Posted on 02/03/2016 11:22:43 AM PST by dennisw
My buddy David Gewirtz recently wrote about the question of whether you should move from Windows 7 to Windows 10 or a Mac. I have another suggestion: Linux. Specifically Linux Mint 17.3, Rosa, with the Cinnamon desktop.
Linux Mint 17.3 is a great replacement for Windows 7. In fact, it's a great desktop operating system period. sjvn
Yes, I'm serious. I use all the above desktops -- yes I'm a Windows 7 and 10 user as well as a Linux guy -- and for people I think Mint 17.3 makes a great desktop.
I've been using Mint as my main Linux desktop for years now. Unlike some desktops I could name -- cough, Windows 8, cough -- Linux Mint has never had a flop. Every year that goes by, this operating system keeps getting better. The other desktops? Not so much.
Let's take a closer look.at Windows 7 vs. Linux Mint 17.3
UI Differences
There's really not much. While it's even easier for a Windows XP user to move to Mint than a Windows 7 user, any Windows user won't have any trouble picking up Linux Mint with Cinnamon. There's a Start Menu and settings are easy to find.
I regard Cinnamon 2.8 as the ultimate Window, Icon, Menu, Pointer (WIMP) interface. Is it ideal for tablets or smartphones? No. Is it perfect for long-time PC users? Yes.
Cinnamon does add some nice features. For example, if you mouse over the Window list, you'll now see a thumbnail for each application. It also has improved performance, system tray status indicators, and music and power applets.
What I like best about Cinnamon is that it doesn't get in the way. There's no learning curve. You may have never used Linux in your life but you can just sit down and start opening directories, runing applications, and modify your PC's settings.
One small feature I like a lot, since I always run multiple workspaces, is that the workspace switcher applet now shows a visual representation of what's running in each workspace.
Don't like Cinnamon? Unlike any version of Windows, Linux Mint comes with many different desktops. These include KDE, MATE and Xfce. Find one you like and enjoy,
Application Selection
It's true that Linux doesn't have as many application choice as Windows does. But, how many applications do you really need in 2016? I do most of my work these days on the cloud with software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. These apps work just as well on Chrome, my favorite Web browser, on Mint as they do on any other desktop.
That said, there are many excellent Linux desktop programs. For example, instead of Microsoft Office I use LibreOffice 5. I don't use it because it's free, although most Linux desktop applications won't cost you a cent, but because it's an excellent office suite in its own right.
I also use Evolution instead of Outlook for e-mail and GIMP instead of Photoshop for my basic graphic editing needs. The bottom line is that are many great Linux programs that you can use in place of Windows appliations.
Are there some Windows programs that you can't live without? Well, you don't have to live without them.
There are two ways to run Windows programs on Linux. One is to use CodeWeaver's CrossOver Linux. This program enables you to run many popular Windows applications on Linux. Supported Windows applications include Microsoft Office (from Office 97 to Office 2010), Quicken, and some versions of Adobe Photoshop.
The application you absolutely must have won't work with CrossOver? Then run it on a virtual machine (VM) program such as Oracle's VirtualBox.
I use both methods and they work well.
Mobile Ecosystem Compatibility
I don't care what some people say, Windows Phone is dead to me. And, pretty much everyone else.
Mint, however, is a pure desktop play. Yes, Android is Linux, but it runs in parallel with the desktop Linux distribution. That may change as Android creeps toward the desktop, but we're not there yet.
Ubuntu, which is Mint's foundation Linux distribution, parent company Canonical is working hard on making its same code base work on PCs, smartphones, and tablets. So, eventually, you may be running Mint on smartphones. I'm not holding my breath.
If you want one operating system family on all your devices, don't waste your time -- for now -- on either Linux or Windows. Just go ahead and buy an iPhone and a Mac and be done with it.
Reliability
This is not even a conversation.
While Windows 7 is far more stable than any other version of Windows, I haven't had Linux Mint ever -- ever -- stop working.
