Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Ubuntu for Dummies ?

I came across an article Tech writers think Ubuntu is for morons. As this is at Jem Report, I cannot even ignore it. It listed some serious doubts about the capabilities of a Ubuntu user.
I, for now, use PCLOS, but am a great admirer of Ubuntu and cannot just take it.
Here is an attempt to explain/reword the points in the above article.

  1. Technical Articles detail self explanatory or obvious things: Ubutnu is touted as the perfect desktop OS replacement for Windows. If it has to compete with Windows, Ubuntu has to provide equally easy ( or dumb, as you might say) documents. Lets check one of Microsoft document about setting up Windows Messenger. Here the document details the following topics
    Windows Messenger system requirements
    Download Windows Messenger and set up a Passport Network account
    Before you start using Windows Messenger
    Windows Messenger setup Q&A
    For more informa

    Now come on!! does a extremely simple task like setting a IM client requires such elaborate document, definitely not for me. However, M$ thinks otherwise. They are in this business since long, so if they believe that such docs are a must; Ubuntu better come up with similar docs for its users.

  2. Technical writers skip technically complex topics: Ubuntu believes that using "command line" is meant only for advanced users and considers it at par with installing server applications like DNS/web servers etc. Clearly the target audience is an average user who is not bothered about the inside technical details and just wants to get the work done. I think that an average users would be interested in setting up wireless network, but equally disinterested in knowing about details of TCP/IP.

  3. Book authors assume that more technically inclined users would use Slackware or Debian instead of Ubuntu. Ubuntu provides a well balanced desktop OS and advanced users too feel at home. A huge number of Linux programmers actually code on Ubuntu ( no data to support this, just from my knowledge from various mailing lists ). However, Ubuntu provides a system that just works so some Linux enthusiasts might not find it challenging enough. Those people might choose a Gentoo, a Arch or a Slackware. These are just a matter of personal preference as there are instances of people changing from Ubuntu to Gentoo as well as Gentoo to Ubuntu.

  4. Non-CLI means low IQ: This is rather serious one and I strongly beg to differ. Its just a matter of ease. If someone is more comfortable and productive using GUI tools, whats the harm in it? I was in the state, when I totally believed that CLI is cool and the only way for geeks. I was so sure of CLI, that I started using emacs instead of Xemacs and boasted of how faster I can work with few key strokes instead of using mouse. With time I realized that even in Xemacs I can use the same keystrokes and have an additional benefit of using the mouse if required. CLI vs GUI is just an ongoing debate with strong feelings from both sides. Its like KDE vs Gnome, not to forget that Linus Torvalds himself advocates KDE.
Ubuntu lets you work on your desktop, rather than working to make the system work. Agreed that some geeks might not like it, but its just a matter of opinion. Lets not disregard Ubuntu users, just because the choose to work on a desktop OS that "Just Works" :)

Flames, rants, disagreement.......... Bring it on.



14 comments:

Tucanae Services said...

Abhay,

I understand your observation and I have read several articles that attempt to denigerate the use of Ubuntu. So I would like to throw some of my own observations:

* Not all computerdom is geekdom. Probably 95% of the user population is only worried about the following applications -- wordprocessing, spreadsheet, email, some graphics capability and access to the application to enter their payroll data. They could care elss about what OS they are running let alone what linux OS they use. So if Ubuntu has made that possible for Linux then more power to them. It is the very model that made M$ successful.

* For that last 5% who are geeky, what's not to love? Want to play command line all day, change your rc and initrd so it boots up command line only. Have at it. Seems odd that the same techies that ooh and aah about the internals of Debian turn their nose up at Ubuntu. Sheesh Ubuntu is a fork of Debian core with a pretty face.

* I wonder what the tech writers would think of Kubuntu? It's even more M$ like in look and feel. Which by the way the distro I use most of the time. If I want to go do some geeky techno weirdness I'll go play with Planet9, old VectorLinux distros or the like. But as far as paying the bills, it's down to getting the job done. Kubuntu gives me the ability to work in the GUI for the highlevel organizational stuff. When I need to get down I can pop up the shell and get gutsy. It's a good balance and I can do it all on a single machine.

Abhay said...

John,
This is exactly the case with me. I have used and loved Kubuntu. In the past I have tried my hands at FreeBSD, Gentoo and Arch, but now I feel that a distro which helps me do basic task is better.
Currently I have another User Friendly or people can say Moron Friendly Distro, PCLinuxOS. I use it as my main development Box at home.
I wanted to run a web server and host my site on it, PCLOS has an very good ( Dummies ) document for it
Set up WebServer
.
Now when I can do my stuff by following such easy documents, why do I need to go to some Geeky ditro and follow 10 page doc, just to perform the same function.

Anonymous said...

Seems that the writer of the original "Jem" noted that Ubuntu help books and articles were only about simple tasks then jumped to the conclusion that Ubuntu users were simple minded. Then he noted that these books and articles were primarily available where only techies would go. Good observation but he should have noted another trend, that of techies telling relatives and friends if you want help you must switch to Ubuntu (or another flavor of Linux or a Mac), if you keep Windows I won't come fix the virus and spyware laden mess you've made. Then they pick up a basic how to book for them to help in the transition.

Anonymous said...

In your model of the computing population (5% and 95%), I now probably fall in the 95%. I have to admit I am a Windows guy; but, the latest version (Vista) has me looking hard at Ubuntu. There are a two items with Ubuntu that annoy me. First is screen resolution and the second is wireless support. I have three computers in my office and to save space I use a KVM switch which seems to force the screen resolution on the Ubuntu system to 640x480 (highly annoying as my Windows is 1024x768). I would like to set the Ubuntu machine up in our guest room as a web browser but we don't have cat-5 cabling run there (so now I am running a Windows 98 PC there). I really would like to use Ubuntu; but, things like this make it hard. The thing I really want to do is set up a web and email server; but, that too seems to be bit more than I figured on. The bottom line is that for Ubuntu to challenge Windows, Ubuntu will have to do what Bill Gates did and copy the Mac OS interface. System usage is all about two things: speed and simplicity.

Anonymous said...

I'm in the 95% non-geek pc user camp. Saying Ubuntu is for dummies is like saying you're a "dummy" driver unless you can build a car by yourself. Just like a car, pc users should know basic maintenance and how to properly use it but unless its your interest, you shouldn't HAVE to know the inner workings just to get from point A to point B.

For the geeks out there, I don't know if Ubuntu is a good distro for them, but its perfect for somebody who just wants a good operating system without spending the months (or years) that geeks have dedicated to their skills. It's not as easy to use as Windows and there is a bit of a learning curve, but not enough to scare away the average user like myself.

Anonymous said...

For those CLI snobs (who are quickly becoming extinct btw) ctrl + Alt + F1-6 will drop you right to shell. Go figure.

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