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[MCW <mcw AT czeiszperger.org>]

On Tuesday 06 April 2004 06:55 pm, Ilan Volow wrote:
>
> I think the fact that some people in the Open Source community
> associate an environment where absolutely everything is done
> graphically with proprietaryness speaks volumes about why the current
> offering of open source UI's suck.

Who do you mean by "some people"? I don't think this statement is true in any 
significant way, and seems to be born of bias rather than fact.

In a 2003 study by Relavantive (relavative.de), user interface specialists, 
Linux was found to be ready for the desktops of average users. This detailed 
study, with actual non-technical participants, found that users were nearly 
as productive on Linux as they were on Windows XP, having no previous 
experience with either. In this study, two groups of average computer users 
were asked to complete a series of tasks common in a work setting, such as 
handling email and word processing. One group was given Windows XP, Office 
XP, and Outlook. The other was given the SUSE Linux version 8.2 desktop. 
Neither group had experience with the platform provided, although all had 
previous computer experience in an office environment. Neither group was 
provided with any training before beginning the tasks.

The researchers found that the Linux group was 88% as productive as the 
Windows group, with no training, as measured by the time it took participants 
to complete the assigned tasks. Most participants claimed that it would take 
about one week to become as fully productive as they normally are using 
Windows. This study is solid proof that Linux is ready for the desktops of 
non-technical users, and is the only one available to date that measures 
actual people.

By the way, Wal-Mart has been selling preloaded Linux PCs for months. I'm not 
sure why it's news now. You can also get Lindows preloaded on a super cheap 
"WebStation" machine for $169. 

Maria

>
> --
> Ilan Volow
> Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
>