Linux Mint Forums

My Neighbor's Microsoft computers are all kaput. I tried telling him about Linux Mint. People are SO AFRAID of new things. I'm going to produce a quick movie for him with SimpleScreenRecorder. I even have an older Dell I could give him Throw a new ssd in there and its a new computer.

the word "LINUX" terrifies people. The Problem with the way Linux is marketed is thru techno-nerd geeks. People believe Linux is too complex for them to use. Compatibility is also a huge issue with what they are use to. Program compatibility with what works the way their windows programs work. Like opening a document and it opens poorly in Libre office. that stuff pisses me off. People need to see Linux Mint or whatever in action. Why doesn't everyone make a movie and just show people how to use Linux in their everyday life.

i will go you one better.
i invite folks i know to my house and show them just how easy it is to operate, then let them take it out for a test drive, kick the tires, etc.
from Oct 2016 to present date, this has resulted in 80 new installs of various flavours of linux, (depends on their hardware).
there is nothing like watching peoples eyes bug out when they see a fully booted, operational OS in 5 seconds from cold boot...lol...then they get to see what it can really do from there...DAMIEN
EDIT
ps...added bonus. most of the people i know here in the alamogordo area have been using pppoe services from Century Link ISP at a whopping 5Mbps download speed on average, (lol), and paying almost twice as much than i pay for 100Mbps for my TDS ISP. so in turn for referring new customers to them, they not only give me a 50 dollar bounty for each one i refer, but they also give me a great price of 55 dollars a month for my service and keep it there for me...what more can i ever ask for?

That is AWESOME... I will have to build up my old system and just give it to my neighbor. He would appreciate it.

Greg

hi greg...i added an "edit" to my previous post while you were typing your reply...a side note also, my 2 nieces are your "neighbors" as they live in Madison... one is a teacher, the other is a TSA supervisor...my ISP service also has their home base in Madison, Wisconsin, in all the years ive had home internet service since i think, since around 1999, they are by far the very best ISP ive encountered, EVER...absolutely zero problems with them for 8 years now...DAMIEN

Madison is a fun town. I'm in Racine. Madison is 90 minutes West to me. I think we have timewarner cable here. Not many problems ever here either.

G

kb2qqm wrote: ⤴Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:41 pm My Neighbor's Microsoft computers are all kaput. I tried telling him about Linux Mint. People are SO AFRAID of new things. I'm going to produce a quick movie for him with SimpleScreenRecorder. I even have an older Dell I could give him Throw a new ssd in there and its a new computer.

the word "LINUX" terrifies people. The Problem with the way Linux is marketed is thru techno-nerd geeks. People believe Linux is too complex for them to use. Compatibility is also a huge issue with what they are use to. Program compatibility with what works the way their windows programs work. Like opening a document and it opens poorly in Libre office. that stuff pisses me off. People need to see Linux Mint or whatever in action. Why doesn't everyone make a movie and just show people how to use Linux in their everyday life.

I've been through this several times - they hate Windows or at least complain about Windows but are afraid of linux without even trying it. There are a half dozen family and friends I have installed mint for and serve as their safety blanket. But their are a few others that would rather complain and fret about their PCs/laptops but not change. One BIG obstacle is not being able to run their favorite Windows app or a Windows app they need for work - that definitely has been a show stopper in my experience. And they don't want to hear about linux equivalent apps. I get the impression that they think linux is not reliable or just something hobbyist play around with - they actually feel more comfortable with a product from a corporation with name recognition that they think has a support infrastructure in place even though they get ripped off. I have had someone tell me they went back to a Big Box store's computer service department and were charged something like $80 (can't remember exactly how much) to "fix" their PC because it was running slow but they couldn't tell what was actually done to fix the problem.

majpooper wrote: ⤴Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:29 am I have had someone tell me they went back to a Big Box store's computer service department and were charged something like $80 (can't remember exactly how much) to "fix" their PC because it was running slow but they couldn't tell what was actually done to fix the problem.

They booted to a Mint LiveUSB, mounted the NTFS volume, and ran a cleanup.sh file that automated the cleaning process.

"Why, THANK you so much Mr. Computer Man!"
"It was actually really easy. You'd be surprised."

tgm1024 wrote: ⤴Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:30 pm It's becoming "grandmother proof".

Do you have any specific grandmother in mind? Because I don't think you are talking about this one



or this one



or this one...

majpooper wrote: ⤴Sat Mar 02, 2019 1:29 amOne BIG obstacle is not being able to run their favorite Windows app or a Windows app they need for work - that definitely has been a show stopper in my experience. And they don't want to hear about linux equivalent apps.

I couldn't agree more. Earlier today I've got an email from a colleague working in a different department. At home he's got this old desktop computer he never uses because it's become old and slow and he's wondering if he could bring it to our workplace and "donate" it. I said great, especially since there's a computer malfunctioning in his department (the button to turn it on and off is dead 90% of the times they try to use it) and, even though the his computer only has a RAM of 4 GB, it could work fine if I install a Linux distro, either the lame one we use at most computers at work or a better one (ahem, Mint?). His reply? He wants to keep Windows 7 because the malfunctioning computer is running that and has MS Office installed and his colleagues are longing for it (he used the phrase "they'd kill me"). I wrote back telling him support for Windows 7 died literally two days ago and that getting Linux is a much better idea. I even offered to create shortcuts for the free online Office version, whatever its name is, if they want it so badly. Mind you, LibreOffice is more than enough for the things we do, but he was having none of it. We'll see what he says, but I'm not holding my breath.

