No, it's perfectly appropriate to tell someone to go study. What is illogical is to suggest that installing Windows is easier than installing linux. And, it is illogical to compare installing an application under Windows to installing an entire unfamiliar OS--linux to be precise. The parallel would be more like rpm or apget vs setup.exe, where it seems rpm and apget would have to win hands down. On Mon, 3 Dec 2001, John G. Heim (26 2-9887) wrote: > Well, it may be illogical but I'm fairly sure most casual computer users > these days expect to be able to install software without consulting the > manual. I don't think it's at all illogical to warn someone that they're > going to have to do some studying before they'll be able to make full use > of their linux system. > > In fact, my opinion is that it would be irresponsible not to issue that > warning. This is why I posted even at the risk of starting a religious war. > As much as anyone here, I believe Bill Gates is the bad guy and Linus > Torval is the good guy. > > But the original question was essentially "Is linux right for me?" If > someone is not a computer geek by trade and they already have a > Windows/JAWS system maybe not. > > Also, our original questioner listed his system specs in great detail and > they did not include a speech synthesizer. So I don't think it's possible > for him to install linux without sighted assistance. Am I wrong? > > > At 12:12 PM 12/3/01 -0500, you wrote: > > >Correction, please. Anything you need to read about before doing will take > >longer. It's patently illogical to suggest, therefore, that the need to > >learn about something new, ipso facto redners the new more troublesome in > >some way or another. > > > >To bring this back to the issue at hand, installing, I think you'll find > >that linux with assistive technology can be installed just as fast, if not > >faster, once you know what you're doing. And, you'll also find that it can > >be installed by a blind user (or by a deaf-blind user) without sighted > >assistance--unlike that M$ OS. > > > > On Mon, 3 Dec 2001, John G. Heim (26 > >2-9887) wrote: > > > > > My opinion is that Linux is a much better operating system than Windows > > but > > > it takes a lot more effort to get it working than Windows. You can install > > > Windows and JAWS, accept all the defaults, and be up and running in about > > > an hour. That is not going to be the case with Linux. With Linux, you > > > pretty much have to read the instructions. And even if you do, there > > may be > > > things about your installation that need some tweeking to work. > > > > > > If you take the time to learn Linux, you'll find that it's much more > > > powerful than even Windows 2000. But you may not need the extra > > features of > > > Linux. Things like dialing into the internet, using a word processor, > > > balancing your checkbook are probably easier in Windows than in Linux. But > > > linux makes a much better file server or web server than Windows. > > > > > > Another thing to consider is that if you learn how to use Linux you may be > > > able to help other blind people in your country use Linux. Linux and > > > emacspeak are free. Windows & JAWS cost hundreds of dollars. This may not > > > apply to you since you already have JAWS but you may be able to help other > > > blind people in your area get a speech enabled computer for practically > > > nothing with Linux. > > > > > > > > > > > > At 11:30 AM 12/2/01 +0100, you wrote: > > > >Hi Saqib, > > > >I'm delighted of the fact that you and few other members of the list > > > >answered me practically at once. > > > >Thank you for that! > > > >Now questions: > > > >You wrote: > > > >1. Do you only use a Braille display, or do you use speech also? If so, > > > >which speech synthesiser do you have? > > > >>Marijan: At the moment I have only desktop machine (Celeron processor > > > >>Pentium 3 633MHz overclocked to 750MHz, 128MB RAM, 20GB hdd( with sound > > > >>Blaster live 1024 and the oldest Tieman's Braille display with 40+5 > > cells > > > >>named Keybraille (the predecessor of Combibraille). But just now I am in > > > >>the market for Toshiba satellite 2800-600 laptop, Alva Satellite 544 > > > >>portable and JFW 4.0 or 4.1, depending on the time when I'll pay. At the > > > >>moment I don't think about buying of hardware speech synthesizer. > > > >> > > > >>You wrote: > > > >>2. How much computing knowledge do you have? > > > >>Marijan: It's so clear, I am not a programmer at all, I didn't learn > > JAWS > > > >>scripting language yet but I use JFW and other applications I need very > > > >>easily. In the nearest future I plan to learn more about HTML and how to > > > >>make the web sites. Of course, it's very small piece of knowledge but > > > >>until now I had no chance to learn more because in my country I was the > > > >>first blind man who bought a computer and started to use it. > > > >> > > > >>You wrote: > > > >>3. What sort of things do you want to use Linux for? > > > >>Marijan: As a radio journalist I have to use text-processor to write my > > > >>articles (I prefer WordPerfect but I use Word also); OCR programme to > > > >>recognize the printed materials I need (I just installed Fine reader 5.0 > > > >>trial which recognize Cyrillic);and sound editor like Sound forge > > witch I > > > >>like it very much. > > > >>I am sorry but I don't know what I should expect of Linux. I have heard > > > >>that Linux is much more stable then Windows but I don't know if there > > are > > > >>the applications I mentioned above. > > > >>Anyway, I'd like to try it and see what is better. > > > >>BTW, which version of Linux allows me to start a Windows apps from > > within > > > >>the Linux? > > > >>Thank you very much for your effort to help me, indeed! > > > >>Sorry for my pegen English. > > > >>Sincerely, > > > >>Marijan > > > >> > > > >>> > > > > > > > > > -- > > > John G. Heim > > > WiscINFO Customer Service Coordinator > > > Division of Information Technology > > > jheim@doit.wisc.edu > > > 608-262-9887 > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > > > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > > > > >-- > > > > Janina Sajka, Director > > Technology Research and Development > > Governmental Relations Group > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > > > >Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 > > > >Chair, Accessibility SIG > >Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) > >http://www.openebook.org > > > >Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper, > >Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp > > > >Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther > >King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at > >http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp > > > >Learn how to make accessible software at > >http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > > >Blinux-list@redhat.com > >https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > -- > John G. Heim > WiscINFO Customer Service Coordinator > Division of Information Technology > jheim@doit.wisc.edu > 608-262-9887 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > -- Janina Sajka, Director Technology Research and Development Governmental Relations Group American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 Chair, Accessibility SIG Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) http://www.openebook.org Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper, Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp Learn how to make accessible software at http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp