Two new elderly people converted to linux

B00nie

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Today I installed Ubuntu linuxes on both my mother- and father in law. They were enthusiastic to try the new OS and loved the wobbly windows animations of the Compiz.

So now my mother, mother in law and father in law all use linux at 70+ lol.
 
thought about putting some of the relatives I tech support for on Mint, but for now Windows 7 with the slimy Windows 10 nags blocked is working out. If that changes and Microsoft gets desperate and tries auto installing Windows 10 or tricking people into it as an "important update" then it'll be Linux time.
 
thought about putting some of the relatives I tech support for on Mint, but for now Windows 7 with the slimy Windows 10 nags blocked is working out. If that changes and Microsoft gets desperate and tries auto installing Windows 10 or tricking people into it as an "important update" then it'll be Linux time.

The other my in-laws was on Win7 ultimate and the other 8.1 home. Prior had 47 different malwares and the latter 68. Both machines were running antiviruses (Panda, Avast) with superantispyware and the latter had the funny joke called 'secure boot' active.

Judging from prior experience they'll use linux problem and malware free from now on. I won't miss fixing windows problems and malware at all.
 
The other my in-laws was on Win7 ultimate and the other 8.1 home. Prior had 47 different malwares and the latter 68. Both machines were running antiviruses (Panda, Avast) with superantispyware and the latter had the funny joke called 'secure boot' active.

Judging from prior experience they'll use linux problem and malware free from now on. I won't miss fixing windows problems and malware at all.

Secure boot really has nothing do with preventing common malware (more insidious corporate/government espionage type stuff sure, but that's not the stuff you see). Its to ensure the boot process isn't hijacked, it doesn't change the fact the people can install crap that starts after the pc starts.

And pretty much anyone can learn to use a browser in linux, not that hard. Get back to us when you really want to be productive in linux and tell us how well you do...
 
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I can't stand linux for the desktop use. I work as a contractor for IBM, and they have all thinkpads now run Redhat. Its a bloated mess, they only provide you with 4GB of RAM.

I have to support network switches for clients, that require windows to access their networks. So we have to run virtual windows. And it runs awefully slow.

Its really stupid what IBM has done.
 
My mom worked for AT&T for years and late in her career she was doing some NOC type work with networks and taking Cisco classes and the whole thing. It was pretty awesome. She -hated- anything *nix. She really had to have Windows, and she had enough understanding of malware of the time that it was never a problem. She was literally the old lady on the Hallmark cards, but she also owned and played Unreal Tournament. Ya know, cuz she was my mom.

But I can imagine an older person, since hey, home computers in general have not existed for a significant portion of their lives, that if the screen looks a little different but they still click on icons and can still email their grandkids at college, that it's all the same to them. The email/browser experience is fairly universal whatever OS you're in.
 
So, if they choose to go back to Windows, will you do that for them? Will you come and let us know by shouting it off the rooftops like you did just now? Well, as long as they are enjoying the usage of their computers, more power to them.
 
So, if they choose to go back to Windows, will you do that for them? Will you come and let us know by shouting it off the rooftops like you did just now? Well, as long as they are enjoying the usage of their computers, more power to them.

I naturally made the computers dual boot. They have the option to use either one but once they saw all the free stuff linux offered them I doubt they'll be going back to windows. Automatic music/photo organizing etc. was a real positive surprise for example. And productivity? Yesterday I spent 5 minutes showing Openoffice to a die-hard Office user who just a couple years back swore he'll never use a computer that doesn't have MS Office. Guess what? He's using now Libreoffice just happy.

Their windowses were literally full of ad/malware, popups and galore. They won't be going back. Linux gives them faster, safer and more visually stunning user experience.
 
I can't stand linux for the desktop use. I work as a contractor for IBM, and they have all thinkpads now run Redhat. Its a bloated mess, they only provide you with 4GB of RAM.

I have to support network switches for clients, that require windows to access their networks. So we have to run virtual windows. And it runs awefully slow.

Its really stupid what IBM has done.

You do realize that linux is open source and pretty much infinitely modifiable? 4Gb is more than enough for a linux box. 512Kb will actually do.

You can't blame linux for having a stupid implementation. All their networking configuration stuff would probably have worked using wine instead for example. Or considering a lot of their gear use linux internally anyway they probably could have just recoded their stuff natively to linux.

