I think I know why my mom is so satisfied with Arch

Question

I set my mom up with Arch a month or two ago (some of you may remember), and I have to tell you, she has never been happier with her computer. This is one kick-ass success story.
I have a theory about this, and I'll try not to provide troll bait.
Microsoft, despite the flaws some of us may perceive it to have, is very successful in the operating system market. Because of their flagship product's popularity, they have to market it and design it to appeal to the broadest possible userbase in order to keep up their popularity. This is, while also a boon, a cause of a strong deficit in their final Windows product.
Apple has very strong, avid supporters, and because they have a smaller userbase, and because their userbase has identified themselves with Apple and its methods sometimes from the start of Apple (or at least their Macintosh line), they know with more certainty the type of computer their users end up wanting. They provide great products, but they still have to design it with a large number of people in mind. It suffers from this in the realm of ultimate customizability; less than Microsoft's Windows, but the problem does persist.
My mother was not happy with Windows. She was quite a bit happier with a Macintosh.
Now from what I can tell, Linux users are by and large control-freaks (I am one too), in that they like to have their computers a certain way; this is one big reason to pick Linux over other available OSes, though as we all know it is not the only one.
Canonical is beginning to suffer from the same aforementioned problems that Microsoft and Apple face because of Canonical's growing userbase and the participation of many inexperienced computer users. I give great kudos for the work Canonical has done with Ubuntu, but like any operating system, it isn't for everyone.
My mother is not a particularly strong computer user, but she knows what she needs, and is willing to voice that. Because I built my mother's Arch Linux computer with my own two hands, keeping her needs and desires in mind for the entire process, her computer is exactly what she wants and needs it to be. It does exactly what she wants and needs it to do. This is simply not possible with the aforementioned operating systems, at least not to the extent that I have achieved with my mom and her Arch Linux computer.
I'm very proud that I can service her computer for her at the drop of a hat, since I still live with my parents. Arch may not be for every inexperienced user, but it certainly fills its role in this house.
My mom is extremely satisfied with her computer, more so than any other computer she has ever used. I attribute that satisfaction in part to my decent GNU/Linux prowess, but mostly to The Arch Way and the general Arch philosophy. In my opinion, this project fulfills its goals more completely than most distributions, owing in part to the aimed simplicity and flexibility.
Thank you, Arch developers. You have created something magical in your project. Keep up the excellent work.

Answer 1

that has always been my main point when people ask me why I use linux.  I have it set to do *exactly* what I want it to do, when I want it to do it.  yes, it takes time and dedication, but I also always saw a computer not so much as a vehicle to let me do x, y, or z, but as a real swiss-army-knife type of tool, where I have a set tool for graphic design, programming, browsing, etc.  Each tool is beneficial, each tool needs proper care, and so on. 
When other people ask me if they should switch to linux, I ask them, not only how much time and willingness to learn they're prepared to use, but also what exactly their expectations are. Most people (coming from windows) dont really know what they want, because they're used to taking what they get (from microsoft and other companies) so a lot of the time I think they don't know how much choice they have (and responsibility to make those choices).  Most people coming from other OSes I think come with the mentality of "what's linux going to give me that I already get from microsoft/apple?" instead of taking the approach of "what do I want to do with my computer now that I have the tool to set it up how I want it."
kudos to you for setting up as your mother needs it.  You could make a good business setting people's PCs with linux as they need it, though it would take time and dedication on your part.
Last edited by toxygen (2009-12-10 07:37:49)