If you want a desktop that can take a licking and keep ticking, you want Linux, not Windows or Mac OS X.
Security
Really? Do you even have to ask?
Every lousy day a new piece of Windows malware shows up. Windows is more secure than it once was, but it's still easy to bust. Linux, on the other hand, despite the garbage you read about Linux viruses and such, is almost never sucessfully attacked.
Yeah, that X68 board would with the CPU but the board is limited to 4 SATA3 ports. Two ports go to the hard drive and CDrom right away so that only leaves 2 for expansion. And I don’t recommend Gigabyte as they supposedly use crummy PCB in their boards which deteriorates within 3 years.
My 1st and only Gigabyte board was classic in that respect. Performed just as the blogs said it would, started rising temps 2nd year and by 3rd year was unstable even at stock speeds. They are 2+ year boards that’s all. Maybe they’ve changed? You may want to do some research. I got burned, stuck in a platform and won’t use Gigabyte anymore.
Considering it may take 3 or 4 years for Linux-friendly platforms to return I’d invest in a brand with longer life expectancy. By the time the board dies the old chipsets may be off the market and you’ll have to pay a premium to get a replacement board to work with the AMD CPU. That’s what happened to me when my X58 Gigabyte heated up. Had to buy an 18-month old Asus Sabertooth X58 to support my I7 CPU and that board was only available from 3rd echelon sellers at a significant markup since Intel had moved on to a newer I7 architecture/socket. That’s what I call getting stuck in a platform. CPU, board and RAM all have to be upgraded just because a deficiency or failure in one component.
I try and buy high end 1-y.o. platforms with an expected min. life of 3 years. I have an 8 year old DFI LP DK X48-T2RSB PLUS LGA 775 Intel ATX Motherboard,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136054, with an Intel quad core E0 still going strong at 3.8Ghz max over-clocking on air. It’s still very capable. Everything works. It’s my son’s system now but it’s at max overclock for the DDR2 platform and it does everything he can ask of it. That is the type of system I like to build. The DFI was end of the line of the DDR2 platform, -and DFI : ( My upcoming AMD will be an end of the line DDR3 platform to avoid the DDR4 platform’s initial Linux woes -and costs.
bttt
Why not buy your ideal motherboard and build your sysytem. Then when you see the chipset and CPU socket being replaced and sidelined......this is when you can buy a backup motherboard (cheap) to replace and extend life.
Funny how buying a replacement motherboard can be torture and its overpriced........ But not so for a replacement CPU. Ebay is full of used reliable CPUs. CPUs don't fail but motherboards do. Years ago I cooked a few CPUs but it did not harm them.
btw one system has a gigabyte board. The ethernet port failed. So now I connect to my router with a usb wireless ethernet adapter
The trick is getting the CPU-compatible backup motherboard before stocks are depleted and prices rise. This is already the case with the MSI A88X-G45 motherboard.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00IC5XZ98/ref=dp_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=all
It sold out of most places within a week of the news coming out about future AMD chipsets being MS-only compatible. Those who had some left jacked up the price. Seems lots of people had the idea of upgrading while they could.
I may have to go with one of those Used boards. That’s what my current overpriced Sabertooth is -a Used board which cost $100 more than a new one when they were out.
what a rip!......such is the world of computers and obsolesce...
[[If you need to run a Windows program, you can always run a VM in VMware or VirtualBox. At least the malware is isolated from the rest of the system that way...]]
