.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#66

Post by jacknews » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:48 AM UTC

"I was pretty much floored."

Indeed, because old people are all idiots. Honestly, for the basic tasks, the major OS's are as easy as each other these days.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#67

Post by _qhtn » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 2:50 AM UTC

wting wrote: post #21

Both my parents are 60+. My mom is perfectly fine using Ubuntu on my old x61 for email, browsing, and YouTube. To be fair she could probably replace it with a tablet if it weren't for the fact that she visits a lot of flash sites (Chinese TV streaming sites). Likewise my dad is on another Ubuntu machine at home. His work needs access to some software / printers that can't be run via Wine so he's stuck with Windows th…

Your brother is 25 and has shit to do. I'm sure that once he's old and retired he'll be glad to have learning a new system to take up his time.

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#68

Post by itsboring » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 3:00 AM UTC

SylonZero wrote: post #53

The time for MS and Windows is passing. I guarantee it.

Man, I hope so.(speaking as someone who worked at msft for 2 years)

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#69

Post by mataug » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 3:11 AM UTC

wting wrote: post #21

Both my parents are 60+. My mom is perfectly fine using Ubuntu on my old x61 for email, browsing, and YouTube. To be fair she could probably replace it with a tablet if it weren't for the fact that she visits a lot of flash sites (Chinese TV streaming sites). Likewise my dad is on another Ubuntu machine at home. His work needs access to some software / printers that can't be run via Wine so he's stuck with Windows th…

My mom 50+, No technical knowledge, uses ubuntu for email, youtube, and general browsing, and occasionally makes presentations.

My colleagues at work, Programmers, aren't able to get out of Windows, even though they are just writing python. They would rather stick with the pain of having to use git in a crappy console, and suffer loads of pain when shell-ing into ec2 linux boxes, Than learn a new UI and file-system

Re: My dad unexpectedly uses my Linux laptop to get real work done

#70

Post by weslly » Sun, Oct 27, 2013, 3:16 AM UTC

Same thing with my mum. I installed Ubuntu on her slightly old laptop a couple of years ago and when she bought a new computer she asked me to replace Windows 8 (which she found pretty confusing) with Ubuntu again.