[NBLUG/talk] nblug newbie here, distro+applic. query...

[Bill Kendrick]

On Mon, Dec 08, 2003 at 03:29:06PM -0800, sms at sonic.net wrote:
> Educational/edutainment (3 kids in the house) + Quicken.
> I know that there are some Linux app's in the personal &
> home-finance sector, but AFAIK none are NEARLY so polished
> as Intuit's.  And, of course, nobody offers kids' stuff
> like the mass-media leader... :/

We're workin' on it! ;^)

(See my recent presentation to LUGOD out in Davis:
http://www.lugod.org/presentations/kidslinux/ )


> [ UPDATE:  XP Pro looks like it'll co$t more than I expected;
> I'm told that it's notably more stable & secure than XP Home,
> but I dunno that it's worth THAT much to me, since I expect
> to boot Linux approx. 95% of the time... but getting XP Pro
> pre-loaded looks like I'd have to spend MUCH more on h/w than
> I was planning to.]

Hrm, maybe the version of XP Pro on my work laptop is old, but it
seems to be about as irritating and unstable as it gets.

...Unable to hibernate sometimes (due to drivers for a NIC card that's
not even in the PCMCIA slot!), which causes a nice heat issue and then
eventual dead battery when I stick it in the carrying case...

...Inability to shut down; perfect timing, too, right when I wanted to
reboot it into Knoppix for Kids for my presentation at LUGOD...  how many
times do I have to click "End Task Now" to be able to turn a computer off!?...

...Windows that 'pop up' behind other windows, but still get focus...
...Windows that are already visible, but when I click them in the taskbar
to switch to that task, they minimize...
...Important "you cannot use the application until you answer this question"
dialogs that pop up behind all of the other windows, and DO NOT APPEAR in
the taskbar, so it isn't until I close every other window that I realize
the program hasn't crashed... >:^(


Feh, sorry... ranting.  5 years of niggling with Linux issues has defintiely
been a lot better than the apparent alternatives. :^)


Anyway, good luck with Debian!  Welcome to NBLUG! :)

-bill!
bill at newbreedsoftware.com                           Got kids?  Get Tux Paint! 
http://newbreedsoftware.com/bill/       http://newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/