But then you’ve got to figure out how to get the results from the windows VM over to Linux- I can’t figure out how to do it-
Current versions of VMware let you drag & drop files between the VM and the host. Or, you can plug in a flash drive, grab it with the VM and put files on it, then disconnect it. Finally, the VM thinks it’s another machine on the network, so you can access network shares on other machines on the network, whether those shares be directories, printers, etc.
but the VM uses the host Internet connection- meaning that any virus would hit both VM and host
Oh (and I’m not sure how this will work with Win VM’s on Linux hosts, even though I do have that as one config), one thing I do a lot on Win/Win VMs, is to leave the files on the host and work on them with an app in the VM, which sees it as a network file. Then you don’t even have to move the file when you’re done, it’s already on the host. Don’t see any reason that shouldn’t work with Linux host / Win VM.
sorry- my last post was in reference to VM’s not being secure which was the subject of another thread regarding itnernet safety via VM’s- not this one- sorry for hte confusion lol
Thank you for explaining how to share stuff- I have discovered how to share individual folders or drives etc- but didn’t know about the drag and drop option
Thanks, I’ll give that a try too- looksl iek there’s a couple of options
I use virtualbox (I tried VMware, but had trouble running windows and photoshop- for some reason it would freeze every time- but virtualbox allows me to run it without any issues- it’s a little slow, but not bad really-)
You lost me. I thought the participants you were having with VMs was file portability. I typically don’t access the interswebs from VMs, but I haven’t had much problem with virii in VMs. One other feature unique to VMs that might be relevant to you in that respect, is that you can constantly keep reverting the VM to a fixed state, so long as you’ve already moved your work filed off there, so viruses can’t really get a foothold. I don’t do that, but as I said, I’ve never had much issue with viruses in VMs.
Yeah i posted that thinking you were responding from a thread on VM vulnerabilities that i posted in yesterday- here’s the link talking about how to possibly make the Internet ‘safer’- my comments there were about things like TOR being unsafe actually because it’s a red flag when used- and others mentioned VM’s - i thought you were responding to me from that thread- I didn’t check the title of this thread you responded from lol- my bad- here’s the link http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3539968/posts
[[is that you can constantly keep reverting the VM to a fixed state, so long as you’ve already moved your work filed off there, so viruses can’t really get a foothold.]]
In regards to this- if you have shared files, drives etc- they are vulnerable to virii - although running a linux host and windows VM i believe is safer- not sure that the virii can jump os’s like that as most virii are written for only windows
“If you want a desktop that can take a licking and keep ticking, you want Linux, not Windows or Mac OS X. “
Windows 7 has been rock solid. Never has crashed and I do very high end software engineering on it.
This drumbeat of FUD against Windows is for the ignorant children who think Linux is somehow cool.
That said, Windows 10 sucks out loud for many reasons and I have banned it from more than one corporation.
“Don’t you mean “Windows is great for people who want to play games on their computer”?”
Corporations use Windows and Apple for a reason. Linux, not so much. In fact, I have never crossed a company where Linux is mainstream. Not a single one.
“Instead of Windows 10 or Mac, this ZDNet article suggests Linux Mint. What do you all think? — PING!”
For anyone needing to be productive and not geek out using a computer, Windows or Apple. Either will do the trick nicely.
Outside of server farms, I've only seen Linux in specialty applications where the user never sees the OS. . . POS, kiosk, etc., where the system boots and goes directly to the vertical solution software with out passing Go. If they do see the OS, the user's only option is to shut down power and restart.
IBM looked at going Linux for the desktop and found their IT support costs went up from what they were paying for Windows. When they switched to Apple, they went down remarkably. Support man-hours per user (or is that person-hours, in this politically correct millennium?) was dramatically reduced. Annual savings with less than 50% of the work-force converted from Windows to Apple was over $25 million.
[[This drumbeat of FUD against Windows is for the ignorant children who think Linux is somehow cool.]]
Most don’t use it to ‘be cool’- we turn to it to avoid the windows spyware crap in windows 10- and because linux is safer (although not bulletproof) online- for everyday online activities- it fits the bill nicely, without having to geek out and know tons of code or commands- it just works now- and most people can use it easily without being tech savvy at all
While it is true some elitists think they are ‘cool’ for using linux in a complicated command environment- and pride themselves on knowing all kinds of geeky crap- you have the same thing with some windows users- but for the most part- it’s not about being cool for most users in both os’s- it’s about having a choice to use a safer os, and to avoid the impossible to shut off windows spyware crap coded into windows 10-
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