Whats Keeping me from quitting Windows

[mikeandmore]

I really can't delete windows now
OpenOffice was the main and the only reason
My openoffice 2.0.1
Can't input Chinese
Can't show Chinese
Can't Open file contain Chinese
if i do these things above,openoffice will exit unnormally without any confirm the save of the unsaved document
and now if i want to see a *.doc from my friends,i have to switch to windows

there a software base on OO may be the solution
but it's now under heavy development
and i can't run it either since i upgrade my gnome to 2.13.91
it's called co-create office which can be found at
http://co-create.sourceforge.net/

openoffice will never satisfy the chinese user
since there is not a single developer is from Asia
they didn't know anything about Asia's character
So i hope this office can appear in the offical source.

[psilo357]

a working dvd backup utility, ive been on this for weeks, and dont think i will ever get it going...Every guide i find is outdated as repositories and other things go, second, every program ive tried simply will not work, and i cant get support to get them to work, that is all i need

[biguns]

My primary OS is Ubuntu but I have to keep a Windows boot for C# coding.

[m.musashi]

I really can't delete windows now
OpenOffice was the main and the only reason
My openoffice 2.0.1
Can't input Chinese
Can't show Chinese
Can't Open file contain Chinese
if i do these things above,openoffice will exit unnormally without any confirm the save of the unsaved document
and now if i want to see a *.doc from my friends,i have to switch to windows
I don't know if this is useful for you, but ubuntu does support many languages. I have just installed Japanese and an IME. I can write in Oo.o in Japanese and send email. I don't know about a Chinese option but I figure if they can do Japanese they should be able to do Chinese. I did a quick search in the wiki but didn't find anything similar to setting up in Japanese but it may just require a bit more digging.

[trixtah]

80% Ubuntu use. Which is currently declining due to the first and second issues mentioned below.

Things stopping me from making the final switch:


The fact that Firefox 1.5 locks up Ubuntu entirely at least once a day. Even CTRL-ALT-BKSP doesn't work. Sometimes if I do CTRL-ALT-DEL and kill off the Firefox processes X-windows recovers, but my mouse dies.
WPA-PSK is a dead loss
Sound quality is disgusting on my AC97 onboard sound card. It's fine on XP. And this is after literally hours of mucking around with ALSA.
The amount of time it took to find and configure non-fuzzy fonts for my laptop display.
Games, but that's not a big one for me.
And even if all those things were resolved, I'd have to leave an XP partition for work-related (VPN) purposes.

[rumz]

dual boot.

my ubuntu has been up for 2 day!
hehe

ubuntu is pretty good. hope someone fixes the FAQs though.
after good documentation is in, then you're all set.

[just1m]

Itunes and Gaming keeps me with Windows unfortunately:mad: . As much as I like to ditch Windows, it is necessary for the games my wife and I play. Unless someone ports City of Heroes, StarWars Galaxies and the upcoming Oblivion and Itunes, I'm afraid I'll be on Windows until then. I am aware of Cedega, but an extra 5 per month to pay games I already pay for every month, I do know about Banshee but am I sure if it will mate with my Motorola ROKR. :-k

[colsinc]

well, I don't dual boot, but I'm not 100% linux either. I have two computers, the main one runs ubuntu, and I do all *my* stuff on it-tv, music, web, email, whatever else. I have an older machine running windows, which i use for games and programming (need to program in windows for uni).

[gwi]

...
And the other thing is, there is no such thing like Visual Studio for C# and Webservices in Linux.
...

You should try SharpDevelop and Mono...

[biguns]

You should try SharpDevelop and Mono...

I didn't even know SharpDevelop exsisted...I must give it a try. Thanks!

[RAOF]

...I do know about Banshee but am I sure if it will mate with my Motorola ROKR. :-k
If it mounts in Gnome as removable storage, chances are Banshee will be able to do something with it.

[EpiLePTiC FaiRY]

You should try SharpDevelop and Mono...
I thought #develop wasn't available on Linux yet. The mono compiler works but I thought the development environment couldn't be ported until they sort out compatibility with glade or gtksharp or something.

VS.NET is a very useful tool. I like using it. .NET programming is also mandatory for me and I have a rig built specifically to play games on that will be running Windows for the forseeable future.

I like to experiment with flavours of Linux but thanks to some major issues with my laptop wireless card and support in Ubuntu we fell out a couple of months ago and I'm still waiting for another opportunity to try again. I don't see Linux becoming my primary OS for some time yet, I'm afraid.

[ESM]

I still have at least one program that makes me unable to switch completely: I need a good voice recoring program. On Windows I have Audition. So far Audicity will not work for me, so i keep on trying :)

And I have to find a way to be able to use my OKI C3100 printer....

[facefur]

Since Breezy, almost everything works on my home computer. The only missing things are a real substitute for Quicken (sorry, GnuCash), TurboCAD for my consulting business, VersaCheck (can't seem to get printing to work properly under WINE), and Noteworthy Composer - an excellent music writing program. These four programs are heavily Windoze oriented, do not work all that well, if at all, under WINE, and provide functionality that does not exist in Linux substitutes. I occasionally have to use Outlook Express to retrieve and reassemble split files.

Beyond that, I've converted all web browsing, email, news, games, word and office apps to OO2, and I'm looking into QCAD.

Oh, yeah - my laptop must remain dual boot, because Win XP is mandatory at work - can't even tie into the network with Linux. :o(

[m.musashi]

Coldfusion and other macromedia soft.

[tech10171968]

I switch between two HD's: one is XP Pro, the other is Breezy. Why not 100% Linux? I would aleady be there if it weren't for the fact that in my field 98% of the software we use is Windows-only. My XP drive pays my rent, but the Linux drive I use for everything else.

[bensexson]

School is the only thing keeping me from not using Windows anymore. I use Ubuntu for everything except Microsoft Money (gnucash is not ready but I would be willing to give Money up) and software that is Windows only that I have to use the create homework files. Other than that everything I need is in Ubuntu.

[dcstar]

School is the only thing keeping me from not using Windows anymore. I use Ubuntu for everything except Microsoft Money (gnucash is not ready but I would be willing to give Money up) and software that is Windows only that I have to use the create homework files. Other than that everything I need is in Ubuntu.
I kept my Windows partition to keep using Quicken, this week I finally trialled (and subsequently) purchased a copy of Moneydance (http://www.moneydance.com/) and imported all (well, 90%) of my Quicken data into it.

No more running wine and having Quicken 95% functional, I now have a financial software tool that does just about everything that I needed from Quicken - and I will no longer get hassled for expensive upgrades!

Windows is now just about totally redundant to me (once I get Dapper installed at work........) ;)

[kisain]

well i use ubuntu....sence last april when i first found out about it (my freind gave me a cd) at first i dualbooted as i wasen't sure about it....but now i just use ubuntu it games awesome i can print email burn cd's i can pritty much do everything in ubuntu that i used to do with windoze.....before i found out about ubuntu i thought linux was a waste of time. now my house is filled with penguins and anti m$ stuff lol.
i haven't looked back sence ^_^

[justleen]

Nothing but NTFS write access and some games (guildwars is almost working on wine, i believe?)

I've tried lots of different Linux distros over the last few years, and i've been running ubuntu in VM under XP for a couple of months (mostly for apache/mysql/php and SameGame :) ). Has it happens, my parents-in-law are thinking of buying a MacMini. just to show them how different that would be, i installed ubuntu on my system as dual-boot, and replaced their system with mine (im acutally staying there since my house is being torn down and rebuild..). I only tried to boot XP once since, and found it was broken due to the MBR being messed with... i havent bothered yet to fix it, im perfectly happy running ubuntu! Got my wife to use it as well, and she's quite OK with it as well... Looks like the next poll i'll be voting 100%

(just have to fix XP, run convert fat32 and im sorted :) )

ps: parents in law are going for the mac, thanx to the Mac OSX theme :)

[erthian]

most of my Linux quams have been satisfied. It just works.

I really don't mean to try to be an ***... but comments like this really bother me. :( It's not that I don't think all software shouldn't shoot for user being totally stable and require no tweaking to get it to work, but the fact is that it doesn't "just work"... furthermore, why use Linux if that's what you want? Why not run OSX or some other mac os. :???: Asside from all that, it really bothers me because, well, its just selfish to ask that. Like I said, it would be nice if it did just work, but when it doesn't, it should hardly be a "quam", it should just be something you have to work with.

Some of us enjoy the challenge that Linux offers. I never get sick of getting new things to work properly, in fact, I'll spend more time getting a game to run perfectly, then I will actually playing it. Ha ha, I suppose Linux is my game... although I have been known to spend an hour or two on MMOs... mmmmaaybbe a little more ;)

Maybe your comment just brought back nightmares of my old tech support job. I seemed to be the only person (Well, not only, but one of three out of about 30 employees) that was capable of getting things to work properly. Yea, they were all windows machines, but you get the idea. Any how, the most common thing you hear from people is "I just want it to work". 'Hahahaaa, well, that's just to bad', I would think, 'then fix it your self'.\\:D/

I understand the desire for simplicity, yea, Ubuntu is great in that its bringing more and more people in to Linux. I mean, I am running it, I switched from Gentoo, but things aren't simple, in fact, most things in life aren't simple, and *insert philosophical ramblings and lessons on life here*. What I am saying, is that its fine to want things to "just work", but don't act like they should, and certainly don't complain about it, here, or otherwise. :KS

[Ensnared]

I didn't read the whole thread, but to answer the main question: The only thing keeping me from switching 100% to Linux is games.

I find myself booting into Windows more often than Linux, simply because gaming on Linux doesn't work nearly as well as on Windows. This is not due to shortcomings of the operating system, obviously, but rather lack of Linux-support from game developers. I use emulators like ScummVM and Dosbox for my oldie-goldie-game fix, and I subscribe to Cedega, but more often than not my games don't work other than native in Windows, and if they do work at all the performance isn't really comparable.

For the past 6-7 years or so I've been trying to make a complete switch, but it's simply not possible until gaming on Linux is viable the same way it is in Windows. Sad but true.

[pt123]

I need something like Bit comet for linux, not like the resource hogging file altering Azereus. Its a shame there are only basic bit torents clients for Linux. None with the advanced features bit comet provides.

[gotlinux]

I have two PC's, one for gaming, (Win XP), and the other, (Ubuntu-Breezy), for managing a part time computer repair business. My primary motivation has been cost. The only investment has been my time learning how to modify Ubuntu to fit my needs. I started playing with distro's of Linux two month ago, and liked Ubuntu the most. It does what I need to run my business.

Gaming in Linux is another story. Windows has the advantage here, games are designed to run on Windows without a whole lot of fooling around to get them to work.

[yusufk]

Reason 1:

Symbian Mobile Development, although Carbide looks promising..

Reason 2:

Google Earth

Reason 3:

M.S. Office still has that edge

[Max Roswell]

The only things keeping me tethered to the MS teat are gaming and the fact that I'm a moron and still use a minidisc player for my music and slacking needs. As soon as I get mad at my player and chuck it out a window (and I will), I'll get something that's friendly with Linux and be done with Windows, I think.

[Smirre]

As many others here, I need to run Windows to run my favourite games. But Linux is fine for everything else though.

[tenn]

I hardly ever need to use windows but there is times when I have no choice but to use window, my printer is one thing if I want to print on cd's or print photos I really need the manufacturers drivers. Scanner is another it scans like crap on all distros but perfect in windows with the manufacturers drivers and software, but these problems would not exist if the people who made the printer and the scanner made drivers for linux.

[sprinkles]

I would toss windows xp tommorrow, if I could get on the internet with my newly downloaded 5.10.

I have a speedtouch usb modem, and I have tried every guide there is to get it working, no luck. I just dont understand why they overlook this incrediably important aspect of their OS. Other than that, I think it is amazing. I have no idea why anyone would ever buy another copy of windows.
I'm not sure if this has been answered already, since I don't have time to read through this thread, but for my Speedtouch USB I just downloaded this:
http://christophe.delord.free.fr/en/adsl/index.html
and ran it.

[halitech]

Looks like among the majority, dual boot with win2000 and Ubuntu. Main reason I used to stay in windows was because I couldn't find any program to convert avi/mpg to vob so I can burn them to dvd (qdvdauthor, etc just don't seem to work) but have started using a win2k laptop for doing the converting now that I have the sharing figured out. the other thing that keeps me with windows is cause I can't quite figure out GIMP yet and I find paint shop pro so easy to use but I'm going to try WINE again and see what I can do, as well as giving GIMP another try :)

[Farbi]

The biggest thing that was holding me back from leaving windows was games and fast, reliable, and easy DVD authoring (as I have not been able to get any linux native apps to work). I have been messing around in linux since RED HAT 5 (yuck...) then found ubuntu, and that was it(but still duel booting for the above reasons). However about 3 weeks ago I recieved a brand spankin new 256mb Vid card as a gift. (Happy me, Happy me!! except that its ATI (oh well)) Well after getting it to work the right way in Breezy I decided that fear, doom3, and hl2 would look sweeter now (having been using a 64mb ATI PCI card before) in windows. So I rebooted d/l'ed new catalyst drivers and installed them. Restarted. selected WINXP from grub... waited.... got to windows login manager, moved the mouse and my computer restarted. I thought that was a bit odd. Tried going into windows again. Same thing. Tried Safe mode. Same thing. Tried Prompt only. Got to prompt hurrah! Hit a key on keyboard, Restart. Let the computer boot linux. Mounted NTFS partition copied all music and movies to friends computer over network put in the live CD. Gparted my NTFS partition right out the window... (Really bad pun not intended) and Fresh installed Breezy. not a regret and actually I am happy that it happened. Why? Because this has forced me to actually take a VERY active role in learning how to run my system. Because of that I'm learning something that I set out to learn back when WIN 95 BSOD'ed on me for the billionth time. Now I'm 100% Ubuntu and I have no regrets, quite happy and looking forward to Dapper.

Thanks to everyone in the forums that post useful help (not the people that flame all over Ubuntu because it's not windows)
and thanks to the Devs that take the time to write this software (all of you, I envy you all. and would love to learn to write GUI's, kernels, and Drivers so that someday I could possibly help this wonderful OS.)

Sorry for length but being the first post I just had to be wordy :~)

Farbi

P.S. I do have one regret I was all of one hour from finishing fear. wish I had finished it first. Oh well

[avantgardaclue]

99% ubuntu, would be 100% if ever they made dreamweaver for linux, don't care for games, love Irfanview too, but the linux graphics apps are pretty close.

[acegolfer]

I love the philosophy of Linux, who doesn't. But I have some reservations.

I don't play games. Most of my PC usage is for productivity such as MS Office. From my perspective, Ubuntu struggles mainly in 2 areas.

1. Wireless configuration

Yes, there are workarounds but they are WORKAROUNDS. I tried Network Manager 0.6.1 but still long way to go.

2. High switching cost

Unfortunately, most of my works are in MS Office format. When I open these documents in OO, conversion is not perfect. If I save them in OO and open in XP, lots of weird things happen. I was so embarrassed in front of my clients once, when important graphs were gone. I'll never save in OO any more.

To me, I think Linux is on par with XP in almost all aspects. But that's not enough for average users to switch to Linux. It has to be much better than XP (or Vista) or 0 switching cost for average users to switch.

Are we there yet?

[djsroknrol]

I'm 95% there....my issues are with my palm Zire31, and gaming..all of the kids games (and my Sims 2 empire) still reside on the "dark side"...one day, it will happen....

[virgule]

For me, its either Linux or MacOS 9. heh.. so that is not what keeping me from quitting Windows its more the other way around..

[robodesign]

Hello!

Here's my short story: what kept me away from Linux up until January 2006 was network configuration with Samba, getting shares to work with other Windows boxes in the LAN. Last, but not least, my technical skills.

In January 2006 I got Ubuntu which solved many problems, small glitches, etc. It's very polished and almost everything worked very well.

I have switched 100% to Ubuntu. I do not use VMWare, I do not use Wine. There's a *but* in here :). I have VMWare and Wine configured with the purpose of using ... Internet Explorer. That's for web development. In most cases WINE (which is a great package) is perfect, being much faster than VMWare.

I don't care about MS Office. I was using OpenOffice on Windows also. Plus, I'm only a casual user of OpenOffice Writer (I'm not an office-guy).

I'm a desktop user, I'm not having any wireless stuff, therefore no problems here.

As for games, I'm not much of a player. I only played UT GOTY, latest UT and ... that's about all. Both work perfectly under Linux, no problems. UT 2004 actually plays much faster under Linux, compared to Windows (I woiuldn't have believed this, but it's real).

Watching movies and TV, playing music and browsing the web is not a problem in Ubuntu. It's actually a better experience (i really like mplayer - it's very fast). TVtime is also very good. XMMS does the job nicely, maybe rythmbox/amarok/banshee would be better, but I don't need any of them currently.

Web development is better under Linux. No problems with apache/php/mysql/python/ruby/perl/whatever. As for WYSIWYG editors, i'm sure there's nothing better than Dreamweaver, but I like NVU because it's Gecko based. I don't use WYSIWYG editors, therefore Quanta is my friend (yeah, it's one of those good packages in KDE).

Too bad for GIMP and its very bad interface. The GIMP authors simply don't want users switching from Photoshop to use GIMP. Pixel is better, but not free and still in beta :). I use KolourPaint for minor stuff. Last resort is GIMP.

I'm a web developer who's not doing any graphics at all. My brother (the one who does all the graphics) cannot yet switch to Linux. He's being hold back because he has no Photoshop for Linux (or *really good* alternative, except GIMP) and some 3D application package (Blender is the GIMP of 3D). Flash would be another small reason, but we ain't Flashy guys :).

I don't have dual boot, because if I'd have dual boot ... I'd keep booting Windows. Ubuntu would be just a toy. Having no Windows is great :). I'm now used to Gnome and Linux in general. I no longer like Windows desktop environment - it's too limited :D.

That's about all. I happily use Ubuntu.

Have fun using Ubuntu.

[Badger Botherer]

I've tried UBUNTU and it's very close to being able to replace a windows pc - but it's still not quite there. I want a PC for standard office functions and it does that. It also keeps itself up to date very nicely. Basically it does nearly all the things that I'm used to as a Windows user of more than 10 years.

BUT - it's MUCH slower on the same machine (not my most modern PC - AMD1200, 512MB RAM), but this machine was running XP Pro much quicker. I use it to browse the web, read & send e-mail, and create documents.

