Windows 7 Should you install Linux alongside Windows?

[Andrea Borman]

I have been experimenting with my Netbook for a week. I have been trying out 5 different brands of Linux installed alongside my Windows 7. Ubuntu Netbook,Kubuntu Netbook,Xubuntu,Linux Mint and jolicoud. As I could not install Ubuntu,Kubuntu and Xubuntu with Wubi installer,I installed them on Virtual Clone Drive which I found out how to do from the How-To Geek website. I also installed Linux Mint this way-Virtual Clone Drive as well. But Jolicloud Express was installed on my hard disk C drive without clone drive with the Windows installer. Here is how I did.

Ubuntu-well first of all I could not connect to the Internet wireless broadband because it never detected it -same problem with Kubunt,Xubuntu and Linux Mint. Except that in Linux Mint I did in the end, but I had to plug my cable in before it found my Wifi but all the others did not find it.

Ubuntu,kubuntu, Xubuntu- I could only use wired connection because they never detected my wirless network and would not let me download the drivers.So these 3 brands of Linux were not usable.

Linux Mint-I found having to enter my password and user name most irritating every time I booted my computer and I had to enter my password every time I did some thing like install new packages or change the settings. There was no way to disable this like there is on Windows.

Jolicloud-was the only one who found my Wifi connections right away and connected me without any problems, and I did manage to disable having to enter my password. Every time I booted my computer by ticking enable automatic log in. But I still had to enter my password every time I installed packages or changed settings. And when I tried to change this in command prompt.I found I could not install software unless I logged into the root and user account settings-even more irritating and annoying.

Also in Linux you are supposed to be able to download and install software from the Internet. But I found I could not install anything. Mozilla Flock web browser would only install as a file which I had to download EVERY time I wanted to use it. I could not get it to install the way it should as a web browser like it does in Windows. Even though I installed the Linux version. In fact in Linux you can only install the web browsers and software that are in the packages, nothing else.

Also in Jolicloud a lot of the web browsers I did install from the packages did not work. Aorora browser would not let me sign into my Google account and no matter what I did I could not fix this problem. But the Windows version of Aorora browser is working normally and I can sign into Google and my other accounts. In jolicloud Midori browser crashed, other web browsers were out of date-Firefox 3.6.3 for instance should have been updated to 3.6.12 the current version. Other web browsers did not work and Dillo and Epiphany did not because they are now discontinued.

But on all of the Linux brands I tried, all of the web browsers were out of date and as I could not install anything from the Internet I could not update them. Also Jolicoud took up a lot of space on my hard drive.

So windows users who are thinking of replacing you operating system with Linux,my advice is don't.

Because I installed all of the Linux brands alongside Windows in removable installation,I was able to uninstall them all in Windows uninstall programs. But had I had been stupid enough to go for full installation and replaced Linux with Windows,then I would have been stuck. With an operating system that does not work and is not in the least bit user friendly.And installation alongside Windows is not without it's risks. As I have read that if things go wrong, Windows can be wiped from the boot system,leaving only Ubuntu or Linux on the computer. And if you only have a Netbook like I did,how do you get Windows back? Netbooks do not have a CD drive. True,you can plug a CD drive into the USB socket via extension lead and the other end to the CD drive and run it that way. But you still need to get the Windows CD if you have not backed up your Windows and files to a CD.So it is risky to install another operating system alongside windows.

Windows IS very user friendly. YOU control how you use it and how it is run. You do not have to have any log on password or any security at all unless you want it. YOU choose what software you want and it is quick and easy to install. And with over a thousand web browsers and software compatible with Windows there is plenty of choice. Some people install Jolicloud because of the different web apps. and video chat messengers,but you can get all of these on Windows.

And Windows search with it's tutorials and help guide about how to use and fix your computer,is an asset to Windows users. And Windows will troubleshoot any software that is not working and fix it by automatically.And you can download additional fix it tools from the Microsoft website and they have a security tool now that you can scan your computer with. Well,you do not get anything like that with Linux.

Windows is used by all offices and public computers,such as Internet cafes, libraries and homes. While Linux is not so well known and used. But if it were the other way round and all computers were made in Linux,nobody would use a computer. Linux is definitely not user friendly,difficult to use and you do not control your computer,it does. As you cannot do the things that you want such as remove password,install software from the Internet and other things that you can do in Windows.

Windows is user friendly especially Windows 7 but so are the other versions of Windows,Windows XP,Windows Vista,but Windows 7,the most. Windows 7 does have clear settings listed in the control panel index, making it easy for any beginner to use.

But there is NO WAY Linux can ever rival or replace Windows,unless it changes and becomes more user friendly and allows users more control in settings. Maybe linux should take a tip from windows. As Windows has deficiently got it right but Linux has got it wrong.

