I wish to comment on my experience with Linux OS's. I have been building computers as a side line for just over 9 years. I use Win 7, OS 10.7 and Ubuntu 12.04 on my main PC's/Laptops. I first got interested in using Linux and open source software after reading about it 4 or 5 years ago. Ubuntu 9.?? was the first one I tried. I really liked it! I built a few Pentium 4 units and gave them away to fellow employees who were willing to try them out.
All the units were returned in a few months. One user said, “I just can't figure it out”. All had varying opinions. All reported usage issues that they were not willing to waste their time figuring out. One lady really liked GIMP and Open Office but said the OS was not that user friendly and preferred Windows instead.
I keep Ubuntu 12.04 on an IBM T41 I acquired in a trade. Personally I like Ubuntu as I have found it works with the least amount of issues compared to other Linux OS's I have tested. In the last few weeks I have installed and began using Win 8. I'll reserve my comments about Win 8 but suffice it to say I am taking a closer look at what Linux has to offer. I want to offer my customers a replacement/alternative operating system to any version of Microsoft Windows.
I have installed/tested the following OS's on a couple of laptops and Intel and AMD powered desktops. I installed, Ubuntu 12.04, Fedora 16, Debian, Mint, Zorin, Open Suse12.2 and finally Mangeia. I liked them all, especially Mint and Mangeia. I experienced what I will say are moderate issues that I was able to fix quickly and some took more research time.
After completing the installs I asked my wife to use/test each unit for day-to-day computing and let me know what she thought.
I would classify my wife as an above average Windows user. She, like most people, started out with Windows 95 and over time has figured out how to get each version of Windows to do what she needs it to do. She is currently using Win 7 without any issues.
This takes me to the point I wish to make. Linux OS's are not ready for the “average user”. Don't get me wrong, I think many of them are great and will continue to use them. My comments are based on my experiences trying to get the “average user” to use Linux and that of others reported in blogs and forums all over the Net. People want Linux to work but the average user can't use it without issues! One customer said, “Why are there so many versions?” Another asked, why don't all the developers get together and make one killer version that would blow away Windows? Another said, “you need to be a geek to figure it out”. The blogs and forums say it all!
I hope that in the future Linux developers will consider that most average users just want an operating system that works without having to tinker with it in order to get it to work.
As for Mangeia, I love it and will continue to use and experiment with it. I wish to thank ALL the people around the world for their contributions to open source and the development of Linux systems.