[Linux-aus] New Federal Govt's Education/PC plans

[Paul Coldrey]

Jeff Waugh wrote:
> The cognitive dissonance experienced by administrators (forget the users)
> shifting from Windows <whatever> to Linux <whatever> is vastly greater than
> that experienced shifting from Windows <whatever> to Windows <whatever>.
> Let's be realistic, please. :-)
>
> - Jeff
>
>   
For administrators I agree. For the users I think XP -> Ubuntu might be 
a smaller step than XP -> Vista. Similarly Office 2003 -> OpenOffice is 
definitely a smaller step than Office 2003 -> Office 2007.

My next door neighbour changed from XP to Ubuntu and his wife was 
carrying on about how much she loved Vista and couldn't understand the 
negative press - finally someone told her it wasn't Vista at all. 
Similarly when I changed my wife over the Linux (Slackware with 
fvwm-crystal) her first comment was that she loved the new version of 
"Outlook" which of course was Thunderbird,... and the only problem she 
had with OpenOffice was that it didn't render party invitations that 
people sent her as .DOC files correctly. She did administrative work 
before she was a mum so I got a copy of Office 2007 to play with,... she 
couldn't do anything with it and she was a Office guru in a previous life.

I think the biggest problem now is perception not reality.

At linuxconf 2003, everyone was worried that even though Linux desktops 
were overtaking XP on a number of fronts the coming  of Vista redress 
the balance back in favour of M$. Well now we know Vista is a steaming 
pile of excrement and "The Ribbon" is a confronting and completely 
undiscoverable interface. If ever there was a time for Linux to get a 
foot hold it is now.

And while I am having a rant,...  maybe my brain is incorrectly wired 
but has anyone out there actually tried to administer a M$ server. Sure 
people don't like to read text files,... but come on, Linux 
administration is A LOT easier - people might not know how to do it but 
the fact remains.