And I have customised my Windows 7 to make it the way I want it and I have even successfully removed Internet Explorer browser. But my advice is to stay with Windows. You are much better off. Andrea Borman.

 

[Windows7HelpGuy]

May I ask what the point of this thread is. You asked if you should install linux along side windows, but yet you're acting negative towards linux. I think this thread so be renamed "Why you shouldn't install linux"

 

[Joe S]

She just wants the final word on any subject she bashes.
Joe

 

[Andrea Borman]

I have been writing for quite some time about Linux and I have not had any luck in most of the brands that I have tried. But believe it or not,I think I have finally found a Linux brand that works. I installed Linux Mint 9 Gnome 32 bit.I have Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit. I did this by mounting the ISO CD file on virtual clone drive,because I have a Netbook. And it seems to be working on my laptop. When I first set it up I had to start off connected to wired broadband but it installed or found my wireless driver. And after I restarted my computer I was then able to connect wirlessly,to my Wifi.

It is true that what they say on the web,that Linux Mint is more user friendly for Windows users. As the menu is like the Windows 7 start menu and also you can put icons such as Firefox browser and other software icons on your desktop. Just like in Windows where most web browsers and software you install it put on your desktop as a shortcut icon,you just click on to open. So you can also do this in Linux Mint,unlike other Linux brands,such as Ubuntu,where you cannot. So for a start the Linux mint desktop looks a lot like the Windows layout. And also I the good news was that all of the web browsers I installed were working,unlike Jolicloud where they did not.In Linux Mint you have to install software from the provided package installer,but some can be downloaded from the Internet. For example I was able to download Google Talk voice and video plug in from the Internet, and then package manager opened and finished the Installation.But I could not do this with the Linux version of Mozilla Flock but a way round this is to install the Windows version of Flock through Wine. If you have wine installed you can then download the Windows version of Flock,the same way you would in Windows and then select open with wine then open the file. And Windows Flock is then installed in the start menu and you can then put the icon on your desktop. And then to watch videos on Windows Flock you just download adobe flask player in Flock,the Windows version of course.

I suppose using Windows Flock in Linux is cheating but it is impossible to install Linux Flock and I am surprised it is not included in the packages. As Flock is the second most use browser after Firefox. But I was able to download and install Swiftfox web browser on Linux Mint the same way Google Talk was installed. I downloaded it from the web and package manager finished the installation once again but it did not do this with Linux Flock as this is not a deb file. So I read,which is probably why I cannot install it.On the boot disk I was able to update my existing software I installed from the packages using Linux Mint generic recovery mode. This then updated everything including Firefox from 3.63 to Firefox 3.6.12,the current version. It is true there are some issues I am unhappy with about Linux some are you must have a password. But one way round this is to set up an easy one,you can set up a 2 worded one like yes or no or even just type in one letter for example A or 1 when you set up your account during installation. I seem to have gotten away with this,after all it says choose a password but it DOES NOT say how many letters long.Of course I do not want a password at all,as I do not have one on Windows but this is not an option on Linux.Although on Linux Mint you can set it up so you are not asked for your passwod on log in but you still have to enter it when you install software or make any changes to the settings. Still,a password like, no or 12 or G for example is hardly a password I or anybody is going to forget. But that is not my password.So on Linux Mint I can record videos on You Tube and use voice and video chat messengers like I do on Windows,although on Epiphany messenger it only works with Google Talk not Aim. You cannot do voice or video chat to anyone on Aim,only email messaging. But then as I still have Windows 7,if I want to go on aim,I can go on Windows for that. As a friend put it,the idea of installing a second operating system is to be able to have and use software,that you would not be able to use or be compatible with your existing operating system. Just like if you have Mac for example,you cannot use Green browser on Mac only on Windows as well as other Windows software

.And Linux does allow you to use software you cannot use on Windows. Although it is true that Windows does have a lot of software that is not compatible with Linux that I use.The main issue here is with the chat messengers. I use Google Talk and Aim Messenger because they are the only ones that work for me and are easy to use. On Linux they only have the multi network chat messengers which are not user friendly and do not work. But I have this problem on Windows also,with messengers like Digsby and Pidgin and others,so this is nothing to do with the operating system. It is just about finding the right chat messenger that is easy to use and there are not that many,on Windows or Linux.But anyway,anybody who has been following this post,will be happy or surprised to know,I have actually found a Linux brand that works.

Linux Mint 9 or Linux Mint 10 Julia,the new version. But I have chosen Linux Mint 9 as I like the green theme,Linux Mint 10 Julia is grey and I don't like grey. But on Linux Mint you can also change the desktop theme to a different color just like on Windows. they have a website where you can download themes from from,the Linux Mint website. So now for the time being,I am keeping Linux Mint which is installed alongside my Windows 7 and I am using it. But I am only doing simple things like writing my Facebook pages,blogging and browsing,I am not trying to make major changes to the operating system. Like I do on Windows,as on Linux if you do not know what you are doing,you can mess it up. Although the advantage of having it installed alongside Windows is that you can re-install it again.