Having virtualized windows has a lot of benefits. First of all you're not limited to a single OS environment - you can use best of both worlds. The ability to use built in SSH for example is a huge bonus to me. Second not having to use windows for anything but the very necessary cuts down the time used, software installed and disables any need to use the internet with windows. This means Windows remains in working condition much longer. Also having the ability to return to a prior snapshot in mere seconds is a lifesaver if you want to experiment with something risky on windows.

When our company switched to Macs (not my choice btw I would have chosen linux instead) and virtualized windows environments our equipment down time reduced by over 90%. No more time spent reinstalling windowses, cleaning infections, doing antivirus scans etc. Windows chugs along happily when it spends suspended 99% of the time.

Back when I had a windows work laptop I had to buy a new laptop minimum once a year and fix it on some level multiple times a year. I had customer presentations go wrong because windows got corrupted for whatever reasons. Now on OSX everything works like clockwork. I spend literally zero time 'fixing' it and the windows environment has a status quo that is known to work. Sure I had a couple of failures even with macs. Only difference is now I have to switch hardware every 3 years instead of every year - and even then it's by choice to get the new cool stuff. We have had (the whole company) 3 Macs break down in 7 years where in the 3 years I worked before that I personally went through 7 windows laptops. Particularly nasty ones were Fujitsu Siemenses and Toshibas. One patch of Toshibas was guaranteed to die within a year, so much so that companies ended their lease 2 years in advance just to get rid of them.

That's when Toshiba started their 'get a new computer AND your money back' guarantee policy lol.
 
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So put just that amount in your in laws... oh wait...

If all you need to do is work some network configurations using linux at work, 512kb will suffice 100% guaranteed.

It won't run multiple desktop apps at once naturally, at least very well.

By the way the other of the laptops in question has 2Gb of ram and the other 4Gb. Windows worked also fine at that ram amount - except it got bloated with malware in mere days in their use. The Win8.1 Lenovo laptop was purchased 6 months prior of me inspecting it and it had 60+ ad/malwares already. I actually thought a Win8.1 with AV and antimalware running wouldn't give a 'flashback to XP' moment but it did. Extra ad layers filling up websites, pop up windows spawning etc. I made a search on it, search went to some BS hijacked search site and spawned 3 pop up windows (or more, I couldn't close them fast enough).

Once a machine gets in that state the only safe thing to do is format and reinstall. Or switch to linux which I naturally did.
 
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It won't run multiple desktop apps at once naturally, at least very well.

So you say 512kb will do fine, then you come back and give a bunch of exceptions?.... Yeah sounds like 512kb won't do fine.
 
I'd put my mom on Linux save for one thing.

She still uses a variety of Windows-only software and has no desire to convert to similar web-type services.

As such, I just make sure she takes an extra bit of care with her machine and life's good.
 
So you say 512kb will do fine, then you come back and give a bunch of exceptions?.... Yeah sounds like 512kb won't do fine.

Sounds like this discussion is way over your league more like.
 
I'd put my mom on Linux save for one thing.

She still uses a variety of Windows-only software and has no desire to convert to similar web-type services.

As such, I just make sure she takes an extra bit of care with her machine and life's good.

Which ones is she using? Unless she belongs to perhaps to the 0.01% of users who need a special software for hobby, you're probably going to find an alternative for it.

Most people have a false illusion that linux can't do this or it can't do that - and then when someone shows them how they're asking why haven't I heard about this before :D
 
It's not so much that she can't do what she's doing with web applications of Linux apps.

It's that she's comfortable with the stuff she has NOW.

So she's got ZERO motivation to convert and learn a new setup.
 
It's not so much that she can't do what she's doing with web applications of Linux apps.

It's that she's comfortable with the stuff she has NOW.

So she's got ZERO motivation to convert and learn a new setup.

Listen, my mother was the first one I converted. She was extremely negative towards it and she was literally angry to me when I announced that this was the last time I'm cleaning up her windows and she's going to switch to linux.

Once I had installed the very basic stuff she actually used, including links to the web sites she visited, she adopted linux in a couple of days. She had the false belief that linux would be hard to use and she wouldn't be able to do what she used to do on Windows. Once I showed her how OOO opens up her office files (mostly powerpoints with kittens on them) and how she could print, scan etc just like before it turned out to be no problem at all. Just fear of change.

I laughed a bit when a couple of months ago she bought a 8.1 laptop and after a week of use she said to me: I don't mind if you put linux on this one too :D

In that week 8.1 was already full of malware by the way.
 
