Saw this on Slashdot… HardOCP has finished the second part of their ‘30 Days with’ series - the same author spent 30 days using both Linux and Vista.
I’m a bit biased (GO UBUNTU) but it’s interesting to read the conclusions for both:
XP is going to be my OS for gaming, audio loop editing, and Photoshop, but for everything else, Linux has transformed into an attractive, utility-driven, customizable, and generally easy-to-use interface that takes all of the virtues and none of the faults from the other major OSes and gives it to the consumer for free.
I really did want to like Vista. Yes, it is possible to enjoy both Windows and Linux - but unfortunately this product is unfit for any user. I still intend to keep a Windows XP partition on my computer for gaming and some multimedia editing, but as of the time of this publication, I have removed Vista entirely.
I haven’t had the opportunity to play with Vista yet though I would like to take it for a spin but there is no way I’m shelling out my $$ for it! And speaking with the IT staff here at work it’ll be a loooong time before we move to Vista.
So far I’m still very happy with my switch to Ubuntu at home - and would suggest anyone considering moving to Vista to try out one of the many ‘Live’ Linux CD’s…
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8 Comments
We give away Ubuntu and support it at the Olympia Linux Users Group website (http://olylug.org) and as a musician I can tell you that the Linux audio loop editing tools are amazing too (audacity and hydrogen for starters) and certainly Ubuntu works great for the average user. We have helped people use this stuff everyday for years. We are in danger of making ourselves extinct because it is so easy to use Linux now.
This is very true. I’ve been tinkering with Linux for a long time and I’m amazed at how mature it’s become. I can remember struggling though my first RedHat installs and now it’s easier than Windows!
I have selling Windows for years starting with win2.0. But now with the major upgrades needed to use Vista, it is not worth it. The suggested hardware is far from enough to run it. I played with linux a few years back and found it far too much for the average user, but I tried it one more time and it is now very grown up . I started using Ubuntu and even got my wife to try it. She loves it.
Jerry - that’s great!! I’ve considered moving my wife over but she uses too much software that just isn’t available for Linux (yet!)…
Jim- Perhaps try Freespire. It is the free version of Linspire. With the CNR setup you can get tons of programs many are just like Windows or even try wine
Wine might be an alternative. One of the big apps she uses is Illustrator. I know there are other vector artwork programs out there but she works with other people on the same files so compatibility is a must have.
Put Illustrator on a legacy Windows box and keep it off the net! That’s what I had to do…
My perspective is Linspire is just a good ad campaign and Ubuntu is far better. Plus 20,000 free programs is better than pay as you go CNR.
Actually most excuses for not running Linux are just that; excuses. Burn an Ubuntu CD and run it in memory leaving the hard disk intact. Then you can see for yourself. If everything does not work as you expect you may have to learn a little; just like that old operating system.
Yes - I have had good luck running Windows in VMWare on Ubuntu. I keep meaning to try out Xen but that would be another option - she could use Ubuntu for mail and everything else and just boot into Windows when she needed it.