Just fired Bill Gates

[Bren]

Uh, guys... why 8.04? That was followed by 8.10 and now 9.04, which is a thing of goodness and beauty...

8.04 means April of 2008 release - that's so last year!

Maybe cos 8.04 was/is a stable and reliable version of Ubuntu, and that there has been no real reason to update to 9.04

[Jeremy]

I would express some concern over that hard drive. Generally speaking if it's managed to corrupt the file system itself, one of two things happened. Dodgy chipset drivers [unlikely as that sounds like a bog standard hard drive setup], or the hard drive is starting to corrupt itself.

[Winston001]

If it wasnt pre-installed on new P.C.s I think it would be a dying product.

IMHO if schools dumped Microsoft, and started teaching kids LINUX, not only would the education system save $$$$ in fees, our kids would actually start to learn about computers, not microsoft products.

Its rather ironic that we complain about Microsoft when that is the young upstart which brought computing to the masses.

Computers are tools. Like toasters. Teachers, parents, and school kids expect them to work. They don't care if there is a wavy window, a penguin, or a bit of fruit on bootup. Windows is familiar to 99.999% of all casual computer users. Even Apple recognise that. Why would any school try to change to the unknown?

[Bren]

Its rather ironic that we complain about Microsoft when that is the young upstart which brought computing to the masses.

Upstart is true...he got the idea of windows whilst working for Apple...how he got away with stealing the idea I have no idea, but if you or I brainstormed an idea while working at work and through work then that idea effectively is owned by the company we work for....so in essence B.G stole the idea from Apple...

Computers are tools. Like toasters. Teachers, parents, and school kids expect them to work. They don't care if there is a wavy window, a penguin, or a bit of fruit on bootup. Windows is familiar to 99.999% of all casual computer users. Even Apple recognise that. Why would any school try to change to the unknown?

Maybe the fact that windows is a dumbed down version of an OS is a good reason to change. It is built so a simpleton can use it...(imho)

[Hitcher]

It is built so a simpleton can use it...

If that were true, then an expert I would be.

[taff1954]

I would express some concern over that hard drive. Generally speaking if it's managed to corrupt the file system itself, one of two things happened. Dodgy chipset drivers [unlikely as that sounds like a bog standard hard drive setup], or the hard drive is starting to corrupt itself.

Point taken (it was also made by both sons) but at the moment, all checks out OK. Cashflow being what it is at the moment (Translation - spending our spare cash on new front pads for the GPZ, getting the wifes GN up and running plus 2 new tyres on the cage) while its working, it can stay.

[pete376403]

Upstart is true...he got the idea of windows whilst working for Apple...how he got away with stealing the idea I have no idea, but if you or I brainstormed an idea while working at work and through work then that idea effectively is owned by the company we work for....so in essence B.G stole the idea from Apple...(imho)

And of course Apple stole the Windows idea from Xerox who devised this at PARC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface
and so it goes...

[Blackshear]

And of course Apple stole the Windows idea from Xerox who devised this at PARC http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface
and so it goes...

And it begins...

[Mr Merde]

This looks like the very thing I need.

I am trying to upgrade a friends PC. its a P2 with 512 mb of RAM

He is running Win 98 Lite and I have been trying to update it to XP.

IUt keeps failing to update even though I have a legal copy of the program and a valid serial number.

All my friend needs is the ability to connect to the internet, get his e-mail and to browse. He needs a little word processing also.

He is on dial up and his modem blew. I got him a new one but there arent any drivers for 98 lite. The XP ones will not work.

I havent personally done an install of Linux for about 7 years. Looks like things have changed a lot

So in your opinion would this OS be suitable for someone who is pretty much a computer iliterate. He is in his mid 60's and really doesnt understsand OS's. All he wants is something that works.

Is this OS easy for just a user?

Please let me know.

Chris

[SPman]

It's no contest between Openoffice and that puddle of purulent syphilitic ooze that comes bundled with MS Vista that is supposed to be an "enhanced" version of MS Office.

I take it you don't like it!

