Why do new people give up on Linux?

[Kevin108]

The biggest reason I've given up on Linux so many times over the years is that I know too much about DOS and Windows. Upgrades, customization, repairs, performance tweaks, etc. I can do with my eyes closed. I've spent years collecting the programs I use and the user habits I have. Often I've needed to get a system back up and running in short order for work, school or other such day to day factors.

What's different this time is that my wife and I both have smartphones and netbooks plus the Wii running Homebrew as a media center in the living room. The desktop is no longer our sole source for internet, Netflix, etc. It's still what I use for the heavy lifting like converting AVIs to MP4s, editing documents and photos, backing up the smaller devices and burning discs, but for the first time ever, I've actually had time for my desktop to be "down" while I learned what I needed for Linux to do the same things I was doing in Windows.

I may have to give her back some form of Windows when she starts back to school the first of the year but I've already installed VirtualBox and the XP install that lives inside it is ready to roll. As easy as it would be for me to go back to XP, I'm having a ball with what I'm learning and doing right now. Long-term, I think learning a few Linux tricks now will ultimately save me time versus the system maintenance and virus removal that I know Windows would need from time to time. Honestly, I see me sticking with Linux, and most likely Mint.

[wei2912]

I have a friend which experienced a problem when we used Linux Mint and started to hate it ever since, while he was fine with the multiple problems of Windows (browser crash, etc.). We need to change people's attitude to new things to let them accept Linux.

[Anakinholland]

The biggest reason I've given up on Linux so many times over the years is that I know too much about DOS and Windows.

This.

It requires a certain mindset. In my opinion Linux is easier to learn for someone that has never worked with computers, than for someone that has worked with a different OS before.

Him: "Ok, so where's Start?"
Me: "What do want to do?"
Him: "Open the menu to start an application."
Me: "What does that button say?"
Him: "Menu. Oh... Right..."

Her: "I can't find Mozilla Firefox anywhere!? I just want to read my webmail..."
Me: "Can you please open Menu, and click Browse the web?"
Her: "Sheesh, that was easy!"

And there's plenty more of those examples we probably all experienced? People get so used to the way that particular OS works, they become "automated" steps, leaving them gasping for air when those steps don't work any more. I know I did.

Cheers,

Anakin

[.William.]

@Anakin: Did I forget to mention: 'Compatibility issues with the web and 90% of all other PC users' ? Developers for Windows will not consider Linux during their development work. Every time something new is released Linux needs to make it compatible with itself..

[Koninator]

Why do new people give up on Linux?

Simple, because you change everything every 6 months. People don't like changes.
Look at Windows XP it stayed the same (same user experience) for over 9 years and people love it.

Now i installed Mint 12 before that I was using Mint 8 and I got a hart attack a soon as system booted up. Because there are so many changes and garbage in it.
This is the same reason why Mint got so many people lately, because it is more conservative than Ubuntu.

[sunewbie]

Why do new people give up on Linux?

Simple, because you change everything every 6 months. People don't like changes.
Look at Windows XP it stayed the same (same user experience) for over 9 years and people love it.

Now i installed Mint 12 before that I was using Mint 8 and I got a hart attack a soon as system booted up. Because there are so many changes and garbage in it.
This is the same reason why Mint got so many people lately, because it is more conservative than Ubuntu.

+1

we are used to same theme, almost same M$ Office (2002, 2003), windows media player, paint since a decade and then suddenly things change too much too often. I know that it is not mandatory to upgrade every 6 months, but for a newbie, it is difficult to understand Linux culture is difficult. Another reason is one has to spend much time on net, during first few weeks.

I still remember the resistance when Vista came with new look and dumped into laptops. I have one pre-installed in HP. I changed the start menu to classic one, same with XP and then came Win 7. Still people are using XP and will keep using XP unless M$ forces to shut down XP and softwares do not support it anymore. I even do not use auto-update. Even after updates it crashes

[monkeyboy]

Koninator: Why do new people give up on Linux?

Simple, because you change everything every 6 months. People don't like changes.
Look at Windows XP it stayed the same (same user experience) for over 9 years and people love it.

Thats OK because the folks who are working on the projects are doing it as a creative exercise (among other things) and not as a commercial product. Its not necessarily a numbers game where they have to or could please everyone.

Now i installed Mint 12 before that I was using Mint 8 and I got a hart attack a soon as system booted up. Because there are so many changes and garbage in it. This is the same reason why Mint got so many people lately, because it is more conservative than Ubuntu.

The ebb and flow in a distros user base in just natural. The user base always votes with its feet (I have) and when the next big change, insult or improvement occurs many will in all likelihood vote with their feet again.
As to the "garbage in it" observation, remember there are a number of sweeping changes going on in 12 and they are going to need time and work to mature. GNOME 2 received its share of broadsides when it was first released too but the maturation process payed off. Relax and enjoy the ride.

[sunewbie]

Koninator: Why do new people give up on Linux?

As to the "garbage in it" observation, remember there are a number of sweeping changes going on in 12 and they are going to need time and work to mature. GNOME 2 received its share of broadsides when it was first released too but the maturation process payed off. Relax and enjoy the ride.

I agree. Lets settle with the current version, till things settle

As an end user, Let's not allow ourselves to be dragged in this dynamic flow. For advanced users it may be fun and / or learning exp.

Mint 12 is a good attempt, I hope, Mint 13 LTS will be better.