My only real problem with the system is that it doesn't react like a windows machine when something unexpected happens - for example if a particular program/player/driver is not installed. I have been able to do everything I want to do, and install any extra drivers/programs needed, but it takes a lot more time - and searching on these forums - than I am used to with a windows machine. That having been said, I've worked since 1992 with various flavours of windows, and I've only just started with UBUNTU.

If UBUNTU is to replace windows - and I'm sure it can - it needs to be simplified so that the average point and click user (like me) can get everything done without having to search for solutions to relatively simple problems

[robodesign]

BUT - it's MUCH slower on the same machine (not my most modern PC - AMD1200, 512MB RAM), but this machine was running XP Pro much quicker. I use it to browse the web, read & send e-mail, and create documents.

For me, Ubuntu is as fast as Windows, or faster. I had a Windows XP box with Apache2, PHP5 and mySQL. This is an AMD Athlon XP 1800+ (1.53ghz), with 1GB of RAM and a 7200rpm WD HDD (8mb cache). The same site runs slower (almost half slower) on the Windows box, compared to the Ubuntu box I have. The Ubuntu box is *just* an AMD Duron (1.3ghz) with 512 MB of RAM and almost the same type of HDD (it's Excelstor, not WD).

Windows "desktop environment" does feel faster/snappier than Gnome and KDE. Yet, that's not truely a "slow OS".

My only real problem with the system is that it doesn't react like a windows machine when something unexpected happens - for example if a particular program/player/driver is not installed. I have been able to do everything I want to do, and install any extra drivers/programs needed, but it takes a lot more time - and searching on these forums - than I am used to with a windows machine. That having been said, I've worked since 1992 with various flavours of windows, and I've only just started with UBUNTU.

Yes, it doesn't work the same as Windows. I'd say it reacts better than Windows when there's no driver or app. The problem comes when you want to do something, but you don't know how. As you said, you have to search the wikis, the forums, etc. I always like the fact once I find the solution it's usually a simple one, easy to remember. Next time when I must do it again, I do it faster than I can with Windows.

Also, regarding speed, as I said in my previous post: UT plays faster under Linux for me.

If UBUNTU is to replace windows - and I'm sure it can - it needs to be simplified so that the average point and click user (like me) can get everything done without having to search for solutions to relatively simple problems

There's always room for improvement.

[halitech]

Since my last post about dual booting I've since made the jump completely thanks to a complete screwup when trying to resize a partition to give myself more room for Ubuntu. Since then, I've found out how to burn DVDs from avi and mpgs and I've worked with GIMP and starting to get a grip on using that. I've found this site to be extremely helpful and a nice thing with firefox setting the home page to google, makes it quicker to open a browser and start looking for errors.

[Patrick-Ruff]

meh, I use Windows on my desktop, and I have ubuntu 100% on my laptop. I still have ALOT of stuff left however, for some reason it doesn't run nearly as smooth as I would like. another thing I found to be kinda odd is that instead of using physical memory, the task manager says virtual memory. odd, possibly I mis read. either way Ubuntu is hela for me, just sucks for dialup cuz I have to pay money for decent drivers otherwise its limited to 14.kbs. oh well I'll get through it, best part bout' laptops, portable.

[noumaan]

I am using ubuntu since last three weeks. I don't have any reason to go back to windows XP but I still have it in dual boot (just incase). After making ubuntu play all media files, work with my local language, configuring chat, internet and email, I am right now trying to setup PHP, Apache and MySql so that I could play around with wordpress on my machine before getting real. If it gives me trouble (which I am sure that it is going to give me trouble) then I will have at least one excuse to boot windows and play with an easy to install XAMP software that installs Apache, php and mysql in minutes without trouble. I would like to see something like this for ubuntu something that makes a folder in my home directory and installs all three things and popsup my browser directing me to http://localhost where I have links to phpmyadmin, phpinfo, apache documentation, etc.

[ArizonaKid]

I simply can't leave Windows because of Microsoft Office. I use the entire office suite from Word to Visio. Personally, I am a WordPerfect fan, but my personal taste take a back seat in the office, and that's fine by me because I respect collaborative requirements.

Open Office simply isn't up to the capability of Office, especially the buggy Base program.

I stil love, and use, Linux quite a bit. But, again, I can't afford to worry about compadibility issues with complex documents. The operating system is quite marginal in the office setting, it's the Office Suite and various other critical applications that are key...and Microsoft simply is the simpliest solution to use with "commercial" applications.

Cost are mentioned quite a bit, but in my situation, where work provides the entire MS Office Suite for home/work use, there really isn't any immediate out of pocket expense.

I believe piracy (sharing), and availibilty of Microsoft applications through other means such as student discounts and work, make most Microsoft products cost very little to the average user.

[tsb]

I'd go Ubuntu 100% for sure if:

1. Easy printer support. I can't get my Lexmark X5250 to work.
2. I want two native programs to replace DVD Shrink and DVDFab.

[Ensnared]

I would like to see something like this for ubuntu something that makes a folder in my home directory and installs all three things and popsup my browser directing me to http://localhost where I have links to phpmyadmin, phpinfo, apache documentation, etc.
You've obviously heard of xampp, so you might want to try the one for Linux ;)

http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-linux.html

I prefer a regular installation though, which is pretty much a matter of apt-get'ing the right packages, but it does require some configuration to get it the way you want - xampp pretty much works the same way the Windows version does.

[trent dillman]

What keeps me? My girlfriend. Hey, it's her laptop. :-P

[HeYeahThat0neGuy]

Well, I just started using ubuntu, so I haven't quite gotten it yet. But yeah, once I figure out how to get my mp3 player to work, and my printer as well, then I will more than likely stop using windows as well. Windows is so....95.

[Krigl]

Nothing. I erased XP when I realized I haven't booted it since installation of Breezy. I'll use the place for some other distro to play with.

[Hairy_Palms]

Pro evo 5, cant be palyed through wine or cedega, its my all time fave game, other than that linux does absolutely EVERYTHING incuding playing wc3 thru cedega oh, and i wish macromedia would hurry the fsck up and release flash and flash player 8 for linux

[harroldg]

why not just run an XP virt machine using vmware, xen, or parallels software? that way you can quit windows without really quitting it.

[Compucore]

I use my windows 2000 until I can figure out how to get one of the media players for breezy badger to play my mp3's and video that I have on the hard drive locally. I still have not figure it out yet for that. And I just installed on my old Aptiva hoarty hedgehog on that one. So three machines two different OS's I like the Ubuntu since it is a refreshing OS compared to windows. And both versions of Ubuntu was easy to install for each computer. Cannot complain about it it does the job nicely too I do not know why MS has not thought of this before with their older OS's after they are no longer supporting them. And let the end users take a chance of making any improvement on those. Even if it is for fun or have a learning experience. God forbid the end user could do a better job on old programs like those.

Compucore

Nothing. I erased XP when I realized I haven't booted it since installation of Breezy. I'll use the place for some other distro to play with.

[Skarjoko]

Lack of reason...

I have ubuntu on one laptop, and windows on the other. The one with windows is much better (hardware-wise), and i've spent months customizing it, to get it where I want. My ubuntu laptop is all I need for my linux needs, so I don't have any reason of putting it on both. They both run at pretty much the same speeds, and they are both very unique now....as I just finished customizing my ubuntu too.

I think I voted wrong...

EDIT: Also because my sound doesn't work on the ubuntu laptop, and even if it did, I have way too many songs on the other...

[glennpratt]

I didn't know where to vote, my desktop is pure XP Pro - going to Media Center when I move, my old laptop is pure Ubuntu (for about a year). My new laptop is triboot XP Home, XP Pro x64 and Mac OS X. Ubuntu will be on it when I get time to figure out what the heck is wrong with it (the 32bit live CD and the x64 install disc both hard lock the laptop about 5 minutes in).

I've made my new motto for software "don't be a zealot". It's good to be flexible. For a while I was pure Ubuntu, I was even installing it on relatives computers. Then I got tired of crap breaking and lockups, and futzing with wifi all the time (XP just spoils you here) and now I'm doing alot of .NET development.

Really I just don't care about FOSS vs. commercial software. The politics bore me, and I don't mind paying people for software. Now $120 for every effing text book I needed in college will make me put a fist through a wall. Thank heavens that's over.

[saunterer]

I voted for 100% Ubuntu because my main PC does 95% of all my needs. But I have multiple PC's at my disposal.

The only reason for not converting all PC's to Ubuntu, is I need Nortel's Contivity VPN client for work and I need to use proprietary software for my work also that requires Windows. If not for those two, every darn machine in my possesion would be 100% linux from now on.

[hotani]

This will be one you don't hear every day:

I'm moving from OS X to Ubuntu in a couple of months at home. I've already begun working with it via live CDs and am now running 6.06 at work (dual booting winders).

Reasons for moving away from Apple (I'll try to keep it short):
1- I've been jealous of my friends building their own PCs. My turn, dammit.
2- I am an open source enthusiast, but still running a proprietary OS at home. Time to change that.
3- Front row seat for the maturing linux desktop: From what I've seen so far working with Ubuntu the past couple of weeks, it is nearly mainstream-ready. As much as *we* like the command line, mom and gramma don't. Linux will never make it if the command line is involved at all. Ubuntu has certainly gone a long way towards making that a reality - when I've used it, I have intentionally tried to stay out of the CLI just to prove that it can be done. 9 times out of 10 it can, and that is a very good thing.

I think we'll know it has made it when we walk into Borders and see "Ubuntu for dummies (CLI-free)" on the shelf. Hell, I'd probably pick up a copy.

Can't wait to get my hot rod PC built and install Ubuntu on it! :)

And no, I won't be dual-booting.

[viernes-rock]

I really don't know.

[viernes-rock]

THat sound like a good idea.

[mcwtlg]

Can't use Linux at work (Remedy will not run under WINE), but I can Citrix in if I needed to...

Home I dual boot, but the amount of things I use Winders for is getting smaller. I still cannot get my Tungsten E to properly sync (I use Gnome) and the two financial apps I need at home do not run properly under WINE.

Actually, I have had less trouble with multimedia in Linux than I have in Windows, which suprises me.

I still have not tried burning CD's yet...not sure why I keep forgetting!

[nepoez]

Heheh... I've been using 100% nix for the past 2 years. From FreeBSD, to Gentoo, to Mandriva, then Ubuntu.
Then I got mad at the slowness on my laptop and got rid of all gnome and kde stuff. Now I use IceWM for my ubuntu, and loving it! Gnome and KDE are just getting to heavy for me... So far everything I got can run without any gnome/kde libs :)


Nbx*cmD[']I did exactly the inverse thing, i 100% switched to linux for getting more speed ;)
Maybe what you mean is that Gnome is slow, why don't you try other window managers, I assure you there's no windooze which can run faster than iceWM, WindowMaker or, if you like speedy graphical effects, enlightenment.
Also, the boot problem you talk about... easy to fix turning the computer on once a week :mrgreen: try to imagine that on a windooze... ram and cpu waste, hanging, slow down etc. ;)

Yes, sorry, I HATE WINDOOZE! :twisted:

[Compucore]

Same here I am fortunate as well that I have multiple pcs at my disposal over here. My main working machine for programming is a windows(a Dell GX 150). But I have two that are linux machines Breezy badger(My second Dell GX150 no dual boot strictly linux.) and hoarty hedgehog(An old Aptiva from IBM with an AMD K6-2 400 CPU in there. ). And loving it since its well made for what I need it for when I do not need to be under the windows. And that's just for general stuff. I don't want to put the other distributions down I would prefer this one that the others versions of Linux. Since the others were not as good as for preparing the hard disk for partitioning. But I guess that is natural though. Each distro has to be slightly different than the other. So long as you can do what you want with it right.

Compucore

I voted for 100% Ubuntu because my main PC does 95% of all my needs. But I have multiple PC's at my disposal.

The only reason for not converting all PC's to Ubuntu, is I need Nortel's Contivity VPN client for work and I need to use proprietary software for my work also that requires Windows. If not for those two, every darn machine in my possesion would be 100% linux from now on.

[bodhi.zazen]

There is one application with no Linux/Unix equivalent.

I use Voice recognition software and can not run it on Linux/Unix.

any suggestions?

[aum11]

I am with You bodhi.zazen. It is also the only reason I have to use Windows.

I am using Dragon Naturally speaking...an awesome program for writers.

[Linuturk]

There are a few factors keeping me off of Ubuntu 100%

1. Hardware detection - My Nvidia video chipset was set as the default sound device for some strange reason, so anytime I need to change the volume on my machine, i have to dig deep into the volume controls and change the device.

2. Networking - This goes for both Wireless and wired networking. When wireless works on my machine, there are things I can't rely on. One is the signal strengh. If I don't deactivate all my connections before I shutdown my laptop for travel, Ubuntu spends 10 minutes trying to reach a DHCP server, drastically slowing down my boot time.

3. Printing - Printing is another hurdle to tackle. I don't even know where to begin.

4. Windows Only - I still have one program I haven't replaced with an opensource equivilent. It's called Timeless Time & Expense. It tracks all my hours, expenses, tasks, and produces invoices, time sheets, expense reports . . . etc etc etc. If I could get that on Ubuntu, I'd be one step closer.

5. Tablet PC - I just bought a Tablet PC, and I'll be keeping windows on that machine for a while. From what I've read, Ubuntu hasn't come close to handwriting regonition or any of the many other advanced features a Table offers. Coupled with the fact that my wireless might not work (and if it does, it'll be a bother), I'll wait to I see something better.

6. Synaptic - I love this application manager to death. There is only one problem. Half the things I install from here don't give you an easy way to launch the program. (This problem rests with the person that created the package, but it's still a bother)

Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful. I love Ubuntu, and I use it primarily right now. I hate all the hoops I have to jump though as a windows user, but in these cases, it's worth it.

[catty0320]

i am staying with XP cause of games and i am waiting for my cds to arrive in the mail lol

[ThirdWorld]

windows XP sucks big time, but both microsoft and 3rd party manufacturers have excelent software available for that platform: Adobe suite, msn messenger, dreamweaver, windows media player, dvd player software, itunes, quicktime, etc

Linux is a great OS, very stable and secure, but is a nerd's OS. They keep thinking that 90% of users are nerds who like to upgrade or run stuff in their nerdish terminal.
Granted, most end users are intelligent people, but we dont have the time nor the patience to run stuff in a terminal. why do you have to run stuff at the terminal to make something work anyway?Average users hate comand lines. period.
Also, to make things worst, when you depend of your computer to make a living like i do, you cant take any chances with crapy applications. linux software is horrible, is incredibly mediocre. How can you compare gaim with msn messenger, yahoo or aim? you cant compare any of the mediocre media players in linux aka amarok, banshee, rhythmbox etc with windows media player or itunes.

developers need to make money to deliver good software, and thats the problem with linux applications. the only exceptions are firefox and thunderbird wich are oustanding programs. the rest of application targeted for end users are stinky crap.

So, anyone should be crazy to switch complitely to linux (any flavor) maybe in the future, say 15 to 20 years from now, but not in 2006.

if linux want to gain market share the community have to build good applications and ged rid of that stupid terminal. if linux become simple point and click OS like OSX, there will be thousands of manufacturers who will support it, and people will switch 100% to linux.

[Ramses de Norre]

You can't believe how easy a terminal can be when you get used to it, some things are way easier through a cli then through a gui and others aren't.
And many problems with linux apps are based on things like proprietary codecs (I'm talking about the mediaplayers now) and with the monopoly of microsoft in the os market. (though many others are due to the lack of standards in the linux world).

[aysiu]

You can't believe how easy a terminal can be when you get used to it, some things are way easier through a cli then through a gui and others aren't. It's all about the right tool for the job.

For example, if I want to crop an image, I use GIMP because I like to see what I'm cropping it to.

If I want to resize 200 images, it's far easier for me to type cd /folder
mogrify -resize 400x400 *.jpg than to open each one and point-and-click resize each one.

[ThirdWorld]

It's all about the right tool for the job.

For example, if I want to crop an image, I use GIMP because I like to see what I'm cropping it to.

If I want to resize 200 images, it's far easier for me to type cd /folder
mogrify -resize 400x400 *.jpg than to open each one and point-and-click resize each one.


or maybe an option that said resize images, and when you click it it rezises all the images that you selected in a folder. Why do you guys keep saying that tiping in a terminal is easy? you have to learn the language of the os to begin with, how many end users have the time to do that? :-k

[aysiu]

or maybe an option that said resize images, and when you click it it rezises all the images that you selected in a folder. Why do you guys keep saying that tiping in a terminal is easy? you have to learn the language of the os to begin with, how many end users have the time to do that? :-k It may take you as long as fifteen minutes (if you're really slow) to learn how to use mogrify. It would take you hours to resize all of those images in the GUI.

Until someone develops the GUI for something, the command-line is usually the most powerful tool, especially for bulk operations.

Recently, I've been put into a situation where I've had to rename a whole bunch of files sequentially. The first place I looked was in Synaptic for a GUI application that did this. I did happen to find something (KRename I think it's called), but if I hadn't, I would have much preferred to learn the commands to rename thirty or forty files at a time than sit there and one by one rename each one.

[DarkED]

I need Windows as a side-OS for a few reasons:

1. I play lots of games and I do a lot of Unreal Engine editing.
2. I like to watch WMP videos online (if someone can tell me how to do this in Ubuntu, please?)
3. Windows makes a good backup incase my xorg.config gets screwed or something.
4. I have a laptop, so Ubuntu won't use ALL of my hardware.

Those are the reasons :D

[jerrylamos]

I'm a retired computer engineer with a wide hardware and software background, however what I do now is:

Internet for mail, news, health, you name it. There are frequent videos. RealPlayer10 is perhaps partly working with hints from wiki. At least one BBC video worked.

ABCNEWS videos did not work at all. They claim mozilla needs ActiveX which doesn't install because the load of some module is cancelled? By whom? ubuntu?

Yahoo videos don't work either, some complaint about the media player not starting.

digital photography edit, print, archive. I haven't tried this on ubuntu yet. I can read jpg's from the other computers on my local network.

If and when ubuntu joins the internet world of videos I'll be a frequent user.
Almost isn't good enough. Cheers....

[m.musashi]

I'm a retired computer engineer with a wide hardware and software background, however what I do now is:

Internet for mail, news, health, you name it. There are frequent videos. RealPlayer10 is perhaps partly working with hints from wiki. At least one BBC video worked.

ABCNEWS videos did not work at all. They claim mozilla needs ActiveX which doesn't install because the load of some module is cancelled? By whom? ubuntu?

