How to "Wow" with Linux?

Robotech_Master asks: "I've been trying to get my brother to install a Linux partition on his own computer, but he's kind of iffy on it. I'd like to impress him, to make it more likely that he'll do it, so I was wondering... is there anything I can do with Linux that would cause a Windows '98 user to go "Wow!"? It can't be something that requires a lot of downloading, because I don't think we'll have the my new box hooked up to the Internet until I bring it home, and it can't take a terribly long time to set up, either. I have the Cheapbytes Red Hat 5.2 CD, Red Hat 5.2 Source CD, and the 3-CD Autumn '98 Linux Archive set available. I'd appreciate any suggestions!"

some ideas...

[MeAtHereDotCom]

One of the things that i've done...is get like Window Maker (or KDE) and have 4 different desktops running. Then start launching applications. Keep launching them. Make them all launchable either from the clip (for instance). Launch them in different windows. Run xsnow in the root. Run gimp, netscape, xtetris....EVERYTHING humanly possible. Then point out that you are running 30 different (visible) applications. Ask for them to do that on their windows boxes.
I've done this on a Cyrix 166 box with 64 mb ram and I was (unfortunatly) running CDE at the time.
This is something simular that the pre-DR series of BeOS would do....when you start up the computer it would launch a bunch of applications...it was pretty nifty.

Enlighten Him!

[wrex]

If you want to REALLY wow him, install the Enlightenment Window Manager (http://www.rasterman.com/)
This WM will wow anybody! You can design your own look and feel even. :-)

L8r,
Wrex
http://members.aol.com/wrexa/
(sorry bout usin aol, just never moved the site from it :-)

possibility and a question

[TimButterfield]

You may try running some windows programs under wine. With a little fiddling (copying of DLLs), one of my coworkers was able to run Lotus Notes this way.

Also, are there any programs or types of programs that he uses (or likes) a lot like web browsing (Netscape), games (Quake, Doom), graphics (GIMP), etc.? This may help in making recommendations.

Tim