Linux with the most windows-like experience?

[Sunbird]

Hi guys and gals, hope you can help me.

I started my own business now selling PC's, especially aiming my low end models at the disadvantaged people living in the low-cost housing/squater areas around our city so they can build up their PC and IT skills.

Now the problem is, to put the PC's in their price range I have to install a free operating system (could pirate ME and 98se, but thats just wrong). Already going with OpenOffice. Most of the people that have will buy these PC's will have had/have access to windows at school, so the OS needs to be easily usable by them.

So my question is: Which free version of linux has a GIU that is most similar to windows ME/98 or XP?

Feel free to ask for more info.

Thanks,

Sunbird.

Edit: Thanks for correction Dopefiend

 

[imported_Phil]

Lunix?

 

[drag]

I don't know which Linux would have the closest GUI.

You have two desktop enviroments, KDE and Gnome. Out of those probably KDE is most Windows like, but Gnome is more Windows-like in some aspects. Usually they try to make it so that a windows user would be familar with the interface, for example OpenOffice.org has a interface very similar to MS Office so that it's easy for people to go from MS Office to Org.

So by default things are semi-similar, but geared to work better with the Linux OS/mentality. You can customize things very easily and you can make it more Windows-like definately with just a little extra work.

For example you could install XPDE to recreate the Windows XP look in Linux. That's going to give you a much closer Windows feel then any Linux distro's default setup.

Otherwise check out the Mandrake distro.

 

[Skippy81]

This link may be of use:

http://www.rodsbooks.com/distribs/

It sumarises the strengths and weakness of several popular linux distributions from the viewpoint of novice users.

I have used both KDE (with SUSE) and GNOME (with REDHAT), and cannot say that I feel either of these Linux GUIs would be suitable for a computer novice. While on the surface they would allow a user to open simple progs and surf the net, I do not feel that a user with a small amount of windows expierience alone would be capable of running and maintaining a useful home pc. While the Linux GUI's are a time saver and do "shroud" the CLI to a certain extent, installing software and hardware drivers will frequently require the user to fall back on the shell, something I do not expect a novice user to be able to do without putting in considerable effort and time. In short, IMO Linux GUI's do not dumb down the OS enough for use by those who are neither PC enthusiasts, nor wish to put in the time to learn the OS.

As for providing the most windows like expierience, I feel GNOME has the most similar look - although if you look at different linux distributions, you will see that both these GUIs are often extensively customised to give the distributions a "corporate identity". BTW, I personally prefer KDE.

Another issue with Linux is hardware compatibility - in my expierience it is often a struggle to find drivers for many cheaply sourced modems and sound devices, which will limit your choice of components - possibly pushing the cost of the hardware up.

My advice would be to get hold of a few linux distibutions, and install them to familiarise yourself with the GUI and check hardware compatability.

However. in the long run, if the potential buyers of your PCs have limited computer knowledge - and require a product where they can jump straight in and have fun - then Windows is by far the best choice. Consider finding a source of second user Win 98/XP copies or perhaps an OEM multipack deal - search on Microsoft's site for their deals for system builders. You could ofset the cost of windows by using only free utility software, such as the excellent OpenOffice.org for Windows. Perhaps technically minded customers could request a linux system at a reduced rate, leaving the slightly more expensive windows systems for the mainstream users.

BTW, I think what you are doing is a great idea, giving those who are less off a decent way of learning computer skills, or even just expieriencing the fun which can be had with technology, will do wonders for the social inequality which we increasingly seem to take for granted.

-ALSO I'm not flaming Linux with this post - I love it myself!!

 

[Sunbird]

Thanks drag, that XPDE link is a great help, yours is also very helpful Skippy81 but that leads me to the next question.

Well, since I have to install that XPDE GUI over an existing Lunix distro, which would be a good option for me?

Preferably something which just takes up one CD, is easy to install, have CD writing and DVD playing software included, and puts everything on one partition. I can then install OpenOffice with that and be good to go.

Thanks for the help so far guys.

Sunbird.


PS 1: Here in South Africa we have a 30min weekly TV show that started 3 weeks ago, called Go Open, and it promotes open source software actively. Go Open Source

PS 2: I will be using new hardware like Gigabyte RZ series with VIA chipset for AMD Sempron 2200+ 1,5GHz, 256MB RAM and Seagate 40GB for those interested)

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: Sunbird
Thanks drag, that XPDE link is a great help, yours is also very helpful Skippy81 but that leads me to the next question.

