The burning the CD is also one we see the most questions on in #ubuntu and #kubuntu, but that isn’t really our fault, because the people can’t figure out how to burn the image with Windows.

That is still something we could do something about. For example, we could create a self-contained Windows executable that contained the ISO plus a cdrkit-powered disc burner. No external software required, and no chance of accidentally burning the .iso file as a data file instead of a disc image.

All Mr. Wolfe has to do is take a look at the LaptopTestingTeam wiki page. If his laptop isn’t there, he should go ahead and add it with all of the issues he had.

OH! https://wiki.kubuntu.org/LaptopTestingTeam/HPZE4200

It is funny, Brad didn’t seem to have the issues that Mr. Wolfe said he had, and Brad did it with Breezy and Dapper. And the likely hood of regression since then is damn near impossible, for one laptop.

The only install problems I have seen have been with the latest Intel chipsets and Core 2 Duos, but I believe those problems have since been worked out. Just recently we setup an install server at Barcamp where people could hook up their laptops and install Ubuntu, which I figured we would have problems. Not one problem at all, and we even had an older lady with no experience actually install it on her own, with only a little bit of help with partitioning. I asked her if she wanted to keep Windows on that machine or wipe the drive and make it an Ubuntu only laptop, she said to wipe it, so I said just hit OK/Next all the way through. In 30 minutes she came to find me just to say “thanks”.

I guess that the worst problems at the moment are with burning the CD, choosing disks/partitions, and hardware support, in that order. But that’s only a guess.

I would say that is probably dead on. Hardware support is always going to be an issue, disk partitioning is confusing to anyone who doesn’t understand it, and that goes for Windows installs as well. I don’t know about Mac OSX installs, been a long time since I did one, and only one. The burning the CD is also one we see the most questions on in #ubuntu and #kubuntu, but that isn’t really our fault, because the people can’t figure out how to burn the image with Windows. It is going to be a very interesting next couple of years in this community, and I can’t wait to see the outcome.

I think it likely that many Ubuntu supporters make the same mistake in reverse: they can install Ubuntu fine on their own computers, so they overestimate the ease of installation for everyone else. And then they make comments on each other’s Weblogs, creating a bit of an echo chamber.

I would like to see a proper scientific study of this. In a random sample of computer users, what proportion can install Ubuntu on their own computers? And if they fail, why do they fail? Is it because they can’t find where to download it? They don’t understand how to burn the CD? Ubuntu doesn’t start up? They’re disabled and can’t turn on accessibility tools for the installer? They don’t understand the partitioning step? Etc.

If we had figures like that, we would know where we need to concentrate on improvements (and the community would receive a healthy dose of realism). I guess that the worst problems at the moment are with burning the CD, choosing disks/partitions, and hardware support, in that order. But that’s only a guess.

What they changed for drm was that one drm service (couple hundred kilobytes) gets run automatically. Also, a little bit plumbing in the Windows media Player. It is nearly entirely passive stuff.

That’s all. The rest is related to general security fixing and development. Don’t spread that DRM fud please.

The new control panel? I don’t honestly see anything really different from XP other than that the icon theme has improved greatly. Only some networking setting has been moved but it’s fast enough to find. The Windows Explorer now handles huge directories even better, does nice previewing etc.. Internet Explorer is slightly weird but it fits the rest, unlike the competitors’ products - improving the usability in overall way beyond the level of Firefox and others.

Actually, Microsoft did not make any effort to make WinXP programs and drivers work better because the applications and the driver model were broken severely. Quality software continued working, and now it’s the time to get rid of some of the worst crap. Which is one of the best things that has ever happened on operating systems.