Friday, May 9, 2008
Case Study
Ok, over the last week I had to do a service call for a customer with an old Windows 98 system. The customer is an active retired person who uses her computer to keep minutes for an organization and keep in touch via e-mail. Thats all she wants to do.
When i made the service call I discovered that her Windows 98 machine had been badly zapped - the power supply was dead and I later found the motherboard to be dead too.
So what's the solution for someone like this? Windows Vista seems to be expensive overkill....so I suggested she try Linux, we worked out a deal that meant she paid several hundred less than what she would have had to pay for a new Windows machine and yesterday I delivered her a machine with Mandriva Linux installed.
The installation went pretty well - I managed to salvage some of her data from the old hard drive - mostly word files - and these were easily associateed with by open office's word equivalent program. The ADSL internet connection immediately in place and the customer was happily took to the new system and was pleased.
There were a couple of issues which I feel I have to come to terms with -I was unable to install her Canon Pixma IP1000 printer - seemed to have a problem with the driver and also her POP3 e-mail I seemed to have a problem with getting that right too...but I'm sure I will resolve those over the next few days.
Its early days for me with Linux......but for the customer in question she now has a new system with a servicable operating system and a vast choice of free applications for several hundred less than she would have paid for the Windows equivalent. Stay tuned I will report more as I go!
S
When i made the service call I discovered that her Windows 98 machine had been badly zapped - the power supply was dead and I later found the motherboard to be dead too.
So what's the solution for someone like this? Windows Vista seems to be expensive overkill....so I suggested she try Linux, we worked out a deal that meant she paid several hundred less than what she would have had to pay for a new Windows machine and yesterday I delivered her a machine with Mandriva Linux installed.
The installation went pretty well - I managed to salvage some of her data from the old hard drive - mostly word files - and these were easily associateed with by open office's word equivalent program. The ADSL internet connection immediately in place and the customer was happily took to the new system and was pleased.
There were a couple of issues which I feel I have to come to terms with -I was unable to install her Canon Pixma IP1000 printer - seemed to have a problem with the driver and also her POP3 e-mail I seemed to have a problem with getting that right too...but I'm sure I will resolve those over the next few days.
Its early days for me with Linux......but for the customer in question she now has a new system with a servicable operating system and a vast choice of free applications for several hundred less than she would have paid for the Windows equivalent. Stay tuned I will report more as I go!
S
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