Yahoo videos don't work either, some complaint about the media player not starting.

digital photography edit, print, archive. I haven't tried this on ubuntu yet. I can read jpg's from the other computers on my local network.

If and when ubuntu joins the internet world of videos I'll be a frequent user.
Almost isn't good enough. Cheers....
I found that automatix solved pretty much all these issues. If you are running Breezy you can install this and then add the apps you want. I have a computer running Breezy plus automatix that my wife and kids use. I sent my wife a flash file and she was able to view it as well as vidoes on the web. So far nothing has not worked. Automatix is not yet available for Dapper as I understand but should be by the June release.

EDIT: I suppose a link would be good. http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=138405

[gregh]

Ill put in another 2c, I have just loaded my new laptop (a HP pavillion dv5129) core duo, nvidia go 7400, 15.4" etc and Dapper has picked it all up except my wireless card - an intel 3495, BUT, the 3945 driver from sourceforge sorted it all out.

There is nothing I cannot do with Dapper, I dont even have a dual boot, its 100% Dapper.

The only thing stopping people is a "mind set", take the plunge you can do it!

I am a security analyst by profession, 20 years in IT, a web developer by hobby, (Planetsmeg.com, Virtualcellardoor.com and others) and do all my multimedia, play music, play games, email, IM, all my professional documents etc so I am not exactly a hobby user.

I love Ubuntu and the philosiphy that goes alog with it, and all OSS software.

Power to the people and bye bye microsoft!

-Greg

[sprinkles]

"take the plunge you can do it!"
Nope, I can't - not until somebody writes some scripts for my Samsung YH-J70 :p

[DJiNN]

There is nothing I cannot do with Dapper, I dont even have a dual boot, its 100% Dapper.

The only thing stopping people is a "mind set", take the plunge you can do it!
Well, almost..... but my Creative Zen Touch absolutely "Refuses" to work on Breezy, and it's just a lot Easier in XP......

Plus, for some reason my DVD drive doesn't always want to read the CD-RW's that i burn, and guess what?..... boot into XP & it reads them fine! :(

I love Ubuntu and the philosiphy that goes alog with it, and all OSS software.

Power to the people and bye bye microsoft!

-Greg
One day perhaps, but not yet i think. Linux/Ubuntu is great, and i use it "Almost" 100% of the time, but there are things in Linux that are just soooo difficult to do (Like setting up a simple "Home Network") that are very easy in XP. Don't get me wrong.... i use Ubuntu 99% of the time & hardly ever boot into XP (unless i need to connect to my Zen) even though XP lets me talk to all the other computers in my household, and works with my D-Link WiFi sticks (Which Ubuntu doesn't). Also, XP tends to do most things faster on my old 2.4Ghz P4 than Ubuntu...... but still i'm with Ubuntu.....? Am i mad!? No, i just really LOVE Linux & Ubuntu, and i'm hoping that Dapper (& the future releases of Ubuntu) will solve a lot of the (very minor) issues that i have at the moment. Linux has come a VERY long way in a VERY short period of time, and it can only get better & better i think. :)

But i'm not everyone, and most people i know just haven't got the time to play around with getting things working in Linux, that XP does straight out of the Box, for the most part. It's a flipping shame, but there it is!

Anyway, that's pretty much what's stopping me from quitting XP entirely, & even though FireFox on Ubuntu is absolutely flakey & crashes almost every day, i'm still staying with Ubuntu!! :)

[m.musashi]

\But i'm not everyone, and most people i know just haven't got the time to play around with getting things working in Linux, that XP does straight out of the Box, for the most part. It's a flipping shame, but there it is!
You know, I'm not an "average" user but I'm not computer genius either. I work with computer a lot and I'm tech savy and learn quickly but before using Ubuntu about the only CLI I did was "ipconfig". I've also installed windows more times than I care to count. While Ubuntu might not be ready for everyone I think it's close. Yes, you still need to be somewhat tech savy to install your own OS (windows included) and fix problems but in a year or two (or maybe 6.06) I think most people will be able to use Linux (Ubuntu style at least) without much problem - if they want to. Would I feel comfortable setting my mother up on Linux? Probably not today. Even though she could do most everything, I wouldn't want to get calls about this or that. She's still pretty clueless and even has trouble with windows from time to time. Still, Ubuntu is amazing and I think people should relax a bit and acknowledge that while Linux has been around quite a while, it is only recently that it has tried to become somewhat mainstream. Windows considered itself ready back is the early 90s and while they have a come a long way, they don't seem to have made the progress that Linux has made in a shorter time. I don't know what's coming after Vista but by the time they release it I think Linux will on par with whatever they offer.

For the record, I dual boot all three of my computer. One is used by my wife and kids mostly and I don't think they have booted windows in months (breezy + automatix). I don't tell them what to do with it. They do as they please. My 9 and 5 year old check email, play (linux) games and download desktop wallpaper all the time. My wife does email mostly. I have a laptop that I use 90% ubuntu dapper (10% for macromedia for school stuff). My desktop is a custom build using a trial of XP 64 that will expire soon and ubuntu dapper. I use dapper 90% of the time (macromedia again).

[EpiLePTiC FaiRY]

The only thing stopping people is a "mind set", take the plunge you can do it!

That's a rather limited perspective - In many cases I'm sure this is true. The general public are afraid of computers in general, so any flavour of nix must be an incredibly daunting prospect... however, the people that come to this forum have almost certainly taken the plunge and either been successful, or hit hurdles where they could not find a way around. I'll be happy to put Ubuntu back on my laptop when I can get WPA support, but I am not going to compromise the security of my network when Windows does everything I need from a computer (for all of my hardware) without any of the problems I regularly hear mentioned by people who refuse to use the OS!

I don't see myself ever using Linux exclusively. I prefer not to be snobbish about the whole thing and use the best tool for the job. My job involves VS.NET. Plus, I don't see myself ever giving up my games - where Windows will have an obvious advantage for a fair few years. I did dual boot for a while but found I needed Windows more for my daily life and haven't booted into Ubuntu for a fair few months. I will give it another go, but not right now.

[al108]

Hey DJiNN,
This is not for you mostly because you already stuck with what you have](*,) , but for other people, who may read this and avoid troubles like yours. Do you remember the times when NT was a "cool" OS to run(comparing to 95 and 98 ) but the problem was that you had to get everything NT compatible - a network card, a printer a sound card... everything; and if you didn't - you're out of luck, at list here you have access to so many people that can help!

Well most of the hardware problems could be solved by using compatible stuff. That is not to say that manufacturers should have better Linux support or you should sell your Zen on eBay and get iAudio instead (which by the way also plays .ogg and .flac), but when you buy a next upgrade get something that has a better support, I think iPod has pretty decent support too.

Same goes for Wi-fi - (are you using D-link USB adaptors for ~$40?) - you can get a wirless AP/bridge for aroung $40 and connect it to your linux box with Ethernet - no compatibility issues - it just works. There are also sticks for about $10-20 (Zonet, Trendware has same chipset) that come with drivers for Linux - I haven't tryed it so I can't confirm if it works though.

DVD drive -:roll: I don't know, I used a lot of different brands without a problem.

Networking - not any harder than saying "Yes" configure my network with DHCP, and setting up your router properly (not exactly Ubuntu problem though some routers do use Linux inside). Yes, you do have to make a couple of clicks if you want to do sharing but in a simple case it's about the same as in Win - you do have to enable it.

Linux slow? Well maybe certain tasks are and some tuning would be required to make it faster. For example installing nVidia drivers (if you using nVidia card). That made a lot of difference for me - the desktop is flying faster than WXp.

So all this talk you've heard is for one reason - just to say "if I had only problems like you.."
I need Photoshop, Monitor calibration, Video and sound editing, and maybe games.](*,) Hopefully in a couple of years we will have some good apps that will compare favorably to at least Adxxx Pro products. I'm using Ubuntu for all my office tasks and as a file server. I love Ubuntu.:-D

Well, almost..... but my Creative Zen Touch absolutely "Refuses" to work on Breezy, and it's just a lot Easier in XP......

Plus, for some reason my DVD drive doesn't always want to read the CD-RW's that i burn, and guess what?..... boot into XP & it reads them fine! :(


One day perhaps, but not yet i think. Linux/Ubuntu is great, and i use it "Almost" 100% of the time, but there are things in Linux that are just soooo difficult to do (Like setting up a simple "Home Network") that are very easy in XP. Don't get me wrong.... i use Ubuntu 99% of the time & hardly ever boot into XP (unless i need to connect to my Zen) even though XP lets me talk to all the other computers in my household, and works with my D-Link WiFi sticks (Which Ubuntu doesn't). Also, XP tends to do most things faster on my old 2.4Ghz P4 than Ubuntu...... but still i'm with Ubuntu.....? Am i mad!? No, i just really LOVE Linux & Ubuntu, and i'm hoping that Dapper (& the future releases of Ubuntu) will solve a lot of the (very minor) issues that i have at the moment. Linux has come a VERY long way in a VERY short period of time, and it can only get better & better i think. :)

But i'm not everyone, and most people i know just haven't got the time to play around with getting things working in Linux, that XP does straight out of the Box, for the most part. It's a flipping shame, but there it is!

Anyway, that's pretty much what's stopping me from quitting XP entirely, & even though FireFox on Ubuntu is absolutely flakey & crashes almost every day, i'm still staying with Ubuntu!! :)

[al108]

Would I feel comfortable setting my mother up on Linux? Probably not today. Even though she could do most everything, I wouldn't want to get calls about this or that. She's still pretty clueless and even has trouble with windows from time to time. .

I fill more comfortable setting up Linux for people that are not that great with computers. It doesn't matter for them - they still have to learn either Win or Lin and using Ubuntu is not any harder than Wxp but it is more stable. My wife is using Ubuntu almost exlusively except for a little games time. I've recently set up Ubuntu - after a virus atack- for people who don't know anything about computers and they are happier than ever. So I'd rather have a call about Linux configuration than a virus attack or computer crash - "my computer froze again".

[fairdoes]

No equivalent to 'System Restore' - my last ubuntu installation stopped accessing the internet after installing ClamAv (!?). Uninstalling ClamAv didn't work, so i've to start from scratch ...

[m.musashi]

I fill more comfortable setting up Linux for people that are not that great with computers. It doesn't matter for them - they still have to learn either Win or Lin and using Ubuntu is not any harder than Wxp but it is more stable. My wife is using Ubuntu almost exlusively except for a little games time. I've recently set up Ubuntu - after a virus atack- for people who don't know anything about computers and they are happier than ever. So I'd rather have a call about Linux configuration than a virus attack or computer crash - "my computer froze again".
I agree 100%. My wife is doing fine with ubuntu. My mother, however, knows as much or a bit more than the average windows user. I wouldn't try to get her to switch because she is fairly familar with windows but not tech savy enough to have problems making the switch.

For people who know little to nothing I'm sure it's less of an issue (my kids, for example)

[al108]

I agree 100%. My wife is doing fine with ubuntu. My mother, however, knows as much or a bit more than the average windows user. I wouldn't try to get her to switch because she is fairly familar with windows but not tech savy enough to have problems making the switch.

For people who know little to nothing I'm sure it's less of an issue (my kids, for example)

Yeah, you're right, it could be hard for people who just got used to Win to learn something else even though I think the interface is very intuitive at leas for geeks:)

[Jerome36]

My main computer, which I built late last fall, runs Windows XP Pro. Yesterday I put ubuntu on the older machine that I replaced, completely removing Windows from it. I couldn't dual boot because of harddrive space issues. It's an old computer :)

Anyway, I don't know how often I'll use my old computer with Linux, but as of now it won't be nearly as often as my computer with Windows XP, mainly because of certain development tools I work with and what not.

[Toet]

Running Dapper for almost 100% of my apps. Still have XP in VMPlayer, cause I did not yet find a tool to replace my two Hattrick Assistents progs.

If somebody has a good Hattrick assistent, please feel free to tell me.

[echo $USER]

Three reasons why I still have windows, directx, directx,and directx. But one day I'm sure I'll out grow videogames.

[spranto]

Running Dapper for almost 100% of my apps. Still have XP in VMPlayer, cause I did not yet find a tool to replace my two Hattrick Assistents progs.

If somebody has a good Hattrick assistent, please feel free to tell me.

HattrckOrganizer is a Java platform, so you should be able to use it in Ubuntu. I allready saw it working in a FC4 machine.

[vipernicus]

Why quit Windows? Linux is getting better and better at supporting hardware and whatnot, but is still lacking in several areas. Quitting Windows for a lot of people would be losing some features of their hardware, or using software that is not commonly used in the work world or in colleges for that manner. Continue to dual boot I say, at least until 85%+ compatibility is reached.

[vigi1]

iTunes. Nothing else, just iTunes. However, not actually Microsoft's fault, amazingly! If only Apple would get off their high horse... Ah well :)

I have been testing unbuntu for several weeks on a new cheap amd2600 box I set up. My 3 children use iTunes and Games on the old amd2000+ XP box. I am using Rythmbox for music on my system and found it just as good and a similar setup to iTunes.

The two reasons I still need window at present is business accounting (MYOB) and I find it more difficult to install programs. I have used Firefox and Thunderbird for over 12 months, but find it a little disappointing that the Ubuntu version of Thunderbird is the older 1.0.7 version. I still have not worked out how to install from a direct down loaded file version 1.5.

I tried mandrake pro several years ago, but found it far too bulky and confusiing. The Unbuntu package is an excellent start to linux for a new user like me.

[dmizer]

the reasons for keeping a windows machine around are diminishing daily. but the silver bullet for me is printing.

there are five (5) printers in my office, but i can only print to an ancient and cranky canon bubble jet printer. and let me tell you, i have spent months on this.

one other problem that i recently resolved was the inability to run microsoft office. straight text documents with simple formatting are no problem for open office, but in my line of work, the technical documentation has lots of complex formating, and open office chokes on it. but with the help of wine i have been able to install ms word on my ubuntu laptop.

initally ubuntu was fairly unstable when i first started using it, but with lots of hard work and ](*,) , i have been able to resolve most of the issues. all except printing.

[elamericano]

I'm running dual boot, but I've found that Ubuntu works fine as my primary work machine. I've only booted into Windows twice, and that was to run the Aeropeek wireless sniffer. Once I find out how to use Ethereal to capture L1 frames, I won't even have that reason. I am surprised and pleased that it has surpassed my expectations. The only downside was that I spent weeks playing with the configuration. I love to experiment.

[quik77]

dualboot at home Xp and Unbuntu

at work is mostly Mac OSX shop (with MS office and Entourage) on the macs

the things that stop me?

Girlfriend uses my computer sometimes.

XP does WOW already without me gettign into wine stuff in linux

Unbuntu doesn't have the dock like osx (gdesklets or enlightenment for this? haven't done enough research)

Unbuntu/linux doesn't have anythign close to quicksilver launcher (Gnome Launchbox is in the very first release nothing else to be found)

I just played arroudn with the ELIVE cd (enlightenment based) ran a ton faster than Unbuntu and has the interface I want to begin with.. (nothing on the desktop except a dock and a clock, click anywhere to get your menu of everything right click for your programs menus) now if I can mashup that interface, Unbuntu apps and support and add gnomelaunchbox in a mature form or somethign like it I'll be a very happy camper... I already do all my photo/graphic design, webdesign and whatnot in the same apps on mac as I do in linux so.. now I'm waiting on e17(its not released in stable form yet)+-> eubuntu ^^

[ACK!!]

Work.

I dual boot and I am a linux administrator. Last job I did not use Windows at all just linux but now I have to use Windows at work for one freaking app.

Remedy has only a windows client and they will not install the web interface at work. Its windows client or nothing.

Remedy is our ticketing system so anytime I work a server maint or do anything out of the way I have to put in a ticket.

[DJiNN]

You know, I'm not an "average" user but I'm not computer genius either. I work with computer a lot and I'm tech savy and learn quickly but before using Ubuntu about the only CLI I did was "ipconfig". I've also installed windows more times than I care to count. While Ubuntu might not be ready for everyone I think it's close.

Hi m.musashi, thanks for the great reply.

I'm pretty much with you all the way there & now that i have upgraded to "Dapper" Beta (Last night) i'm even more there! LOVE IT!!! :)

I think the main problem that i have at the moment is with a "Windows" legacy of hardware, not all of which works well with Linux..... But hey, that's what happens when you have spent years with one OS & then find an alternative that is not only better, but which "REALLY ROCKS!!"... :)

There will always be people that need to use Windows (At least for some time to come) for many reasons, not the least of which is that it's all they're aware of. But I can really see Linux gaining a bigger foothold almost weekly!

So i can wait..... & i'm most certainly not going to be making a move back to XP at all...... & now that i have upgraded to Dapper & am about to download the Live/Install CD, i can really see that, as you said, Ubuntu (& perhaps even Linux as a movement) is pretty close to "Being there" for a bigger number of people than ever before....... That's fantastic!!

All i've gotta do now is, over time, replace my "Legacy" windows stuff for things that will work under Ubuntu. It's getting there. :)

Thanks once again for taking the time to reply..........

DJiNN

[DJiNN]

Hey DJiNN,
This is not for you mostly because you already stuck with what you have](*,) , but for other people, who may read this and avoid troubles like yours. Do you remember the times when NT was a "cool" OS to run(comparing to 95 and 98 ) but the problem was that you had to get everything NT compatible - a network card, a printer a sound card... everything; and if you didn't - you're out of luck, at list here you have access to so many people that can help!

I remember using NT (& OS2, which i loved....) So i'm with you there..... totally agree, and as i said in the other reply, it's more a case of "Windows Legacy Anciliary Hardware" that doesn't work too well (if at all) with Ubuntu. But as you so rightly said..... when it comes time to uupgrade again (Which i will) i shall make sure that i don't get tied into the same problems as before.

Well most of the hardware problems could be solved by using compatible stuff. That is not to say that manufacturers should have better Linux support or you should sell your Zen on eBay and get iAudio instead (which by the way also plays .ogg and .flac), but when you buy a next upgrade get something that has a better support, I think iPod has pretty decent support too.

I nearly bought an iPod, but i just can't abide the whole "Apple" tie in either..... they're almost as bad as MS in their own way. (Great piece of kit, but i just wanted something else.) Of course, in my ignorance (For that's surely what it was) i "Assumed" that the Zen would just work as a "Removeable Drive" kind of thing..... boy was i wrong! :)

But i shall upgrade one day...... i won't make the same mistake again! :)

Same goes for Wi-fi - (are you using D-link USB adaptors for ~$40?) - you can get a wirless AP/bridge for aroung $40 and connect it to your linux box with Ethernet - no compatibility issues - it just works. There are also sticks for about $10-20 (Zonet, Trendware has same chipset) that come with drivers for Linux - I haven't tryed it so I can't confirm if it works though.

