Posted on 01/03/2013 6:52:26 AM PST by ShadowAce
For many PC users, the prospect of switching away from Mac or Windows and onto Linux can be a nerve-wracking one.
After all, Linux holds only a minority share of the desktop market, and not all of us know people who are already using it. The idea of making the switch can often feel like taking a blind leap into the unknown.
On the other hand, those of us on Windows are now facing the prospect of Windows 8, which by most accounts is not a happy one. Will it be more painful to jump into Modern UI, with all its attendant quirks and learning curve, or to move to a Linux distribution and at least have a choice of desktop interfaces and experiences?
I'd like to make the case for the latter.
Linux today has at least caught up with Windows for most purposes; in many areas, it's actually overtaken it. And now, with the transition required by Windows 8, it can be a whole lot less painful getting used to a Linux distribution that's at least based on conventions you're used to.
Need more convincing? Here are five reasons why I think there's never been a better time to switch to Linux.
1. Windows 8
For years Windows users have been able to coast along contentedly in a familiar paradigm, but with Windows 8 that's all changed. A mobile-style interface without a Start button is now the reality facing Windows users who upgrade, and it's not necessarily an easy transition.
<snip>
2. Flavors for every taste
<snip>
3. Superior security
<snip>
4. Modest requirements
<snip>
5. Open and free
Last but certainly not least is that Linux is totally free and unencumbered by license restrictions.
(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...
Make 2013 the year you switch to Linux
Too late!!
Just my opinion, YMMV, but FSX and the new P3D smoke everything else out there. I own Xplane, and it’s so not what they say it is, the scenery is basic at best, the uber-real aerodynamics don’t fly like what I know. You’re just going to have to have a dedicated gaming rig running W7, and play with Linux on some other computer. Like I say, that’s just my opinion, but you may like Xplane. If so, you can use linux for that. I don’t know about the GPU, but linux is pretty good at keeping up with drivers for the cards out there.
I love Linux, but it’s gotten too cumbersome to try to keep up with all the dual boots and other installations in my house, so I gave it up. I don’t have the time any more. I keep a few disks about, as they come in handy sometimes. My neighbor’s HD died and I booted her computer with a live CD and gave her strict instructions not to turn it off until her replacement drive arrived. Just so I wouldn’t have to come over and set up the printer again, otherwise she could have shut it off. She got along fine with it.
Can I just keep Windows 7 until Linux becomes easier to transition over to?
That's me.
How long can I hold on to Windows 7 if Windows 8 is that bad? Usually a lousy release is followed later by a good release that fixes all the screw-ups of the earlier release.
That's me.
I use my personal computer for Word, Excel, e-mail, Facebook, and my university applications - nothing too esoteric.
How long can I hold on to Windows 7 if Windows 8 is that bad? Usually a lousy release is followed later by a good release that fixes all the screw-ups of the earlier release.
***AND/OR***
Can I just keep Windows 7 until Linux becomes easier to transition over to?
Guess they decided that whole Win 95 interface thing wasn’t working out after all, so they went back to the Win 3.1 UI. ;)
Having tried every major (about 10) Linux distros, and trying to get the same functionality as i get in Windows as a power user, that is much my opinion, though i am sympathetic to those who like it, and think it has potential.
But as you can buy a W/8 upgrade now (till Jan. 31) for about 43.00 (w/ taxes) and just install the Classic Shell freeware if you do not want metro, then maybe less will switch right now.
The question is not what it can play, but what it cannot legally play in the US without buying proprietary codecs, due to license issues.
1) I think Windows 8 is a fine OS, actually has some technical improvements over Windows 7. The only annoying thing about it is the mobile-looking "Metro" panel instead of the desktop/start menu everyone is used to. It's NOT a turkey like Windows Me or the (IMHO greatly overly) maligned Vista. However, you can get to familiar territory easily enough, and there are already third party products to make the look and feel of W8 pretty much the same as W7.
It has better performance than W7.
2) The current statement with regards to support from Microsoft can be found here, among many other places: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010820/how-long-will-microsoft-support-windows-7.html It will NOT get shorter. As was the case with XP, it may well be longer. The short-take is that the level of support most people actually use will be be available until 2020.
Our company, with over 4000 users and many high security storage needs, is still on Windows XP so I do not think you will have a problem.
MS will provide security updates for Win 7 until 2020.
FWIW, I have concerns as expressed above about Linux but I would take it over the current incarnation of Win 8 in a heartbeat.
“Can I just keep Windows 7 until Linux becomes easier to transition over to?”
Not really. Windows 7 will stagnate as new versions develop. Linux has always promised “ready for the average user soon” and never has, and never will, deliver.
I’m upgrading to OS X from Windows XP.
Well said, though i would like to see MS face better competition from Linux, while the ability to easily customize Windows via 3rd party apps without learning DOS type commands has always been a real strength.
I do find uses for Linux, and just gave an old PC away running the latest Puppy, which is very fast, but you cannot even right click on an icon in the Start menu and make a shortcut or find its target.However, for just using the Internet to do homework and word processing it should be fine.Thank God for Firefox and OpenOffice (or Libre)
But besides the learning curve, which often means one has to learn coding, there are dozens of distros and some real differences btwn them, and what you might have to go thru to get a printer to work, plus the illegal codecs necessary for full media capability, etc. etc. (just read Linux forums), should temper the “Desktop ready” crowd.
I expect Google is working on its own version of Linux, which has MS worried, as then you could see a real challenge as they focus on one flavor with the resources to improve and promote it. As it is though, i do not even use Chrome, as for me it lacks the ability of Firefox with extensions (Chrome cannot even do multiple row tabs).
But i thank God for the variety and freedom to choose. If only they were all used for good according to His “OS.”
I am on a W7 laptop right now, but run the W/8 evaluation on a 7 year old PC that was running XP, and if you run Classic Shell (http://classicshell.sourceforge.net/) on W.8 you should like it. It is rated slightly faster than W/7, even on older PCs (and the upgrade is only 43.00 til Jan 31. But if you have W/7 there is no need to change) But learn the hot keys (Windows key and “e” or “i” etc )
With the low cost upgrade til Jan. 31, and support for XP running out next year(?), then they might be smart to upgrade now. But see post 73 above.
The trouble with computer geeks is they think everyone else is a computer geek. My wife checks her yahoo email and facebook. That’s all she does. I set her up with Windows XP but she could probably run Windows 98 and not know the difference.
Would you say that Classic Shell on Win 8 basically gives an identical interface to the Win 7 version??
I understand that Linux is more stable and I don't think anyone is arguing that aspect of the issue, but until we can click on Install.exe in Linux and have it install as easily as it does in Windows, this discussion is over.
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