One of the problems moving to Linux from MS or Apple is the investment in time and money companies and corporations have invested with those companies OS's, not to mention licensing fees. Also is the fear of the unknown. Generally users don't need to know how the OS works they just need to know how to use it, I.T. departments look after the nuts and bolts of the thing, and as long as home users know how to back up and update their machines, and not "Experiment" then they shouldn't have any problems once it's up and running. I was a Windows user for many years, converted to MacOS, and now have moved onto Linux Mint, the best distro for my home use. Love it, it does everything Windows or MacOS can do, and often better.

This nails it

stephanieswitzer wrote: ⤴Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:44 pm . . . . Generally users don't need to know how the OS works they just need to know how to use it, . . . . once it's up and running. [they] Love it, it does everything Windows or MacOS can do, and often better.

I have installed linux on PCs and laptops for friends and family and for a Middle School girl whose family could not afford a computer for her. All of them just wanted to "use" their computer. Luckily none of them wanted or needed to do anything that required Windows with just two exceptions - I had to show my wife how to convert .ods (Libre Office) files to .doc (Word files). My sister had to convert from Quicken to GNUcash - there was a learning curve but she stuck with it and tells me once you learn it it is like anything else and not hard to use. On the other hand I have run into a few folks who simply are linux phobic - in one case a person I showed Libre Office to dismissed it as not a viable substitute for MS Office so linux was a show stopper and a few others who were just leery of the idea of a OS they never heard that was not a house hold name.

Hi guys! I've been reading the fora for years but finally had time to register.

-Yes, I NEVER use the word Linux in the initial conversation. I tell people it's a magical new product called Mint, and it's magical and perfect.
-It's too good to be true, really. People are so conditioned to live in fear with MS stupidity, or draconian control with the other Duopoly, that they think there's no other way.
-99% of people have 1 year old laptops in the closet that were ruined by a WIndows Update attack, as I call them. So I tend to put mint on those for them, because yes it's a great feeling to impress them, but also the fact that we're "minting" their secondary machine means they have time to get used to it as opposed to rocking their world on their main setup.
-I wrote a book in Plain English that highlights the rotten world of IT, and gives an anecdotal history of how MInt came to be. It's called How to Protect Yourself from Your Computer, it's available online, and I give/sell it to my clients. They feel more comfortable once they know the basic idea.

kb2qqm wrote: ⤴Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:41 pm....The Problem with the way Linux is marketed is thru techno-nerd geeks. People believe Linux is too complex for them to use...

There is that perception by a lot of people. I've told a number of people about Mint over the last 5 years or so and it's like they put up a barrier to using Linux. When you mention it to them they almost have a negative knee-jerk reaction to it. But the resistance can be overcome.

I've only installed Mint on a few people's systems in the past, but I'm hoping to do more in the future. My background is actually in accounting and office work, not computers, but I was able to learn enough about Mint on how to properly install it.

I think that osdisc.com was a great company which sold installation discs, unfortunately they're no longer in business. Hopefully we'll see more computer repair companies selling installation discs for people to buy and install themselves. I think that could help get Mint and other Linux distros out to more users.

I have converted many friends and associates to LM in the last 3 years. I only had one real failure. a relatively new HP laptop ownced by a friend for use by her mother who is in her 90's to play solitaire. Her suite died and she did not want to renew the MS fee of $140 for the anti virus and -office. I converted the computer to LM cinnamon 18.3 at the time but 2 weeks later she lost her panel. I got it back. A week later she did it again. After 2 more times she demanded windex again. I showed her where a Windex shop was and she spent $180 for a new installation of 10. a week later it died again. The shop replaced the new SSD with another and did a new windex install. a week later the same thing.

the World of Linux Systems, has come a very long way,
& in just a few short decades .. the LinuxMint project in less than half of that time.

so, this LinuxMint is still getting some good reviews, & and is often used as the 'go to' replacement,
for that Windows System .. they can't all be wrong, surely.

there will always be, those folks, that can't use an Linux System, no matter what.
& as a few examples, given above, have said.

Printing/scanning and IOS device support (ipads) are two big things I think.
in my household I have to keep my Windows PC handy just to be able to print or scan, or recover an ipad if required.
IOS device support I can do via a Virtualbox VM running Windows 10. But this isnt ideal for some people.
Better support for these things natively in LM may go a long way to convincing people to make the switch.
I switched to LM myself because I was tired of Windows updates slowing down the performance of my perfectly good computer.
I dont print or scan much but those in my household who have ipads rely on me to do this because their devices wont.
If I could print/scan/support ipads natively in LM, then my Windows machine could probably finally be retired.

regards,
barneyblogggs