Linux vs Windows?

[Gremlin]

what pissed me off with apple was being forced to do things their way. ipods as well. Windows, do things your way, and I like pulling it apart. Also, been very impressed with windows 7, hardware, drivers and especially printers.

[Brian d marge]

Been running Ubuntu 9.04 for 18 months after migrating from Windoze XP. I find it perfectly fine for family use. I use open office with evolution mail (tedious transferring outlook mail over to it though) and find that every file type that is sent to me works fine. I have gimp for pictures xsane for scanning from the flatbed scanner, gnome mplayer and movieplayer for most videoo formats and a bunch of other apps to do odd stuff. If the software is only windoze then there is WINE (windoze emulator) but I've not needed to use it. My work laptop is XP so that does the power commander III USB stuff I need.

I have found Ubuntu to be way more secure than windoze and also 3 year old proof to boot! Boot up and shut down time is under a minute and CPU isn't loaded down with useless crap running in the back ground just in case you need it unlike windoze.

For me and mine a good choice, try it you might like it!

Agreed

I stuffed up Xp a few years ago , was over in NZ my grandfather had a new copy I decided to use it only to be told it stuff up his copy if I registered it bum and after some time i was told to register it or what ever

so i tried Ubuntu 6,06 , it ( THEN) was a little bit of a learning curve ( i was also newish to computers )
but the distro has come on in leaps and bound and is fit and forget almost! ( if you do stuff it up , slot in the cd , access a wonderful user group and the cut and paste the step by step solution and for me this is the good bit if you are as backward as me is wiv computaz

Evolution is almost like outlook and this is what I have found to be the dark side

because it isn't so main stream , the big vendors only release stuff for mac and windows sure there are stable work arounds which are easy to do , such as this WIFI I am using now, I needed netwrapper to use the windows file to make my wifi work

Sounds complicated but , go to software centre , type wifi dont work , or even the software's name
bingo a list and short ( sometimes not to clear explanation , click , click apply ,,,job done insert cd , drag , driver onto desktop or I put it in a folder called software , run netwrap ( I think its all automatic now ) and it found run and installed WIFI all good

Now I use LOTS of Software for engineering , HERE Linux sort of came unstuck

because the big companies charge big dollars for software CFD, CAD, GGI etc I needed the linux equivalent

its was and is there,,,, and just as powerful if not more so , BUT not so user friendly , here I am thinking of Gimp and Blender ( photoshop and Maya cgi )

But a little perseverance and at the other side of the tunnel I have a complete workstation JUST as good if not more so , ,,,for free ,,,,complete with free help desk

Also its completely customisable to whatever u want to do with it, you want to do it , google and someone has done it , with free cut and paste solutions

One last thing

Ubuntu is good but I use linux mint , which IS ubuntu , with the bugs ironed out and all the codecs and flash all loaded and working , ( 20 min install including the office etc )
As its Ubuntu , you can use the Ubuntu forums for answers or ideas

For me, I am a happy camper, No viruses , malware defraging and a stable system , if I stuff it up, by trying something I know nothing about usually , i can restore OR easier reinstall ( yes ! without losing software or documents or anything )
slip the cd in answer a few questions and bingo done ( now I will admit that is a bit out of the ordinary , but i just posted a message saying how do you do that , someone replied I printed it out and now when I install I just follow the map

You can even run ubuntu Inside windows , as a separate folder , or Dual boot ( pain ) or I use a virtual machine and windows become a task bar on the bottom of the screen , ( so easy to do )

Worst case , burn a cd , try it , it will be slower but if you dont like it take the cd out and rewrite it with a movie , nothing lost except time

Stephen

Yes a big fan but i was honest here with my experience ( ie its not perfect)

[Ronin]

My vote: Win7

I have yet to see an win 7 machine infected. It's stable(r), quick and nice to use. Quick and easy to use and does what you want.

Linux... I use it myself. I can't bring myself to sell someone a machine with Linux installed. I could... but I won't because most people just won't 'get' it.