Yep, i made the same mistake there as well..... i bought them when running an XP system (Simple home network) for the kids PC's in the house..... & of course they work fine on XP. I would love to change the Kids PC's over to Dapper, but i'm not about to go out & buy 3 more sticks just yet.... so for now they can stay with XP. Thanks for the tips though.

DVD drive -:roll: I don't know, I used a lot of different brands without a problem.

That's the strange thing.... so have i..... but for some reason this one just has a problem. It definitely needs replacing, but again, it'll have to wait.

Networking - not any harder than saying "Yes" configure my network with DHCP, and setting up your router properly (not exactly Ubuntu problem though some routers do use Linux inside). Yes, you do have to make a couple of clicks if you want to do sharing but in a simple case it's about the same as in Win - you do have to enable it.

No, have to disagree there (unless it's all changed in Dapper). Sure you can setup a computer to connect to the Net or what have you, through a router etc, & it's no big problem.... but if you want to setup a small home network so that the machines that you have in the house (Whether they be XP or Linux) can talk to each other, it's nowhere near as easy (In my "fairly limited" experience) as it is in XP. In this regard, XP is a lot easier. I'm not saying that you don't get problems in XP, because you do, but XP does make it a lot easier (Which can cause other problems elsewhere but that's abother topic).

If i want to send a file over my small home network, to a Win machine...? Well, put it this way..... i haven't managed to achieve it yet. I'm not worried about it.... i don't mind using CDRW & "Sneaker Net" until such time as either my Linux networking knowledege is up to scratch or it's made fairly straighforward & simple.

Linux slow? Well maybe certain tasks are and some tuning would be required to make it faster. For example installing nVidia drivers (if you using nVidia card). That made a lot of difference for me - the desktop is flying faster than WXp.

Linux isn't "Slow", but everytime i boot into XP (To connect to the Zen for instance) & while i'm there i'll surf & do a few other things, XP fairly Zips along. Having said that, there's a good chance that it would because i hardly ever use it now, and it's not what i use on a day to day basis. Also, there are generally not many processes running while i'm using it, so i'm sure that makes a big difference.

I do know however, that if i left the machine booted into XP for any length of time, that it would slow down very quickly. :)

So all this talk you've heard is for one reason - just to say "if I had only problems like you.."

Heehee..... i use XP on a daily basis (unfortunately) for music (for a living) & i can't see Linux doing that anytime soon. Sure, there are some excellent packages out there that you can do some good stuff with, but Cubase takes some beating. But hey..... you never know..... One day!

I'll not stop using Ubuntu as my normal everyday working machine because i really love it, and the more that i use it & learn about it, the more i like it. I've also got a little laptop (Celeron PIII 600mhz) that i tried DSL on a few days ago, and was going to stick with using that (Dapper was OK on it, but too slow) but i've just seen on "Distrowatch" that Xubuntu is now out, and is a pretty sleek version of Dapper..... so i'm off to download that & whack it onto my lappie..... Fingers crossed.

Thanks for a great reply. I really enjoyed reading & replying, and it's always much appreciated.

DJiNN

[DE Retiree]

Lack of easy support for hardware:
Canon 9950 Scanner
TrippLite UPS - USB connection
PrimeFilm 3650u Scanner

Lack of easy support for software:
Quicken
TurboTax

[nealklomp]

Ubuntu is my home OS--in that I use it by far most often on my laptop--but I keep XPee on my desktop because it is a windows world still.

[bodhi.zazen]

I did it, I got Dragon Naturally speaking running on Linux (Fedora 5)

Now 100 % Linux, except at work where I am forced to use Windows (of course)

[LeeM]

I am running dual boot with XP. Still need it for
(a) my Microtek scanner won't play at all with Linux
(b) still haven't got a wireless card (USB or PCMCIA) to work with Linux
(c) occasionally have to format a newsletter in Microsoft Word to send to the printer (Open Office isn't compatible enough)

But 90% of the time I'm on Ubuntu. Tried Xandros Pro. Nice, but too far removed from real Linux for me.:(

[n3tfury]

Damn, I didn't see the "dual boot" vote, which is what I'm doing. The only reason I'm keeping windoze is for my Line6 software (guitar), Dreamweaver, and some third party Sony Ericsson software (cellphone).

Other than that, I'm very excited to be stepping into the community and learning as much as I can. Thanks to those that are hard at work at Ubuntu.

Cheers.

[ukemike]

Well answering the thread question... I built my main PC myself from bleeding edge hardware in 2000. It is still perfectly useable and for some things, like photoshop, it's still faster than anything else I have access to. I've got 6 years of software, data, configuration in that box and I am quite fond of it. XP really isn't all that bad. I hated the win9x OSes. In about 1992 I bought a gateway 486-33. I spent extra on more memory and HD space and it lasted me until 1998. By then the 14.4 modem was really a problem. I had a stopgap win98 machine for 1.5 years until I built my current PC. I may build my next computer around ubuntu, but I'd miss windoze. Why? Well there is such a critical mass of windows users that cool stuff seems to come along all of the time. I do buy the occasional game, and I like to have a selection to choose from. One excellent example that pops to mind... I cannot imagine living without google earth. It's just such an amazing tool. Wow, while

I do have one PC that is now totally converted and I am enjoying it.

[the_guy1]

There will for the time always have windows always aps but soon there will be more people running linux and those programs will start to decrese and we will have programs that will force the windows eliet doul booting and we will finally win the war :twisted:

[jdusablon]

Nothing. I'm quit. hehe

[Vlammetje]

I was quit, ran XP on VMware if I really needed to (never happened)

But then a few things changed. I moved house and had to go wireless, I changed ISP at the same time and suddenly I found myself utterly unable to befriend ndiswrapper and my wireless dongle..... till out of sheer frustration (and need, since I do my banking online and some people do want to get paid at least once a month...) I reinstalled XP, set the wireless and enjoyed being connected for a while....... XP has stayed ever since because I was never able to get ndiswrapper up, not on Ubuntu, not on Gentoo.....

I've since moved house again and no longer need the wireless to work (although it certainly would be nice if I knew how to!!) so now Ubuntu is back in the saddle as my primary OS, Gentoo comes second as my 'learning OS' and XP is third and last, because I couldn't be bothered to erase it now that I took the time to install and tweak it again.

[frup]

100% ubuntu from the begining :D never go back to windows wine plays all the games i need lucky enough and emulation can do the rest :D

i have found networking and printing and installing no repo stuff the biggest flaw... not to major for me but i can see how others would be discouraged by this. also not being able to take chmod/chown through gui is annoying when most things are owned by root by default... command line is meant to be faster this makes simple stuff slower.

all that is outweighed by awesome benefits ofcourse :D

[fargoth]

its slower then XP, crashes more often, when a fullscreen game crashes i have to switch to another page and using the consol find the process ID and kill it - instead of using simple CTRL-ALT-DEL... ALT-TAB is always missing.

a decent find tool is missing too... (i dont need beagle to hog my HD with a database for every metadata it can think about, whats wrong with the normal HD scan that goes through all the HD (or a defined part of it) when i search? i dont search often enough to justify keeping a search database, and it updates too slowly, so i wont find the new installed files.

theres no media player for mp3's to my liking, amarok is big and bloated, xmms is old and doesnt support some encoding... i just cant give up on my winamp 5 it does everything i need it to do while handeling my 15000 songs playlist well.

the look of my XP is MUCH better...

oh, and i cant play oblivion on ubuntu =)

i really keep ubuntu around in case im bored and want to learn more about how to make all the broken things work... havent used it for two months now.

[elamericano]

For me, Linux is faster, XMMS plays every MP3 I have and is less bloated than Winamp5, on XP looks like one of my childrens' toys.

Honestly, Linux looks better by default (although the Ubuntu theme has a lot of detracters), and you can customize the look a lot more in Linux. I've seen some stunning desktops in Linux that even Mac connot compare to. Windows is 3rd.

I only load my XP partition anymore when a vendor provides utilities for Windows only.

[will1384]

the only thing is how well I know linux


I can burn CDs/DVDs
I can use some windows programs - like NewsBin Pro, using wine
I can watch videos
I can share files with my windows boxes - could be a little better,
I sometimes have to tell it the IP of the computer because it cant
see it - but no big problem

Activesync for PDAs might be a problem - does it work under wine?
I dont use it for sync-ing data - ony for installing programs

I know there is a linux app for sync-ing data with your PDA
but would it install programs - I dont think it would, because
there windows EXE files

Right now I have 1 windows box that I use when I ether dont know
how to do something in linux or its harder to do

I also have a windows based PVR - not media center, I am waiting
for linux on the PVR side to get more hardware support - get a little
more easy - but its looking better all the time

everything else I can do in linux -

[MacgyverDXS]

Well I just got Ubuntu up and running in dual boot on my machine. I have to say Ubuntu is much faster thatn XP on my machine...the programs load fast, they don't crash, and they generally quit when I tell them to (unlike in windows when a program won't quit from task manager, when I kill the process in linux it quits...no rebooting no agrivation it just does what I ask...I like that).

The only things that keep me still dual booting are, Dreamweaver (sorry guys Bluefish and Nvu are too clunky still), Flash, my PPC, and games (haven't tried wine yet...so we'll see). If Adobe would make linux distros for Flash and Dreamweaver, I don't think I would use XP except for gaming.

I'd say from my experience so far here's how I boot:

Ubuntu-85%:)
XP-15%:neutral:

[fargoth]

For me, Linux is faster, XMMS plays every MP3 I have and is less bloated than Winamp5, on XP looks like one of my childrens' toys.

Honestly, Linux looks better by default (although the Ubuntu theme has a lot of detracters), and you can customize the look a lot more in Linux. I've seen some stunning desktops in Linux that even Mac connot compare to. Windows is 3rd.


i really havent seen good themes for linux.. KDE is somewhat better then gnome (but slower), the default theme for XP is ugly, but the ones i got from stylexp.org are great, much better then anything ive seen so far on gnome\KDE.

i think enlightenment is the most beutful desktop out there, but it lacks functionality... though i havent used it for a while, maybe theres a new version.

xmms plays it all, but lacks the search capabilities winamp5 has (and i need them for 15000 songs), and it has problems with my native language.

[elamericano]

That link didn't work, but I found enough sites on it anyway. That will definitely make Windows more bearable, until the next critical security update ;-)

The most overdone theme on Linux and Windows is a Mac OSX clone. Why bother? Anyway, as a reason to stay with Windows? There are a lot more experiments you can do with Linux, at great cost of your personal time, however :rolleyes:

[fargoth]

heh, i havent checked if i wrote that site's name right... anyway, it seems they now bundle spyware with their themes, so i suggest anyone looking for themes (for XP, KDE, gnome or any other skinable program out there) here:
http://browse.deviantart.com/skins/windows/visualstyle/?view=1&order=9&limit=24
you may have to browse a bit before youd find something you like... but DeviantArt has lots of talented people.

[tribaal]

Ahhh more spam :(

[ffferko]

I like Ubuntu :-D

[darkwarrior0404]

160 GB HDD

100 GB goes to Ubuntu

60 GB goes to Windows (online classes for college doesnt support firefox or anything except internet explorer.. kina lame :( )

But if it werent for school, and games, I'd probably do away with windows partition 8)

[AndyCooll]

I'd be 100% Linux if I possibly could! However for me it's one game, one website, and one mp3 player that keeps me from quitting M$ completely.

The game, I've never got Football Manager to run successfully under Wine but runs fine with with my VMWAre XP image.

The website I need to use occasionally that doesn't seem to render properly under FF (it's a secure site). I've tried IE tab and similar, and I'll keep trying.

And then this damn Sony MP3 player which will only update using the "Connect" software, which of course is M$ only. For this it is a faff since I can't use my VMWare image either. I have an old 5gb disk with a copy of XP on it. I connect that up and reboot my machine with that drive, and finally copy over the music to the MP3 player.
The problem is that I haven't yet got my VMWare image to work with USB drives. The VMWare player recognises them, but they don't display in the XP image ...yet!

:cool:

[bluenova]

I've been using Linux for the past year (Fedora Core 4) with an XP dual boot. But I didn't use the windows partition for a long time, and after recently installing Ubuntu on my girlfriends laptop, I decided to switch over as well, as it's a h*ll of a lot easier to manage compared to Fedora.

The only thing I have running windows now is an old laptop (win xp). It's soul purpose is to run my skype phone, as skype for linux is just plain cr*p.

[Kobalt]

100% Ubuntu since the Hoary release.
The only thing that kept me from deleting my dual boot with win-**** was my iPod mini... Since Hoary, it rocks with gtkpod and win-crap is gone.
"Hey Bill, did you check the way Dapper handles an iPod ? It really kicks your *** :cool: "

[robodad]

Well I dual boot... but I havn't used windows in months. I have it there just incase.
I only dual boot with Windows 98 because my daughter's favorite game (The Sims) runs under Windows, and I use MS Money. My wife just uses e-mail, and web mail works just fine for her.

That said, Kubuntu is the default mode. Gaim works just fine for my duaghter's IM activity. She uses Open Office for school work on both Kubuntu and Windows.

Over the next few months I will be converting from MS Money to kMyMoney, so I will have one less reason to use Windows.

Eventually Windows will go away form this old Dell 350 MHz box -- but we may need it on any new PC we might buy.

[Vincent Revilla]

(post deleted by user)

[Hellraiser]

I've just recently made the leap to Linux (Using Linux for 2 weeks). Tried Kubuntu first, then tried Ubuntu, and found I liked some of the apps more. I do dual boot, as gaming under Linux has me quite aggravated. Some of the popular titles I like to play are not supported under Linux. Quite unfortunate, considering that so far it's a quite pleasing OS.

My only gripes:

1) No real gaming support. Choices are quite limited.
2) Not sure I like MetaCity. I've seen some graphically intense desktops out there, and find that my desktop just sucks. I'm quite new, so these things are unfamiliar to me, at this time.


Other than that, Ubuntu is a hell of a OS, and I'm contemplating Dapper. We'll see if I get the balls to do it.

[browndog]

Actually nothing has kept me from quitting Windows. I found that Ubuntu is not only an OS but a philosophy I agree wholeheartedly with, and so I've been willing to wait patiently and make do with the apps available. Now I know that there are a great many who genuinely depend on Windows products for their livelihood and that's fine. I personally am in a place where I use my laptop for organizational purposes with the occasional spreadsheet thrown in here and there. Ubuntu linux is the absolute best Linux OS I've found and I had no problems switching completely.

[w0lfpaws]

well I use 3 hdds, with a ROmtec trios,(discontinued now) 1 with xp, 1 with Gentoo,1 with ubuntu heres my list
1. Printers, I am using a LInksys printserver, and I can see it on the network, but I cant add a ipp port to print off of it( any help would be great)
2.burning cd/dvd
3.playing dvd,s (none of the players open any movies)?
4.using cakewalk, or similar audio recording /multrack software

[dsokus]

There are a couple of things that still keep me attached to Windows...

1) My Pocket PC only works with Windows, installation of new programs and syncing only possible from Windows.

2) MSN Messenger - I miss a messenger for Linux that works like MSN Messenger! Sure it's unsafe but the functionality keeps me coming back to it. My boyfriend lives far away atm and the only way we can communicate is videochat; neither of us has been able to get it working under any Linux distro.

3) My bank (together with some other institutions I want to access online) only allows access to the "netbank" from machines running Windows. They haven't written their security program for Linux.

4) I use a statistical analysis program called SAS for which I have a campus licence - and I only have the licence (and the program) for Windows. :s

5) In general, Windows seems to be better at recognizing hardware; "plug&play" in Windows actually works, unlike in 80% of the cases with Linux, where I need to spend hours to fix things before they work to a mediocre standard.

But hooray for open source and freeware!!! 8) It's the future of computers, therefore I am for it... Once I have found out how to use things and get them working on my computer, I too plan on helping in with what I can!

[H.E. Pennypacker]

for me it is speed which keeps me from kicking winXP. Ubuntu is simpy slower; slow boot, slow desktop handling.
WinXP has natuarally a advantage here, since its GUI runs in kernel-mode. But Im still confident, that Exa will speed up cairo a lot.


Why can't GUI be run in Linux in kernel-mode?

[cracker]

There are two reasons I don't switch.
1. There is no cedega package for amd64. I'm a gamer, and both of my primary systems are Athlon 64s. I'm not running an i386 linux kernel when I have the power to run amd64.
2. Wireless issues. I have Breezy on my Dell laptop, and it runs well, but managing wireless networks is a pain. Also, my school uses Cisco PEAP, and no one has gotten any distro of linux to connect to it.

Other than that, everything has a replacement, or can run under WINE. Winamp > XMMS. mIRC > xchat, or even mIRC under WINE. Miranda-IM > gaim. MS Office > OpenOffice.org. Mupen64 is built for linux already. Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird have linux versions. I use Nero, but linux has plenty of burning tools, and since all the copy protection is designed for Windows, basic tools can do just about everything. I play Eve-Online, and know several people who run it under cedega seamlessly.

On a side note, I have an HP zv6000 notebook (Athlon 64), and can't get any linux distributions' live CDs to boot, i386 or amd64, except for Slackware 10. I still can't figure out why. I've tried noacpi and several other boot switches to no avail.

[AirRaven]

I tend to divide my time between them equally- Windows feels incredibly fast when compared to Ubuntu- faster to boot and run etc, but there's so much I prefer about Ubuntu- I prefer GNOME and KDE as desktop environments, for example, and there's no port of Kopete for Windows.

I also can't play games on Linux, and there's no way I'm going to pay for Cedega when I can already do it completely glitch-free on my Windows install.

Windows is better for most things for me, really. That, and the fact that I know how to use it much better than Linux tip the balance for me.

I like both- that's fine for me.

[vijirajan]

Though I have a dual boot setup with Windows XP and Dapper, its been several months since I logged into Windows XP. I am keeping Windows XP because its a company provided machine. I use Dapper at home and at work. For me, Dapper is way more faster than Windows XP. I use IntelliJ for development and it runs very fast with i686 kernel.

