Hi linux fans,

Of the six people in my household, I'm the only one who uses linux. Everyone uses windows xp and vista. At home I'm also the technically inclined individual, I fix and build computers for them. So, if you are the computer geek or hobbiest in your household, are you most likely a linux user?

To test this notion, I asked my friends and co-workers about their interest in computers. Only three people have an extra interest in computers and have linux dual booted with windows.

So, my guess is if you are a computer enthusiast, you most likely know what linux is and most likely to use it. If you're just a casual computer user, most likely you never heard of linux or don't care to bother with it.

This is just an opinion based on the people I asked about their level of computer usage.

What do you think?

I'm the only one:
Mah dad: I'm to old to figure out anything new. (fair enough)
mah mom: confusion

In my household, we both use linux, but mostly because both computers only have linux on them. The wife couldn't tell you what os she uses, as long as there's an icon to get to a card game, she's happy. Occasionally, she'll use Opera to get to the web, but that's fairly rare.

I've worked in the computer field for 25 years or so, and my wife is one of the most computer illiterate people you'll ever meet. I use linux because at work I mostly support 'nix and Netware (Netware makes a lousy desktop solution - heh heh). She uses linux because that's what was on my old computer. I got rid of most of the desktop icons, and put the icons for a couple of games and Opera in the middle of the screen for her.

This is probably a rather common situation, especially for those of us that are a little older (We're in our 50's). When we first got a computer, it was because it was a tool for my career, and my wife had little to no interest in that. She has about as much interest in (non-card game) computing as I have in her sewing machine.

>> "... if you're just a casual computer user, most likely you never heard of linux or don't care to bother with it."

not totally correct ... my son knows about linux , at least he knows that he is using linux to play his games on the internet but i doubt that he tell his friends about that ...

when he is playing games his younger brother will sit(but on top of a side table) right beside him watching ... the youngest one also play kids game with linux from bob the builder web sites for example and some other simpler flash(probably java too) games ...

as for office stuffs ... so far i have only tested with one excel document which needed to be sent over to other party by email but a success nonetheless ...


//so ... so far so good , at least at the moment ...


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Same here Chuckbuhler.

Wife has absolutely no interest in what operating system she is using. She gets quite upset if I install something new or if something changes. I'm always careful to set everything up for her. She does like linux now - only because I make sure the eye candy is there. A pretty desktop is all she needs ... lol.

Most people do not share our interest in operating systems or want to know how things work. Most of my family, friends, and co-workers, have NO interest in linux and glaze over if I mention it.

Many years ago, I set up a dual boot for my daughter with Mandrake 8.1. She has long since moved out but as far as I know the Mandrake install is still pristine.

Because I'm a blue-collar worker, most of my peers consider me a geek, because I'm not into hockey and swilling beer.

It's kinda sad being alone. It would be nice to share the linux experience with people but it is not going to happen in my circle.

co-worker dont even have to know we have pc at home ... can save a lot of troubles ... ^_^


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Thanks everyone for your replies on who uses linux in your household and your circle of friends and co-workers.

In my household only me. I'm also the only person in my household.

My godmother uses Ubuntu 6.06 which I kinda forced on her computer despite the usual "oh I'm afraid it's difficult and won't work for me" blabberish, since her Windows was so broken and dysfunctional I pitied her and I also wanted to slip from fixing it every second week.
So, now she has stable Linux and all the programs she needs and couldn't be happier. Most interesting is that she has been encouraging other +50-years people to try it.

EDIT: took only ~5 hours to install, setup everything (just VLC+flash to add), move stuff from Windos backups AND teach her the basics of Gnome, Evolution, GAIM, OOo, Nautilus, Rhythmbox & VLC. She is completely computer illiterate so I'm surprised how easy it was. Ubuntu is really the OS for any computer n00b.

In my immediate household there are 3 people...2 of us use Linux, but my wife is a gamer. She uses Windows XP exclusively. Our 3 year old "uses" Linux primarily because it's harder for her to break stuff on my Linux box...though she's been known to sneak over to my wife's machine to move her toons around while my wife is AFK haha.

In my household of 4 (3 who can actually use a computer), I'm the only one. My primary is Linux, and I have my XP box to run IIS. My wife, though I don't think she would mind running Linux, is mandated by her employer to run a Windows-based PC. My 5 year old just plays kids games, but I haven't gotten them to work on Wine yet.

I've only got 1 Linux PC, this one. The lovely Linda. (Computers should always have names ;P)

My sister uses Windows 2000... And I'll probably leave it until Wine can handle all my games and I can find a full copy of Office 97/2000. (I've only got Word & Excel at the 'mo, but that's good enough for me, because Impress kicks PPT's ass.) My other PCs... well one isn't really working, I'll have to go fix it or kill it... And another is too old to be really all that useful, I just set it up in the basement with Win98 because my little sister wanted to feel cool. ;P

Most of my friends... I haven't tried convincing. I have a friend who's got Fedora & Kubuntu on his laptop, another two who tried but failed at the installer (One of them can't reach the BIOS, dunno why) and I've distributed a good 10 or so Kubuntu (Figured they'd like KDE more than GNOME because of the default looks...) CDs...

Of the three people in my household, I'm the techie one - I use Linux and so does my wife (if only to try to share my interests.) She doesn't use Linux to the extent that I do, merely to surf the Internet and maybe play games. Our roommate apparently doesn't use computers at home at all - I triple boot with WinXP and have an account set up for her use, but it isn't used. No Linux accounts either in her case.

So, in my case, it's a 2/3 majority.

Right now its just me. My wife doesn't care if she has Windows, Linux, or anything in particular. She just wants to have a browser and the ability to video chat using Skype, so that's the only reason she uses Windows right now, since Skype for Linux doesn't do video yet.

Just me and the dog. She's doing Linux From Scratch.

Four of us here,all use MEPIS 6.5,all seem happy with Linux except 12 year old granddaughter,she thinks MS Windows is cooler,but I am trying to undo the brainwashing from school and her friends BTW 76 year old mom uses MEPIS 6.5 at her house too.I guess you can call us a Linux family,we have windows,just not on our computers.Wayne