http://www.techradar.com/news/software/ ... eam-665047

I'll have to read this later...

Why does Ubuntu need marketing? It sells itself!

I have converted no less than 4 people to using Ubuntu as their primary OS, and that's only after they've seen me using it. They are all happy at how much better their systems perform under Linux than Windows.

Does it? Then where are the queues of people demanding Ubuntu machines from PC World or Currys? The people behind Ubuntu need to break their inertia, get some advertising in place and sell the product if they want wide spread adoption. Right now, it[s word of mouth. I suspect you have just become technical support for those people, you have introduced to it.

Why do you need to demand an Ubuntu machine? Buy any machine you like and just stick in Ubuntu on it. The last thing I want for Linux is to have the same image as Windows - i.e. something that comes with the PC when Ubuntu is so much more flexible than that.

As for technical support - I've been fulfilling that role since Windows 95.

Because Joe Sixpack, when buying his computer won’t be thinking of Ubuntu. He knows Windows. He knows it because he’s used it at work. His friends have it. And so on. He has probably heard of Apple. He won’t have heard of Ubuntu.

If you want mainstream take up, you need a mainstream audience. To get that, you HAVE to sell systems with your OS on it in the places where people buy computers. That’s just the way these things work.

Personally I think it'd be better to educate people to the point where they do what I do - carry their favourite OS and files around with them on a USB drive/CD. </unrealistic dream>

Personally I should the best way of attracting attention would be to make the thing work properly...

... because it doesn't.

If the consumer-level end user ever has to resort to the command line then your OS or any other software simply isn't ready.

I've had to do that in Linux, Windows AND OS X.

Why?

I've been using OS X since 2002. I think I've used the command line once, and that was an experiment.

You may have gone to the command line to do something but it is not something that everyone needs to do.

I have never installed a Linux distro and found it possible to get it to even work properly (i.e. things like wifi) without having to copy out lines of terminal code that I have found on an internet browser on my other PC.

I think the last time I used the CLI was to turn off the Docks glass shelf appearance and give me the more sober alternative.

Paulzolo and Rusty are both correct.

Ubuntu (and Linux in general) needs better marketing and all OSes need improvement before they are really ready for Otto Normalverbraucher.

My girlfriend doesn't understand computers at all. Try and tell her the difference between Windows and OS X and she'll give you a blank stare. To her, it isn't important which OS she has, she just wants to know which buttons to press to get to her Email...

The average user sees the computer as another Fridge or Microwave. And, apart from marketing terms like Deltawaves, people don't but a microwave based on which firmware it has, they buy it because it is either cheap, comes from a reputable brand or looks chic... People do the same with computers, they buy either either cheap or "shiny", few will know about Apple, other than the iPod and even less will know that OS X is different to Windows, let alone that there is Linux out there as well (among others)...

Education? No, won't work, Otto just doesn't give a damn. Petrol heads might care about what engine they have in their car and spruce it up, Otto buys a car because it looks nice, feels comfortable or does good mileage. He doesn't give a rats ar*se if it is has 3 cylinders or 12, as long as it gets him from A to B economically.

Yes, Linux needs marketing. Yes, Linux needs to be more polished. Yes, users need educating somewhat, or else Operating Systems need to change. Yes, it's be nice to see Linux PC's in PCWorld, etc.
But above all, what does Linux really need? Big names creating big software for it: Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, EA Games, etc.
Big names will attract businesses to put Linux on their workstation, people will use Linux at work and will see they can use it at home, for free or for a yearly subscription for support.

Designers of the boards: If Linux worked as well as OS X/Windows and could run all of your applications like Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc (fair enough, a different binary format, but same program), would you consider switching seeing as Linux and all it's upgrades would be free? You'd understand you could pay for support on a yearly basis, or if your cheeky, just when you need it.

Gamers of the boards: If Linux worked as well as OS X/Windows and ran all the games you wanted to play without problem (fair enough, a different binary format, but same program), would you consider switching seeing as Linux and all it's upgrades would be free? You'd understand you could pay for support on a yearly basis, or if your cheeky, just when you need it.

By making Linux more available for business workstation, I think you may get more people asking for it in PCWorld if they know it'll be cheaper than Windows and run all their favourite programs.

My big problem with Ubuntu was the command line and needing/installing drivers... I'd have a rough idea what the forums are on about when you Google such things but it soon descends into brain-hurting geek gibberish for the likes of me, never mind Joe Average

They did for a while on the netbooks, but most are Windows now, Linux clearly wasn't ready for the opportunity


I'd consider, but the nominal cost for a Windows OS if you know where to look mean I have no inclination to change as my development OS, and all software for legit licences was £30 per machine... and that was how much I paid for Windows 7, Visual studio + all the SDK kit is free for me as a full time student.

For games.... I don't think it would bother me, it needs a lot of UI work tbh to be more user friendly, free may be free, but when I keep on an OS for say 5...6 years then the cost I have paid of £30 is pretty much nothing

My problem with Ubuntu/Linux in general is the general snobbery. If you have a technical issue you get a load of stuff about reading and searching etc, but when I have not used a command line compiler and need to understand how to perform complex actions in the correct order and getting some rubbish about RTFM it's going to make me more likely to go back to a format I am familiar with. Ask about which IDE is best for certain development and similar to something I use I get told that the one I use is rubbish, bloated and slow. Sorry but Eclipse is FAR more bloated than VS, far less new user friendly and isn't the best of programs to be honest.