- Rajan

[pepolez]

I use Ubuntu for just about EVERYTHING now. Only time I use windows is for games that I can't get on Linux (too system intensive to be emulated) and even then, thats mainly just at LAN parties. Most of the time for gaming in Linux, I'm playing Enemy Territiory which is native, so no problems there except for starting a second X server for it cause my first has XGL.

[ngc457]

I am an odd ball and I guess I am the only Linux user that loves Windows. Thats right I love Windows. Windows XP is rock solid stable. I can keep my system up months at a time. I have never gotten a virus or spyware and that is in 15 years of computer use. It isn't Bill Gates fault it is the users fault if they get a virus. People like to complain about Microsofts business practices but Microsoft is a nice friendly honest business compared to insurance, gas and drug companies. Heck have you bought ink for your printer? Epson is far worse then Microsoft is. $150 to optionaly upgrade your OS every 5 years is nothing compared to other criminals.
I use Windows for high end photo editing. That means my photos are of professional grade. Professional grade photos need professional grade software and color management. The absolutly most important thing with high end photo editing is color management and monitor calibration. There is one way to calibrate a monitor and that is a device such as a spider. Gimp can have 10 times the features as PhotoShop but without color mangement it is as worthless as a tit on a bull. There is no color management in Linux so that reason alone makes it useless for high end photo editing. Plus PhotoShop is far better then Gimp and there are no good photo managers in Linux and no f-stop ain't it. I like ACDsee Pro.
I enjoy amateur astronomy and Linux is getting better with CDC version 3 in beta testing for Linux. Check it out it is way cool http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/index.php there is even instructions on how to apt-get it. I guess I can make do with astronomy in just Linux but I like Skytools and Starry Night Pro and I am not willing to give them up.
I love Dreamweaver for designing websites and Nvu is a far cry from Dreamweaver. Also PhotoShop when you factor in Imageready is the cats meow for web graphic design that nothing in Linux can remotely come close to.
I love Ubuntu as well. I am a huge Star Trek fan and the biggest reason why is because of Star Treks message of the future. There is no money and everyone works to help others learn and improve. That is Ubuntu. You get a great OS and great software with no money. Everyone chips in to improve on the software and to help each other get the most out of this great OS.
I use Ubuntu mostly to run science software. Unix has been OS that scientist have used for 30 years and now most of the software they wrote to conduct thier experements can run in Ubuntu. I also like Open Office. For my needs it works and works great no need for MS Office. I also like amarok for playing my groovy tunes. I also enjoy learning about Linux. It is fun to play around with the software, learn bash commands, learn how to script and mess around in VI.
I have 2 computers and it would be a very boring and close minded world to have just Windows on both or just Ubuntu on both. I want variety so I have Windows on one and Ubuntu on the other. They both network great with each other and I can share files with both. I think Windows and Linux are best friends, holding hands, singing happy songs and running thru the meadow bare foot. I have a T shirt that says I love Windows and Linux. I have Bill Gates and Tux dolls in a toy car riding off into the sunset together. I think bashing Windows is foolish and I think bashing Linux is foolish. Tears of joy well up when I dream about my beloved Windows. Tears of joy well up when I dream about my beloved Ubuntu. You would have to tear Windows from my cold dead hands as I won't give it up and you will have to tear Ubuntu from my cold dead hands as I won't give it up. There is no debate with me. There is no switching. I am going to use both and enjoy both.

[solstice]

I have a macbook pro, other than that i'm 100% ubuntu :-D Ubuntu desktop and Ubuntu webserver. Since windows isn't involved, I concider it 100% :p

[edifuzzy]

Have been using Dapper for a while now and use it almost exclusively even though I have win xp still installed dual boot. I am going to take the next step and format windows and replace it with a clean XP installation with only a selection of games installed and nothing else.... Gaming is the only thing that keeps me from ditching windows.
I have tried Wine emulation but it can't beat windows running natively...(Unfortunately!!!!)

So Linux used for everything basically....

Now that dapper is out...when do the Alphas for the next Linux start appearing!!!:mrgreen:

[Se[BBB]e]

Well Linux works pretty well for me. I can do most of the stuff I want to use my computer for. But then there is the lack of codecs and very long processes to install them. Many programs wont install easily, and it's riddiculus to have to look up a guide install an application. Sometimes my Linux distributions have stopped booting because I've tried to follow guides and something went gone. And once my SuSE installation stopped working after a software update. The installers discs' repair feature didnt help me, so I had to reinstall it all.

Linux is just too much of a pain. For me as a beginner, the simplest of things takes hours to do. Like trying to play an MP3 file. Or installing a new driver.

[Syirrus]

e']Well Linux works pretty well for me. I can do most of the stuff I want to use my computer for. But then there is the lack of codecs and very long processes to install them. Many programs wont install easily, and it's riddiculus to have to look up a guide install an application. Sometimes my Linux distributions have stopped booting because I've tried to follow guides and something went gone. And once my SuSE installation stopped working after a software update. The installers discs' repair feature didnt help me, so I had to reinstall it all.

Linux is just too much of a pain. For me as a beginner, the simplest of things takes hours to do. Like trying to play an MP3 file. Or installing a new driver.

I understand exactly what you mean. I installed Dapper Drake flight 5 a long time ago with compiz and it was wonderful. I went to upgrade to flight 6 and everything broke. After that I was never able to get compiz to run again. Now in the defense of ubuntu and other linux distros, I was using an alpha, but yesterday I downloaded the final cut of ubuntu and I can't even boot the live CD b/c X crashes. I tried using vesa mode and nothing. I really think Linux has great potential for becoming a desktop OS (Already a great server platform) but as you were saying, it shouldn't be a chore to install codecs or play mp3's. I know there is some legal reasons behind installing those things but there has to be a better way. One thing I do enjoy about linux is the repositories, however I can't stand it when you install a program from a repository, it doesn't tell you were it installed it to!! That has to be one of the biggest reasons why I can't leave windows behind for good.

End of Rant :)

[darclaird]

For me its mostly a software thing, there is some software that isjust so much easier to setup on Windows, granted a lot of this is propietary stuff, Lighting Desk emulators, and Vectorworks, also gaming... thought I have an xbox and the idea behind getting that is to wean me off playing on the pc by myself and playing xbox with my partner

Im experimenting with WinXP under VMware Player, and after knocking my head againt the install (I got a bad tip from a friend) I have it up and running relativley well

Finally if I can find a decent CAD package for ubuntu , or get Vectorworks working under WINE or VM same with the LX emulators I will likiely switch to full time ubuntu use.

The only other thing I can think of is getting my head arounf OpenOffice...

but, it is fair to say that from this day forward ubuntu will be my primary OS

[christhemonkey]

I am pretty much ubuntu only, although i dual boot windows XP on the side, just for the occasional game of Age of Empires or the like.

Come to think of it i dont use my pc very much, just tinker with it till i break it then fix it again....

[mervg]

The ONLY thing XP is on my system for is Lightscribe. The software isn't available in Linux, and I like to burn labels onto the CD. Except for that, Windows is history.

Oops - Dapper user, add happy as .....


.

[GhandiBurger]

2. No decent website managing software. I currently use Frontpage 2003 (I can hear the boo's), but, it works. WYSIWIG works, resize images in wysiwig AND optimize. Drag and Drop, move local files to remote seemlessly. I have tried NVU, and thought this was my answer, but it is still to rough. I would PAY for a decent website managing software if it was available (also would pay for calendaring solution as well), some kind of dreamweaver port or something. I know I can use fp 2000 with wine, but, I hate 2000. Alot of the features I like about FP are in 2003 only.

Text Editor!!

[Se[BBB]e]

I understand exactly what you mean. I installed Dapper Drake flight 5 a long time ago with compiz and it was wonderful. I went to upgrade to flight 6 and everything broke. After that I was never able to get compiz to run again. Now in the defense of ubuntu and other linux distros, I was using an alpha, but yesterday I downloaded the final cut of ubuntu and I can't even boot the live CD b/c X crashes. I tried using vesa mode and nothing. I really think Linux has great potential for becoming a desktop OS (Already a great server platform) but as you were saying, it shouldn't be a chore to install codecs or play mp3's. I know there is some legal reasons behind installing those things but there has to be a better way. One thing I do enjoy about linux is the repositories, however I can't stand it when you install a program from a repository, it doesn't tell you were it installed it to!! That has to be one of the biggest reasons why I can't leave windows behind for good.

End of Rant :)
Yeah, and I have a lot of hardware issues as well. My soundcard works with most distros, but a year ago I could get it to work with any distro at all... I dont know what happened, but sometimes I have to mess around with settings to make it sound clear. It works great under Ubuntu though.

Another issue is my dual monitor setup. I cant get Linux to span over two screens. And Ubuntu defaults to my crappy thick one, and leaves my nice flat TFT blank. I have to restart the PC with the old monitor disconnected to fix this issue. I have no idea how to get it working from within Ubuntu.

It feels like whenever you want to do something that's not very basic and included in the distro - you're gonna have to do some serious messing around.

[dmizer]

e']For me as a beginner, the simplest of things takes hours to do. Like trying to play an MP3 file. Or installing a new driver.
i see that alot in this thread. "it's simple, but in linux it is difficult."

but isn't that comparing apples and oranges? just because you find that it is "simple" in windows, doesn't mean that it should be simple somewhere else. anyone ever make the mistake of removing your oem install of windvd, and then not being able to find your oem disk to reinstall it? whoops ... sorry, no more dvd play at all unless you purchase software or install a cracked version of it.

i just went through a fresh install of windows on an unfamiliar second hand box that came with no specs and no driver disks. no way to type lsmod or lspci to figure out what your hardware is. if windows doesn't detect it right away (which does often happen) you're just blind. there's no way to determine what your hardware is without taking the case apart. then you have to spend hours in google hunting down the manufacture to see if they still offer a download for it ... if the manufacture still exists ...

my intention here is not to completely dog windows, because it is a useful operating system. but i think the problem i'm seeing in this thread is that when people are comparing their computing experiences, they are using unfair comparisons. something like saying, cars are better than busses because cars are more convenient.

that is to say ... obviously it is going to be easy to install things on your system if you've purchased it new, and it comes preinstalled for you, and if the equipment you purchase comes with the necessary supporting software.

but if you take a few minutes to do a bit of research about hardware, you can have the same experience in linux.

that is not to say that linux does not have it's problems either. in fact it does *coughprintersupportcough*. but the reality is that there are probably no more problems with linux than there are with any of the other os you might so choose to install on your system.

better in some ways, not so great in others. ie ... just because it is simple for you to accomplish in windows, doesn't mean that the same thing should be simple in linux. if that were true, linux wouldn't be linux ... it would be windows.

[Se[BBB]e]

Yeah, I agree that the hardware detection out of the box is miles better in Linux than Windows. I mean, Windows wont go higher than 640x480 and 256 colors without installing the gfx card drivers... And internet doesnt work. And a lot else. In Linux it all works right out of the box, but if it doesnt you can give up the thought of ever getting it to work. At least if you're not experienced with Linux (like me).

Linux beats Windows in so many places. Stability, security, looks, customisability (well, obviously) and interface. But it fails in seemingly very simple areas. Installing new applictions can be next to impossible, cant play industry standard files (I can understand this since MP3 is not open source but it should be easier to install support for it, Ubuntu is excluded thanks to Automatix, but that's still some poking around to find it), just generally difficult to use when you want to do something non-standard.

[dmizer]

i really don't intend to be singling you out here, but it's such a good example of what i'm talking about.
e']But it fails in seemingly very simple areas. Installing new applictions can be next to impossible, cant play industry standard files (I can understand this since MP3 is not open source but it should be easier to install support for it, Ubuntu is excluded thanks to Automatix, but that's still some poking around to find it), just generally difficult to use when you want to do something non-standard.
first of all ... would you know how to make mp3's play on your windows box if winows media player didn't play them right out of the box? take the wmp (w32) codecs away, and you're left with absolutely no way of playing mp3's.

i have had a problem on my windows 2000 box for ages. i finally figured out that it was a conflict between my aging copy of intervideo windvd platinum (which can't be upgraded anymore) and windows media player. as a result of this conflict, windows media player thinks there is no connection to the internet, and refuses to play streaming media.

but if i uninstall my purchased copy of windvd, i can't watch dvd's anymore. so i can either watch dvd's or i can watch streaming media, but not both. and in my highly involved windows experience, this kind of behavior is not uncommon.

there are just as many problems and quirks in windows as there are in linux or in osx, it's just that people who are use to using windows have simply learned how to work around it ... or in my case ... deal with it.

i spent hours trying to get streaming media to play on my linux box. i swore alot, and i nearly gave up several times. but i succeeded ... moreover, i succeeded in the same day. and after having spent months with my windows box trying to fix the same exact problem, and having taken it to techs, and talked on the phone with microsoft and intervideo ... let me tell you, i extended a big old middle finger in the direction of redmond. because on my linux box, i can watch windows streaming media, and i can watch dvd's all i want.

but i still can't print ... lol.

[earthvisitor]

Because I "love" Windows and I "like" Linux. As far as my computing experience goes, *graphical libraries* and desktop environments of linux always caused lots of trouble for me. I also cannot use my hardware in Linux. I cannot blame this on Linux, but I'm not going to choose my hardware according to what Linux supports. If Windows didn't support what I need I would go for whatever OS does. Windows works seamlessly in many areas for me, so no need to quit.

I like Linux though: especially, it's a bedrock for programming tools and scientific stuff. Such matters requires openness and availability of sources (at least just in case), which is not always possible in Windows world. Under Linux, you can find at least a rough do-it-yourself implementation.

Well, I use both OS's for different purposes. For everyday work, Windows serves me well and reliably. I never had a serious stability issue with Windows after Windows 2000. On the other hand, for my scientific and programming needs, I prefer linux: Linux, especially its kernel and nongraphical base is very mature and solid.

This is my experience with linux: I'm not going to quit neither Windows, nor Linux.

Just my 2 cents...

[Se[BBB]e]

first of all ... would you know how to make mp3's play on your windows box if winows media player didn't play them right out of the box? take the wmp (w32) codecs away, and you're left with absolutely no way of playing mp3's.

Yeah, that's true... At least I would know how to install Winamp or something, but I'm not sure that would solve it. But on the other hand, Windows does play MP3s out of the box so it doesnt make sense to think "what if". If explorer.exe didnt exist, would I know how to get a desktop environment for Windows? If it didnt work with my dual monitor setup, would I know how to set it up? etc etc

[dickrounds]

I am running Puppy Linux from a live DVD on one computer and just installed UBUNTU as a dual boot OS to a spare HDD on my main computer.

I have found that I can do almost anything on the Net with either version of Linux that I can do with Windows...BUT

Linux doesn't find either of my Canon printers
Installing programs is, so far, way beyond my comprehension
I haven't found a clipboard program equivilent to Clipmate
I am nervous about the fact that I don't have a Firewall or antivirus/antispyware programs for Linux

I'm currently working with a local Linux guy to see if I can resolve these and other issues. He tells me that diferent distributions have different rules. That's another problem at the moment.

I'll keep trying.

Dick

[m.musashi]

I'm no expert but a couple of suggestions.
Installing programs is, so far, way beyond my comprehension
I had the same problem until I discovered apt-get. Assuming you know the name of the app you want to install and it's in the ubuntu repositories typing "sudo apt-get install <name of app>" in a terminal does the trick. And if it's not in the repositories there are still options but it will take a bit more knowledge or research.
I am nervous about the fact that I don't have a Firewall or antivirus/antispyware programs for Linux
It seems the general concensus is that firewall and anitvirus aren't all that necessary in Linux as the vast majority of viruses don't even run in Linux. There is a an app called firestarter that is a software firewall but I'm not sure how much protection it adds as Ubuntu at least has no open ports (at least that seems to be the case based on what I've read). There is also antivirus software out there.
I'll keep trying.

Dick
That's the spirit. Good luck.

[iblastoff]

productivity.

i installed ubuntu purely through curiosity's sake. its set up so i can do the usual web surfing (only after a harrowing amount of fiddling around trying to install my wireless adapter)/video/music/chatting etc stuff. but beyond that, theres really nothing else i can do in ubuntu!

programs i would need on ubuntu:
photoshop cs2
illustrator cs2
fireworks 8
flash 8
dreamweaver 8

to my knowledge there are absolutely no linux equivalents to the above programs. i tried using GIMP and it was just too awkward. i installed quanta but in preview mode it would just act sooo slow.

i basically need windows for anything important that i have to work on. if those programs were ported to linux then i could justify making the switch. but until then, its really nothing more than a new playtoy for now.

[Mishal]

iblastoff, you are a power user who needs advanced programs alternatives of which may not yet be available on Linux simply because the demand is not big enough to push developers to making them.

Also, if you started photo-editing using GIMP and used it for many years and then had to switch to Photoshop, you would probably find Photoshop to be awkward too. That's because the first experience with something always has an effect on later similar experiences.

Anyway, I hope this helps:
http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html

As for me, I am still using Linux and Windows as double-boot because I can't get BitComet to work on Linux. I must BitComet and not any other torrent client because that's the only one that really works properly with my internet connection.

So, the only reason I log on to Windows these days is BitComet. For everything else, Linux is no.1 :)

[Se[BBB]e]

How about Wine or CrossOver Office? Wouldnt they enable Photoshop, Dreamweaver etc to work? When I used Xandros I was very impressed by CrossOver Office. I only used it to run Microsoft Office XP but it all ran flawlessly and was dead simple to use.

[alexamike]

Well, I am a total Ubuntu newbie. I installed 6.0.6 last weekend, and I am about to dump it out of frustration. Obviously I need to learn a lot, but I've found the learning curve to be way too steep.
I am pretty good with Windows, and my dualboot install with XP went well. I was impressed that my no-name PCMCIA 802.11G card on my laptop was found and made operational. I then embarked on several "simple" tasks; change the default options on my touchpad, install access to my Windows printer over my network, and sync my Palm to Evolution.

The first (touchpad) I managed to do by researching on the web, even though the files were not where they were supposed to be. Guesswork and luck got me through, I guess.

THe second (printer) is unresolved. The "wizard" can actually see my printer (Canon i560), but on the next page no driver is listed in the database. Google gave me a package (rpm), so I downloaded, and installed using alien. After install, still could not find the driver. Spent hours on this ... I give up.

The third (Palm) is also a no-go. Will not connect. Daemon is running. Seems I'm not the only one.

The sum of my experience: In order to try to make things work, I have to do a lot of research, and the resulting answers are conflicting, incomprehensible to a non "Linux geek", or just plain wrong (file names, where they are .. etc).
The "wizards" I have tried do not work, and the help files have incorrect information.

