I tried Kubuntu HH briefly. Very briefly.
I have been using Mandriva for about 6 months, basically since GG came out. I'm not exactly computer illiterate, having worked in DOS, BASIC and a few other interfaces, other than Windows (since version 1.1!).
I decided with the release of HH that I would switch over to Kubuntu, since it is actually more popular than Mandriva, according to some of the distro watches.
Kubuntu is a good OS. It installs fairly easily, but it falls short in a couple of areas, two of which are reflected in support questions I posted to this forum during my brief side trip into Kubuntu.
First, the specific questions I submitted.
1)http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...5135#msg135135 -- which concerned monitor settings being overwritten. (in the case of this particular problem, it did not exist in Mandriva HH, because my monitor was detected by the installer and I was able to select the resolution I wanted in two mouse clicks during the install.) The solution was easy, but probably should not be necessary.
2)http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...5260#msg135260 -- which concerns changing the order and default in the bootloader. If you want to understand my level of frustration on this one, look at the entire answer, including the links. In Mandriva, you can set this during the install with, again, two mouse clicks, or you can set it after the install through a part of the settings menu that is not available in Kubuntu.
The following were questions I did not submit, because I was able to figure them out by doing some odd finagling, or they have no solution.
1) I have a really large screen monitor, because I have bad vision. I usually set this to a resolution of 1024 x 768. This way, I can read the screen. The point size of the installer text is so small, (during some parts of the installation process) I had to use a magnifier to read it. This is not good.
In Mandriva, the text on the installer is set at a comfortable resolution
2) The drive partitioning software in the installer -- big problems. It gives me the drive letters and the size of the partitions. It does not tell me where my Windows boot section is. In Mandriva, the installer locates the Windows directory and gives me some really easy options for partitioning. BTW, I do my partioning manually, so it's not a big problem for me; however, the tiny lettering made this very difficult in Kubuntu.
3) Loading Windows fonts -- in Kubuntu, I had to almost enter the windows fonts manually. It took me about 20 minutes to get all 930 fonts ported over. In Mandriva, the import manager knew to look for C:/Windows/Fonts and automatically loaded all of them in, in about 4 minutes.
The good things about Kubuntu --
1) It's less expensive if you load from a factory burned DVD than Mandriva is.
2) It finds the on-line repository very quickly.
Conclusions:
1) If we want Linux to really take its place in the world of computing as an OS that is widely used, such as Windows and the various Mac OS's, the install interface must be geared toward the same market as Windows and Macs, that is, moms and dads who are not computer literate. Operating your computer should be as easy as taking a cold drink out of your refrigerator or operating a toaster. Computers are no longer an esoteric thing. They are appliances, just like a telephone.
2) Distro watch numbers can be deceiving. All they tell you is how many people have downloaded something or registered it. They don't tell you how many people actually use it.
I have no hard feelings toward Kubuntu -- different strokes, and all that. But these are my opinions based upon my personal experience.
I have been using Mandriva for about 6 months, basically since GG came out. I'm not exactly computer illiterate, having worked in DOS, BASIC and a few other interfaces, other than Windows (since version 1.1!).
I decided with the release of HH that I would switch over to Kubuntu, since it is actually more popular than Mandriva, according to some of the distro watches.
Kubuntu is a good OS. It installs fairly easily, but it falls short in a couple of areas, two of which are reflected in support questions I posted to this forum during my brief side trip into Kubuntu.
First, the specific questions I submitted.
1)http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...5135#msg135135 -- which concerned monitor settings being overwritten. (in the case of this particular problem, it did not exist in Mandriva HH, because my monitor was detected by the installer and I was able to select the resolution I wanted in two mouse clicks during the install.) The solution was easy, but probably should not be necessary.
2)http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...5260#msg135260 -- which concerns changing the order and default in the bootloader. If you want to understand my level of frustration on this one, look at the entire answer, including the links. In Mandriva, you can set this during the install with, again, two mouse clicks, or you can set it after the install through a part of the settings menu that is not available in Kubuntu.
The following were questions I did not submit, because I was able to figure them out by doing some odd finagling, or they have no solution.
1) I have a really large screen monitor, because I have bad vision. I usually set this to a resolution of 1024 x 768. This way, I can read the screen. The point size of the installer text is so small, (during some parts of the installation process) I had to use a magnifier to read it. This is not good.
In Mandriva, the text on the installer is set at a comfortable resolution
2) The drive partitioning software in the installer -- big problems. It gives me the drive letters and the size of the partitions. It does not tell me where my Windows boot section is. In Mandriva, the installer locates the Windows directory and gives me some really easy options for partitioning. BTW, I do my partioning manually, so it's not a big problem for me; however, the tiny lettering made this very difficult in Kubuntu.
3) Loading Windows fonts -- in Kubuntu, I had to almost enter the windows fonts manually. It took me about 20 minutes to get all 930 fonts ported over. In Mandriva, the import manager knew to look for C:/Windows/Fonts and automatically loaded all of them in, in about 4 minutes.
The good things about Kubuntu --
1) It's less expensive if you load from a factory burned DVD than Mandriva is.
2) It finds the on-line repository very quickly.
Conclusions:
1) If we want Linux to really take its place in the world of computing as an OS that is widely used, such as Windows and the various Mac OS's, the install interface must be geared toward the same market as Windows and Macs, that is, moms and dads who are not computer literate. Operating your computer should be as easy as taking a cold drink out of your refrigerator or operating a toaster. Computers are no longer an esoteric thing. They are appliances, just like a telephone.
2) Distro watch numbers can be deceiving. All they tell you is how many people have downloaded something or registered it. They don't tell you how many people actually use it.
I have no hard feelings toward Kubuntu -- different strokes, and all that. But these are my opinions based upon my personal experience.
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