While a lot of what the author says is true, the whole story also depends on how much of a "power user" you are.
Linux equivalents may not have all the same esoteric/rarely used functions as the Windows versions.
/johnny
The solution in one word: grub
The biggest non-game hole in the Linux repertoire is a solid replacement for Project. Unfortunately, no one is working on one.
The games issue does turn a lot of younger “power users” off of linux, but Steam’s new OS due out soon should help a lot there, since many of their bigger titles will probably get ported to it eventually (and thus onto most other Linux platforms as well).
One other thing to be aware of, especially with regards to the OpenOffice/LibreOffice replacement for MS Office: the open-source versions try very hard to conform to the standards for document handling. MS does not, so any document you create in Linux is likely to look messed-up when opened in Windows. Installing the MS fonts helps, but it doesn’t solve everything.
If you have a pc that can run 8.1 then it also can run virtualbox (free)and you could download various prebuilt linux appliances to see how you like them.
Also, vmware workbench (free trial) will allow you to create a virtual appliance of your old xp system, so it can live on in your new system.
Don’t know why Microsoft doesn’t provide these functions built into windows. Virtual machines make more sense than using windows users.
It also helps if you are an experienced Unix sysadmin.....
I was a Fedora dabbler for a while. I got frustrated with the very fast revision timetables and let my Linux fall by the wayside.
When Ubuntu Server was released, I was hesitant but started dabbling. I run a VMware ESXi server at home with Ubuntu servers doing everything from DHCP and DNS to VPN. I’ve also converted by tech-handicapped father to Ubuntu on his older desktop, and he loves it for what he does. I use Ubuntu for just about everything, but I do still have a Windows gaming machine for exactly that.
With a properly configured environment, you can browse comfortably and confidently and Windows can be a thing of the past.
The best news? It’s all free.
Just rescued a Dell 1018 Netbook. First tried Mint 15 on it and couldn’t get tapping on the touch pad. Lubuntu runs like it was designed for it.
How does BF4 run under Linux?
The quthor just barely skimmed the surface. One of the features I really like is the automated software installation tools. I use yumex when I'm looking for software that does something, and I'm not sure what the actual name of the package is.
You don't have to go out on the internet to dodgy sites that want to you install other software just to enable you to download their stuff (something I recently ran into when attempting to get some stuff for my work laptop). Instead, you'll be able to just select the programs you want from a list, and let it install them while you're off doing something else.
For those unfamiliar I'm posting a few screen captures grabbed with the ksnapshot program. In the first example below, I'm running yumex, and have entered "video" as a search term. You can see some of the results displayed. You'll notice I have one particular entry highlighted. When you click on a package, it will give you a brief description of what it is. just select the checkbox beside any program you want to install. Once you are ready to actually install the program(s) you want, select the "Apply" button, and yumex will go off and resolve any dependencies that you might need for the particular program you selected. Once it has done this it will show you everything it plans to do, and offer you the opportunity to abort or continue.
I really think this beats the hell out of searching the web for stuff. You'll notice the flide bar on the right indicates that there are many programs available that have something to do with "video".
It's always a good idea to make sure that any programs you have installed are up to date, so you will have the most recent bug and security fixes. With Linux you can set up your system to automatically go look for updates daily, monthly, or just whenever you want. I don't use automatic updating because I prefer to have a more hands on approach for managing updates. You can also use yumex to update all your programs, as seen below. Here, it has taken a look at the packages you have installed, and has found all the programs that have updates. Note, that unlike windows, you can update all programs that have been installed through the standard software repositories. You're not just updating your OS, then have to go and find out if each individual program has newer versions.
If you want, you can tell the program to "select all" then "apply". The number of packages you have to update, and the size of the packages themselves will determine how long this update will take.
Yumex is just one Linux tool that I think is far superior to anything found in the Windows-centric world.
As I said, the author just skimmed the surface (as did I). Linux isn't for everyone, but then again, neither is Windows or OSX. I'm just glad we have choices available to us, so that we can make our computers work for us, not the other way around.
These days, even though I can boot into Ubuntu at any time, I use Windows (8.1 specifically) the vast majority of the time
Why? Because my work requires Windows, and I find no compelling reason to load and run Linux. In the future, I might just run it in a VM if I find I ever need it. The upfront cost of Windows is minimal, over the life of the PC, and as for software, I havent had to pay for anything either. No, not warez, there is plenty of free software available for Windows as well.
Every once in a while, I'll check out a new distro, and some of them are very enticing, but for 99.99% of what I do, Windows (8.1) works just fine.
For almost everything Linux is fine for me. I would sure like to have an older version of Windows just in case though.
For one thing, I can not log into the router to make changes.
1. You've noticed that the "Bob" interface was as useful as watching Barky playing another of his endless golf games.
2. The BSOD is useful for not getting any work done and getting paid for it, but not for actually completing anything.
3. The "Automated Updates" function has gotten to the point where you hate to even turn on the computer, just to have to wait for it to finish "installing" and then freeze up.
4. Your source for more and more money to purchase faster and faster machines with increasing amounts of memory and hardware requirements is not quite as endless as software manufacturors seem to assume it is.
5. A Pentium 300MHz machine was the fastest thing in the building at one time, and with 128Mb of memory used to boot up in seven seconds even running 'Doze, and now a 3GHz machine with 4Gb of memory takes a couple of minutes or more to get started and can get stuck on the Chicago Times webpage while you go get a cup of coffee.
Just for starters. And now they expect you to purchase 'Doze 8.1?
I don’t understand why no one has written a compatible “iTunes” app to connect an iPhone to a Linux computer. Linux does directly “see” an iPhone to offload pictures and videos that you took, but that’s it.
I bought a copy of Windows 7 when it came out but have used it so infrequently I suspect I’ll never buy another MS operating system again. Since that time Linux has made great strides and for my needs leaves Windows (bloatware) in the dust. On the rare occasion I fire up Win7, it’s like stepping back in time to a place of updates, virus scanning, registry checking and slooow performance. I much prefer Linux. Running a Debian based distro SolydK on my old hardware and loving it.
“2. There may be hardware incompatibilities”
I know that you already know this, shadow ace, but the Linux newcomer should also verify whether his/her computer has the UEFI chip before trying to install Linux thereon.
UEFI makes Linux installation more difficult (which is arguably why Microshaft pushed for its implementation in the first place.)
Linux has come such a long way since I 1st looked at Red Hat in the late 90’s. Wasn’t savvy enough to use it then. A happy Mac user now ( do DAW work) but for a non-work machine, I’d happily throw Lint or Ubuntu on it!