So in order for Linux to be widespread, and by that I mean showing up on the average user's desktop, it must be MUCH easier to make things work. My neighbor, who is an "average" Windows user, would be able to bring up a new Windows system and connect to her hardware without any help. She would NOT EVEN BE CLOSE with Linux. Things like this are non-starters:
Don't use that ... use this ...
Edit the xyz file ....
Use the terminal command ...
Install using alien ...
Multiple distros, with multiple GUIs, all of which have to be treated differently

I actually like Linux, and I'm interested (or I wouldn't be here) but I'm a long way away from quitting Windows for actually getting work done. Like it or like it not, the task is to convert Windows users, not compare both from scratch.

I will come back from time to time, and check if there are any new or more viable (non-geek) solutions to my simple problems, but for now, it's back to Windows ....

[MikeJade]

For me, games are not the issue anymore. I realized, in my old age, that Playstation is much better solution for gaming... OK, certanly not if you're into online gaming, but for football, basketball, and some nice destruction, it is much better (no drivers, no graphic details degrading for your 'ancient' 2 months old machine, no disk defragmentation for better speed and stuff...).

Office apps are enough for home use, so that's sorted. Internet, torrent, chat - sorted. DVD, MP3, burning - sorted.

Right now, the only thing keeping me on WinXP is the music making, ASIO drivers with low latency, and a couple of programs: Tracktion, energyXT (and of course, a bunch of VSTs).

The other thing, user friendly interface for non-geeks, easy installation and setup, structured and reliable support.


In my opinion, Linux has been selfconsumed with hundreds of distributions, shells, dependencies, leaving a lot of confusion and fear for someone at the entry point.

UBUBTU 6.0.6 is a big step forward, but still not everything works from the box - audio setup for music creation is tricky, i spent 3 hours trying to make ALSA work with jackd, no luck. But, I am a beginner here. I won't give up easily, but still, no way I'm leaving WinXP and those two mentioned apps, until I'm sure they work flawlessly in Ubuntu (through Wine, jackd or however...).

[MikeJade]

For me, games are not the issue anymore. I realized, in my old age, that Playstation is much better solution for gaming... OK, certanly not if you're into online gaming, but for football, basketball, and some nice destruction, it is much better (no drivers, no graphic details degrading for your 'ancient' 2 months old machine, no disk defragmentation for better speed and stuff...).

Office apps are enough for home use, so that's sorted. Internet, torrent, chat - sorted. DVD, MP3, burning - sorted.

Right now, the only thing keeping me on WinXP is the music making, ASIO drivers with low latency, and a couple of programs: Traction, energyXT (and of course, a bunch of VSTs).

The other thing, user friendly interface for non-geeks, easy installation and setup, structured and reliable support.


In my opinion, Linux has been selfconsumed with hundreds of distributions, shells, dependencies, leaving a lot of confusion and fear for someone at the entry point.

UBUBTU 6.0.6 is a big step forward, but still not everything works from the box - audio setup for music creation is tricky, i spent 3 hours trying to make ALSA work with jack, no luck. But, I am a beginner here. I won't give up easily, but still, no way I'm leaving those two mentioned apps, until I'm sure they work flawlessly in Ubuntu.

[christhemonkey]

For help on setting up ubuntu for music making, try ubuntustudio.com

It has loads of specific instructions on how to setup your ubuntu box for realtime audio work.

[Ali Karam]

The _ONLY_ thing keeping me from formatting the whole 100GB and leaving it for my one and only NEW love Ubuntu, is that I can't get Ubuntu to connect to the net using my Nokia 6630 GPRS/EDGE settings. I posted a thread in the Networking section, but nobody seemed to care. 11 views and not 1 reply.

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=192749

I googled and found a HOWTO page. I followed the instructions to the T, but still I can't get it to work. I'm very new to linux, maybe 13 days experience.

[MarinaraOfDeath]

I just put someone on Dapper yesterday dual-booting. I even repartitioned so that she'd have space to move stuff around and play with both sides well. Seriously, who partitions 3GB for OpenSuse?! Anyways, my answer:

Personality
Most importantly, an appreciation for both the Cathedral AND the Bazaar. I have no tolerance left to spare on those who are vocal about their intolerance regarding people who have different needs or make different choices than they do. If you are going to be loud and indignant about me not doing things your way, I have no time for you (except recreational mockery -- there's always time for that). If you would like to converse pleasantly about the differences in how we approach things, that I like.

Software
FC4 was a horror supporting my laptop and pre-Dapper simply didn't work with my laptop, so I got a Windows copy of IDL. Now, Dapper rocks but I've not the time to get another. In a related issue, NTFS read/write support that doesn't die after a few files is simply mandatory. I read and write thousands of text files regularly to a shared partition. I'm going to see how it goes after backing up and reformatting that as FAT32.

DirectX -- IDL's "online" help file system is implemented in it. If something else comes up, I won't hesistate to use Windows for it.

Office -- Calc is ok enough for many basic operations but has no charting ability worth anything. Writer can't replace Word yet. Presenter works beautifully so far, with only the standard "What's that symbol?" behavior already present between versions of Powerpoint. Basically, until OO.o can handle Word and Excel files without butchering them AND can export well to those formats, no go.

Hardware
Flaky Dapper support for wireless and ethernet for the hardware in my laptop: "Magic 8ball, will I get to check my email today?" KNetworkManager really helped, but frankly, there are no distros that handle this correctly. I shouldn't have to shut down both wireless and ethernet before moving to another location to make sure that I can get online again. Friday it took 30 minutes before I decided to boot into XP. Most other hardware seems to work fine, though I have yet to check external monitor support. Intel 915 family is pretty much a de facto standard courtesy of the Centrino chipset, so if something video doesn't work on my system, it's the developer's fault.

The timesink of configuration issues
You who are about to intone about installing this or that or whatnot, don't. Plugging into the campus network and running a DVD's worth of installers really is that much faster in Windows, specifically because of the need to constantly search out an answer to many simple questions that unexpectedly arise. It was only after a day of googling and configuration that I knew to make CompUSA take a new laptop back since the Radeon X200m was so badly supported at the time. Getting Windows the way I want is 5-6 hours from inserting the XP disk to booting into Knoppix to prep for dual-boot. I can do the same for Dapper now, but only because I was able to leverage the administration skills I learned over the last decade and adding in a bunch of other things that I've learned playing with various distros. The total time I've sunk into the basics of linux is much much more than I've spent making XP my bi***.

The command line
For me, having started out in MSDOS, fine, whatev, if I'm not in a time cruch that day, but as soon as you add in the time to advise and/or administer computers for friends and family, this goes out the door for anything other than the lowest common denominator operating system. Most people do not enjoy this anymore than CLI addicts enjoy badly designed GUIs. I generally cut and paste from HOWTO to my current shell, but if any synonym of the word terminal comes into the process, the OS developers have from my perspective failed to achieve their goal. I love futzing with my system, I sink way too much time into it for fun, but I do not want to endlessly futz with 10-20 different hardware and software combinations in multiple cities -- for free.

[surfer63]

Hi,

In your topic Software you have the statement "In a related issue, NTFS read/write support that doesn't die after a few files is simply mandatory. I read and write thousands of text files regularly to a shared partition. I'm going to see how it goes after backing up and reformatting that as FAT32."

Why not do it the other way round.
I have a shared partition formatted as ext3 and I use the *free* kernel driver IFSDrive (http://www.fs-driver.org/index.html), which give Windows read/write acces to EXT2/EXT3 volumes./partitions. I'm now usiing it for over a year and I'm extremely satisfied with it.

Harry

[Boelcke]

Syirrus, you wrote:

I can't stand it when you install a program from a repository, it doesn't tell you were it installed it to!! That has to be one of the biggest reasons why I can't leave windows behind for good.
Well, that's an easy one.

1. Go to SYSTEM, ADMINISTRATION, SYNAPTIC PACKAGE MANAGER.
2. Go to the application you've installed (start typing the name, and it'll find to it).
3. Select it, and hit the Properties button. Or, right click, Properties.
4. Go to the installed files tab.

Not bad! I've enjoyed that much better than Windows installers/deinstallers that leave stuff behind.

[Hobitus]

I didn't switch completely, because i still use Windows XP, but not so often anymore.
My first Linux distribution was SuSE 9.3, then i tried Fedora Core. Suse has such "uncomfortable" way of managing packages and so i tried Debian. Debian was quite okay, but unfortunately a bit complicated for beginner.Yesterday have installed ubuntu 6.06, because i heard just good things about it.
I love Ubuntu and i think i will stay on it for a long time, because i'm happy Ubuntu user now :)

[atomicSpatule]

I switched to Ubuntu about a week ago(Along with the release of dapper drake) and the least I can say is that I'm pleased with the results I'm getting so far. You can find tutorials for whatever you want to do and you can ask for help on the forums, which are quite popular.

The only windows on my computer is a VMware box because I frequently use Photoshop CS2 and it seems that there is no way to make it run under wine. Yeah sure I could get photoshop 7, but it's just not the same as CS2.

For flash games and animations, I got a firefox 1.5.0.4, windows edition along with flash player 8.5 under wine and it fits my needs perfectly well.

I'm quite a fan of FPS games like Unreal tournament 2004 and Half-life 2. The UT2004 linux port works well, and I heard HL2 can run in wine. I'm also a die-hard xmoto player, and I like nexuiz too, greatest free FPS I ever seen.

As for eye candy, I found a tutorial for XGL and compiz, copied and pasted commands into my xterm and now I just can't get enough of wobbly windows and playing around with the cube :)

I'm not a linux guru, I've been using it for some years but this is the first time I completely switch, without dual-boot. I know about 10 commands, ranging from "ls" to "xkill", but I don't need to know more because of how easy it got to use linux efficiently.

I couldn't be happier to have switched to ubuntu dapper. The community is the most helpful I've ever seen and the OS suits all my needs very well. I would suggest anybody to switch to Dapper immediately. Great job, ubuntu team :)

[cracker]

Hi,

In your topic Software you have the statement "In a related issue, NTFS read/write support that doesn't die after a few files is simply mandatory. I read and write thousands of text files regularly to a shared partition. I'm going to see how it goes after backing up and reformatting that as FAT32."

Why not do it the other way round.
I have a shared partition formatted as ext3 and I use the *free* kernel driver IFSDrive (http://www.fs-driver.org/index.html), which give Windows read/write acces to EXT2/EXT3 volumes./partitions. I'm now usiing it for over a year and I'm extremely satisfied with it.

Harry

http://www.fs-driver.org/

I also use this, on my laptop, as the hard drive is slow and NTFS doesn't give the performance I need. It works extremely well, and I've yet to have a single problem with it, with over a year of use. Also, in the event of Windows taking a dump, as it often does, I can always recover my data through linux without worrying about NTFS support.

[Ummagumma]

What keeps me from quitting Windows.. ergh, rather what forced me to buy XP upgrade & stop using Ubuntu (no, I'm not happy with this)

1) No Pocket PC support. I tried everything, spent probably a whole work week worth tweaking & it still wouldn't sync. I have to sync at work so going Linux on PPC is not an option (and quite frankly I'm perfectly happy with Windows Mobile software).

2) My scanner won't work in Linux (Visioneer 7100). Since any decent new scanner would cost equal or more to XP Home upgrade this pretty much took away any Linux cost savings (although cost savings alone is a poor reason to switch)

3) No Shockwave support, that I know of. Try to explain to screaming kids why Barney all of a sudden stopped playing with them.

4) A shitty attitude on part of many Linux zealots - whenever I asked for some help roughly half of replies were "you made this up", "RTFM", "you're a wintroll", "it works on my machine you liar" & so on. Not the kind of attitude needed to help promote an OS.

[Mr. Wizard]

I want to quit Winblows. I really want to be working comfortably with some flavor of Linux soon enough that I never have to use Vista. I was excited when I got Ubuntu 5.10 and (finally) managed to get it to dual boot with WinXP Pro X64 Ed.

Why am I so annoyed as I write this? Simple: Ubuntu is proving to be useless. It boots, I can use Firefox normally, but I can't get started writing C/C++ and AMD64 assembly code. I can get to OpenOffice but have little interest in going there unless I am not hindered by an OS that seems to be constantly fighting me if it does anything at all.

What I can do is be informed that 69 updates are available. <yawn> So what? The information does me no good! Clicking on the on the red icon with the white arrows in it does absolutely nothing. Right-clicking on it shows the following menu:

Show updates
Install all updates
Package Manager
Update packaged list now
------------------------
Show notifications [checkmark on the left]
Preferences [wrench and screwdriver icon to the left]

The menu is pointless. I click on Show updates and get a little audio feedback in the form of some sort of single drumbeat. That's it. Nothing!
Ditto for Package Manager and Update. Show notifications toggles as one would expect, but I mean really, what's the point in knowing there are updates if you can't do a damn thing about them? Preferences is yet another do-nothing menu item.

I've had Ubuntu for a few months now. I don't know what prompted me to revisit it since it is as useless as ever.

What I *want* is a Linux OS that installs, does the things I expect an OS to do in an intuitive (or at least helpful) manner, and offers me menus, prompts, options, and choices in general that are useful, functional, and meaningful.

What Ubuntu reminds me of is the era of computing when one would sit down in front of a dumb terminal and have to know a lot of arcane commands to get anything done. There was little means for a new user to sit down and teach himself about the OS, non-trivial apps, software development on the platform in question, etc. There were no "Getting Started" documents to speak of -- one was expected to follow (often cryptic) instructions by wrote to do something as trivial as write a short plain text document and save it to a file.

Ubunto (and most flavors of Linux I've seen) will *never* replace mainstream OSes such as Winblows, MacOS or the more "friendly" commercial Unix variations, *until* someone with many years of computing experience on a wide variety of platforms can just install it (maybe alongside another OS) on his generic hardware platform of choice (read: Wintel compliant, these days) and be comfortable with it in a matter of hours.

Here's a clue in soundbite format: Make Ubuntu intuitive!

When I deal with Ubuntu, the main thing that ends up running through my mind is "How come this is more difficult than driving a car in Chicago during rush hour?" Switching from Windows (or MacOS, OpenVMS, Solaris, IRIX, or other modern OS with a GUI) to Ubuntu ought not just be almost trivial, at least as far as performing routine tasks common to almost all OSes, but the user ought to find himself thinking "I'm glad I switched to Ubuntu!", "This is easy!", "Ubuntu is better/faster/more powerful than <insert other OS>!"

Flame away! (My tan needs work...)

Mr. Wizard
fractalzone@gmail.com

P.S. I am ordering the discs for the Dapper Drake release. I must be a masochist...

[shaddo-x]

Have you looked into VMWare with Ubuntu? Is there any reason you don't want to run your Windows required programs through VMWare? I just reformatted my system now as I know the one or two things I can't do in Ubuntu will work fine in VMWare (primarily MS Money, Studio 8, and IE for clients as well as Flash since that doesn't work in 64 bit OSes yet).

[Mr. Wizard]

Have you looked into VMWare with Ubuntu? Is there any reason you don't want to run your Windows required programs through VMWare? I just reformatted my system now as I know the one or two things I can't do in Ubuntu will work fine in VMWare (primarily MS Money, Studio 8, and IE for clients as well as Flash since that doesn't work in 64 bit OSes yet).

I have read about VMWare quite a bit recently. The whole Virtual Machine concept is sort of lost on me... I've never been a fan of making software run slower than it should. I used to administer some VAXen that ran EUNICE, a (BSD?) Unix emulator. I was fairly new to Unix at the time and didn't realize at first why similar VAXen running Unix natively were so much faster. Now I know.

I guess I want to work in Linux, not just use Linux for show or something. I really don't like Windows, never have, prolly never will. There are efficient OSes, secure OSes, and well designed OSes...Windows is not one of them. Windows is what you get when you let business people with their fondness for committees and meetings try to solve a technical problem. Windows is to OSes as COBOL is to programming languages. Unix/Linux is more akin to C/C++ using that analogy-- I wonder why? <snicker>

So, I am not terribly attached to Windows and want to learn Linux well enough to develop low-level code to run under it. OpenOffice seems workable enough to me, based on past experience, although I have not tried it on my Ubuntu platform. Firefox is may favorite browser at the moment, so no problem there. I don't need Flash or other shiny Web trinkets; Acrobat Reader is sort of a must, though. I just don't get much done under Ubuntu except email and Web surfing -- it is turning out to be an exercise in frustration due to the crappy interface and scattered documentation.

Regards,
FractalZone@gmail.com

P.S. Can someone PLEASE tell me how to get this freakin' forum to stop insisting that I log in repeatedly? I can't write a message without having to log in again to post it!

[killernurd]

I'll note for the record that to date, I've found the documentation available for Ubuntu (and Linux in general) to be far superior to anything available for Windows (or any Microsoft product, really).

However, I do feel sometimes as though the documentation once existed but has been set fire to, as trying to find things is an exercise in patience, and Google-fu (define:Google-fu - the ability to find the right keywords. EG: His Google-fu is strong).

As far as Acrobat goes... Adobe has apparently pulled their collective head out from the dark, stinky tunnel it previously inhabited, and produced a version of Reader for Linux that supports Acrobat v7 - it's available in the repositories, labelled 'acroread' (there's a corrosponding Mozilla/Firefox plugin called 'mozilla-acroread'). However, all of those, while stable, are in the universe repository, so you'll have to enable those.

Low-level coding... I can't really comment there. I've been doing higher-level coding since I started, and haven't really delved down into darker levels :) However, if you haven't poked your head around there yet, you might want to investigate http://www.tldp.org; I've found that there's usually a document hiding in there that helps. Too, this forum seems to have an answer to everything... if your Google-fu is good enough (see my comments above on documentation). *sighs*

This distribution's done a fantastic job of getting a system together that installs smoothly and just [i]works[/] from the getgo, but nothing's perfect. More importantly, for those of us who want more than just a homework environment, it can be a rather aggravating experience trying to find all the packages we need. I've found that, lacking support, litterally go browsing around the repositories and read all the descriptions of packages, as you just might find something interesting.

As for the forum... check your cookie settings? You might have set Firefox to deny cookies or somesuch.

[jundalabee]

I said 100% Ubuntu, because I try my hardest to make it that way. For Example at work we are a Windows environment, but I RDP into a terminal server for all my apps that wont work under Wine etc.

In my experience my biggest issues are installing dapper on my home comp, it gets wierd errors which seem to be common to a lot of users. I still have no resolution either.