[Urano]

Dear Mom...
i'm really sorry...

ok, now, i'll try to tell you what you care only, and to stay short...

Windows sucks. you'll never understand how much until you'll try something else.
Stated this, it is anyway the best choice if the only thing you're interested in is playing videogames and videochatting with msn. Aside those things windows is still a good choice for a little number of very technical uses, which i think you couldn't care less...

so i really encourage you to try something else.
the first thing people would tell you about "any-other-OS-than-win" is: "there's no software".
let's put it in this way: with win you have a million web browser to choose within. with linux you'll have ten thousand, with mac 5 thousand, with other os prolly 5 hundred.
now, how many web browser you normally use?
so, in 99% of the cases, this is not a factor.

without changing your hardware linux is prolly your best shot.
as others said i'll stay on ubuntu or mint. i'd prefer mint for a small number of reasons, but consider that mint is ubuntu at 99%, so it's basically the same stuff...
linux is phenomenal for net application: surfing web, e-mailing, playing videos and music.
you can run office applications with the same file types of microsoft office. you'll have problems (solvable) to manage an ipod.
linux is good also for a lot of other technical stuff, which as before you'll probably couldn't care less...
linux is no good to play videogames as you are used on win, so be open to find a new way to play with your pc, or get a wii.

then mac.
i'm a mac user.
i've used win for years.
i've used linux.
i'm angry with apple, cause mac could really be a 1000 times better than what it is. but, at today's date, is sadly the best choice possible.
only one thing you almost cannot do on a mac. play games. you'll be very very sad if you'll buy a mac to play videogames, prolly the situation is worse than on linux. but not counting that is a gain on almost everything.
the bad new is that you'll have to change your hardware, and it seems expensive at the first glance.


if i were you i'd go for mint, just to try a pair of months.

[Mom]

Some good stuff in here, thanks guys. Be good to keep it on topic though.

The reason for this thread, I am looking at a position where Linux is the OS used, I have never used it. I am a Windows/Office user. I dont want to look like a total fool if I take this position and cant use the PC

I have never had too many problems with new software applications so am picking this will be the case switching to Linux. Part of my role will be minor IT stuff, is this system too much different from a Windows based one?

[SpankMe]

Some good stuff in here, thanks guys. Be good to keep it on topic though.

The reason for this thread, I am looking at a position where Linux is the OS used, I have never used it. I am a Windows/Office user. I dont want to look like a total fool if I take this position and cant use the PC

I have never had too many problems with new software applications so am picking this will be the case switching to Linux. Part of my role will be minor IT stuff, is this system too much different from a Windows based one?

Get a second cheapy secondhand PC/laptop, install Linux on it and play.

[Mom]

Get a second cheapy secondhand PC/laptop, install Linux on it and play.

Who made you so smart

What a good idea.

[Big Dave]

what pissed me off with apple was being forced to do things their way. ipods as well.

I'm the opposite. The tool works just fine for me, right out of the box and I have no desire to mess around with how it works. I'd rather make stuff with it.

I now have five working iPods.

I agree with gaming is limited on macs.

But then, I gave my playstation to Jnr because since I have about 60 games on my iPod touch I don't use the PS any more.

The computer is for work and it works.

It's about the right tool for the job, Tim. If I was doing network admins I wouldn't use a mac, 10 years ago I had a wintel box for 3D modeling. Now I do artwork and it's the best box for it. It's the best solution for the task at hand.

Same as motorcycles. It's the way designers think. It's all a series of problems and you chose the best solutions for them. My Buell is one of the most versatile bikes on the market and is extremely good for tall men who ride like I do - the optimum solution to my transportation problems. I'd buy a Suzuki tomorrow if it offered a better set of answers. I'm totally brand or machine fickle. It's entirely about the solution - not who manufactured it or owns it.

It's called WIIFM. What's in it for me?

One of the tricks to the reviewing bikes is to twist it to 'What's in it for you.' I say do the same with the computing machines Ma. Task -> solution.