Do not forget that Linux is in my case installed on a Windows laptop that is primary a Windows computer. So the boot loader is a Windows boo tloader. And when I got my laptop it came pre-installed with Windows 7. So Windows 7 will always remain permanently on my computer and on any other computer that you buy pre- installed with Windows. There are ways to remove Windows but I would not do this as I think that even if you do have Linux on your computer,you still need Windows as well.

So I am keeping Linux Mint for now and I will let you know how I get on with it. Andrea Borman.

 

[fjgold]

Linux Mint 9 is based on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS, that is it is Ubuntu 10.04 LTS with extra programs preinstalled and some different themes.
Functionally it is no different from the Ubuntu that you have had so much trouble with.

BTW, just like in Windows most Linux distributions (not brands) allow menu shortcuts to be moved to the desktop.
All you need do is right click the shortcut (launcher) and select move to desktop or panel.
This is how it's done in Ubuntu though you report it to be not possible.
Again more misinformation.

By the way a few paragraph breaks in you posts would go a long way to making them more readable.

Less misinformation would be appreciated.

At any rate good luck with your efforts with Mint 9.

When you get around to installing it along side Windows in a true dual boot (on its own separate partition) you might like it even better.
It will be much faster and persistent.

Since Mint 9 is based on a LTS (long Term Support) release of Ubuntu you get the same long term support that the straight Ubuntu version enjoys.

 

[Mike]

All you need do is right click the shortcut (launcher) and select move to desktop or panel.
This is how it's done in Ubuntu though you report it to be not possible.
Again more misinformation.

By the way a few paragraph breaks in you posts would go a long way to making them more readable.

Less misinformation would be appreciated.

You do not dictate the format of someone's posts here, and what you consider to be misinformation can very easily be explained as someone's lack of experience or knowledge using a given operating system. If someone is recording their experience using a system, and may not understand it, you can certainly interject and discuss your own knowledge and opinion. Everyone has a right to keep a OS preference and explain why. Please keep the discussion civil and avoid turning it into a mere personal argument. Claiming someone is spreading "misinformation" implies the OP is intentionally being dishonest, and I would consider it to be a personal attack if it continues.

The point of this message is to allow the thread to continue with rational discussion and not drift off into "Linux is good because you don't know what you're doing" or vice versa. This thread does have real value and does give people an opportunity to list their experiences with different operating systems in comparison to Windows. Everyone has a different experience level and everyone is welcome. This can only happen if we treat each other with dignity.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Thank you for replying to my post. As you now know,Linux Mint 9 is installed alongside Windows 7 on my Netbook. I have read about partitioning the hard disk but I do not know how to do this. And if I did I could mess up my computer,so it is best that I leave the disk as it is. Linux boots alongside Windows in what I think is called Grub but I think it is still on a Windows boot loader,it seems. I do not think there is anything I can do to change that as my Netbook is a Windows laptop,made for Windows. But I do not think that matters as long as everything is working properly,which it is.

But the other Linux brands I tried for a start,Jolicloud is designed more for social networking than as strictly an operating system. So their apps such as Meeboo and others are really just web pages in a browser. There are also Facebook apps and You Tube but in reality there is no apps for Facebook. Well I have not seen them any where else but Jolicloud. And Ubuntu is different from Linux Mint and was not able to detect my drivers for my Wifi,like Linux Mint did.

But Linux Mint does seem to be different from most of the other Linux brands,in that it is more user friendly and some say it is designed for beginners and Windows users new to Linux.But then each brand is different. Andrea Borman.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I have a Ubuntu boot disk.
It boots my computer, connects to the internet, allows me to copy and move files etc.

I can run anti spyware software from it and download files.

This is where I got the version that I have.

Download | Ubuntu

This seems like the reasonable solution.

No dual boot, no hasstles and it's always available if my computer won't boot because of a virus or a Windows melt down.

At least, should I have to do a complete reinstall of Windows it will let me back up any files I don't already have backed up before doing a restore from one of my external hard drives.

Mike

Ps. I'm not connecting through a wireless network.

 

[fjgold]

Mike, Andrea is using a Live distro .iso's like the Ubuntu one you mention (Mint 9 that is based on Ubuntu 10.04).
She is using it in a virtual fashion from within windows.
Ideally the .iso should be burned to a CD\DVD and booted to like the way you use it.

Unfortunately Andrea has said that she is using a netbook without an optical drive so that option
isn't available.

