Posted on 10/26/2010 9:32:15 AM PDT by ShadowAce
When I got home from the trip, the system was up and running with no problems. He had DL'ed the ISO, burned it to disc, and installed Ubuntu from scratch.
With zero assistance from me or his mom.
He had never before worked with Linux, or installed an OS.
If Linux is so damn good, why is it so damn far behind...
That can't be allowed to happen. /s
/johnny
Why? It came with a license when purchased that didn't die because someone else is now using it. Use the restore disks/partition from the manufacturer or use another copy of windows and change the COA number after installation (Pro disks usually won't accept OEM serial numbers). Shoot, half the machines you buy don't have the same number on the install that's on the sticker.
Buying a new copy is just paying for the same copy a second time.
What does that statement even mean?
In the server world, and the technical user world, it's the preferred system. In the embedded world, it's way beyond any other OS. Your wireless router is running a version of Linux.
/johnny
You ought to proud, that is a smart kid. I installed Linux at home on several computers because I don’t have the time, inclination or money to waste on battling malware on systems with lame security models. I put Puppy Linux on my son’s old HP computer and Ubuntu Studio on my Dell Inspiron. I also installed Ubuntu on a client’s kid’s computer that had been infected with 20 varieties of viruses and malware. That was months ago and they are still very pleased with it. “Junior” had no problem transitioning to Linux and he has no compatibility problems using Open Office to do his school work.
Free apps don't get much ad budget. Many people don't trust anything they get for free.
In the server world it has a valid place. In the applications world and the arena of most corporate and home users it is not very user friendly to use and maintain; aside from the fact that the wide variety of most-used software is either not available or doesn’t work well on it. I now teach IT courses and Linux machines are more trouble than they are worth to set up and maintain. Developing applications is infinitely easier on Win machines. Our faculty who favor Linux are the ones who advocate command line processing and intricate scripting over GUI applications when most of us moved beyond that years ago.
Yes, technically it’s an OS, not an app. Sue me.
I just bought 2 windows machines with W7 installed, Nothing but headaches. I am sure I could have spent a day or two getting back on the learning curve and figured it out but I just do not have the time.
I installed unbuntu on the 2 machines and will never use a windows product again. It was the smoothest, most seamless install I have ever had on startup all the connected devices worked, wifi which was a constant problem worked flawlessly out of the gate, printers , sound, video etc. all worked fine.
Open office has evolved to a comparable office suite. firefox works better than ever and any free app I found and downloaded has done the job I needed it for. It is simple, rock solid and every thing windows should have been - best software decision I have ever made
I currently use a Windows XP laptop, an iMac with OS X (10.6), and and older desktop running Fedora core 13.
90% of what I use a computer for (web browsing, email, and desktop publishing) I can do equally well on all three, and using the same tools (Firefox/OpenOffice).
The easiest of the three to maintain is the Fedora box. Since all applications use the package manager, updates and their associated dependencies are completely automatic, I just need to provide an admin password to authorize them. The other two aren’t too far off, but their automatic updates only cover 1st party material, so my most-used apps (Firefox and OpenOffice), among other device-specific apps, have to update themselves separately.
I would recommend Linux for kids, preferably a different distribution on each (virtual) machine, especially if they have an interest in an IT career. I started with a Unix no one has ever heard of, used several, and (immediately) put Linux on the first PC I ever owned. Comp Sci degree and going on twenty years in IT, and NO ONE ASKS ME FOR HELP WITH WINDOWS!
I’ve had to touch windows enough over the years to know how much it sucks (and how truly user-unfriendly it is if your background is in anything else). If I had to support it, I’d pick another industry. Having zero windows experience is definitely a plus.
“In the applications world and the arena of most corporate and home users it is not very user friendly to use and maintain”
Tell that to the 9-year-old kid that installed it. :-) There is also a 10-year-old girl doing her school work on a Linux computer that I set up. No, Linux won’t run Windows apps, but it can do the basics that most people need.
Great article, my ten year old daughter loves Linux.
Never a transition problem for her.
ping
“If Linux is so damn good, why is it so damn far behind...”
Linux is the fastest growing OS in the world. Its just not necessarily on PCs. But its in everything from your microwave to your telephone.
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