[NBLUG/talk] Linux for my grand kid's computer

[Bill Kendrick]

On Wed, Dec 15, 2004 at 07:28:55AM -0800, Jim Oser wrote:
> If money is no object, I would buy your grandkids a Mac ! If your time 
> is worth anything, I would buy them a Mac, because if you get them a 
> Linux machine there will be a steep learning curve. You will also need 
> to explain to them why they can't simply attach a printer, a camera, or 
> use instant messaging. Sure they can do these things with Linux, but it 
> is not simple. They have not taken Mark Street's Linux Administration.

Printers and cameras are getting fairly easy.  Assuming stuff's installed,
configuring takes no time.  Under Debian, I simply installed the appropriate
packages for CUPS and the HP Inkjet drivers, and then told KDE
"I have a printer hooked up, it's an HP DeskJet 882C".  Voila, I can print!

Cameras should be fairly easy, though I personally don't connect my
camera directly, since it uses CF memory cards.  I just plug the card into
my CF reader and double-click the card's icon on my KDE desktop and I
see thumbnails of all of my photos.  Click-n-drag to put them on my HD.

Ripping CDs is insanely easy, too.  Just click "Audio CD" in Konqueror's
sidebar (or type "audiocd:/" in the location bar) and you get folders
full of the albums songs.  Go into the "MP3s" folder and click-n-drag
the 'files' to copy (rip) the tracks to your HD.


I do admit, though, Macs are pretty nice.  (I'm still not 100% sold on
OS X, though I've only used it a little.  I loved MacOS 7.5, though.)
But they are SOOOO expensive, that it almost seems a crime to pay that
much for a computer these days.

-bill!
(who set his dad up with a $50 Pentium II that works great for him.
He's not making DVDs, though ;) )