Kraig, The book "Point & Click Linux" (Mepis) by Robin 'Roblimo' Miller has a DVD that is really great. Can play it on your TV DVD player or DVD drive. The book also comes with a Mepis CD. HTH, Jerry W -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Kraig Jones <jkjones at tcq.net> > Comments? > > I'm working on salvaging an old broken Compaq PIII for a friend. After > some hardware repairs (replacing the CD drive, and a true hack on the > motherboard involving a Dremel tool and soldering iron) I'm now trying > to get the original-equipment Windows ME running again. Spybot S&D > found about 900 spyware objects and cookies, Ad-Aware subsequently found > 1500, and AVG Anti-Virus is up to 125 trojans etc. and counting. I > don't have the Windows restore disks (and there isn't a restore > partition, either) -- or I would just wipe everything and reload. > > I'm thinking now -- maybe I'll just install Linux for him. My friend > doesn't know anything at all about computers. He had a few photos on a > CD that he wanted to view -- and I showed him how it could be done (with > my Ubuntu laptop). He says he would use a computer for "research" -- > but he doesn't have Internet access (yet). Games? I showed him > Mahjongg on my computer & he was amazed. Tried to play Solitaire on the > Compaq but Windows was too messed up. So I don't think he's going to > be a hard-core gamer. He wants to get a digital camera, and he will > need a computer to process his photos -- although he could just get > prints directly from the memory card in the camera. > > On the other hand, I may get this thing limping along under Windows. > It's slow, and there are error messages popping up constantly, but maybe > it will work well enough to do the simple stuff we need. > > At this point, he doesn't know or care about pros and cons between > Windows and Linux. I'm pondering which way to go. With either choice, > I'll be glad to help him get started, but I don't want to hold his hand > forever. Sooner or later he'll hear about some new thing he wants to > try, and odds are that it will be a Windows app. I don't want to have > to explain "you can't do that, because it's a Windows program, but maybe > there's something like it..." Most of the "reading material" -- "___ > for Dummies" and "Computers made Easy" stuff -- is geared to Windows, so > it may be hard to get him off-line instruction. > > And, when I told him that this Compaq could be a hopeless case, he said > he may just go get a new one, although I didn't like to hear that. He > has a limited income and I'm trying to save him some money, by fixing > this thing without putting much money into it. > > So -- I'm just looking for comments. What am I getting into? Anyone > know of a good way to explain computers (Linux or Windows) to a complete > newbie? Any words of wisdom are appreciated. > > Kraig > > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list