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Mark Jose wrote: > Erm, have I missed something? This is a Users Group, not a free software > group surely? > I can, do and will continue to promote Kubuntu and other distros appropriate > to the prospective user and their needs - if those involve running > proprietary software or non-free, then that is fine by me. > > Mark Exactly. Baby steps. For example: 1. Get the user onto Open Office, Firefox, Thunderbird and GIMP in Windows. 2. Point out that they are all available in Linux (oh and did you know Linux will work a damn sight faster on the same hardware? ;)). 3. Give them a Live CD to try. 4. If/when they like that install Linux as a dual boot for them. 5. Remove the dual-boot once they are happy everything they want works in Linux. At *that* point the subject of Proprietary vs Open Source can be broached. Any sooner and the response will have an 'off' in it and the prospective convert will hurry back to Windows at lightspeed. Perhaps as a first port of call, all of us who know people using Windows could suggest to them trying out the three I've mentioned above? My point is simply that if people know the applications they use most are available in Linux they won't be so fearful. Try to boil a lobster in one go and it will play havoc.... bring it up to the boil slowly and you.ll have no worries :) Kind regards, Julian -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html