Also sprach kragen@pobox.com:
> "Adam L. Beberg" <beberg@mithral.com> writes:
> > Again the question to FoRKies is: "what EXACTLY that genuine real world
> > average users need doesn't come already included in their $700 PC, or can be
> > downloaded free?"
>
> An operating system that doesn't need to be reinstalled
They're used to it... and actually I don't remember the last time I
had to do a reinstall for friend-or-family. (I still play Microsoft IT
guy even though I'm myself embedded in the Linux world.)
> and an office suite that doesn't secretly embed traceable serial
> numbers in all their documents.
They don't care.
> A user interface they can understand
They've got that
> and which displays the
> relationships between components so they can uninstall things without
> being afraid they're breaking something else they use.
Control Panel, Software Components, Uninstall does a good enough job.
> A Web publishing interface they can understand. (Maybe WikiWikiWeb,
> Blogger, Manila, and UltimateBB count here --- you can't download them
> free, except for Wiki, but you can use them free.)
The average user? The average user can probably just use the cheapie
WYSISYG html tools that are built into the browsers.
> Software that works.
They have that. It works well enough, at least.
> A programming environment they can understand and use. Excel is the
> closest thing I can think of.
They don't want to program.
Remember: REAL WORLD AVERAGE USERS
And I help out a LOT of them (friends & family)
> Encryption tools they can understand well enough to use.
Encrypt-what? Huh? Why do they need that?
... sorry to be such a downer devil's advocate, but I just answered
all this thinking of friends-and-family (who are not in the computer biz)
and these are the answers I got.
Remember also. I drive a Jaguar XJR. That's pretty much what a car
should be. When I drive a rental car, I wonder how people put up with
all the crap (gutless performance, bad brakes, bad handling, cheapo
interior, squeaks and noise, etc.) BUT.... for the AVERAGE user, it
really is good enough, or at least provides what "the average user need[s]".
- Joe
-- Joseph S. Barrera III Software Architect, Broadbase (=> Kana) Software, Inc. _________________________________________________________ 1.650.219-4557 (cell) / 1.650.588-4801 (home) joe@barrera.org / joebar@broadbase.com / napier@waste.org www.barrera.org / www.broadbase.com / www.waste.orgWORST SIGNATURE EVER
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