[podagee]

people give up on linux cause they are lazy to run certain commands such as terminals and manual installations.they prefer the easy way to one click install and no work.but then a few months down the road,uh-oh computer techs is making money cause they dont know how to care for their windows.i have advertised linux to a lot of windows users and ask if they properly care for their computers and there reply is,i dont watch **** or go to certain websites so my computer is safe???HELLO...are you serious ?no virus scans,no antivirus,no firewall,no nothing.and most of them dont know the work you need to put in to get your windows back operating correctly.
hands down linux is the best.you wanna keep paying a tech to remove things off your computer pay me...job security with you haha

100% approved for the linux movement

[gosa]

A bit off topic maybe, but after having spent the last weekend using every foul word I know in Swedish, English & Spanish while booted into my Windows 7 installation I'm beginning to think that we should have a thread bout "Why people give up on Windows"...

Bit's and pieces include:

Avira Internet Security - How can it be that an Antivirus can be allowed to (after updating itself) disable itself, put an ugly windows on your screen saying "You have to reboot to start using the updates"?
- What if I'm in the middle of something that I don't want to/can't take a break from for the next couple of hours? Is it really ok that my computer is being left unprotected - by the same protection I actually spent money on while I'm finishing what I'm doing at the moment?

Web-browsers (in general) - I tried to upload some photos to a site that develops photos, just to be met by a message about missing Java in the computer. I go to download Java (really thought that came with Windows by the way), install it, and learn that I have to download and install it both for x86 & x64. Once installed and rebooted Firefox still complain about not having Java installed. Internet Explorer on th other hand just pops up a window telling me that a script has been prevented from running blablabla... without so much as a hint about how to solve it. (Google turned out to be a good friend in this case)

Changed monitor configuration - I just removed one monitor from my setup - now I only have one monitor on my desk (DVI) and a tv (HDMI) on the other side of a wall instead of 2 monitors+TV and no matter how hard I tried I still couldn't get the Computer to use my desk monitor as a main display - Nvidia Control Panel just had to pop up on the TV-screen along with the start menu and the task bar. I tried to keep the TV in when booting, I tried to put it in after booting I tried... And let me tell you guys - running back and forth between office and living-room trying to remotely click the right things on a desktop I couldn't see wasn't as fun as it might sound.

There are more examples, but I'm just going to stop here and say that none of these problems have occurred in Linux Mint.

So how come there are no more people giving up on Windows?

[podagee]

there actually is a lot of people converting to linux from windows.one thing i dont get is that there is a business here in hawaii who is selling linux installs.seriously it is free and these guys are selling it to people.???
as far as the problems with windows...its better to just stay with linux less headaches and you dont spend money unless you buy apps that cost.

[Pilosopong Tasyo]

...I'm beginning to think that we should have a thread bout "Why people give up on Windows"... So how come there are no more people giving up on Windows?

I think there's already an existing thread about this, albeit it's not under the same title. The underlying idea, though, applies.

Visit: What makes you want to try Linux in the first place?

[Pilosopong Tasyo]

...one thing i dont get is that there is a business here in hawaii who is selling linux installs.seriously it is free and these guys are selling it to people.???

Perhaps what the business there is "selling" is the service in installing, setting up and maintaining a Linux-based system for its customers? Sure, power users and those 'in-the-know' should be able to do it themselves in addition to knowing that it's literally free. But for other users who are not that technically-inclined or don't want to bother learning how to do it themselves would rather hire some business to do it for them.

A coin will always have two sides: What an end-user may view as an exploitation is a business entity's view as an opportunity.

[Kevin108]

The current state of Gnome 3 would cause many people to give up. If I hadn't tried Mint when I did, I'd have reinstalled Windows for sure. The luck of landing on 11 instead of 12 made all the difference.

[podagee]

i honestly dont understand why a lot of people dont like gnome 3.its really easy to use.i have my friends,niece,and nephew on mint 12 gnome shell and they love it.they havent once asked me anything of how to use it.they find it easy to navigate and so have i.and they are coming straight from windows.my opinion...gnome has revolutionized desktop environments.it is beautiful.
+ 1 gnome team

[sunewbie]

i honestly dont understand why a lot of people dont like gnome 3.its really easy to use.i have my friends,niece,and nephew on mint 12 gnome shell and they love it.they havent once asked me anything of how to use it.they find it easy to navigate and so have i.and they are coming straight from windows.my opinion...gnome has revolutionized desktop environments.it is beautiful.
+ 1 gnome team

For those who do not know anything about Linux, any DE is new to them. They are open minded, like a plain blank slate. Those who have used Linux and toyed with their DE, have a frame of reference (of Gnome2), which is absent in new windows converts.

Afterall, the developers do not make a useless DE, though it may not be as customizable as compared to other DEs. But how much end users customize? Changing wallpapers and occasionally changing themes.

Tell them that even file manager is highly configurable and see their reaction . Why such a basic thing needs to be customized?

Well this is Linux world. Just like you do not feel that you have done enough work till windows XP bloats or crashes, you do not feel satisfied if you do not customize Linux in your way

[bimsebasse]

i honestly dont understand why a lot of people dont like gnome 3.its really easy to use.i have my friends,niece,and nephew on mint 12 gnome shell and they love it.they havent once asked me anything of how to use it.they find it easy to navigate and so have i.and they are coming straight from windows.my opinion...gnome has revolutionized desktop environments.it is beautiful.
+ 1 gnome team

You and your mates probably don't have 15 years of desktop habits in your fingertips. A lot of those who do can't change habits anymore, it's classic Windows desktop or desolation and helplessness. To these, Gnome Shell is alien and confusing like their nephew's android phone, therefore = a smartphone interface, and that's that. It doesn't make sense, it's gibberish, but we all need excuses for our hangups and shortcomings

[podagee]

what does years have to do with anything.things evolve.look around and you will see.fashion,lifestytles,cars,technology,etc.either keep up or get left behind.

[bimsebasse]

*shakes cane at teenager*

[podagee]

haha sorry no disrespect.oh and im not a teenager 30 yrs.old already.