Linux finally coming of age - the sequel!

[mikkh]

It's almost a year since I wrote the original thread and despite the debacle that is Windows 8, the general public still seem to prefer to struggle on Uncle Bill Gates offerings than try something different or alternative.

Those who take the plunge will maybe try it on an old machine or as a virtual machine inside Windows which is kind of defeating the object really - especially with virtual machines. Linux works best on a modern machine, it's not as greedy as Windows, but why restrict it to an old machine when it will perform much better on newer hardware.

I was a 'distroholic' for a long time, kidding myself I was doing long term research on the various 'flavours' of Linux. The truth is I couldn't settle on any, and when I did, it seemed to put the kiss of death on it.

I was more than happy with Libranet - a very nice Debian clone long before Ubuntu existed. But when the founder died suddenly Libranet died with him. Then I found Conectiva a Brazilian distribution that proved ease of use and style was not lacking in Linux - also before the over hyped Ubuntu existed. They merged with Mandrake to bring about the existence of Mandriva, but Mandrake were the dominant partner, so much of Conectiva was lost.

Today I use PClinuxOS, a community spin off from Mandriva - so I guess I'm still partly using Conectiva

There was a time when I would run several different Linux's and Windows on the same machine (and the same drive) just for the sake of it really and to give myself an ongoing project I guess. I took the plunge about 6 months ago to install a single Linux (PClinuxOS) as the sole OS - No Windows, no Windows partitions, just pure Linux.

I should have done this years ago, no juggling with bootloaders which is an art in itself when you have multiple OS's installed, no trying other Linux's and finding them lacking sooner or later, just a fully functioning PC.

It's not that I didn't trust Linux, because even when I had multiple versions installed, there was always a default OS (invariably PClinuxOS) that I booted for months. Windows was never the default over the last decade apart from an extended trial of Windows 7 when it first came out. I make my meagre living fixing Windows PC's, so I had to get familiar with it.

That's another nail in the coffin of Windows for me, while I can get used to a new Linux in a matter of days, Windows takes much longer and Windows 8 I don't even want to know

[vikingken]

Tablets are selling like mad, but not the expensive Windows models. Kids are using the cheap Android throw aways. I was hoping that Windows 8.1 was going to put right the mistakes they made with the first ballsup. All it turned out to be was a second ballsup. The only way they have managed to sell Windows 8, is by selling 99.9% of new computers with it installed and no choice to buy one with a proper operating system. I shall keep on using Windows 7 until they take me away to the funny farm, unless Windows 9 turns out to be an operating system and not an expensive joke. 

[mikkh]

Yes Android proves Linux isn't just for geeks - never was in my opinion, but that false perception remains amongst quite a lot of people.

Most don't realise Android is Linux though, so any spin off benefits haven't really happened either, which is a shame

As for Windows 7, yes it's obviously going to be the next XP in terms of people still using it many years after Microsoft want to sell the latest incarnation to you.

I've just been given an old Dell (with 2 GB RAM) and Windows XP on it - works perfectly well as a general purpose surfing machine 12 years after it's release date. Microsoft abandoned it years ago but modern browsers are still available for it, so it's still good, much to the annoyance of Microsoft no doubt

[vikingken]

When Microsoft throw a system away, they still insist you have a license to use it if you want to. Even a patent doesn't last forever, but Microsoft seem to think it does. I think a lot of what they do is illegal, but somehow they get away with it. Even when the EEC courts fine them for infringments of European law, they simply ignore them and carry on.

[alexham36]

Well, I tried MiniMe first and that no applications except a very basic browser. Then I tried KDE and went as far as intalling it onto an old 10GB HD. I found it painfully slow and Suspend did not work. That means that every time I want to collect my emails I would need about 5 minutes to boot up and exit. It could be a good system if I had time to wait, so I unplugged the HD and put it by for use later. Puppy is about 5 times faster, running off a USB 4GB stick. Faster even than Windows XP and 7. If I could put Puppy into Suspend, I would not use anything else.

Thanks for the information. Good experience.

Alex

[johnnybee]

This is an interesting convo; as you all know, I've tried various comboes of Windows and Linux over the years from RHL, through Mandrake to Sabayon and latterly Mint, and they all have their ups and downs.
The one thing I have noticed is that it's difficult to get into Linux if all you've ever known is Windows, mainly because of the basic differences between them - and TBF, I'm one of 'em.
Having to get to terms with all the different names of the apps and programmes isn't easy at the best of times, but having so many different distroes and spinoffs on the Linux scene is just plain confusing for the majority of users who, like myself, have learned computing via the Microsoft way of doing things.
Okay, there are commonalities; however it strikes me that the great majority of people out there who would be potential Linux users have the same problem I do - there are simply too many choices for them to be able to focus on one specific system.
I've still got one of those Dells I told you about, so I'll wipe Widows off the drive and see it I can get my head round just one distro and the odds and sods that go with it, then I might be able to look at both systems objectively and make a reasoned choice as to where to go next.
Goodnight, one and all!

[mikkh]

At the heart of both is a basic point and click interface and there are many programs which are common to both like Firefox and Google Chrome for browsing, Thunderbird for emails, OpenOffice for wordprocessing/spreadsheets/databases etc But I take your point, many native Linux only programs do have some weird and wonderful names to get your head round.

K3B - obviously a 'Nero' CD/DVD burning program - Not! It is a good program though
Ark - A Winzip/Winrar type of archiver/unarchiver - Ark, archiver - at least there's a slight clue there
Gimp - Photoshop like graphics program meaning Gnu Image Manipulation Program

Which leads to the great GNU debate, which should stand for Geekiness Not Unexpected and is best ignored by sane people.

Because I play a few facebook games, there's only one criteria I look for in a Linux distro nowadays - does it support Google Chrome which has the latest 'Flash' built in? The open source variant called 'Chromium' doesn't nor does Firefox, Opera or any other Linux browser.

The official Linux flashplayer was frozen at 11.2 for reasons known only to Adobe - maybe Bill Gates slipped them a backhander to undermine the growing number of Linux users or something. Or the evil Google found a cunning plan to make Linux people use their browser only? That's the current situation anyway, till HTML5 takes over the World and flashplayer bites the dust forever.

It's good for me, because I get to choose which flashplayer to use just by changing browsers - either the very latest through Google Chrome or the ultra stable 11.2 version via Firefox