took the words right out of my mouth....
exactly, and if you look thru them, its more the problems with each that you need to learn, most have a basic layout...as long as you can find your way around each and know where to go to configure them then you will have some success...you will find OS's you relate to easier, but you should be able to go from a linux box and work out a mac...or windows ...probably some of the things you need to work out first is the difference between mac and linux so you dont get caught by the different architecture...(like my spelling?)..also dont forget, linux, mac, and windows are not the only OS's out there but they are the main stream home user ones... unix would not be a big leap from linux, or bsd, but there others that will test you...
selling to the home user is a lot simpler as these three will cover you...as for learning older os's, well i think you should avoid any of the older os's as thats not profitable for you and not economic for a business...
Anyway, best of luck and hope to see you in the BRW top 200 one day...lol..

BRW?

Granted, the older OS's wouldn't be as practical to get into, there will still be some that will use it, but I'm leaning closer to the newer ones, ones that more people will have.
And yes, not everything in each OS is TOTALLY different.
Like Linux and windows based OS's, there's a taskbar at the bottom, the clock (and date) at the right side, you have a single click to get into the internet, and even with email (Windows - Outlook; Linux - KMail, Thunderbird, etc).
You can easily access (DVD) media player, some if not most of these configurations are about the same as well.
I am still new to linux and amazed to some degree on how you get these codes to remove something. With windows, a basica patch install seems to take care of some things or (un)check this box to get it going.
With the mandriva kmail issue I had (not being able to remove the "welcome to mandriva" email), I'm not sure what it means, what I typed, but it works from what someone told me here,

"touch /etc/sysconfig/oem"

Lot to learn still. There are probably a thousand things i'm not sure about linux, but one does come to mind.
It seems that "gnucash" is a GNOME program. I don't understand why I have this program or at least the icon in KDE. Wouldn't you think that the programs that can only run under KDE, or a varity of workstations, would be in there, and the ones that can't work under KDE, should just not be present?

most gnome and KDE apps work regardless of what DE you are running, they are usually all bundled in the DE because they share Libraries, having both DE installed gives access to these libraries, regardless of what DE is actually running.

You have to try both systems to get a feeling about it. Everyone has his own personal preference. The general trend is that two systems are learning from each other and they are trying to copy the stengths from each other. Windows pay more attention to scripts. Linux is more UI friendly. The lines are closing.

This raises one other interesting question, though; is everything
in our lives about "getting the maximum for one self" or is there
a "higher goal", and should man try to be "doing the right thing"?

I mean, there's felons out there that rip people off big time without
strictly speaking breaking a law (even though the majority of the
general public feels that they deserve to be punished, or at least
end in hell). Oops - I've just raised yet another issue: is "the
right thing" a statistically determined thing, or are there actual
absolute values?

Personally I think that the higher goal is more important than my
direct profit, and I also am a firm believer in the "absolute value"
as opposed to the statistical definition of "right & wrong". If you
excuse yet another excursion: if statistics were the real thing,
would that mean that in a society full of bio-toxins cancer would
be the norm, and shouldn't be treated medically? :}

The "doing the right thing" is one of MY many reasons to
do Linux, and to spend time here, for that matter, answering
peoples questions and trying to help them along in using
linux (doing the right thing).


Cheers,
Tink

ahh tinkster... you are raising a different issue...yes i can agree that by assisting someone into a better quality product or whatever is great but you must also allow freedom of choice and to not be able to assist this person, even tho you dont agree is the opposite of assistance...if a person wishes to use windows and not linux, then as a tech you should be able to give them the best set up winbox..if you narrow your skills down to linux only then you are limiting what help you can provide to another..you must be able to see the good in everything first before looking for the bad and if you do find the bad then try to find a way to improve it so it is good...people are not born bad but they do end up that way frequently, lets show some good by assisting even a windows person that dont want linux and show that linux people are good also...that way we can win the respect of all regardless of whether they use linux or not...

I beg to differ. It's plenty enough for me to KNOW someone
who's proficient with windows and its accompanying products,
and refer the seeker there. Or even to admit that I can't help the
person, and send them of to the yellow-pages if I don't know any
windows expert. I wouldn't expect my podiatrist to give me a
by-pass operation, either.

I appreciate that windows has its place (well, there's the rubbish
bin, but that's not what I meant). There ARE situations where one
is tied-down to using windows by legacy software or data, which
to overcome would make an opensource/linux solution horrendously
expensive.

