Conversion Stories

[chadders]

This is where you can post your stories of people you have converted. Post away.

[chadders]

The real reason I created this thread is because I'm happy that I converted a friend of mine to Linux . She now runs Ubuntu Linux, and while she would have preferred CE edition, I couldn't be bothered downloading it when I already had edgy floating around :P. She loves it better than windows and she is the first person I converted to Linux.

[cheesecake42]

I was telling a girl at work all about linux and she demanded that I put it on her old laptop. so i installed vector linux for her and she has fallen in love with it. got 50 smackaroos for it too.

[fatalexception]

I actually converted my girlfriend recently. She uses my laptop all the time and is having me install Ubuntu on her ol' desktop.

I know; not much of a story.

[bigtomrodney]

I have actually done 'part time' conversions on three people now. I actually don't usually push people but a lot more people are becoming interested and actually asking me.

Sometimes it's people who ask me because I never seem to have security/virus/malware troubles yet always work to keep their machines clean. Other times it's just frustration with the '6 month slowdown' on XP or Win2000. But better is people coming over to my house, seeing SUSE or Ubuntu running Beryl or Compiz and thinking - "that must be the new Windows, it looks amazing". When I tell them it's not, that it's free and pretty much self maintaining beyond the initial install they usually want it straight away.

[tomeriker]

my story starts at SuSE 9.3. I just hppened accross an article that mentioned there was an alternative to windows and it was free to download. I was amazed at this new OS and played with it for a few days, but never could get much to work exept web surfing. Alot of the things I liked to do wouldn't work.

I have been reading the forums here ever since to try to get used to the lingo and try to understand how things are done. well neither has happened for me yet.. BUT

A couple weeks ago I decided I had had enough of MS. I am a hippocrite. I *****ed about MS, yet used their product. I am proud to say as of 3 days ago I finally made the leap. 100% SuSE 10.2!!!!

I tried kubuntu ( because it was supposed to be easier ) but it wouldn't install.

I tried Freespire which was really nice but couldn't figure out how to add repositories.

Installed SuSE 10.2 since I was already familiar with YAST. WOW!
Don't get me wrong, I still have difficulty doing things but this flavor is easier for me to figure out. After installing a few programs I can now do 99% of anything MS. The 1% I don't miss. ( Viruses, malware, adware, etc..) I even have 2 games running in wine. Diablo2 and PREY

Since I am a convert and was converted by this forum and all the help you guys gave me..

PLEASE TAKE A BOW

[Freston]

*Bowing*

I've converted some people to Mozilla, but not to GNU/Linux. A shame really, but I don't talk about computers with my friends. I do sometimes because I'm one of those guys everyone calls when their computer ain't working. But these same people I wouldn't trust with the root-password and they are not gonna Google for compatability when they buy a new printer.

My own conversion took until I found Slack. I've been running dual boots for years, but somehow I never got the feeling I understood the other OS enough. I've been running SuSE for example, and I recognize it's apeal, but it's not my cup of tea.

It's just, there is a certain satisfaction in taking perhaps half an hour to carefully compose a certain complex command and then press enter. You get no feedback, the prompt moves down a line and you just know, you just know... It's like the silent nod of your butler confirming he understood your command. It's so subtle, I love it.

[MikeTbob]

I don't really have a person that I want to convert, for the simple fact that I know I'm going to end up "customizing and administering" for them, until they feel comfortable enough to use it on their own. Which could take a long time.
My Wife uses Knoppix every now and then, but that's not really a convert is it?

[Hollow06]

I havn't been converted, i've just had a natural curiosity. I'm currently using SuSE and am learning it fairly easy. I have converted alot of ppl to mozilla, I usually DL it @ their house and put it on their comp and set it as default. Plus little ones with porn love the privacy options.

[Redman]

I don't actually "convert" people, I just show the freedom of Linux and it's stability.

But they need to make the choice themselves
Otherwise, it won't work.

And sometimes, I am asked to help people move to Linux.

A friend of mine recently did because he got sick of the crashes (caused by his ignorance on internet-popups/spyware installations). Now he is using Linux and agrees there is little difference in the -general- usage.