[Street Gerbil]

Well, I use 8.04 LTS for a living and I seriously dislike it. It is a good idea, but somehow it misses a final coat of polish if you will. Just tiny bits and pieces. Problem here, bug there. This is too slow, that crashes every now and again. Packaging mechanism, especially for a large project is a nightmare. Eclipse is cumbersome and sconscript is a cruel and unusual punishment. Postgres 8.02 is just plain dumb (I know I am a spoiled child raised on Oracle). Copying a subtree from one svn repository to another (not within the same repository, mind you) involves animal sacrifices and the kind of magic that condemns your soul to eternity down below. And I think I will go postal if someone will suggest that python is better than perl one more time.
I still have XP sp3 at home and it seems bulletproof. In XP Gates and Co have finally got right everything they promised for Windows 95. And I think Visual Studio 2008 is fscking awesome.
Rant over :-))))

[MaxB]

Well, I use 8.04 LTS for a living and I seriously dislike it. It is a good idea, but somehow it misses a final coat of polish if you will. Just tiny bits and pieces. Problem here, bug there. This is too slow, that crashes every now and again. Packaging mechanism, especially for a large project is a nightmare. Eclipse is cumbersome and sconscript is a cruel and unusual punishment. Postgres 8.02 is just plain dumb (I know I am a spoiled child raised on Oracle). Copying a subtree from one svn repository to another (not within the same repository, mind you) involves animal sacrifices and the kind of magic that condemns your soul to eternity down below. And I think I will go postal if someone will suggest that python is better than perl one more time.
I still have XP sp3 at home and it seems bulletproof. In XP Gates and Co have finally got right everything they promised for Windows 95. And I think Visual Studio 2008 is fscking awesome.
Rant over :-))))

Then they spoiled everything by bringing out Vista. XP Pro was a great OS IMHO.

As for Linux on older PCs there is heaps on the net on how to do it.

[p.dath]

Openoffice rocks. Srsly.

It's no contest between Openoffice and that puddle of purulent syphilitic ooze that comes bundled with MS Vista that is supposed to be an "enhanced" version of MS Office.

I mostly used Microsoft Office 2007. I recently spent some time using OpenOffice. I was quite impressed with how far along OpenOffice has come since I last used it (when it was formerly called StarOffice), however I still found it very weak when working with spreadsheets. I think I could happily use OpenOffice at home, where my needs are simple. But I find it too frustrating to use it in a commercial environment.

It was also really painful that it could "open" Office 2007 documents, but not save in the same format.

[Brian d marge]

I use Linux mint
its well , just works this end ,,,,, Sorry unlike XP I use at work , now will have to explain that the xp at the other work is in Japanese, and a button has been pressed and now every time a key is presses 2 letters appear ,,, meaning if you try and type a password..... you cant .

Soo a it guy from tokyo has to come in on Tuesday to fix it !


Linux , select lang and key board at the start menu ,,,,,all done


Now I use cad and CGI and all those engineering software, NOT available for linux

So I ended up with Varicad ( not bad but misses extrude along a path)

Calculix , nice ,,,but no flashy GUI ,,,

open foam ,,,, thats a learning curve!!!


Open office crashes when cutting and pasting from the net , and I cant figure out how to make the toolbar pop ups a lighter shade ,,,that black is orrible

Finally , for a 500mb system XFCE or LXCE? as mentioned earlier would make the thing seem like a scaled cat

and as long as you werent adding things like printers and scanners it would be bullet proof

My MP400 scanner printer ,,, doesnt like linux ,,,printer ok scanner ,,,Hmmmm

but thats cannons fault not linux !

Stephen

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Computers sux full stop... would rather be out riding...

We use windows purely because the graphic artistry and design tools for Linux are not quite there... (will give it another couple of years of development before I seriously will take another look)

Now I hear you say why aren't we Mac, well there are many reasons, but mainly because some of the software we use it is only PC and no Mac version (yes we know there are ways round it but to cumbersome) but on our last upgrade wouldn't have worked... Then through in the re-training, rebuilding of the database, and porting some the other applications just gets to messy. And bosses don't like that they want it upgraded and ready to roll with no fuss...

At home we are mainly XP but have a laptop with Linux that I tinker on and check the latest to see how it is coming along... and for the same reason above I do alot of graphic artisty and multimedia

I have been using PC since DOS/GeOS and then Windows 3.0 days on my old XT. And been using the same software since their original versions, I know the in's and outs and a few hidden secrets, I probably haven't really got the time and can't be bothered learning new software if there is no advancement to me or the company when the software I have been using for the last 13 year does what I want, mets the companies needs and wants. You will find alot of people and companies in the same boat.

If you get a well maintained XP system, and take the standard security precautions, as well as not continously trying and installing new software, the PC will run perfectly for years...

As for viruses, don't be fooled into thinking that viruses/trojans/worms are only for the PC and windows, thinking that will get you into trouble quick smartly... also don't think that Linux is secure... just think how many servers have been hacked... and then think most servers on the net are???

If you are comfortable using Windows use it, if you are comfortable using Linux use that, same goes for Mac, Unix, Novell, frack even DOS