[SMOKEU]

Linux....kinda derived from Unix so a lot of it's code has been around for um... 50 years. Ubuntu....slow, shite. It'd put me off Linux TBH.

Yeah, it's been around for about 50 years, but it's certainly not slow. It's the fastest and most stable modern OS I've ever used. Even after I've installed lots of third party software on it, it still doesn't become really slow like Windows.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

>>Mac/OSX. Has its own problems is not as stable as it is made out to be.<<

Been running a 27" quad core iMac with 10.6.4 for the last 6 weeks. Crashed it once - before I took it to 8gb ram.

You have crashed you mac more times than i have crashed Windows...??? now before you go it do nothing on it...

I do full multimedi, video editing both analogue and digital, recording and writing my own music, graphic design, as well as Database crap... then the standard surf and email stuff what the average user does

But I do not install every new app like the average user i see does...I pick what I want to do with the system, install the apps required... and stick with it...

Using XP never had a virus... been stable...

The major issue is Mac have their own hardware made for them an drivers for it all checked by apple... Windows and PC's hve to manage all the hardware made every one and their dog and lord knows what the driver was written by... conflicting with the other driver writen but snot nosed pigme from PNG... Personally it doesn't do to bad considering that.


Every sytem has its uses...

[Big Dave]

You have crashed you mac more times than i have crashed Windows...???

Yeah - had everything open and ran it out of memory while seeing what Photoshop can do with the 3D modeling that now comes included.

[jonbuoy]

Some good stuff in here, thanks guys. Be good to keep it on topic though.

The reason for this thread, I am looking at a position where Linux is the OS used, I have never used it. I am a Windows/Office user. I dont want to look like a total fool if I take this position and cant use the PC

I have never had too many problems with new software applications so am picking this will be the case switching to Linux. Part of my role will be minor IT stuff, is this system too much different from a Windows based one?

In which case you will be fine, you will find the desktop very similar to windows drag drop and double clicks - nothing too different. If you download open office for Windows you will give yourself a head start, its just like earlier versions of MS office. A small office with an open source Linux server and half a dozen desktops would have saved themselves thousands in software.

[OutForADuck]

OH you really are going to get a few replys.. but if you want to play around with Linux and see for ya self with little hassle, I have an install on a USB stick you can boot off if you like... Could either get someone to drop it off or post it you, unless you feel confident enough to take an iso image and write it onto a CD, then I can just point you in the right direction to download.

[pritch]

I have played with Linux and liked it. Used two different releases of SuSE but pretty much just for email and surfing. Sort of drifted away from Linux a few years ago when I bought the iPod, then a camera. Would've been good if I could write my own drivers. What a state of grace!

Also had a Knoppix CD as a "lifeboat" in case all else failed.

Mom, I wouldn't muck about with dual booting. The suggestion to install Linux (pronounced Leenux by the way) on a cheap machine is a good one.

My last PC was XP Pro but when it died it was replaced with a Macbook Pro running OS X Snow Leopard. As I write there is a large manual by my chair. Most of the information though is still in the manual, not in my head.

So far this laptop ,with Open Office, does anything I want. Working with Photographs takes longer than I'd like, simply because I'm not used to the Apple software. If I had to print anything I'd just send it, or take it, to work and print it there. One day when I'm bored...

At work the servers are Apache but all workstations are Windows. I regard the huge amount of money the Government departments spend on Microsoft licencing to be something of a scandalous waste. I guess though that since all the IT staff have presumably been hired on the basis of their MS qualifications there'd be a fat chance of any of them recommending a switch.

My bank uses a Unix OS so all is not lost.

[Mom]

OH you really are going to get a few replys.. but if you want to play around with Linux and see for ya self with little hassle, I have an install on a USB stick you can boot off if you like... Could either get someone to drop it off or post it you, unless you feel confident enough to take an iso image and write it onto a CD, then I can just point you in the right direction to download.

What a lovely offer. I will be bringing my mothers old clunker PC up here when I can summon the strength to go and pack stuff up, and might just take you up on it then. Thank you.