Posted on 12/18/2013 6:48:46 AM PST by ShadowAce
Is it time for you to dump Windows XP, or maybe to abandon Windows altogether? Windows 8 has improved significantly with the 8.1 upgrade. Nevertheless, for many users, Windows 8s ...major changes like Live Tiles and the removal of the Start menuremains an object of scorn. And security has always been a bigger headache for Windows...
If youre still running Windows XP, making the switch to Windows 8.1or to Windows 7, if you can find itwill probably involve replacing more than just the operating system. Your...hardware may not be able to handle a newer Windows OS; and even if it can, youll likely need to replace software and peripheral devices, as well.
If youre going to invest money and time..., you might as well consider all your options. Microsofts stranglehold on the desktop market has loosened over the past few years. Mac, Linux, and even Chrome are sophisticated operating systems... Heres what to expect if you embrace one...
Theres a reason people (and not just Apple marketers) say once you go Mac, youll never go back. Apple defined the GUI we know today and set the bar for user-friendly computing. Macs have a reputation for being expensive, but thats not entirely accurate these days. You can certainly find cheaper Windows-based desktop and laptop options, but in bang-for-the-buck terms, Macs are on a par withand sometimes cheaper thansimilarly equipped Windows machines...
If you want to install a new OS on your existing hardware, Linux is the obvious alternative. The open-source operating system has many variants, one of the most widely used of which is Ubuntu Linux. Generally speaking, Linux has less-demanding hardware requirements and is much more forgiving of older PCs. Laptops are available from Acer, Asus, and Dell that run some version of Linux.
(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...
“I say this with all due respect, if Linux bothers you that much then just don’t browse the threads. “
So, we should just turn FR into a social media website, post about anything; per turtles, horses, etc. Got it. No self discipline at all.
In 1991, I tried an Apple and thought it was harder than DOS. Course that's a two decade old data point, but "ease" is obviously in the eye of the beholder.
Sorry, i wanted to use Linux as an alternative and have tried every major and a few minor Linux distros over the years, including Linux Mint 16 today, but they have problems doing things I take for granted in Windows, or cannot do things without often learning coding, if they can do them.
On a brand new PC Linux Minto 16 cinnamon would not even get to the desktop (going into fallback mode into nothing), while Mate would run, but crashed trying to install a fairly new canon printer, as well as being unable to install some things thru the software manager, or others would not show up in the Start menu.
And i have been unable to find equivalents for some apps i really like to use under Windows.
Other issues are getting full R/W permission for other drives, the inability to find file locations by right clicking on them in the Start menu, etc.
I have Puppy 2.6 on an old laptop, yet XP loads quicker.
Plus they lack legal codecs (in the US) for DVD and some other files.
In my opinion it Linux is useful if you want to just get on the Internet and do some word processing, but for my needs it falls much short.
That is a simply fix. Just install Classic Shell. http://www.classicshell.net/downloads/
http://www.classicshell.net/downloads will help a lot.
For me they include:
Here is what i had to go thru to get my Lexmark to work on OpenSuse.
That is the interface, and i have about no use for it. But as you can see with ClassicShell,it is not that much different than W/7. Except for playing DVDs (legally) unless you have the $10 MediaCenter.
I bought W/8 looking to go to 64 bit due to wanting more memory, and bought it as an upgrade from XP for 29.00 (promo period), plus got the MediaCenter free, and you can legally remove it from one PC and install it on another (which before was only legal with Retail). So it was worth it, thank God, but i would recomend W/7 otherwise.
Too often needed. The amount of problems and learning curve to fix them in comparison with how many use Linux is seen by the various Linux forums. Sad to say, as i wanted it to be more viable alternative to Windows for me needs.
I do also even though i have my reluctant criticisms of Linux. I guess that is one reason i like them!
Seems that there is a fair amount of interest. This one post has 40 posters so far. If you don't care about the threads, you don't have to read them.