Of course you can create a Live USB flash drive using these .iso's with a Windows program called Unetbootin.
Unetbootin is designed to create Live USB flash devices from Live CD .iso's and does it in a Windows GUI.

http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

D\L the Windows version.


But she says she has no USB flash device either.

Running a Live distro from a USB device is miles faster than fom a CD\DVD and gives the user a much better experience.
It presents no risk to the users computer because it runs in memory only and can't access the HDD unless the user tells it to.
You would boot to it just like you would boot a Live CD\DVD.

Running from a virtual window is not giving a distro a fair shake and can be risky if you don't know what you are doing.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Thank you for your reply. It is true because I have a Netbook this does not have a CD drive. But my options are to either buy a third laptop that is not a Netbook that will have a CD drive a panel in the side of the laptop where I can put a DVD or CD into,to play both CDs and DVDs and can transfer files on to to back them up. Or I can buy a plug in CD drive and plug that into one of my usb plug sockets in my existing Netbook and the other end of the cable into the CD drive. I use a plug in mouse that you plug into a computer on my Netbook not the keypad as it is difficult to click with the fingers. So I can plug anything into a usb socket,install a printer for example if I want to. It is an HP mini 210 Netbook 1GB with 3 usb sockets,1 on the left hand side and 2 on the right. So I do have room to plug in a Cd drive or other device. I think it is a good idea to buy a CD drive to back up my files anyway in case some thing does happen to Windows,although it is unlikely as Windows 7 came pre-installed on my laptop when I bought it.With Linux Mint the Good thing is that if my installation gets messed up,I can just re install it again. My Windows 7 is permanently installed on my computer and the Linux Mint installation is installed by mounting the CD ISO file on virtual clone drive. Virtual clone drive is a kind of fake CD drive program or CD Rom I think they call it that is downloaded from the Internet,there are other programs like this.

Such as Magic Disk but I do not know how to use them,virtual clone drive is the only one I know how to use. The Linux Mint ISO file is also downloaded from the Internet,then mounted on virtual clone drive. But this method only seems to work with a CD or DVD ISO file. Linux Mint 7 and 8 were not CD files just ISO files but the installation with 7 and 8 did not work for this reason,they did not install.

Linux Mint 9 gnome and 10 Julia also Gnome works and it seems is more user friendly than most other Linux brands.
Linux Mint 9 KDE I am sorry to say I did not get on with. On KDE my built in microphone did not work so I cannot make videos or do voice chat and I got this absurd message "you are starting without administer privileges you cannot make changes." so it would not let me install any software.And there was no way to change this setting but on Linux Mint 9 and 10 Gnome,where it says users,you can choose to tick custom account or administer not to be confused with root account. And this is what I did on Linux Mint 9,select administer under my account name. I tried Linux Mint KDE because I found the blue theme very attractive but the operating system clearly was not. But Linux Mint 9 Gnome or Linux Mint 10 Julia seem to work well. But I have got Linux Mint 9 as I like the green theme,Julia is grey and I don't like grey.But both of these brands work for me anyway. Andrea Borman.

 

[Andrea Borman]

So it does seem that I have found a brand of Linux that works for me Linux Mint 9 Gnome. Linux Mint 9 KDE does not work well even though it is from the same company,Linux Mint. But I have read other people also have had problems with KDE. Andrea Borman.

 

[gavin19]

So it does seem that I have found a brand of Linux that works for me Linux Mint 9 Gnome. Linux Mint 9 KDE does not work well even though it is from the same company,Linux Mint. But I have read other people also have had problems with KDE. Andrea Borman.

I'm glad you found an agreeable distro to work with. Your thread inspired me to revisit linux again after a few years away. The progress that has been made is astounding since I last used it in 2005/6. After installing a few distros Mint/Mepis/Kubuntu/OpenSuse, I settled on Ubuntu. Although I always insisted on KDE I really took to the newer Gnome. Ultimately I was able to substitute Gnome's panels with Avant Window Navigator and was left with a small dock at the bottom of the screen, giving maximum screen space.

What I liked -

- Much improved software selections and maturity of apps. Maybe not so much with the lesser distros, but Ubuntu offers a wealth of easy-to-install apps.
- Compiz and other means of desktop effects. Far surpasses W7 and does genuinely make simple tasks a little less dull, even on lesser-powered PCs.
- Linked to last point, UI can be tweaked in so many ways it's scary. Not just for looks though, it can be made so much more functional and a real pleasure to use. Example, I can set middle-click to 'fold up' a window into it's own title bar, so leaving only the bar on the screen. Much much more is possible and easily enabled even for beginners.
- Noticeably snappier than W7. Comparing speeds of Chrome, Firefox and other x-platform apps, they load quicker and are generally more responsive/less CPU-intensive.
- At least compared to a few years ago, Linux now seems to work pretty much out of the box. Obviously this is highly dependent on the distro but Ubuntu and variants do a great job.

