Fedora Core 2 - review.
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This leads me to my biggest problem with Fedora. On one hand, it is
a great introduction to Linux. It installs easily, works well and is
attractive. On the other hand, it plays right into the hands of
Linux's biggest critics, which is the mistaken notion that it is
unfinished and most things don't work. You are given a browser with
no plugins, so if you jump online excitedly with your new system,
there are a lot of things that won't work. You load your favorite
mp3s, then find out you cannot play them. God forbid you have a dvd
drive. You notice the red exclamation point telling you there are
updates available, but up2date freezes leaving you unable to get
them. I know there are fairly simple solutions to these complaints,
but the fact remains that not everyone who tries Fedora will know
how to do it. They will just feel disappointed by a system that lets
them down, deciding that this Linux thing is not ready for prime
time. A program that would set up unofficial repositories with a few
clicks would take care of this, along with some prominent
documentation telling you how to get the things you need. I could
not find any real documentation at the Fedora site, except for
RedHat 9. This may be due to my lack of time to search for it, but
if it exists, it should be clear where it is at.
As Fedora does not include multimedia tools that people are used to in
Windows, it could be a problem. Licensing issues aside, new users
coming from the Windows world will be quickly frustrated due to this.
A simple method to upgrade to a full multimedia package needs to be
looked at. Even in business, multimedia is now required to view
various advertising or product information packages. This must not be
via searches and multiple WWW sites but a single site with possibly a
single click. A WWW link on the desktop to an offshore (outside US if
required) to a setup/install script for multimedia access.
It should be as easy as "yum install multimedia".
I know that we all have our own favorite packages for Multimedia but
Linux is known for having more than one package that can do the same job.
Linux is moving more and more into the main stream. Start thinking of
the lowest common denominator and try making FC work for these people.
--
Robin Laing