If you think that simple network setup can't be done in 512kb then you should go back to school :D

LOL way to completely ignore the topic, Ill recap for you since you have reading comprehension problems (which you should go back to school for). You said 4gb was enough, you then even went further to state 512kb was enough. I said you should do that for your in laws then, because obviously it isn't enough. Then you started making excuses "oh it would work but not very well". It wouldn't work worth jack for your in laws and you know that. Then you proceed to change to some other topic (here comes the reading comprehension failing) about networking, once again I specifically stated try that in your in laws pc. You see when someone says something and you go off on some tangent that means you failed to correctly comprehend and respond. No where did I say 512kb wouldn't work for networking equipment (another hint, I stated try that in your in laws), which you failed to accurately read. But go ahead and try to troll again.
 
LOL way to completely ignore the topic, Ill recap for you since you have reading comprehension problems (which you should go back to school for). You said 4gb was enough, you then even went further to state 512kb was enough. I said you should do that for your in laws then, because obviously it isn't enough. Then you started making excuses "oh it would work but not very well". It wouldn't work worth jack for your in laws and you know that. Then you proceed to change to some other topic (here comes the reading comprehension failing) about networking, once again I specifically stated try that in your in laws pc. You see when someone says something and you go off on some tangent that means you failed to correctly comprehend and respond. No where did I say 512kb wouldn't work for networking equipment (another hint, I stated try that in your in laws), which you failed to accurately read. But go ahead and try to troll again.

You whine about reading comprehension when you FAIL to understand that I replied to Motleys post about the work specific requirement to configure routers at work and them doing a total half assed work on implementing linux there. I was talking about the total openness of modification for linux and in this context I said 512kb even is doable for a linux workstation, obviously in an extremely task orientated and modified setup. I did NOT refer to my in-laws desktop needs in any form or matter in that post. You changed the scope in your lame trolling attempt. Now piss off.
 
You changed the scope in your lame trolling attempt. Now piss off.

Lol you complain about this after doing the same thing with my response? Your thread is an obvious troll and you get mad that people are trolling you? haha
 
Lol you complain about this after doing the same thing with my response? Your thread is an obvious troll and you get mad that people are trolling you? haha

How was I changing the scope again? Stop trolling and piss off. How is my thread a troll by the way? Does linux scare you so much that you can't stand anything written about it? Are you claiming what I did is not possible or what? Go back to school kiddo. Looks like you played tic tac toe with multiple selections in your graduation lol.
 
How was I changing the scope again? Stop trolling and piss off.

Do you want me to requote my post again? My comment was very specific, you changed the scope of it, see not so hard to comprehend?

I'm just sharing just like you like to come share in other threads.

Lol the ninja edits, ill respond to those.

Does linux scare you so much that you can't stand anything written about it?
Never said anything like this, once again takes reading comprehension to understand that.

Are you claiming what I did is not possible or what?
I'll quote myself:
No where did I say 512kb wouldn't work for networking equipment

How is my thread a troll by the way?
From all your trolling you do (you can view your post history and find that) and others can tell as well its fairly easy to see that it is

Go back to school kiddo. Looks like you played tic tac toe with multiple selections in your graduation
So you result to insults now to "prove" you are correct? Nice job, I guess it really is me that needs to go back to school for reasoning. Ill give you bonus points that you said win 10 was good for gaming in another thread, I was honestly shocked and amazed, totally surprised me there.
 
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Do you want me to requote my post again? My comment was very specific, you changed the scope of it, see not so hard to comprehend?

Which post and which comment do you refer to now? Your original post was a half assed troll where you switched the scope of discussion from Motleys networking setup to the completely separate discussion of my in-laws desktop.

Lol the ninja edits, ill respond to those.

Never said anything like this, once again takes reading comprehension to understand.

I'll quote myself:

So you result to insults now to "prove" you are correct? Nice job, I guess it really is me that needs to go back to school for reasoning.

I'm not insulting you. I'm just posting my observations. If that feels like an insult to you then look in the mirror :D

Did I mention ANYTHING relating to my in-laws desktop in the post I made about the 512kb? No. End of story and end of your troll.
 
I'm not insulting you. I'm just posting my observations. If that feels like an insult to you then look in the mirror :D
LOL "I'm not insulting you, I'm just saying you passed school by playing games on tests, and that that isn't an insult, if you think it is maybe you should check yourself", makes sense why most of your posts in regards to windows come off as troll posts, its because you don't know any better. I'll cut you more slack from now on because I can see you don't under stand when you are/aren't trolling/insulting.
 
