Posted on 08/31/2015 6:37:23 AM PDT by ShadowAce
I enjoy using Linux on the desktop. Not because of software politics or because I despise other operating systems. I simply like Linux because it just works.
It's been my experience that not everyone is cut out for the Linux lifestyle. In this article, I'll help you run through the pros and cons of making the switch to Linux so you can determine if switching is right for you.
Switching to Linux makes sense when there is a decisive reason to do so. The same can be said about moving from Windows to OS X or vice versa. In order to have success with switching, you must be able to identify your reason for jumping ship in the first place.
For some people, the reason for switching is frustration with their current platform. Maybe the latest upgrade left them with a lousy experience and they're ready to chart new horizons. In other instances, perhaps it's simply a matter of curiosity. Whatever the motivation, you must have a good reason for switching operating systems. If you're pushing yourself in this direction without a good reason, then no one wins.
However, there are exceptions to every rule. And if you're really interested in trying Linux on the desktop, then maybe coming to terms with a workable compromise is the way to go.
After trying Linux for the first time, I've seen people blast their Windows installation to bits because they had a good experience with Ubuntu on a flash drive for 20 minutes. Folks, this isn't a test. Instead I'd suggest the following:
So what does one gain by switching to Linux? Generally it comes down to personal freedom for most people. With Linux, if something isn't to your liking, you're free to change it. Using Linux also saves users oodles of money in avoiding hardware upgrades and unnecessary software expenses. Additionally, you're not burdened with tracking down lost license keys for software. And if you dislike the direction a particular distribution is headed, you can switch to another distribution with minimal hassle.
The sheer volume of desktop choice on the Linux desktop is staggering. This level of choice might even seem overwhelming to the newcomer. But if you find a distro base (Debian, Fedora, Arch, etc) that you like, the hard work is already done. All you need to do now is find a variation of the distro and the desktop environment you prefer.
Now one of the most common complaints I hear is that there isn't much in the way of software for Linux. However, this isn't accurate at all. While other operating systems may have more of it, today's Linux desktop has applications to do just about anything you can think of. Video editing (home and pro-level), photography, office management, remote access, music (listening and creation), plus much, much more.
As much as I enjoy using Linux, my wife's home office relies on OS X. She's perfectly content using Linux for some tasks, however she relies on OS X for specific software not available for Linux. This is a common problem that many people face when first looking at making the switch. You must decide whether or not you're going to be losing out on critical software if you make the switch.
Sometimes the issue is because the software has content locked down with it. In other cases, it's a workflow and functionality that was found with the legacy applications and not with the software available for Linux. I myself have never experienced this type of challenge, but I know those who have. Many of the software titles available for Linux are also available for other operating systems. So if there is a concern about such things, I encourage you to try out comparable apps on your native OS first.
Another thing you might lose by switching to Linux is the luxury of local support when you need it. People scoff at this, but I know of countless instances where a newcomer to Linux was dismayed to find their only recourse for solving Linux challenges was from strangers on the Web. This is especially problematic if their only PC is the one having issues. Windows and OS X users are spoiled in that there are endless support techs in cities all over the world that support their platform(s).
Perhaps the single biggest piece of advice to remember is always have a fallback plan. Remember, once you wipe that copy of Windows 10 from your hard drive, you may find yourself spending money to get it reinstalled. This is especially true for those of you who upgrade from other Windows releases. Accepting this, persistent flash drives with Linux or dual-booting Windows and Linux is always a preferable way forward for newcomers. Odds are that you may be just fine and take to Linux like a fish to water. But having that fallback plan in place just means you'll sleep better at night.
If instead you've been relying on a dual-boot installation for weeks and feel ready to take the plunge, then by all means do it. Wipe your drive and start off with a clean installation of your favorite Linux distribution. I've been a full time Linux enthusiast for years and I can tell you for certain, it's a great feeling. How long? Let's just say my first Linux experience was with early Red Hat. I finally installed a dedicated installation on my laptop by 2003.
I’ve got a new machine running Ubuntu and a very old laptop dual booting XP and Mint. The latter will go only Mint as I sort through all the legacy stuff and move what I need to keep.
With the most recent LibreOffice (version 5), users are able to read/write Office formats much better than with earlier versions of LibreOffice--including tables and other formatting issues that have popped up before.
As far as I know, there is still no substitute for Vizio in terms of reading/writing the file formats.
Everything else, though, seems pretty straightforward--unless you are using some industry-unique, custom software, of course.
That has not been my experience.
Ping
True. I haven’t seen any problems with Linux hardware support. For basic operations, it does just fine. I also find it simpler to use than a Mac.
You know this guy lost 99.999% of Windows users at the word “distro”, don’t you? And VM?
Not the ones thinking of switching.
Yup, lost me.
There are exactly two applications and only two, that require that I use Liunx, MS Project and MS Visio.
For MS Project there is ProjectLibre which is good enough for me but almost all of my customers us MS Project. I am thinking about switching over so this may not be an issue any longer.
For MS Visio there is Dia and yEd but neither support the stencils from network equipment manufactures. My only use of Visio is for network diagrams so this tends to make things really tough.
Otherwise, I have no need for Windows.
Ugh, I should proof read my posts. First sentance should read:
There are exactly two applications, and only two that require I use Windows.
I haven't used anything but linux for a desktop for years and years.
This is being posted from a Mint machine.
Whatever works for folks... I have yet to meet anyone that has real, persistant hardware problems.
I darn sure haven't and use linux pretty hard, including open-office.
/johnny
It really depends on the machine. If you’re talking a computer with built-in graphics on the motherboard like what Intel has, then it’s relatively okay; but if you’re talking a third-party graphics card using AMD (neé ATI) or NVidia chipsets, that’s a different story.
I dual-boot Ubuntu and Windows XP on a couple of older general-purpose computers, mainly for security reasons. It’s great for most applications, such as email & web browsing, and Libre Office gives very good compatibility with (most) popular Microsoft Office files. (I don’t play games, so that’s not even a consideration...)
There are a handful of music recording/production and video editing programs that I use, necessitating that I not entirely abandon Windows. Ironically, newer versions of some of these won’t run on XP, either. So I also have to have something running Win 7, 8 or 10.
I could try some of those XP programs in compatibility mode or in a VM, but I’m not sure about the performance hit I may take running in a VM.
I think Linux is a great choice for XP hangers-on who risk serious damage from the insecure nature of this now-abandoned OS, and have set-up machines for several of my friends to help protect them.
Nope--I've been using an NVidia graphics cards (not built-in) since 2003 without issues.
You might want to consider installing Wine to see if you can use those two applications within Linux. I've had great success with Wine on a Linux desktop. You may be able to have your cake and eat it, too.
I'm surprised the author did not include that as an option.
Amen. I've had good success with Ubuntu, but have run into a couple of machines on which it has repeatedly failed to install, and a Dell Latitude laptop that won't work with it's built-in wireless adapter. It does, however, work just fine with a USB wireless device.
Herein lies the advantage of running from a live CD/DVD and testing everything before committing to dual-booting or replacing your OS outright.
Agreed. I tend to perform a lot of research before my computer purchases, though. A major part of my research involves chipsets, and compliance with standards.
Using those standards, I tend to buy more from generic suppliers and white box builders than I do major brands, with a few exceptions.
My current laptop is an MSI GT680R. I purchased it (in 2010) with 8GB of RAM but have upgraded it to 16GB. It's got hardware RAIDed dual HDDs and a quad-core i7. The HDMI, wireless, DVD, dual-monitors, all networking, NVidia graphics, sound--everything on it--just works.
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