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Old Splash Screen

I have a dozen friends using Linux Mint KDE 64 Bit. They are very happy with it. The updates are easy and the system is solid. All were ex-Windows users and it was easy for them to convert over to Linux.

It is an easy install and much easier than any Windows install I have done. Only a personal password is required and NO authentication is required.

The beauty of Linux Mint is that I can install the complete OS with all the important applications on one hard drive and then duplicate that hard drive for other computers. All of the necessary drivers are built in the Kernel. Linux Mint finds the wireless hardware almost automatically and is a snap to setup. (Try that with Windows and the included wireless setup CD)

Also going from Linux Mint KDE 18 to 18.3 is as easy as one click of the Update Manager. The Update Manager automatically checks for updates and does NOT bug you with Pop Ups. The manager icon merely puts a blue dot in its icon's center when an update is avaliable.

I am sure happy I cut the ties with Microsoft 4 years ago.

Here is a link if you are interested in trying Linux Mint 18.3 "Sylvia" KDE version. You can download the .iso file and burn it to a CD. Then you can try Linux Mint from the CD. If you like it, you can install it stand alone or alongside Windows.

PS I have installed Linux Mint on about 10 different laptops including 4 Dell 620 Latitudes and it works great.

Update: Linux Mint 18.3 "Sylvia" KDE version has all the bells and whistles "out of the box" and is completely customizable.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

For most of the major distros, nowadays Linux is a fairly straight-forward installation.
Started with RedHat 5.1 (IIRC) in the late ‘90’s. Have been using Fedora since Fedora Core 4.
Have to use Windows 10 for work. Am not a fan of Microsoft anymore. Twenty years ago, Microsoft was solid. The Windows 10 auto-updates (even when postponed, security updates install) are a real pain. Am doing UI automation, and getting Windows 10 machines to run consistently is a challenge.
On the Linux side, LibreOffice is pretty good, except that they are changing things to be more like Microsoft Office, which I don’t count as a positive thing.
But, by and large, am real happy with Fedora, Mate w/Compiz, LibreOffice and a ton of other (free) apps, including development systems and databases.

Why, because it is over hyped relative to what it provides (more than Windows) to the desktop user. Like Google Chrome vs. Firefox, it is fine for basic computing, but for power users Linux Mint cannot come close to what you can do with Windows via safe freeware and a little learning.

Want to remap CapsLock to Ctrl + C, and easily create shortcuts keys" You have AutoHot Key . Nothing comparable in Linux Mint (not AutoKey), and its own keyboard customization is limited.

Last time i used LM, you could not even right click on an icon in the Start Menu (or whatever they call it) and go to the source).

Want a far better clock, with multiple options? White-Tiger/T-Clock Redux . I found nothing close to it in Linux.

Want to add numerous items to your right click menus? There is right click extender .

And if one does not like the W/10 interface, first install Classic Shell

There is much more, thank God, and then you have the problems Linux can have with wireless and printers. The Linux forums attest to such being a real issue, relative to the number of users. And i myself have tried every major and many minor Linux distros.