How Would You Describe Puppy?

[LittleSpooky]

Okay, so I have one of those questions where you would probably go: DUH, but I have to ask anyway


If you were to describe Puppy Linux to someone who's got NO CLUE what you're talking about, how would you describe it to them?


Would you ask if they were familiar with Winblows and say it's kinda like that in terms of it is GUI (Graphic User Interface) and the like? Or would you say something else?


I have a friend of mine who is tired of Winblows and MicroShaft and I was trying to explain what Pup Pup was, but since I'm still running Blows2K, I'm not very successful I don't think.


Thanks.

[Guest]

best explanation isn't words, but quick boot & show them puppy's speed, capabilities & versatility. if they're not impressed with all that, let 'em stay in their safety zone...(with spyware, viruses, bloatware, endless updates etc!).

[LittleSpooky]

The point is: She DOESN'T want to stay with Windows. But I wasn't doing a very good job in explaining that the transition from Windows to Puppy won't be as difficult as she might think.


Please READ the ENTIRE post before you comment. I made it ABUNDANTLY clear that my friend was thinking about switching, it's just that she's thinking that there's gonna be a ton of instructions to do the most basic stuff and that's got her a little nervous. Hell, *I* haven't switched because I haven't had the guts to try it out for fear of screwing up my computer. I've had to reformat C: enough times to know better than to jump on something blindly.

[Jesse]

Hi LittleSpooky

I'd describe it as a low hastle alternative to windows, and that if you can test it for 10mins you will know for yourself if it can do everything that you'll need it for.

Did you know that you can boot Puppy from the CD in a "memory only" mode? where it touches no hard disk.
You have to have about 256Mb ram for this to work nicely, but any usable windows pc should have that.
Select Option 3 at the boot screen, and when it asks you to choose a hard disk partition, press enter for 'none' and it uses memory (ramdisk) for the 'pup001' file.

Besides if you do have to format your C: you can spend time learning Puppy while you wait the many hours reinstalling everything...

You only have to learn puppy once.
Windows is a crazy choice for a security blanket, when you can have an alternative on a CD... a fresh install is as easy as changind the CD in the tray.

Jesse

[MU]

I describe Linux in general as a safer and partially more comforable way to use your computer.
I also tell people, that linux is not perfect, and they should keep Windows beside Linux. This will avoid frustration, when something is not working immedeatly.
I think it is a question of personal taste, if Linux will be a full replacement for Windows, so you just can find it out, if you try it yourself.

When I started Linux (it was less comfortable in 1998), I just used it at weekends.
Over the months I used it more and more often.

Since 3 years, I just start Windows to play games not available for Linux.

Apart from that, one reason why people I know switch to Linux, is when I tell them: "Sorry, I have no idea how to fix your Windows-Error. With a Linux-System,I might help you".

Mark

[MU]

Concerning Puppy in special:

I tell people:
Windows is a system from a company for customers.
The basic interest of every company is to earn money.
So they want to keep you dependent, and to encourage you to pay for even simple addons.

Puppy is a system from End-users for End-Users.
So it is designed to be as easy and cheap for "normal people" as possible.

By default, you will not get a very complex and difficult to understand Wordprocessor (that you would have to pay for on Windows).
Instead, you get a small and simple to use Abiword.

In case, you need more functionality, you may install the MS-office-like OpenOffice of course.
Multimedia tries to be End-user-friendly, too.
You can install additional Codecs needed for Internet radio and Videos with just a few mouseclicks, without having to buy commercial Programs or searching the web for them.

Mark

[rarsa]

Don't get angry with me, but I would also say that based on your question and your firend's concerns, the best way to explain it is by doing a Puppy demo.

If it's an online friend, you can do the demo using VNC for example, that would be even more impressive.

Tell her that there is nothing to loose by trying it. That she does not have to jump with both feet but as most of us have done, start using it, getting comfortable until she realizes that she does not really need windows. (or maybe she really does, regarldess of its multiple problems).

So, don't oversell it, Linux has this great characteristic that you either like it or dislike it, it's difficult to sit in the middle. And she will only know what camp she belongs to after using it.