I manage our computer systems at work and never tried to convert user Pc's to Linux, instead sometimes I showed them some of the nice stuff and played with them when their windows system crashed, or simply because network printers stopped working.
Since then all item number 7 is ok since we have Bricscad / Ares Commander, and I have moved from OWA to IMAP on my machine, and all my troubles were over.
So about a month ago a Engineer colleague that had Win Vista, said to me... "Can't stand with this Sh#$ anymore, please install Linux here". I've made him a bunch of questions about software he used, and explained that one printer in our office would not work, and all stuff that is different, in the end it was ok for him so we went for it.
Before Linux (Ubuntu 10.04) he could not:
- Print to our 42" HP plotter without problems
- Work one day without rebooting 2 or 3 times
- Start working 1 minute after power-up
- Transfer files to/from his Nokia and Blackberry via bluetooth
After installation when I showed him Nautilus working with tabs (Ctrl+T) and extra panel (F3) it became amazed with a so simple thing that come very handy...
I've had less complaints than ever from him, only thing that went wrong was a day that our Exchange Server went "mad" and he thought it was because of Evolution.
This week I've had two more colleague that want Linux also. Both with XP. I guess it was because they saw a not experienced user doing so well with Linux. Soon both computer will soon boot Ubuntu instead of XP.
This week also I got amazed when I saw him getting drawings out of our plotter. I didn't configured the plotter because I hadn't time. So he did it all by himself. It never happened when he had windows... Even Bluetooth configuration was made by him.
So who could say... More than ever I believe Linux is easier than windows and ready for common users...