I can't say there is anything I disliked in my 3 or so weeks with Ubuntu but ultimately I came back (again) to Windows. The primary reason is this - Ubuntu didn't do anything better than Windows with the exception of the UI effects/responsiveness, and the latter of those would partly be due to less apps running in the background.

It done everything very well - drivers, speeds, stability etc but the software or distro sometimes fell down. Apps are plentiful (and free) but are generally lacking in advanced features/polish which left me pining for my Windows apps. Wine just makes everything look like Windows ME and it's not perfect by any means. The plentiful use of the Terminal, which draws a lot of complaints, is something I loved as it gave me a lot of insight into the workings of Linux, yet sometimes I just wish I didn't have to use it quite so much.

The other thing I did realise upon coming back to Windows was that I have subconsciously adopted entirely free software, probably a bi-product of my earlier foray into Linux. Notepad++, Foobar, RSSOwl, Clementine, uTorrent, CCleaner, Chromium, Firefox. Every bit of software I use on a daily basis is free (if not always totally open).

So go ahead and try Linux, it's a lot easier to use than you might think and can be a lot of fun for the nerdier/hobbyist users. It can even be installed alongside Windows if you aren't confident making new partitions, or better still, installed and run from a USB stick which you can take anywhere with you. That is currently where I'm at and I think I will stay. Portable Ubuntu when I feel the need, but Windows offers just too many subtle advantages for the end user to ignore.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Thank you for showing an interest. Although I now have Linux Mint 9 installed alongside Windows 7,I find that I still need Windows. The problem is that a lot of software is not compatible with Linux. And some software does not work well on Linux. For example I love Mozilla Flock but the Linux version comes bare with no plug ins. So I cannot play videos because it won't let me install the flash player.

So the way I have got round this is to install the Windows version of Flock on Linux through Wine,which is a software that lets you run Windows apps on Linux. Once I installed Windows Flock I still had to download Adobe flash player,for Windows but this installed without a problem. If you have Wine installed you just go to the website of the browser you want to install and download it the same way you do in Windows. Then in the home folder look in downloads for the installer you just downloaded,right click with your mouse,select priorities,and tick run executing file and tick open with Wine. Then open the file and it will install the Windows web browser on Linux. I have successfully installed Pale Moon and Safefox web browsers which are for Windows only but running on Linux. In fact all the other Mozilla browsers install and run on Linux through Wine.But the windows chat messengers ICQ,AIM Messenger and Nimbuzz do not work at all on Linux.This is because Windows has Dill a software component found only in Windows that Linux does not have. So that is why I cannot run the chat messengers or Green browser or Lunascape on Linux. Green browser,ICQ and the others install on Linux but when I try to run them,they crash my Linux system.

So this is why I would never give up my windows,as there is a lot of software I like but I cannot use on Linux. windows is perfect in every way except for the Internet Explorer browser,which I have removed completely from my system. Andrea Borman.

 

[Andrea Borman]

There is not much choice of video chat messengers for Linux or Windows. Most of them are multi network and do not work. Unfortunently, the few ones that do, are for Windows only. Aim Messenger,Google Talk and windows live. Therefore you still need Windows in order to use the messengers as these do not install on Linux through Wine. Most windows web browser if they are Mozilla based or webkit like Arora for Windows,then they will work on linux. But the Windows chat messengers need Dill, a software componment found in Windows to run them. which Linux does not have. That is why the Windows chat messengers do not work on Linux but the web browsers are different.

But one way round this is to use a web messenger like Meebo that you use in a web browser and you do not have to install. Meebo and other web messengers work on Linux and Windows. Andrea Borman.

 

[elantz01]

windows is not better than linux - they do user friendliness much better......but if windows were a much better OS, it would be used in supercomputers - the 10 fastest in the world run on linux

 

[MikeHawthorne]

They probably don't run Wow or Tomb Raider on any of those computers.

 

[elantz01]

They probably don't run Wow or Tomb Raider on any of those computers.

LOL probably not, but just to give you an idea of the computing power that these things have, a newer computer with an Intel core i5 and nVidia 9800gt GPU will average around 350 gigaFlops. The current fastest supercomputer has been benchmarked at 2.507 petaFLOPS, or 2,507,000 gigaFlops. I'm pretty sure they wouldnt have trouble running WoW....except for the compatibility part (idk if any version of linux can run those games).