I pay highest respect to the specialist that has the gut to tell me
that something isn't his field of expertise; in fact, I'd be highly
suspicious of people who claim to be able to assist with everything.
You'll find me pulling out of threads on a regular basis when the
distribution in question is one I never used; and I don't think that
I need to know them all, either. :}

Cheers,
Tink

I'm sick with a nasty headache/migrain, so maybe I'm getting this all wrong with what you two guys are talking about.
What is wrong with a linux user helping someone with windows?
Okay, so some of us, weather we want to admit this or not, may love an OS over another. One may love one and hate the other, but why not help others with an OS they want?
I love Linux, and not fond of windows, but I'd still help people with windows, and do my best to satisfy them, help them out, get them going on whatever OS they want.
If they ask, MAC, Win, or Linux? I would say, whatever fits their needs. Maybe they're in a field that will have MAC best suit them, or linux, or win, maybe two of the OS's.
Sorry if I' moff topic of what you two are getting into to. I'm spacing out from this headache, so it's not easy right now to concentrate.
Anyway, with what I said, that's my

Good point. You are really warm-hearted.

Hell, it's a business, I say try to sell all 3. How do you think Microsoft got so rich?

Nothing, if you have the skill. I don't, and I don't wish to acquire it to
be able to make an extra buck of someone elses problem.

As I said: if you have the SKILL, by all means.

And again, I don't care what OS they choose, all I say is if they
want to pay me for my knowledge I will send them away because
it would be dishonest of me to charge them 2 hours for a solution
to a windows problem that a MCSE maybe could have solved in
15 minutes.

Good on yah ;}


The part in the discussion you overlooked is that wraithe isn't
helping out of the goodness of his heart but to make money of
both fronts.

I also have helped friends with Windows-problems for free in the
past, but I'm getting very tired of disinfecting the same machine
again, and again, and again.


Cheers,
Tink

IMO it is wrong to help Windows users for free because you get nothing back.
Windows users get support from Microsoft that they hired when they paid the license. If it doesn't work, they should get help from those who sold the product. And if you provide help for free, then Microsoft doesn't need to provide support and they can start firing employees and get better profit for stock holders at the expense of the workers. Every work deserve pay, but stock holding doesn't deserve pay.
With linux, you get an OS which is free, when you help the community, you get help from the community back. This is how it works. You help making a wonderful OS, and in exchange you can use a wonderful OS.

Thank you. Let's admit, this is an operating system. We're talking like this is politcs. Oh my gosh, you voted for who?!?!!?
So this is an OS. Big deal. I pesonally love Linux. This girl I talk with, uses a Mac, some other guy at my old job uses a Mac.
It's just an operating system. I love helping people with computers, weather it's windows or somewhat even linux. The reason I can help more in windows is I have more knowledge in it, but I helped my dad get his linux system, mandriva2006 going, and helped a little in the windows vista beta.

As for this "shouldn't help with a windows thing for free". I don't know. It depends on the job, a friend, or what we're talking about.
If it's an offical business, there should be some set price, or if you want some things free of charge.

I do admit, I use to praise linux and bad mouth windows, then I stopped and realized, it's pointless, partially because I did use windows, and it really is, just an operating system.
I'd be sad to see some dislike or even hate others just because of an OS.
I think I siad plenty.

I have not followed the whole thread---I hope I am not too out of context.

A different perspective:
First, Windows users do not get support from Microsoft as part of the license--they have to pay for it, In addition to the cost of the software, the support line fees are quite high. (I have not called them in many years, so I don't have current numbers)
Second, Windows users desperately need help because they have become dependent on the de-facto monopoly. The help needed covers a broad range of issues:
1. Break the dependence on having everything done for you automatically. When you are not required to think, you forget HOW to think, and become less competent at whatever you are trying to do.
2. Recognize that there are choices. How many users of MS products even know that there are options? Computer vendors need to help with this one.
3. Everyday help which is not OS-specific: Here is where everyone needs to be proactive. For reasons that go way beyond MS, we have a growing gap between the enormous power and diversity of usage of computers, and the people who have not yet grasped the basics. As SA for my little family system, I am still dealing with people who say: "How do you attach something to an e-mail?"

Finally, anyone who is an activist for better utilization of technology needs to help all comers. I remember my days as a Motorcycle snob. The true machines were made in England. Japanese products were interesting. Harleys? We refused to work on them. In our little garage shop, we thrived in our elitism--but it was not sustainable. If I am helping a Windows user with a problem, I cannot start proselytizing about the virtues of Linux. First, it might not work for their needs. Second, it alienates them.

If we help everyone, we will help ourseleves.