See this link http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=186115&page=3

I'll never go back to Windows now!!!!

[Kaiko36]

Nothing really. As soon as get my wireless working it's on. The other day I accidentally unplugged my keyboard while I was running windows. When I plugged in back it didn't work anymore :( Not only that NONE of my usb plugs worked!!! :(( I installed linux and it instantly recognized all my hardware (Something XP never did)

And not to mention all the friggin virus's that come out everyday to rob you of your life (time) Plus you can customize anything. (Hey there are enough clever hacks out there now it's about time we start adopting)
Oh and not to mention the wonderful perl networking scripts I've written (none work on windows but linux and unix run them fine)

Cheers,
Kaiko36

[Mr. Wizard]

Followup Status Report:

Most of the frustrations I've been having with 5.10 and now 6.06 have been due to the fact that my login name was not in the sudoers group and Ubuntu never so much as hinted that the reason it was unresponsive was a permissions issue.

I had been planning to just force it to let me log in as root (I know, I know, that is less than ideal, but I am a big boy and it is one of my own computers) and then happened to run across something that made me check to verify that my login was allowed to use sudo. It was not. I corrected the problem, did the 69 updates that were pending on 5.10 (several MB of patches) and promptly upgraded to 6.06 (about 0.5GB worth of changes). All is well and tonight I intend to get the thing to compile a Hello World program in C++, with an AMD64 assembly language routine that does the same thing using pointlessly low-level code, just because that is where I am heading.

I really can't wait to get rid of Windows entirely on my own systems, with a longer term goal of weaning my more savvy clients away from it, hopefully before I ever feel like I must cope with the buggy bloatware known as Vista.

Fun, fun!, now that progress is being made...

Regards,
FractalZone

P.S. Hmmm. Ubunto has names like Breezy Badger and Dapper Drake, maybe Microsoft could catch up in the clever OS release name department by selling the excuse for an OS they call Longhorn or Vista as Buggy Bloatware! I'd cheerfully assign any rights I have in such an accurately descriptive name for their new product for the token sum of $1.

[shinygerbil]

Bloaty Blowfish might be more fitting ;)

[gdlx]

NOTHING now! My last program was a java of all things. The company has it saving to c:\ and it took a while for me to find out that I can make a c: dir in Ubuntu.
I'm using Open Office and saving spreadsheets in .xls format to send to the customer. There are several programs that do a great job on website creation (gftp, Bluefish, Nvu, Arachnophilia, Screem). Gnucash has replaced Quicken ( wife still refuses to use it). As for browsing the web, I have used Firefox for several years anyway so, I'm home there. Learning Linux has been an excercise in patience but I'm finally comfortable enough and confident enough.
I'm not a game player so I don't miss anything there. Evolution is a good email reader and calendar and I use Evince to read pdf files. What else could I want?
When my Daper Drake CD gets here (slow internet as I'm 140km west of Houston and 20km from the nearest town) I'll wipe the disk and use the whole thing for Ubuntu.
On my AMD-64 laptop I find Ubuntu (GNOME) fast, clean and easy to use. I really like the multiple work spaces too.8)

Grady

[Talan6400]

I say 100% Ubuntu, but that's a little unfair since that is only on one system. I loaded it completely on one of my older systems to get a good feel for it, to make my later change over as painless as possible. Unfortunetly, there are a lot of programs I am deeply ingrained to on XP so I can not give it up completely. Plus most of my work stuff is XP, except for my Unix workstations.

I use Paintshop Pro and Dreamweaver on XP, and so far there is not an equal app on Linux. When that happens, I will move to 2 out of 4 systems on Ubuntu. If they ever write The Sims 2 game for Linux, I could 'easily' get my wife to switch, but since that probably won't happen, she'll never switch!

[Al3xanR0]

100 % GNU/Linux to include Ubuntu and many other flavors such as Mepis 3.4-3, Fedora Core, AND Etch. I do you use WInXP but only at work but that is because I have to.

[arthur]

1 Desktop (Dell Dimension, 2000): XP Pro, Centos 4 & Ubuntu 5.10.
Laptop 1 (HP Pavilion, 2004): 2000 Pro, XP Pro, Ubuntu 6.06.
Laptop 2 (IBM X40, 2004): XP Pro, Fedora 5, Ubuntu 6.06.

90-95 % of my time on both laptops is with Ubuntu.
What is keeping me from quitting Windblows?
My Novatel Merlin U630 UMTS Card. Almost 2 months searching everywhere, following instructions, installing software: NOTHING, NO CONNECTION (tried SUSE 10.1, Fedora 5, Ubuntu 6.06).

A pity :???:

[sturmdogg]

What's keeping me from quitting windows?

1. Photoshop. I'm making the effort to learn GIMP, but for now, Photoshop is still the one I use for work. :mrgreen:

2. Games. I've installed wine, but I have no idea how to use it. :(

3. ATI driver. I have an Asus A6R, and when I use the fglrx driver for some reason it screws up with the USB ports, thus rendering my external HDD (where I keep my data) and my usb mouse useless. ](*,)

[Goldpin]

Trying to configure internet access. I've finally got my winmodem to dial, but I can't seem to connect to my ISP. That's the major pain in the backside!

[mdoube]

EndNote is the single app that keeps a WinXP partition on this notebook. It's a reference/citation database that writes your citation list. Important for doing research as it keeps track of all your cites - I'm half-way through my PhD and already have 1200+ citations in the database. Not too keen to type all that out by hand at the back of my thesis....

OpenOffice 3 is planned to have something similar in it (see the project page (http://bibliographic.openoffice.org/)), so at that point I will probably completely quit Windoze.

Oh Yeah. Stable support for my Broadcom 4318 wireless chipset would be nice, too! She's a bit unpredictable at the mo'...

[andrew.george.hammond]

Only three things get me to boot Windows.

1) Games: counterstrike, oblivion, EVE and WoW.
2) MS Office (although usually I just use office on my Mac)
2.1) For documents that don't render correctly in OO or Abiword/Gnumeric, often due to wacko levels of revisions that haven't been purged.
2.2) For interactive graphing and analyzing of datasets too large to be comfortably handled in gnumeric or oocalc. Excel is by far the best spreadsheet package on the planet. For really big datasets I turn to PostgreSQL + plR.
3) Skype (again, the Mac port is usually sufficient), google chat, etc. Voice/video chat options under linux rarely interoperate with the more popular windows based options.

I run almost exclusively on Linux at work, but then I'm a Postgres DBA working for a hardcore unix company...

[nikkiana]

I'm 100% Ubuntu... Well, unless you count my mother's computer which runs Windows... and I don't, because it isn't mine.

Things that frusterate me about being 100% Ubuntu and make me miss Windows...

1. I miss Photoshop and I'm too dumb to make it work using emulation.

2. I can't watch stupid Flash movies on YouTube because of the sound glich and can't watch them on MySpace at all because they are Flash 9. (What? I'm a simple minded creature).

[wog]

I answered 100% Ubuntu, although it isn't quite true. My desktop machine is Ubuntu, whereas my laptop is XP.

Why don't I put Ubuntu on the laptop? Because it came with Windows, and frankly I'm just a bit nervous about Linux yet.

Plus there's the games. I'm not enough of a geek to get wine to work, and while I haven't figured out VMWare yet, now that it's free, I do view that as a possible option. I'm just not there yet.

Oh, and the Linux culture surrounding The GIMP tutorials does not seem terribly predisposed to the non-tech no-nothing tutorials which seem to surround Photoshop communities.

[jgmitchell]

I have been playing with Live CDs since last summer. 5.10 couldn't get my wireless card to work and refused to drag a network cable through the house. 6.06 everything "Just Works" so far.

Yesterday I finally created a VM and started really using it. Until we purchase another home computer, we will probably keep using Windows simply because it came with our laptop. However, I do reserve the right to start using Ubuntu exclusive once Microsoft begins to molester my computer even more.

[Krank]

...actually, I'm getting closer to a complete switch each day. There are still a few things that keep me in Windows, though...

* Photoshop CS2. Honestly, Gimp is very good - but it's just not as good. Plus, I have a ridiculously huge library of brushes and whatnot for Photoshop. And I really don't look forward to the learning curb, Gimpshop or not.

* Foobar2000. What is it with Linux programmers? Are the *only* choices to either be a console freak or be a flash-lover? Is there no middle ground, where software is *small and efficient*, while at the same time being *flexible* and *easy to use*? Why does the Linux community need so many iTunes-clones anyway? iTunes looks like crap and eats resources like a pig - and its media library just plain sucks. Until something as flexible, light-weight and powerful as Foobar2000 somes along, I'm a windows user.

* Games working out of the box. True, I don't do much gaming anymore, but it's nice when one doesn't need a Geforce4 just to play Starcraft...

* Software working out of the box. Seriously, there are lots of small progs for windows which just don't exist in Linux, or where there are similar progs that aren't nearly as good. I'm still looking for a Latex install as good, flexible and self-managing as MikTex, and a LaTeX-editor as good as TexNicCenter...


...and still, there is less keeping me in Windows today than there was a year ago.

[HanZo]

well... I use my windows machine for work, and that is Graphic Design, illustration and comics, while I could switch for the last two I cannot for the first, here is why:

no font management app... Suitcase sucks, but still it's better than nothing
Gimp is nice but lacks a lot of important features: CMYK, colour management, duotone, multichannel, proper type implementation and so on... and after 10 years of photoshop I had to start all over again... and that frightens me.
I must admit Scribus looks very promising... but I had not a lot of time to check it out more deeply. In fact from what I saw, it could be a good reason to switch (although I really like indesign!)
My printer won't work under any linux distro... it's a Canon PIXMA IX4000... and no driver around (not even turboprint).
my wacom intuos3 works well... but sometimes it changes the event numer and I hate to configure it again... pretty bugging...
Scanner works well... sometimes... others it won't... never understood why.


what to say... it really breaks my heart (I've been using ubuntu happyly for some years on my laptop for office stuff... until my laptp just would not turn on anymore) but I think I will soon get out of MS world and switch to OSX... wich to me seems to be a pretty good solution for what I do..

edit: I tried Crossover Office and Photoshop runs like a charm (version 7, which is ok... what's all that CS crap good for anyway? to sell some new licenses?) so one problem solved... but I found another one... colour managment... I always found adobe gamma to be quite useful especially since I don't have to money to get me one of those professional screen-matching devices...

[hatstand]

I voted 100% Ubuntu on the poll but have changed today. Very reluctantly.:sad:

2 things made me reinstall Windows, both to do with me living abroad.

1. TV Streaming. I want to watch my beloved Crystal Palace on tv streaming. I found many options for TV streamimng during the world cup, all on windows. What is there for linux? Peercast, which I could get music with but not TV.
2. Webcam chat on Skype. I know it's coming, but it's been coming for too long. Tried AMSN and it crashes and doesn't work. I am fed up with trying to tell my family 6000 miles away to try new software, when they hardly understand windows.

I am very upset about this. I wanted to remain 100% Ubuntu. Eso es la vida.

[Krank]

Hm. None of the poll options seem right for me. I have six comps (five if the palmtop doesn't count) - and therefore I might count myself as 33% linux (and rising), 17% win2k, 33% xp (50% total windows), and 20% EPOC (hey, it's the best palmtop ever - Psion 5mx!)... So, the question becomes a little more complex...

My laptop will continue to run xp, until I find decent drivers for everything and until I've successfully converted my homebrewn music manager for roleplaying to some crossplatform language.

My regular "work"- computer will also wait before getting Ubuntu (refusing dualboot) - until the issues I just posted have been fixed.

The last remaining win2k comp will probably get Ubuntu as soon as I feel comfortable with a LaTeX- installation in U.


I wouldn't get a Mac to save my life. If I did, I'd install Ubuntu on it. OSX might be the most horrible sh*te I ever saw.

[studdybear]

Must say it is the way programmes have to be loaded if you are not connected to the net. Much easier in Windows by just clicking the exe file or the install file.

[LookTJ]

i have gone 100% ubuntu, only computers that have xp is my sister and the family pc

i keep getting disconnected off msn giam :(

[BenWilson]

I started dabbling with Linux in '98, but had legion problems. I started using Unix at work in '00, but it was not until '02 that I was able to get Linux working at home. I played with Red Hat and Mandrake for a while, then in '03 went to Gentoo. I switched to Ubuntu last month and freely state that I "hate" Ubuntu because it does so many things right that I could never get working in Gentoo. Like other's have said, Linux is not perfect.

I voted "dual-boot," but the truth is that as of right now, I have a desktop in Ubuntu as well as a home development web server. My laptop dual boots into Windows because I am in law school, and the exam software only works with Windows. When I return to work, I'll have to keep at least one Windows machine on hand at any given time because of administrivial issues.

But, I overcame the wife issue this morning. I'm presently setting up her laptop for dual boot. She fought it for years, mostly because of the lost weekends I spent working on Gentoo. She watched me build the desktop and server on Sunday and Monday, and my incessant "it just works" comments over the past month won her over. I know that it does not "just work" on everything, but it's pretty close.

One thing that really piqued my interest in reading this thread are the solutions out there. For example, I did not know there was f4l for flash coding, or pixel as a Photoshop replacement. I also need to investigate CrossOffice. The straw that broke my wife's resistance to Linux was me reporting on my findings in this list.

Next, to persuade my 15 year-old to use Linux . . .

Ben

[Metroid48]

I use Windows exclusively for two things:
1. Games
2. DVD burning

Otherwise, I always use Linux :)

[LeChuckThePirate]

I'm kinda new to linux, I have tested some distros and it looks cool, but I keep stuck to Windows 99% for games, and the rest 1% for some hardware not being compatible yet with linux, say my Avermedia Hybrid TV card (works better in win), my Sony NWA-1000 walkman, my QTEK G100 PDA, and so on...

[w_r_cromwell]

Hi,

Other people keep me looking at Windows. My wife and daughters are ready to switch. They are trying it out with no serious problems yet. They have Xservers and ssh clients on their Windows boxes and run the Linux software on my server - now powered by Ubuntu 5.10. I have been on Linux alone since RH5.

When the boss said I have to run Windows I made the boss provide the Widows box AND the software...its only reasonable. The boss also provided a box for me to run Linux at work. I made them happy by looking at my corporate e-mail and groupware on the Windows box. Since I also supported Windows users having a Windows machine handy was... well... handy.

Dual booting is just a waste of Hard drive space to me. I did it with RH4 but it was just too inconvenient.

BTW... 100% Ubuntu is not really appropriate since I still use RedHat.

Bill

[PoiDog]

I've already switched to Ubuntu at home. I have windows XP for dual boot but I haven't used XP in months. However, I dont work at home and my work PC uses Windows. So if I had to do critical work at home, I might use XP more often only because I know it'll do what I need it to do: fast. Even with a PIII, 768MB ram, and NVIDA 128MB Video, Ubuntu is slow in the GUI. And I can't get a consistent sync on my Plam PDA with Evolution via USB, and you can forget about Bluetooth syncing. I got my bluetooth and PDA to sync in a day on XP, its been months and I cant do the same on Ubuntu. ](*,)

[RoamenCota]

its not the fact that theres anything wrong with dapper, its just with any new OS there are setbacks like the inability to use windows programs at there best performance.

Currently i am dually with xp lite and dapper but ever since i got my wifi (intel 2200bg) on my lappy (ibm X30) i've been tryin to use dapper unless i need windows. Currently im at a full week of dapper use with only one boot up to windows, specifically for a quick photoshop job.

I can honestly say the only reason i would EVER keep windows as a primary OS is specifically (and im sure all you gamers can agree...) for GAMING. If anyone agrees with me on this, i have an idea...: A website should be developed for any linux gurus to jointly program something along the lines of opengl/directx. I know XGL exists out there, but its still not UBER good yet...

Anyway, im done with my rant.

[daller]

This is probably the best place to post this!

I've created a wiki-page with application equivalents!

If you are trying to migrate to Linux, you've probably bumped into several setbacks, that makes it harder!

One of these could be the lack of some application equivalents.

Your favourite app does not run in Linux?
- Maybe someone else has discovered a similar app?
- Or a way to get your app running?

See:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareEquivalents (Not for games! :D)

And help me! (It's been up for about an hour!)

Help others, to migrate faster!

[U_GURU]

I installed Ubuntu on a freshly formatted hard drive thinking it would be a breeze as forums suggest. I have installed Win Xp and Win 98 etc before with no problems. But with Ubuntu there appears a serious problem trying to create a dial up connection. Been to numerous sites and downloaded various programms as forums suggest to try and run the modem without any luck. Instructions on installing these programms very poor. End result have Ubuntu installed but no access to internet. Then I still have to configure other programms to work. Not one click and install here as with windows. Trying to update things in Ubuntu it trys to access the net but without a connection in the first place nothing happens.[Its like putting the cart before the horse.] It even tells me that there is a problem with modems in Ubuntu. I realise its a Windows modem but expected some luck with these programms. So it looks like I have to revert back to windows again. And maybe later there might be a cure for this problem.?
Did think about dual booting hoping there maybe a cure in the near future but wondering is it worth it.?

[wog]

Linux in general does not seem to do well with winmodems. If you have a winmodem, the only thing I could suggest is use windows on the machine with the winmodem and share your internet connection through a network so your linux box can get at it.

Ubuntu seems to do very well with networks. I have a router connected to my broadband modem and I've never had a connection problem.

[Smoke77]

There is still one reason why i'm still dual booting with windows. The fact that Gimp is still not as powerful as Adobe Photoshop and that Photoshop (CS+ versions) does not run on linux...

Other than that I'd be using linux 100%...

[IcemanV9]

>>The fact that Gimp is still not as powerful as Adobe Photoshop and that Photoshop (CS+ versions) does not run on linux...<<

What?? Are you nuts? Last weekend (Aug 12th-13th), I used The Gimp + Picasa to create a beautiful birth annoucement photo. Those apps are FREE and powerful as opposed to Photoshop.

Anyhow, this box is dual-boot with WinXP & Ubuntu (Dapper). The reason for having WinXP is to use SightSpeed app for VR (Video Relay). Otherwise, my family use 100% Ubuntu for daily tasks.

[Casilda]

Gaming really. I dislike the idea of having to pay for a service/additional software in order to run my games on Linux properly when I can just boot into Windows and do it there.

Also, it's like pulling teeth to get my Wacom tablet to react properly in Ubuntu, no matter how much I fiddle with it all. I continue to do anything art related in Windows. The software I prefer is there (just can't find Linux programs I like as much, no matter how many I try).