Anyway, the point I was just trying to make is that linux shouldnt be discounted because is it not as user friendly as windows; both have their uses. It really boils down to what your requirements are in an OS, and do you have the drive to learn something new. I'm not going to bash Microsoft or windows, I've used just about every version of windows since 3.1. Windows has come along way and it does just what it is designed to do, it provides a broad range of functionality so that more individuals can make use of the OS. Hell, look where it got Microsoft, they have cornered the PC market (which IMO is not a good thing, but its a tangled web and so on) and now a vast amount of software is designed to run on windows OS. The trade off being that while windows provides such a range of services, it does not allow for customization (beyond making your desktop look pretty). Sure you have options in your control panel you can play around with, and there are some settings you can tweek if you know what your doing, but serious performance services and processes are controlled by windows (and cannot be changed without the use of third party software) - and of course there are some highly necessary processes and services, like the one where microsoft makes sure youve paid for your copy of windows .

Anyway, the Linux platform allows for some serious optimization, making it prime use for various applications. If a company with resources were to take on the Linux platform to build a PC operating system, I would imagine it would be quite a refreshing change from Windows. Linux is very powerful, thats why its use has been growing. Apple realized this, thats why they began to use a Linux platform for Mac OS. Microsoft realized this, thats why they created the various versions of Windows 7; it gives you more of a choice when deciding what you want in your OS. To assault the netbook market, Microsoft created windows 7 starter, a smart move on their part; however, in their haste they made some wacky changes - you can have gadgets but not change your wall paper (without the use of third party software).

The trouble with Linux based PC Oper Systems is that they are not very user friendly. Although they have gotten better (and many will agree that Ubuntu is probably the most user friendly), when you run into trouble, they are still a pain to troubleshoot. Also, there are quite a number of OS available. The various distributions of Linux OS are widespread, and like windows 7 versions, the one for you really depends on your needs and wants. Some OS are a bit more complicated and require Linux experience to navigate. But probably, the biggest turn off for many is the lack of compatibility for software and hardware. Some have stated that various components (WiFi, etc) do not work properly. Of course, linux is open source, it is free which is nice.

I still think that Linux is fun to toy with, and the various OS are neat to see. I just like to know options are available and it is nice to see something new. We cant know how good or bad we have it until we try something new. I recommend that people at least check out Ubuntu, this version comes with a windows installer that will install linux as a windows installation and allow you to choose a boot option at startup. If you dont like it, you can just go into windows and uninstall it. Most versions should have a clean install on a partitioned HD, but creating virtual drives by using programs such as Sandboxie will allow you to get a feel for the various OS - this at least protects your system (but never forget to back up). Personally I would like to see something new - I feel like windows 7 is Vista plus. I think Microsoft is on the right path though. Competition pays off, at least linux lights the fire under windows.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I get the point but the problem is, it's just too hard to get all your software to run in Linux.
I understand why people use it for servers etc, but if like me you have over 90 different software programs it just impossible.
The super computers are running software that is written for those computers.

It's great for general stuff like word processing and email, my Ubuntu boot disk works great, I can access the internet, word process and use it to recover if Windows goes belly up on me.

I'd love to see a real alternative to Windows, if just to push Micro$oft to do a better job.

But I'd be at it for a year just trying to get all my graphic arts stuff to work.
Then you have to start on the games and sound editing, etc.

The thing with Windows is it runs everything.
It has it's shortcomings but unless you are running a Mac it's the only complete operating system, love it or hate it!

I have a friend who runs Ubuntu on one of his hard drives, he uses it to do his email and internet, because he's paranoid about viruses, but he still has to boot into Windows to play Lord of the Rings Online or use his scanner, etc.

What it all really comes down to is, it all depends on what you want to do with it.

Mike

 

[blackoutworm]

Hi

I get the point but the problem is, it's just too hard to get all your software to run in Linux.
I understand why people use it for servers etc, but if like me you have over 90 different software programs it just impossible.
The super computers are running software that is written for those computers.

It's great for general stuff like word processing and email, my Ubuntu boot disk works great, I can access the internet, word process and use it to recover if Windows goes belly up on me.

I'd love to see a real alternative to Windows, if just to push Micro$oft to do a better job.

But I'd be at it for a year just trying to get all my graphic arts stuff to work.
Then you have to start on the games and sound editing, etc.

The thing with Windows is it runs everything.
It has it's shortcomings but unless you are running a Mac it's the only complete operating system, love it or hate it!

I have a friend who runs Ubuntu on one of his hard drives, he uses it to do his email and internet, because he's paranoid about viruses, but he still has to boot into Windows to play Lord of the Rings Online or use his scanner, etc.

What it all really comes down to is, it all depends on what you want to do with it.

