Teen orders a ubuntu dell laptop, misses online classes


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Seems you missed the whole point of the story. Ubuntu may be one of the better distros of Linux, but it still has a LONG way to go before it can be used by the average person.

The point is that the average person just simply wants their PC to work, regardless of OS.

ubuntu is a lot easier in all ways except compatibility in my opinion, and it what boggles its movement, even though its making a massive growth, its STILL not accepted enough in almost all circles to be used, for corporate ( i mean for business people), and work, and school use.

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... even though its making a massive growth ...

While one might look and say that a doubling in a userbase in a few years is massive growth, to put things into perspective, the user base used to be a about 0.5% (this is client-side, not servers) a few years ago. So doubling to 1% can be looked at as large growth, or looked as still just a small-usage "alternative" OS.

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I am a huge Linux fan but to me Ubuntu is just awful. It certainly isn't newbie friendly, since a lot of times you have to resort to the CLI to get things done.

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I'm not sure what you mean by all that.

The default Web Browser on OS X is not NETSCAPE-- so then it does not meet the standards for her course- I think though please correct me if I am wrong is --

Safari- unless that is NETSCAPE but Not Nescape 6 or greater because that does not work with their software..

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(I did not read this whole thread)

To be fair, if this was a Mac the same thing would have happened.

I highly doubt that. Mac OS X is much more intuitive to use than Linux is. And this is coming from someone who doesn't like OS X
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I dont think its her fault to be honest.

Im not a Linux hater, but to some adverage Joe, they would not realise that Windows was not the only OS out there. Most normal users just assume that a PC IS Windows.

To her, she probably thought Linux was some software which runs on Windows, like antivirus or something.

People saying that if she just went out and researched, she would be fine etc, they are missing the point that she is probably neither interested or would know what to or where to look for the information.

Sometimes its easy to forget that what is simple to us, as more techy people, sounds and feels like rocket science to normal users.

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I highly doubt that. Mac OS X is much more intuitive to use than Linux is. And this is coming from someone who doesn't like OS X

Mac OS X is Unix with a shell on top. Sorta like Ubuntu.

Its (basically) the same thing. (It isnt 100% the same but pretty close)

Thats why if she would have popped in her config CD it wouldnt have worked either.

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Mac OS X is Unix with a shell on top. Sorta like Ubuntu.

Its (basically) the same thing. (It isnt 100% the same but pretty close)

Thats why if she would have popped in her config CD it wouldnt have worked either.

Mac OS X is more than just a "sorta like Ubuntu". It's by far the most intuitive, user friendly (for regular users - not people here) operating system available at the moment.

Also, there may have been a mac option for the config software, so you never know ;)

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It's by far the most intuitive, user friendly (for regular users - not people here) operating system available at the moment.

Get a new dealer.

That coke you are sniffing = BAD.

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Get a new dealer.

That coke you are sniffing = BAD.

Firstly, its based on Linux not Unix. It used to be a Unix backend, but that changed. Yes Unix and Linux are similar, but they are still different.

Secondly, your making fun, yet dont know that Laptop memory and PC memory are dfferent. I really dont think you have the right to be mocking people now.

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Firstly, its based on Linux not Unix. It used to be a Unix backend, but that changed. Yes Unix and Linux are similar, but they are still different.

Secondly, your making fun, yet dont know that Laptop memory and PC memory are dfferent. I really dont think you have the right to be mocking people now.

:blink:

OSX is not based off of Linux. It has a BSD/Darwin foundation.

If Apple built on Linux, they would have to freely distribute any modifications to the Linux/GPL code.

And that, my friend, does not fit in Apple's corporate philosophy at all. ;)

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:blink:

OSX is not based off of Linux. It has a BSD/Darwin foundation.

If Apple built on Linux, they would have to freely distribute any modifications to the Linux/GPL code.

And that, my friend, does not fit in Apple's corporate philosophy at all. ;)

Really? Im sure i read somewhere that it does :s

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That is an incredibly naive thing to say. Somebody shouldn't have to be an expert in technology to purchase and use a computer, and the Dell representative certainly shouldn't have discouraged her from returning the machine to get the OS she wanted.

It's not hard to simply look it up or ask somebody else who she could trust.

Yes, the Dell representative did a bad job, but ultimately it's her responsibility to confirm things regarding her purchase.

That's personally my opinion, though, I just think it isn't hard to search up Ubuntu and look at pictures and things, or ask a friend who is an expert and who has played with Ubuntu whether it would suit her.

Research is important no matter what you buy, don't have to be an expert, just know some basics.

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Ive read every post in this thread - and all I can say is - yes, she made a mistake or 2, and alot of people in here ASSume too much and are not putting things into perspective.

Being this is a TECH-related site - most of the people are going to be tech-related people - so answers are going to be skewed accordingly.

You have to understand to someone like her, and many people - this whole online/computer/internet world is daunting and utterly confusing. And when a topic is completely foreign to someone - then damn near every word in its descriptions are going to be equally foreign. Plus, SHE WAS TOLD by someone who knows more than her she should stick with ubuntu.

Most people dont know much about macs, and even less about linux - and she was probably taking courses to learn these things ... and it looks like she got fed up with the whole idea - and dropped all of her classes.

It seems like the only person in here who grasped this notion is RELATIVITY 17 - given the name - its a no brainer...

Guys, lay off of her a little bit - many people, like neinor mentioned - are afraid they will break a computer if they touch the wrong key ! - all that said --

she obviously isnt cut out for higher education - who in the world takes an online computer class to learn about computers ???

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Why is this a news story?

The idiot went on the advice of another idiot an order the wrong computer. whoodeedo.

News at 11: Girl orders wrong size of shoes.

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  • 6 years later...

This.

 

Ubuntu is extremely easy to use. If this girl spent 5 minutes on google she would have figured out how to fix this.

 

She could have also installed windows...

 

I hit my head against a wall when I read this. People thinking configuring linux is "hard" seriously makes me sick to my stomach.

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This.

 

Ubuntu is extremely easy to use. If this girl spent 5 minutes on google she would have figured out how to fix this.

 

She could have also installed windows...

 

I hit my head against a wall when I read this. People thinking configuring linux is "hard" seriously makes me sick to my stomach.

Linux is not hard. Google got Linux rights with Android. Now Linux without backing of a multi-billion dollar company behind it is absolute trash though.

 

What is Dell thinking here anyway? Why sell computers without Windows?

Sell with Windows only. Linux people will just format it and install their favorite distro.

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