[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Demo Day 99

[Steve Baker]

S Jackson wrote:
 
> Someone suggested earlier that a demo at the NTPCUG could show how to
> combine Windows and Linux.  Although the 24-hour game is a great idea
> (especially the pub aspect when you involve GBWR), perhaps a detailed
> demonstration of how Linux can do everything Windows can do would
> open more peoples eyes?

My proposal doesn't have to be the ONLY thing we do. But I really think
it'll do more to pull a crowd than "Here is a computer doing
word-processing",
"Here is a computer accessing the Internet"...we DO need to show those
things
too - but I have visions of us looking like salesmen in the store.

I can't imagine a store being interested in us promoting free software
that competed directly against the $200 packages M$ has sitting on the
shelves in the very same store.  The game idea is basically
non-threatening
to the store and should get us in the door.

OTOH: For NTPCUG, I entirely agree that we want to show people what
Linux can
do - and how well it's gonna do it.  A row of boxes running regular
desktop
applications, games, etc will be "The Right Thing" in that environment.
Showing people how to turn their ageing 486 into a home file server and
cable-access gateway for their two big Pentium boxes running Win98 would
also be a good thing IMHO.

>  I think most people believe that Linux is
> an OS for programmers and computer specialists, but perhaps we could
> show people that Linux can be used by anyone on a daily basis (even
> my 58 year old mom uses Linux on her desktop).  Just showing Windows
> users what we use and do everyday, might be boring to us, but could be
> very interesting and informative to someone who is uninformed about
> Linux.  All types of software could be demo'd.  Applixware, Star Office,
> Quake III, and others??

What's hard is to demonstrate is "Here is a computer that hasn't crashed
for the last YEAR".

I think there is also a role for showing "Here is a computer that ISN'T
just for Web servers".

-- 
Steve Baker                  http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
sjbaker1 at airmail.net (home)  http://www.woodsoup.org/~sbaker
sjbaker at hti.com      (work)