Mike

The thing is though. Ubuntu is a real alternative, but with some tweaking.
Windows is already tweaked and closed so something that makes it impossible to fix or repair things.
I think most peoples problem with linux is their "windows" way of thinking.
There are way more software and games out there for windows users but I mean what do you expect. Ubuntu is only 7 years old and so is most of the other popular linux OS's.
Here's the thing though. Windows vista and 7 sucks, ubuntu 10.04 and 10.10 has their problems they didn't have before, but everything before that was good (in my opinion).
So when it comes to gaming you can't use a PC to get a good game feeling.
Windows is too slow and lagy, and linux doesn't have that many games to choose between.
Linux kicks *** when it comes to racing games though. And also if you like Doom or Quake style FPS games.
But you should really buy a console instead of using your PC for these things.
Overall, Windows wins if you are fan of commercial games, and linux wins when it comes to open source and free software, and also speed and stability. Microsoft can't do a good job because it's a company that are against freedom and openness.
Everything they do and produce is closed, so people outside of their company can't really do anything to fix things.
Too bad they are such big money-whores.
And here's a good tip. If you want the best stability and a more user friendly ubuntu box, stick to the LTS releases.
Also, I don't think linux is less user friendly. it's just another way of doing things than what you are used to in Windows, as I said above.

 

[RobotronD5000]

The trouble with Linux based PC Oper Systems is that they are not very user friendly

Respectfully, the trouble with linux-based PC operating systems is not with linux-based PC operating systems - it is with people's expectations and with their inability to understand the meanings of the terms that they use. IOW... Linux IS user-friendly. Unfortunately, 99.9infinity% of the people who use the term "user-friendly" actually mean "I want something to work exactly the way that I have already learned to use something else." Modern major linux distros are user-friendly by every correct definition of the term. They are laid out logically and things can be quickly learned because of their intuitive nature. Of course, as with anything more complicated than managing to hit the floor when one falls down, there is some learning required. How much really depends on what a person wants to do. Much of the effort involved with becoming comfortable with linux has to do with unlearning ways that one must do things in a Windows environment. It's really unfair IMHO to blame linux for that. I have a few friends who are much older than I am. One of them is in her mid-70s and had never used a computer before, let alone used one. Her daughter bought her one. She decided that I'd be her "fix-it guy" whenever she messed something up and expected me to teach her how to do whatever she thought up on her computer. It was (and to some extent, is) stressful. Maybe it's her age or maybe it's the fact that the most complicated electronic device she'd operated before was her television, but I'd show her something repeatedly and slowly, and she still wouldn't get it. So I started writing simple step-by-step directions for her to follow. It helped, but she was still calling me a minimum of several times per week with problems and often just to verify that she wasn't about to mess something up. She had a hard drive failure and rather than deal with sending it off for repair she told her daughter who bought a new hard drive for it - and then left for vacation. She asked me to put it in. No problem there, but she didn't have a Windows installation disc. Being on a fixed income, she said she'd have to wait until her daughter got back from vacation and see if she'd buy it for her. I said that was fine and installed UE linux to make sure the drive was ok. I let her have the computer just to play around with, printed up a few pages of simple things, and expected that I'd be on the phone with her constantly for the next few days. Instead, I called her two days later to see if she'd decided not to try it. She stated that she was using it, but that every time she would not know how to do something she "just thought about how it should work and it turned out that was how it actually did." Intuitively. Had she experienced a problem that would have required some work in a terminal she'd have been lost, but for normal operation she had no trouble. She had no preconceived notions of what it would be like and very little "learned behavior" to unlearn.

Hi

I get the point but the problem is, it's just too hard to get all your software to run in Linux.

Don't you really mean, "I get the point but my problem is, it's just too hard for me to get all my Windows software to run in Linux?" I could be wrong, but that seems to be a more realistic statement. If that is the case, then I understand. Some software that is written to run under a Windows OS/desktop environment do not have linux versions. Some do not run well under WinE (fewer, but a still appreciable amount, do not run at all) without some tweaking. And some do not have alternative applications that run under linux. But many do.

I understand why people use it for servers etc, but if like me you have over 90 different software programs it just impossible.

Only 90? I am not positive because I did not think to count them, but I'd be willing to bet that my linux distro-of-choice - Ultimate Edition - came with at least that many applications pre-installed. I've installed many more since then, of course. I see things once in a while that I wish to have while surfing the Internet, but I've found a lot more by simply running Synaptic Package Manager - or Ultamatix, or the Add/Remove Programs menu option - and typing a keyword in the searchbox at the top and reading the descriptions of the many apps that appear.

I'd love to see a real alternative to Windows, if just to push Micro$oft to do a better job.

That has already happened, lol, and the real alternative was... linux. There are several improvements that have come about because they appeared in linux first.

But I'd be at it for a year just trying to get all my graphic arts stuff to work.
Then you have to start on the games and sound editing, etc.

