[K12OSN] Linux cut off

[Bill Bardon]

On Friday, Nov 19 Terrell Prudé, Jr. wrote:
> BTW, I have, for the last year, been able to go completely to
> GNU/Linux on my desktop, without ever touching a single Win32 app on
> said desktop.  This is in a total and complete dyed-in-the-wool
> Microsoft shop.  It is possible, and it's no longer hard.

Yes!  I have been using Linux exclusively on my desktop since 1998. I
regularly exchange data and documents with my customers, and have never
had much of a problem. In fact, I have more options than my customers
do!  One sends me her Word docs so that I can convert them to PDF in
OpenOffice, something Word can't do on its own.

The biggest hurdle for anyone making the switch is to get past the
attitude, "You mean I can't have my <Windows-app-XYZ>!?", and start
thinking this way: "What Linux apps perform function <XYZ>? Of those
available, which meets my needs best? OK, LET'S START USING IT!"

People are averse to change. Until the fire gets hot enough under them,
they will prefer to stay with whatever they're using now.

Sadly, Microsoft has conditioned people to believe that viruses,
spyware, closed source and license fees are the way things are.  I can't
believe the number of people I see replacing a _computer_, when simply
replacing the _OS_ would solve their troubles.  I'm currently running a
test K12LTSP install on a computer that was thrown away by a customer
because it wouldn't stay up for more than two hours at a time.  Linux
runs fine all day on it.

I'm still placing my hope for change in the next generation. Some will
have grown up with Linux or OS X, hopefully enough to keep the fires
burning.  K12LTSP will help immensely.


-- 
Bill Bardon
COMPUTASSIST
Omaha, Nebraska
http://www.computassist.com