Comment 946 for bug 1

Ok, i haven't read most of the thread so i might just repeat a lot.

I'm in England and few people have even heard of Linux at all. When i ask someone in a computer shop or an internet cafe owner or a library network administrator or anyone the general public are likely to meet and trust about IT issues they all say the same three things about linux:-
    1. It's old
    2. It doesn't 'work out of the box' let alone 'plug and play'
    3. It's unreliable
Now add into the mix the impression that:-
    4. It's difficult to get help with any problems with Linux
The truth doesn't seem to matter when people have had their opinions pre-packaged for them.

I think most linux users can see that 2 & 3 are completely the reverse of the truth but 1 will require the hard-ware manufacturers to be either a little less paranoid or a little more helpful. 4 is inevitable until critical mass is achieved.

Regarding 4 - most people know a little bit of how to fix or do something in Windows. A noob might find they get advice from a friend, co-worker or a stranger in a pub might know or someone waiting at a bus stop might help. I think it might be worth wondering why noobs to Linux are so wary of asking help on-line or seeking technical support.