Graphic arts? If you mean specialized fields such as 3d design suites that interface with and control very expensive CNC milling machines, then sure, I'll agree that the options are somewhat limited - but then again, there aren't exactly hundreds of such apps for the Windows environment either - and that not all of them are free. But if you mean more mainstream things such as "simple" 2d or 3d design work, architectural design, desktop publishing, photo restoration, CGI/animation from the simple stuff to motion picture quality output, et cetera... Then there are certainly alternatives. For everything that can be done in Photoshop, for example, you might take a look at Gimp and the many plug-ins available for it. Being a powerful app, there is of course a learning curve - but the same can be said for Photoshop.

The thing with Windows is it runs everything.

Uhh... No. Windows runs applications that are written to run under Windows. My Chevrolet accepts parts that are designed for it and my Subaru accepts parts that are designed for it. It is not a failing in the Chevrolet that it cannot accept a Subaru bumper, and vice versa. I suppose I should point out that there are emulators available for both Windows and linux OS that allow one to have a virtual "copy" (+/-) of other computers, operating systems, and game-consoles. The list of emulators written to run under linux OS is, however, FAR more exhaustive than the list of emulators written to run under Windows. There are actually ways to run linux software under Windows, but as there is more work involved and the degree of success seems to be somewhat less successful overall... NO one OS is capable of running "everything." But when it is a case of which one is capable of running more applications, I'd give the nod to linux.

It has it's shortcomings but unless you are running a Mac it's the only complete operating system, love it or hate it!

I'm not sure what you mean by "complete operating system," but all of mine (both the versions of Windows and the various linux distros) seem to be quite complete.

I have a friend who runs Ubuntu on one of his hard drives, he uses it to do his email and internet, because he's paranoid about viruses, but he still has to boot into Windows to play Lord of the Rings Online or use his scanner, etc.

I have no personal knowledge of Lord of the Rings Online, but I typed the following into a Google searchbox: linux "lord of the rings online" And I got 676,000 results. Granted, many of those results will be people asking if it can be done, how it can be done, or complaining because they don't know how to do it. But the very first result is the LOTRO Launcher for Linux. I'm not sure of this site's policy on linking other sites, but I'm sure your friend can find it via Google. Coincidentally, I have had some experience with using a scanner. I bought a new one last year. Actually it's an all-in-one device, the excellent Epson Artisan 810. Scans, copies, faxes, prints on CD/DVDs, prints screenshots from video, and also just prints. I was worried at first that I'd not be able to use it in linux or that I'd lose some functionality such as the WiFi feature (it connects via USB, ethernet, or wirelesly). But a little searching and I realized that I had nothing to worry about. I hadn't planned on purchasing a new scanner. But, you see, when I upgraded to a newer version of one of my operating systems, I was no longer able to use my old one. I'm talking about Windows here, lol.

What it all really comes down to is, it all depends on what you want to do with it.

Agreed. And also whether a person is able to easily put aside their preconceptions and unlearn previous ways that they have been doing things. And that great catch-all, personal preference. I mainly use linux. But I still use Windows on one laptop from time-to-time because of an application that I particularly like that does not run well under linux (I have found linux-based alternatives that work well, but as I mentioned, personal preference, lol). And I still use Windows on a desktop to play a few games that are annoyingly slow under linux. It's an older desktop and they're not exactly fast when playing them natively in Windows. I still buy the new Windows when they come out and I am not adverse to trying new applications that are written to run in Windows. I do not consider myself to have the "fan-boy" mentality where I wouldn't give anything but my favorite a second glance. It's just that at this time I spend 95%+ of my computer time in the linux OS. Not by conscious choice (other than the decision to try Ultimate Edition linux after several years of not using any linux OS just to see if linux had matured any; wow did it!), it's just worked out that way.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi again.

"Graphic arts? If you mean specialized fields such as 3d design suites that interface with and control very expensive CNC milling machines, then sure, I'll agree that the options are somewhat limited - but then again, there aren't exactly hundreds of such apps for the Windows environment either"

I run...

Adobe Photoshop CS3
Adobe Indesign CS4
Adobe Illustrator CS5
Adobe Premiere CS 5
Adobe Image Ready
Daz Studio 3
Poser 8
3S Studio Max

The list goes on, sound editing, lip sync software etc.

To try and run all this stuff in Linux would be a nightmare, not to mention the cost of replacing the stuff that has a version that will run in Linux.

I haven't even started on games I play or have played, Age of Conan, Lord of the Rings Online, Dragon Age. I just played the demo for Dragon Age ll, I wouldn't be able to do that in Linux.

I just finished the beta testing for DC Universe and Rift, I couldn't do that in Linux either.

I'm not saying that there isn't a place for Linux, but it's not an option to having Windows for a lot of people.

As I said it all depends on what you want to do with it.

I'm glad to have my Ubuntu disk, it will boot my computer and let me connect to the internet.

If I have a Micro$oft meltdown, it gives me the option to back up files and try to make repairs, but it could never be my only operating system.

Mike