To efficiently run your computer, you need Software.
This comparison points out one interesting fact:
More software is available for MS Windows than for any other operating system.
Gentlemen, my name is Leo, and I’ll be your server this evening. On the menu, we have a deluxe cheeseburger, or a deluxe cheeseburger. Which would you prefer?
Gentlemen, my name is Leo, and I’ll be your server this evening. On the menu, we have a deluxe cheeseburger, or a deluxe cheeseburger. Which would you prefer?
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I must agree with OrangeCrate that XP and Now Vista are the Only OS you see in stores. So It’s either XP Or Vista or Nothing
I must agree with OrangeCrate that XP and Now Vista are the Only OS you see in stores. So It’s either XP Or Vista or Nothing
Al968
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I just went to Office Depot and Best Buy and say a few flavors of Linux right beside Windows OS’s. I wouldn’t exactly say XP and Vista are the only OS’s you see in stores.
I’m into both of those stores on a regular basis, and the only Linux distribution I’ve seen was Xandros at Office Depot. Nothing at Best Buy. I just checked their websites, and it’s the same. Xandros at Office Depot, and nothing at Best Buy. And there’s a reason why you don’t see Linux desktop distributions in stores. They’re free.
The top ten desktop distros for Linux are listed and described here:
Please note that all offer free downloads, though Xandros has several paid versions, which we’ve already discussed.
The choices I see in stores are the various versions of Windows, and Apple, though the “box” their operating system comes in, is a bit more expensive that the cardboard boxes Windows Vista comes in (read that - you have to buy the computer too).
All distributions of Linux are free (as in freedom). Read here:
Though free (as in freedom) does not necessarily mean free (as in price), ain’t it great, that the top ten desktop distributions for Linux (including a version of Xandros), are also free (as in beer).
Edit:
Forgot to mention…
The reason that there are so many Linux distros, is that free (as in freedom) thingee.
Both use the KDE desktop interface as default, which resembles Windows in appearance. I personally like the softer look of Gnome, and as you can see from my signature, Ubuntu is my distro of choice.
And yet, both Tech, and Justin1278 use Kubuntu, which are KDE. That’s the nice thing about Linux, lots of options and choices, they all work well on older hardware, and most distros are free (as in price).
Oregon’s a beautiful state, I envy you living there.
I think both Linspire and Xandros are both trying to make it considerably easier for the novice user to get into Linux with their ease of installation. Probably most importantly the ease of installing additional software, Linspire with its on click-n-run CNR, this is a service that you have to pay for but there is also Freespire ;D if you don’t like the cost, http://wiki.freespire.org/index.php/Freespire_Roadmap.
I get the occasional Xandros and Linspire newsletter, but I’m not ready to make the jump just yet
When you want, I suggest you start using VMware server (free) and learn into a virtual environment. Most robust distros (like Fedora or my beloved Kubuntu) could have a more difficult installation but, after all, you have a more complete and functional Linux installation at the end.
Why are you afraid? You’ll learn a lot…
Long ago as an analyst programmer I had to use Unix, with none of the niceties of a graphical interface, that and working in DOS really puts me of having to tweak, work using command modes.
I look at it this way I don’t have any requirement to use Linux, XP pro and the software I have suits my needs. When it doesn’t then I will start to look to a replacement, by that time and we are talking years. Hopefully by that time the collective wit of these distros and OSS application programmers should be able to come up with an installation routine that is easy and to be able to install new applications without having to resort to command line tweaks.
If they can’t then Linux will remain exactly where it is now and no threat to Windows and without competition M$ will continue to charge an arm and a leg for its products. There must be thousands who would consider a move away from M$ but not having a computer science degree (joking) they are a captive audience. They really have to look to the novice user as the future and plan their user interface accordingly.
You’ve made up your mind, and I’m certainly not going to try to change it. I comment on this only for other people who may read this thread…
On Ubuntu, the installation was all GUI. My day to day interaction with the OS is all GUI. The installation of new programs and updates is just point and click. It has menus, and all the things that you have learned and loved from Windows…
The only time I’ve used the terminal, is when I got myself into trouble on a couple of things, and I simply followed the instructions that some kind folks on the Ubuntu forums helped me out with. And then, it was just cut and paste the instructions that were provided to me into the terminal, and hit “enter”.
Now granted, you can be a purist, and run everything from the terminal, but you certainly don’t have to with modern day desktop Linux. I too came from DOS, so I’m not afraid of screwing things up using a terminal, but I’m at the age where if I learn something new, I have to forget something old.
I have no intention of using Linux in terminal mode. The GUI works great. As I’ve said many times on this forum, I don’t care how the box works, as long as it works, and it does. Linux has been great.
Very interesting read (both the beginning link and all of the posts ;)). In my opinion in a few years Microsoft will begin to worry about Linux, thats really all I have to say about that.
@ Mac
Since OS X is based on Unix doesn’t some of OS X need to be open source?