First of all, I think what we are really trying to agree or disagree on is mostly two things - how well is the desktop environment done. I see the kernel being mentioned, but I fail to see a discussion about gnome vs kde, or alsa vs pulseaudio vs oss vs whatever.
I believe b00nie, but I think he must have some really good pedagogic skills. It's tough to teach about stuff that's constantly changing.
For me, for example, the fact that accessing ext3 from Windows and ntfs on Linux distros became so seamless is a good indicator that we can at least try to implement a kiosk-like setup for family members that have very limited needs.
Personally I have used everything from Windows 3.1 to Windows 8.1, KDE 3,4, Gnome, Xfce, bash+screen. I don't get the point of arguing over this. It's a matter of configuring things correctly.
 
So will you about when your parents infect the hell out of the computers now? They are the cause of the infections when they were using Windows.
 
LOL "I'm not insulting you, I'm just saying you passed school by playing games on tests, and that that isn't an insult, if you think it is maybe you should check yourself", makes sense why most of your posts in regards to windows come off as troll posts, its because you don't know any better. I'll cut you more slack from now on because I can see you don't under stand when you are/aren't trolling/insulting.

Yeah disregard all the facts and stick to your last straw: He insulted me, there for anything he said must also not be true.

You failed, case closed.
 
So will you about when your parents infect the hell out of the computers now? They are the cause of the infections when they were using Windows.

Uh what? Since my mother switched to linux I haven't had to clean her computer or do any other maintenance ever again. The only time I need to touch is now is when she buys a new Windows laptop and again, without fail, infects it and asks me to put linux in it. From minimum of 1 service call per month to 2 years of silence. Aaaahhh I can't tell you how satisfied I am.
 
Uh what? Since my mother switched to linux I haven't had to clean her computer or do any other maintenance ever again. The only time I need to touch is now is when she buys a new Windows laptop and again, without fail, infects it and asks me to put linux in it. From minimum of 1 service call per month to 2 years of silence. Aaaahhh I can't tell you how satisfied I am.

It is hard to tell her to stop clicking yes to everything. I just believe you are fos.
 
It is hard to tell her to stop clicking yes to everything. I just believe you are fos.

You do understand that practically none of the attacks work for linux? She can click anything she likes and she won't do any harm. Especially since she doesn't know the root password. Like I said she's been using Ubuntu for years without a single issue. Single. And no antiviruses etc running to hog the resources.
 
Yeah disregard all the facts and stick to your last straw: He insulted me, there for anything he said must also not be true.

You failed, case closed.

So what did I fail at? Because so far I specifically said to try 512kb on your in laws and you even said after that that it wouldn't work well. Seems to me we agree on that... Then you go all over the place trying to insult people and you get called on it and can't handle it keep saying "case closed, end of story" yet haven't pointed out anywhere where I am disregarding any facts. I never said 512kb of ram wouldn't work for networking, I already pointed that out before, which you are disregarding.

Simply put all of this can be summed as I responded as you consistently respond to windows threads, but you can't handle it at all.
 
So what did I fail at? Because so far I specifically said to try 512kb on your in laws and you even said after that that it wouldn't work well. Seems to me we agree on that...

Nobody ever claimed it would and it was never discussed until you posted your troll. I'm reporting you for trolling now.
 
Nobody ever claimed it would and it was never discussed until you posted your troll. I'm reporting you for trolling now.

So if I'm trolling does that mean you are a troll and troll the windows threads as well?
 
So if I'm trolling does that mean you are a troll and troll the windows threads as well?

Posting my opinion is not trolling. Taking someone elses text out of context and flamebaiting on it is. If you can't see the difference then sorry.

Windows10 IMO is only good for gaming. It's not safe to use online, it's not safe to use at the office where you need to plug USB:s, download attachments of windows users etc. activities. It lacks basic unix compatibility (although I read it's going to finally get a native SSH client lol).
 
Yes posting your opinion is not trolling, but you don't post opinions, you troll. Its pretty clear for people to see this.
Here's a few examples of others questioning your posts:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041724133&postcount=14
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041726234&postcount=8

If you think you are merely stating opinions then obviously multiple people take issue with the way you express yourself and maybe you should look into being more explicit in stating that you are posting opinions.

This is not you stating an opinion, you are clearly stating that windows is only good for gaming, this comes off as a statement of fact and troll comment, this is an example of what you should revise if you want it to be an opinion:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041724054&postcount=7
 
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