Continued:

With almost everything you need only a click-away in Windows, users can quickly download anything and install it without any more interaction than answering a few simple questions, but Linux works somewhat differently. In many of the easy to use distributions, the software installation tool is based on RPMs (Red Hat Package Manager). In the RPM system, software packages are linked to "libraries" (software that must be installed prior to your software package) and it seems like every time you want to install a new piece of software, you need to go back and install the required libraries. This is definitely not user friendly and can cause great confusion.

Selection of a suitable Linux distribution is probably the most intimidating aspect that novice users will face. Many Linux support forums are filled with posts asking for the perfect or the best Linux distribution. With so many distributions to choose from, it definitely isn’t easy to pick the "best" or the "perfect" one, especially for the learner. Randomly choosing a distribution might land the user with an advanced version that is nearly impossible to use. DistroWatch, an online Linux publication, can help with its "Top 10" list, which narrows down the list to the most popular distributions in the community.

Although Linux will rate high on the frustration scale for beginners, there are solutions in the works to fix some of these issues. The Linux community is constantly adding new features, which will help Linux pick-up a larger install base. I personally believe that Linspire is on the right track when it comes to bringing Linux up to speed for beginners. They provide live technical support personnel, make sure the hardware drivers are up-to-date and it is based on a point-n-click functionality. There are some issues like software compatibility that even Linspire can’t fix, but that’s a Kernel-wide problem and not specific to any one distribution. Some issues specific to Linspire is that it requires more system resources than necessary, and it costs $49.95 initially (more economical than Microsoft Windows, nonetheless) for the entire package that includes key open-source. Additionally, you can also purchase their one-click functionality for $49.95 and according to Linspire, their 15-day trial gives the users a chance to download as much software as they want in the initial trial period. Apparently, I can't exactly call it a bad solution (despite the fact that it uses more system resources) as Linspire takes care of everything right out of the box. Perhaps the market does need a paid version of Linux in order to compete against Microsoft.

After weighing the evidence, I have to conclude that Linux is still not the novice-friendly operating system that some would like us to believe. Wouldn’t you agree?

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