Well, since I have to install that XPDE GUI over an existing Lunix distro, which would be a good option for me?

Preferably something which just takes up one CD, is easy to install, have CD writing and DVD playing software included, and puts everything on one partition. I can then install OpenOffice with that and be good to go.

Thanks for the help so far guys.

Sunbird.


PS 1: Here in South Africa we have a 30min weekly TV show that started 3 weeks ago, called Go Open, and it promotes open source software actively. Go Open Source

PS 2: I will be using new hardware like Gigabyte RZ series with VIA chipset for AMD Sempron 2200+ 1,5GHz, 256MB RAM and Seagate 40GB for those interested)

What sort of situation are you dealing with? Is it just one computer that your setting up, is a roomfull of computers, or what?

Because it's going to make a big difference on how you approach this problem.

If your doing a large number of fairly identical machines the easiest thing to do would be to install Debian Testing on one machine, set it up, and then use a image from that machine to install on all the other machines on the network.

You can use ghost or normal Linux command line tools to do this.

Then you setup a local ftp server with a mirror of the Debian repostiories so that you can minimize bandwidth usage out of your network when you need to update all your machines.

(any distro can do this Mandrake has urpmi and others have Yast and ported versions of apt-get, I am just partial for Debian when building a self-supported professional enviroment using Free Software. They do a excellent job with their software packaging and do a great job on quality control and testing.)

Depending on what sort of users your going to use (is each computer going to "belong" to a single person, or are they fairly anonymous users like in a library, or are you going to have people needing to move from machine to machine and keep the same passwords and same "roving profile" type thing going?) it is going to make a big difference on your approach.

If you do a good job then it would be easy for a couple people to maintain a network of hundreds of computers.

The idea is that you would maximize your time spent making the user's interface as usefull and as up to date as possible while keeping a eye on potential problems and security issues, instead of running around solving problems after they become serious problems and doing mindless repetative tasks like having to install from a cdrom and install XPDE manually a half a dozen times over and over again.

 

[Nothinman]

The main problem I would see happening is that if you make the Linux machines look like Windows it will confuse people more because it's not Windows. Eventually they will be trying to do things that just don't work the same and they'll be stuck. It would probably work out much better if you let them know it's Linux, explain to them that it's not Windows, that it's free, why you think it's better and if they really need/want Windows they can give you $80US or whatever a Windows license costs you.

 

[thegorx]

you could most likely get a oem version of windows 98 pretty cheap on ebay
and usually windows 98 first version product code will work with 98se cabs

 

[Infohawk]

I heard the distro formerly known as Lindows (forget the new name) and Lycoris do pretty well in trying to be similar. These aren't free though if I recall correctly (probably pretty cheap though).

Alternatively, you could install kde on any distro, set it up to behave like windows (as much as possible which is fairly close) and use a windows theme.

 

[Skippy81]

Windoze wise, perhaps something like this would do the trick:

Win 98 OEM No CD

Im sure you could find a similar offer cheaper elsewhere of course.

Linux wise, I was trying out a new distro last night - Its called SimplyMEPIS and appears to be a simplified Debian disto. GUI is the standard KDE desktop, but as the disto comes on 1 CD - with a Live mode so you can run from the CD without installing - it would be an easy way for you to play around and see if its any use. It actually detected and provided drivers for all my hardware upon first boot, something neither SUSE 9 or Redhad 8 have achieved. Latest version is 2004.4.

www.mepis.org

Probably quicker to download it with bittorent.

(Thanks for the correction alm4rr )

 

[Sunbird]

Thanks for the help so far guys.

I've been reading around and I'm leaning towards Ubuntu, also simplified Debian distro that uses gnome, and just giving the people that want XP Home at costprice if they want it.

I'll update this thread if I have any more questions.

Sunbird.

 

[alm4rr]

supposedly xandros is great for XP people according to web revuews

they have a free version, but it has some limits to it, and the true version costs as little as $40


I am gonna install mepis (not mepHis) in a day or two and play with that

ubuntu is easier than mandrake and redhat from a couple years ago (I try linux every once in a while to see if it's gotten any easier ), but you still need to know linux commands at the command line..

you will also want to check out the sticky thread in the software forum for free windows software "instead of warez" or something like that if you want to give people software on the win boxes