moving to linux: the politics
it would seem financially ideal to move to linux but there are always “ifs” and “buts” that you pick up along the way. always.
personally, moving wouldn’t make sense if you already have windows xp up and running. you already spent for the os and it would be a waste not to use it. i honestly think its a pretty good operating system compared to windows 98se. my only gripe when i upgraded was its appetite for more hardware which was additional expense at that time. sometimes i think that getting a new version of windows also means getting a new and faster computer.
it would be wise to move to linux if:
- you’re buying a new computer and prefer not to spend for windows xp.
- you’d rather not upgrade your current operating system, say, from windows 95 or windows 98 to windows xp. although microsoft extended support for its older operating systems, its just that — old. very few would be developing new software for these older desktop systems so staying with them wouldn’t be good in the short to medium term.
- you’d want to extend the useful life of an older desktop computer. quite a number of linux distributions is known to work very well with older desktop systems so rather than having a glorified door stop, you now have a useful old computer.
but then this kind of move will always bring resistance especially from users who are accustomed to using microsoft products. it would likely be an uphill battle trying to convince them to learn something new because it would slow the pace of their work. not good.
so what to do?
well, offhand
- i would keep the current system for now. it would be a huge nightmare and a pain in the you-know-where to migrate everyone to a different os all at the same time. you have to plan this and do things slow.
- set up a pilot system using an old computer. this would help in introducing the users to how linux looks like (at least the chosen distro), what it can do, available programs, etc.
- install applications that can be found both in linux and in windows. this would make the transition a easier and that all important learning curve less steeper.
- try to set up a help/support system for the end users. note down their questions and your answers and put it up on an internal site or gather everything into a faq and send it as an e-mail. this would help to take out redundant question-answer inquiries. it would also help in looking for answers in the community boards of your chosen distribution and list down their links in your support site/faq.
if you have any other suggestions please feel obligated to leave a note.
