Ubuntu Server Guide

Computers started making their way into homes, en masse, 15 years ago. After 15 years, computer users should not be afraid to use your computer.

This case study is a story about the users of the Mines, Wanda, who happens to be in her 70's. Like most computer users use Windows based computer. In her case, it is a system composed her grandson in 2002 or 2003 and the 1.8GHz processor, 256MB of RAM and a version of XP Home and Windows.

When I first met Wanda a few years ago, it was a typical Windows user problems, slow computer, slow internet, can not open some attachments, virus and spyware problems. It uses dial-up for Juno Internet and Norton Antivirus her system. I could talk her into getting a DSL or cable connection, but I change my security from Norton to AVG and optimized for starting and operating the system. However, with dial-up and Juno, she continued to have problems that cropped up every 3-4 months.

In April 2008, I spoke with her in detail about their use of computers. She said that she really only need to do three or four things with her computer:

e Word Processing Solitaire Very easy access to the Internet

We talked about the cost of new computer and high-speed connections. And then we talked about taking off her Windows system, installation of different systems (Linux and Ubuntu does not mean anything to her) would be almost no problems and no cost of acquisition, except for my install and configuration time. I loved the sound, but I was informed that I could not install Ubuntu, unless it is nice to get DSL internet connection. She agreed.

I installed Ubuntu for her and her desktop shortcuts configured her e-mail, web, solitaire, and her word processor. Again, it was April 2008. Before that I got at least one call from her every month, and he visited her for the cleaning and troubleshooting appointment at least 3-5 times a year.

Today Wanda called me the first time since I installed Ubuntu on my system 14 months ago. She asked two questions:

Why can not I get e-mail from my daughter? My printer stopped printing, I need a new one?

knowing that it will be a quick visit, I stopped her home between appointments. To my delight, the desktop looks exactly the same as I left a year ago, except for a few saved PowerPoint presentation is saved from the e-mail on it.

Since he was using Hotmail, I could almost guarantee that blocked his daughter's e-mail address (Microsoft of spam / junk mail button dangerously close to the Delete button). Of course, the journey of blocked senders settings revealed what I suspected. Her daughter's e-mail address and dear friend of mine was blocked. I corrected that in just a few clicks.

then her printer problem turned out to be a paper jam. After clearing, the computer is happily re-print. I left home at 15 minutes after correct the problem that has nothing to do with Ubuntu , and she was beaming like a kid in a candy shop.

Moral of the story
Properly set up and customized for the individual computing needs , Ubuntu Linux can be used successfully and easily by anyone of any age and computing capabilities. And, the problems associated with the Windows computing environment disappear.

My only regret is that I start looking at and learning about Linux before 2006.