[wellylug] WellyLUG rekindling

[Mark Foster]

On 18/03/13 07:10, Colin Templeman wrote:
>
> on 14/03/2013 22:38 Mark Foster said:
>
> > I thought we went down this path years ago.  If the non technical
user has
> > relatively modest needs, the likes of Ubuntu can serve them
out-of-the-box
> > just as easily as the alternatives.
>
> I agree of course, but the point I was trying to make is what would
make them
> want to if the OS the machine comes with already lets them get on
Facebook,
> write emails, look at their photos, listen to music etc?  A
non-technical user
> is the sort of person that if the computer "breaks" they take it to
someone to
> get fixed or they buy a new one.  They don't care about the OS itself
just the
> things the machine can do.  Prior familiarity with Windows (from work,
> college, WHY) can make this an especially hard sell.

A couple of issues you identify:
- OEM deals that ship Windows will of course lead people to continue to
use Windows, particularly where that's what they're used to. Everyone's
comfortable with it because it's what computers have been shipped with
for the last 20 years.

- ... and yet it's easier these days to establish that the OS is
something they don't need to care about, because so many of the core
apps can be accessed with standards-compliant browsers and such. 
Between that and the fact that Linux in general is much more
user-friendly and accessible than it used to be, there's still a solid
leg-in, once you get people over the 'OEM' hump...

>
> > Clearly we as a LUG should be encouraging all kinds to consider (and
use)
> > Linux, isn't that the whole point?
>
> Quite and I happen to do so whenever the opportunity arises.  In my
experience
> however it seems to only occur when someone either buys a new machine
without
> a pre-loaded OS (rare) or obtains a pre-owned machine that's been security
> wiped and doesn't have a Windows COA label attached.
Something i've seen a lot of in recent years is people who're simply
'sick' of Windows and want a change.
They are often at the 18month-3year mark (where Windows is getting a bit
bogged) and there's interest in the openness that Linux presents. 
Admittedly this is often more prevalent in the slightly-more-technical
types but I hold a little more optimism. :-)

One of the key things LUG's do is keep the presence of Linux and the
choices it provides, in peoples consciousness.

Mark.

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