Rank | Poster | FR Age |
Posts | Replies | Replies per Post |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ShadowAce | 13.1y | 3 | 6 | 2.0 |
2 | Cringing Negativism Network | 8.9y | 3 | 5 | 1.7 |
3 | tacticalogic | 15.0y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
4 | Da Coyote | 9.1y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
5 | kosciusko51 | 4.4y | 9 | 11 | 1.2 |
6 | Terry L Smith | 1.6y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
7 | EricT. | 13.6y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
8 | LibLieSlayer | 9.8y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
9 | Zathras | 15.7y | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
10 | 867V309 | 1.8y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
11 | USNA74 | 15.3y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
12 | E. Pluribus Unum | 15.1y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
13 | Stentor | 15.0y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
14 | VanDeKoik | 8.0y | 3 | 5 | 1.7 |
15 | JonPreston | 5.1y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
16 | BerryDingle | 7.3y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
17 | Svartalfiar | 4.6y | 1 | 2 | 2.0 |
18 | oh8eleven | 11.3y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
19 | JRandomFreeper | 14.0y | 3 | 1 | 0.3 |
20 | zeugma | 15.6y | 1 | 2 | 2.0 |
21 | SunStar | 13.5y | 1 | 3 | 3.0 |
22 | IMR 4350 | 4.0y | 1 | 1 | 1.0 |
23 | I got the rope | 13.1y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
24 | McGruff | 14.5y | 1 | 2 | 2.0 |
25 | ARA | 13.1y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
26 | taxcontrol | 11.7y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
27 | kevkrom | 15.1y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
28 | editor-surveyor | 15.8y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
29 | Varmint Al | 15.5y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
30 | UB355 | 13.2y | 4 | 1 | 0.3 |
31 | Little Pig | 13.6y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
32 | CodeToad | 8.3y | 3 | 2 | 0.7 |
33 | gura | 13.1y | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
34 | reed13k | 9.4y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
35 | catnipman | 4.8y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
36 | minnesota_bound | 5.0y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
37 | sand88 | 6.8y | 2 | 1 | 0.5 |
38 | Still Thinking | 12.9y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
39 | Gay State Conservative | 9.2y | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
40 | daniel1212 | 6.5y | 6 | 0 | 0.0 |
68 total posts, by 40 distinct posters. 1.7 average posts per poster.
Average poster seniority: 10.6y.
Given the large number of peripherals that are reported not to work with windows 8, I think the problem isn't exclusively a Linux one. Also, there was a solution to the problem that didn't require purchasing new hardware. What do you do if there is no driver that your windows system will accept?
Personally, I only use Brother printers, because they actually have PPD files for them available on their website (my current fedora desktop didn't even need them, but I could probably install them if I found I needed functionality not found in the foomatic drivers.
I have an HP printer and I downloaded the driver from their site. It was a bit of a chore to find it. Not really.
Very rarely does it happen that with Windows XP and up, and compatibility mode in W/8 even installs XP programs, while even Linux 16 could not install my fairly new Canon ip2702 printer. Besides having no real equivalent i could find for PhoneTrayFree, AutoHotKey, Right-Click Extender, etc.
Those gauges are dynamic.
I'll likely disable the virtual NIC to disconnect the VM from the 'net and use Linux for all that.
I'd go whole hog to Linux but wifey needs XP and some essential apps which will not run on Linux.
My plan should keep everyone happy.
Sounds like a good plan. Why buy a new computer if you don’t have to?
Exactly. In fact, last night I amended my plan quite a bit.
I downloaded and installed a copy of Virtual Box for Windows. I created a VM and loaded Linux Mint 15 on it.
I disabled the network interface on Windows and the Linux was still able to access the internet.
So I'm all set. Total cost? $0. The VM will lie in wait until April of next year. When MS pulls the plug, so will I. A non-internet connected WinXP install is eminently secure.
Macs output whatever resolution you need. Mine is doing 1080i by just plugging in the monitor. Adapters are $20. Not sure what decade you’re speaking from.
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