When people see Linux for the first time, they're impressed! They want to use it!
The following comes from Jim, a member on the PCLinuxOS forums.
I thought I’d share it with my blog readers. It points out how new users immediately see Linux as being attractive, powerful , and easy to set up and use. Once you see Linux is action, your curiosity level spikes!
Jim’s forum post also shows how easy it is to share Linux with others.
In my retirement from teaching mathematics, I am called upon, from time to time, to go to the local High School as a Supply or Relieving Teacher.
Today, as I left for another day in the classroom, I grabbed my laptop and, eventually, set it up in the classroom. For each class, I was able to demonstrate Linux in operation. Connection via the school network worked perfectly as did linking to the roof mounted video projector. (Connection to the projector has proved difficult with some other distros.)
One group of 15 year old students were so impressed on the OS on display, that 6 of them produced USB sticks and we pasted a copy of the (previously downloaded) ISO for PCLinuxOS 2010.12 on to each. Having warned them that the learning curve might be challenging but rewarding, I sent them off home with eager anticipation to try out their newly acquired OS. Some of the others in the class were keenly asking if I would be back to take them for mathematics again tomorrow so that they might also get a copy of PCLinuxOS. In the meantime, we settled back on to the scheduled study of area and volume.
Jim
Thought you’d be interested in this…
Recently decided to have a lan party. The game of choice, was the original Unreal Tournament (the best multiplayer deatchmatch ever, and one that would run on most hardware available today). I needed four machines, and I had 4 laptops available, including 2 that were 5 years old (or more). The two newer ones run Unreal using windows, but the two older machines were a problem. The solution – use PCLinuxOS LXDE and Unreal for Linux.
It took me a couple of hours prep work on the two older laptops, but both ran Unreal over my wireless network magnificently, and a great lan party was had by all. PCLinuxOS is certainly the easiest Linux I’ve ever used, and I continue to use it from now on.
Excellent to hear, Shaun! LXDE is really a nice desktop environment. Lightweight and lots of features. Folks coming from Windows will find themselves quite at home with LXDE.
That was a great story.
PCLinuxOS is highly flexible, I used to make edu remasters for friends, later for teachers and always was a great success. Last time I showed a remaster to a principal she insisted in ask me how much that was to cost to the school I said that if they wanted they could contribute to Texstar who (along with Neal) made the hard work.
It’s a shame I can not do that in schools anymore.
The really nice thing about PCLinuxOS/Linux is taking a used, but very good computer, wiping off Windows, installing Linux, and then donating to a school or church. No violations of Windows EULA and a much safer secure system for the user.