Everything else is all done in Ubuntu, which is probably 70% of my computer use.

[Necro-File]

The only thing keeping me from switching to linux 100% is that I am a die hard gamer, and 99% of the games I play are not supported under linux, and the ones that do have support (like NWN) never work for me (natively, or with Cedega/Wine). If down the road someone, somewhere legally or illegally makes a linux distro that can run windows executables natively, then I will be a 100% linux person.

[samiam]

My printer does not work in Ubuntu. It is a multifunction Canon printer MF5550.

[otaviofcs]

nowadays I only have ubuntu at home. But my wife sometimes love it and sometimes wanna kill me. Most of the time the second part occurs when she's trying to view some fashion sites (and all that sh** use to work only to flash player >= eight). At home this is my only problem (that i found a little bit hard to deal with).

At work I have ubuntu + vmware_with_XP. The vmware is used because of some legacy vb applications that we have to support. I think the in the next year we could get rid of that.

regards

[kartebi]

One and only thing. Starcraft . You probably think right now :
:confused: wtf is he saying , starcraft is playable , wine cedega etc
I tell you one thing , if you play good starcraft , progamers style , pgtour wgtour and stuff , you already know that you need good mouse control and movement . Just like counter strike. What to play when mouse is REALLY choppy , also graphics not as fast , not smooth at all. I can't play sc like this nor do thousands of other players (including gazilion koreans ;) )

Have tried everything: vmware qemu wine cedega (kde gnome xfce just X etc...), all with 10123123 settings and tweaks to make it play better. I got it decent once with gentoo mouse a little less crap , but still crap. Strange thing though is that some other games play faster in linux than in windows.(Civilization IV is twice faster in my pc) Starcraft FOR GODS SAKE was made at 1998. You can play PERFECT starcraft in windows with NO DRIVERS AT ALL with modern pc's. I guess it REALLY HARD to play decent starcraft in Linux.

My mouse is a logitech mx518 (also tried locomo , xset and stuff. Mouse moved good , in game was CRAP)
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.20GHz (prescott)
1GB corsair (a lot of cash :P )
WDC WD360GD (its fast :P)
Nvidia GeForce 6800 512MB
I have more than enough power to play a 1998 game :-k

PS If what i say is not true then noone whould ever bother rewrite sc for linux right ?
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=62188
h$$p://squeedlyspooch.com/blog/archives/002040.html

Just to lift the weight of my chest :P thanks for reading

[MoebusNet]

Network printing.

I've had my Samsung 2152w for over a year now. I can print from my XP notebook wirelessly via Ethernet to the printer, but have been utterly unable to print from Ubuntu to the printer via wired Ethernet, let alone wirelessly. Samsung is of no assistance in Linux and linuxprinting.org hasn't been able to get me up and printing. If I had known it would be this much hassle to setup network printing in Linux, I would never have spent the money for a network printer. Under XP it "just works."

Yes, I can hear the gathering chorus of RTFM which I have. But I work for a living in a profession other than computing. I have spent several consecutive days on several different occasions attempting the different solutions offered on this and other forums. Still can't even print a test page.](*,)

It really shouldn't take a degree in Computer Science to set up a small home network with a network-connected printer.

Until a consistent simple solution to this situation is available in the Linux community, Windows will continue to keep bragging rights.

[NT4.0]

I have all my documents and other data on an extended ext3 partition which is mounted to /home, so I work only in Ubuntu. My Mom still works in Windows, so there is a dual-boot menu in GRUB. Also, I haven't solved just a few problems, like the floppy problem -- I cannot use floppies properly in Ubuntu, it curses at almost every floppy, or just hangs with the floppy disk drive screeching. :(( And I can't format any floppy either as DOS or Linux.

[Free-Pete]

i need for work to use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and MS office

[CovekNaFrezi]

i think i have completelly switched to Ubuntu. mainly because it took me long time to set it up how i want it. it would be a waste to just format C:/ all of it. Second, I don't exactlly know how to run dual boots. And no, I don't want to learn that part for different purposes.

[oldguy46]

The ability to use a mVox MV100 speaker phone on Skype. I boot XP once a week to update the OS and talk to my daughter. If I could get the mVox working I would erase XP.

(currently running Dapper Drake and love it!)
og46

[enopepsoo]

Can't afford to run Winblows, also really don't want to.8-)

Microsoft bastards.:KS

=D> :-\"

:-\" =D>

[IcemanV9]

Network printing.

I've had my Samsung 2152w for over a year now. I can print from my XP notebook wirelessly via Ethernet to the printer, but have been utterly unable to print from Ubuntu to the printer via wired Ethernet, let alone wirelessly. Samsung is of no assistance in Linux and linuxprinting.org hasn't been able to get me up and printing. If I had known it would be this much hassle to setup network printing in Linux, I would never have spent the money for a network printer. Under XP it "just works."



Since Samsung ML-2152W is supported in Ubuntu, please read this link (http://cups.org/articles.php?L230+I0+THow-To+P1+Qnetwork) to get you going. It helped me this late morning (Aug 22) with my printer, HP DeskJet-693C, to be connected via network. Hope it "just works" for you.

[5centcigar]

Quite simply: Photoshop

[prowler]

I find Ubuntu even easyer to use than \/\/!nd0ws. It's damn lazy and quick :-D Perfect work of the community.

[colonelk]

I've been wanting to try out Linux in earnest for ages now and the main thing that puts me off is the sheer number of distributions of Linux and the mechanisms there are for installing and keeping software up-to-date. Without a "synaptics" like package manager working out all the dependencies etc made me want to give up and go back to XP.

Ubuntu is a godsend in this respect for the Synaptics package manager which is the first one I've actually understood and taken to.

With XP you know that if the 3rd party software meets the requirements you double click the executable and the programme installs. Linux needs to be "as easy" to use as Windows XP is for it to really gather pace.

In addition, as a sys admin, on my Microsoft AD network, there needs to be much easier ways of integrating Linux desktops into AD and Microsoft environments. Ie accessing Windows Shares, Windows networked printers, Exchange Server etc etc. In my opinion, whilst all this is possible with Ubuntu its not foolproof enough or simple enough for me to seriously consider it a replacement to Windows in my enterprise. Add to that the sheer number of packages out their and picking a "standardised desktop" for my users is quite hard. Ironically, the flexibility and customisability of Linux is ultimately its biggest problem. There is no "standard" build that I can see that when you want to install third party software you know its just going to work. Its all, "does it have an rpm or a .deb, what dependencies does it need, do i need to compile anything, what conf files do I need to tweak". etc etc. These are things I don't need to worry about on a Windows network.

Also, my XP machines are very configurable using group policies. Is there any such mechanism for managing a large number of Linux machines? Without a centralised repository for rolling out software and settings I would need to visit every workstation and thats just not something I'm prepared to do !!

That said I like Ubuntu Dapper Drake alot. Its the first Linux distro I've tried that I've thought makes sense and is intuitive and usable. I would try it at home but the missus would freak out, so I'd have to do it as a dual boot. + I play games alot, so would need Windows for that at this time.

Overall: nearly, but not quite.

[neo_reloaded]

Reason why I still got Win XP on dual boot
1 - No full ipod support by any of the players. Whey I say "full" I mean it.

2 - No voice/video support for popular messengers like MSN or Yahoo messenger.

3 - Certain Java APIs fail on Linux.(JMF for example)

Otherwise I am on Linux 90% of the time.
:-|

[pvtjohndoe]

Why I can't leave Windows
I have not made the move to Ubuntu and I don't think I ever will. I'm a professional Web and software developer and most of my software runs only on Windows. Making the switch to Linux would mean changing the software that I use. This would cause a severe and unnecessary hit in my income and my productivity. Also, all of the software that I've invested in would become, more or less, a pile of coasters for my coffee table.

Software that's keeping me from leaving Windows
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- Flash
- Flex Builder 2
- IIS 6.0
...and countless others

I'm currently running a triple-boot system:
- Windows XP Professional (For design & development)
- Windows Vista (For compatibility testing)
- Ubuntu 6.06 (For screwing around with Compiz)

My development server is currently running Windows Server 2003.

As you can see, I'm pretty much "locked in" when it comes to Windows.

[Mace68]

Looks like VMWare Workstation would be an excellent solution for a lot of people to be able to make the complete switch... well, getting rid of the dual-boot anyway.

I've been aching to switch completely to Ubuntu for a while now but my main reasons for not completely making the switch has been being able to reliably sync my PocketPC to a decent PIM, and the DVD Xpress capture box I use to convert video tapes into MPEG2 and DivX format.

That has changed now thanks to eGroupWare. I installed it on my SME Server 7 linux box and I am now finally able to completely give Outlook the boot. I can now reliably sync my PocketPC using syncml using the Synthesis client from anywhere I can get on the internet. I can also access my PIM (eGroupWare) from any web browser anywhere. Also, as a very desireable side-effect, eGroupWare has rendered my exchange server completely useless. =D>

I will probably leave a very small install of Windows until I no longer have any use for my DVD Xpress capture box (used very rarely) or until they come up with Linux drivers for it. I may even use a different machine for it.

Hello Ubuntu!!! :D

[antw]

I installed Ubuntu on a 700mhz laptop and now dual booting on a 2.5gig PC. I had XP on the laptop and tried other linux versions but ubuntu ran the fastest.

The PC has XP and now dual booting. I have unbuntu running with XGL and it is awesome. Its fast with plenty of eye candy. Very impressive.

If its one thing that stops me moving its games. Nothing else. Office programs are taken care of by open office and all my hardware has been detected.

If developers are reading this then find a way to make all games work in linux for free (just like the OS) and you will have a winner.

[jreid08]

I'm actually running two PCs - one with windows and one with Ubuntu. What's keeping me from going 100 percent Linux? Office VPN (Citrix) and office devices. When someone invents an Intellisync for Linux (Blackberrys and other devices) then I and many other business folks will jump in 100%

[mcanthony1]

I am in the process of switching (completely, I hope) to Ubuntu from Windows. I was to afraid to make the leap all at once. I have Ubuntu set up to where I can do most everything I want to do on Ubuntu except for a couple programs. I know there are linux programs that are comparible but I haven't had a chance to check them out.

[eg-maverick]

Three biggest areas for me are:
1. integration with an existing network. I am still struggling with installing and operating the proper print drivers in home and office networks to allow color-correct printing.

2. Lack of professional grade personal information management (calendar, contacts, mail, etc) with seemless synchronization to handhelds and mobiles, e.g. Outlook, Plaxo, Activesync, bluetooth, windows mobile. With this combination, I can keep multiple computers, a PDA and a mobile phone 100% synced.

3. Lack of good personal financial management software.

Others have mentioned the lack of Itunes/MSN support and multimedia in general. These are a bummer but I can live with those limits. I can't with the first three.
Craig

[jimbren]

Did you know that Citrix has a linux client? You can find it here:
http://citrix.com/English/SS/downloads/details.asp?dID=2755&downloadID=3323&pID=186

[silver]

My holdup is that I can't find installable applications that work as well as :

Roxio Easy Media Creator 8
Roxio Video Wave 8
Norton Ghost 9
Microsoft Encarta
Microsoft Office 2003 Pro
Dreamweaver MX 2004
Flash MX 2004
Easy CD-DA Extractor
Forte Agent
Foobar 2000
MP3Tag
XnView

Heck I'd just as soon pay for the Linux equivalents but they simply don't exist as far as I can tell.

[eg-maverick]

Did you know that Citrix has a linux client? You can find it here:
http://citrix.com/English/SS/downloa...D=3323&pID=186

I'm not sure what problem this solves?

[Beliar]

I am "playing" with Linux since 2002 (I think) and I startet with Mandrake, came to gentoo and now I'm at Ubuntu.

Actually, I like the idea of Linux and I would love to stop using illegal software. But it's so frustrating, over 4 years and I weren't able to switch completly.

First I just wanted to play with it as Dual Boot system. My Old PC is over 5 years old, so no compatibility issues. But i was a noob anyways...

Later, I used Mandrake on my Notebook which started to make things really complicated.
No support for WLAN, poor sound quality, no easy way to exchange Data with my NTFS partitions etc etc...

Gentoo was very interessting and good to learn. But after I had as nearly usable system, whick also had working WLAN (also in my school with very strange ap authentication), everything ****** up because of an system update. I also switched Notebook while using gentoo and my new one has intel hd audio, i couldn't hear music with headphones.

So now on Ubuntu, my next try to have Linux for more then "messing around".
I'm using it on my laptop (had an test installation on my old pc) since a week or so. I really like it, its much more comfortable than any distro I ever used. WLAN worked (at home, school starts next week and i think it will be more difficult to get it work) very easily!
I have sound, because I installed the realtek alsa driver.

But still, somethings keep making me crazy:

1) Sound still sucks. I love to hear music, I do it 90% of my time on the PC. But the Sound quality of my laptop speakers is very bad. My headphones are wonderful under windows. But on Linux, the quality is really bad

I also haven't found a player which is as goog as winamp (VLC is nice, but has no "media library", but good for video. Rythmbox is rather ugly)
And other sound problems: I am listening now to Apocalyptica, but I have closed VLC 10 minutes ago - the sound just didnt stop. I mean WTF?

2) Programming: I'm programming some stuff (also in school) which I just cant. But you should think that programming java under Linux should be no problem. Pah!
I didnt wanted to use the old Eclipse in the repository, so I downloaded it from eclipse.org. But I just cant install the CDT package from the update function! I have put eclipse into /opt/, so I played around with the ownership and user rights so my user can write. But still no luck.
Event in my personal folder, I cant install it! ARGH!

3) gaim is ugly and doesnt support all ICQ stuff, and it makes anoying sounds x| I have to mute it every time it starts.

4) I heard a new Flash Player is in development. Thats great, because this version doesnt display all flash stuff correctly x|

And some more, but I cant think of em now, and I got to go ^^

Ehm, and yeah sorry for the big text. Got a bit frustrated when I thought about what keeps me from quitting windows and I realized I'm messing around with Linux for so long without getting a real conveniant system.
But it has improved sind 2002 really a lot. Someday (edgy, edgy+1 ?? :D ), it will be really great :D

greets,
Ben

[DanielTJ]

For me 2 things:
1-synchronising my nokia(calendar, notes...) with my mail program.

2-I really miss acrobate professional, i use it for writing reports.

[Aggienator]

I also haven't found a player which is as goog as winamp (VLC is nice, but has no "media library", but good for video. Rythmbox is rather ugly)
And other sound problems: I am listening now to Apocalyptica, but I have closed VLC 10 minutes ago - the sound just didnt stop. I mean WTF?

Ben

Amarok?

Cheers

[zek725]

Win98SE PIII 600Mhz, 384 SDRAM

Faster on my PIII 600MHz, 384Mb SDRAM
Faster boot
lesser system req
Wine is slower
Faster in launching programs
User friendly
etc


WinXP AMD64 / P4 box

games
video
anime
codecs
Matlab
Adobe
user friendly

[imnotrich]

LTS is the Bomb!

Still, there are several issues that keep me from quitting windows:

1. Ubuntu hardware support, while excellent, is still lacking. I don't care so much that Ubuntu doesn't see the opl-sa2 integrated sound card on my al440lx (p2 300Mhz, 320M, 30g and 10g drives) board, since that machine is a quad boot win98/suse/ubuntu/puppy fun factory. It's just irritating. Odd that win98,suse and puppy work just fine with the sound, so I know the card still works.

2. Ubuntu wireless support. I've tried everything on two different machines. Although network manager can see my wireless network, it can't connect in any mode (open or wep) and does not support wpa out of the box. WPA is not new technology, it's been around a while. Supposedly it's been done, but I tried to follow the instructions elsewhere on this site and, botched it-ended up having to reinstall Ubuntu. I'm using a very common zydas-1211 based usb dongle. I've given up! Purchased 100' of cat6 and will be climbing under the house soon. And I HATE spiders, to give you an idea where my frustration level is.

3. DOS and Windows emulation do not work out of the box. I run lots of chess related software including databases and tournament organization / pairings programs and there is no Ubuntu equivalent.

4. Games - Ubuntu has an excellent assortment - the best of any distro I've tried. But (see #3) good luck getting DOS or Windows games running. My wife and 4 kids have some favorites they wont abandon.

5. Installs - trying to adapt linux software that was not specifically written for this version is a lost cause.

6. I build and repair PC's on the side. As such I need to stay current on Microsoft stuff, since the bulk of my business happens to be...you guessed it.

In addition to the aforementioned machine, I am also running an e-machines t-3624 in dual boot (xp 60g drive and ubuntu 80g drive). I can't compare them directly until that patch cable comes and I am actually on the web but just anecdotally Ubuntu screams. Much faster than XP.

All in all I'm hooked, still working the sales pitch on my family...I just wish future versions will address hardware support. Plug and play is crucial for all but the most serious geeks.

[imnotrich]

LTS is the Bomb!

Still, there are several issues that keep me from quitting windows:

1. Ubuntu hardware support, while excellent, is still lacking. I don't care so much that Ubuntu doesn't see the opl-sa2 integrated sound card on my al440lx (p2 300Mhz, 320M, 30g and 10g drives) board, since that machine is a quad boot win98/suse/ubuntu/puppy fun factory. It's just irritating. Odd that win98,suse and puppy work just fine with the sound, so I know the card still works.

2. Ubuntu wireless support. I've tried everything on two different machines. Although network manager can see my wireless network, it can't connect in any mode (open or wep) and does not support wpa out of the box. WPA is not new technology, it's been around a while. Supposedly it's been done, but I tried to follow the instructions elsewhere on this site and, botched it-ended up having to reinstall Ubuntu. I'm using a very common zydas-1211 based usb dongle. I've given up! Purchased 100' of cat6 and will be climbing under the house soon. And I HATE spiders, to give you an idea where my frustration level is.

3. DOS and Windows emulation do not work out of the box. I run lots of chess related software including databases and tournament organization / pairings programs and there is no Ubuntu equivalent.

4. Games - Ubuntu has an excellent assortment - the best of any distro I've tried. But (see #3) good luck getting DOS or Windows games running. My wife and 4 kids have some favorites they wont abandon.

5. Installs - trying to adapt linux software that was not specifically written for this version is a lost cause.

6. I build and repair PC's on the side. As such I need to stay current on Microsoft stuff, since the bulk of my business happens to be...you guessed it.

In addition to the aforementioned machine, I am also running an e-machines t-3624 in dual boot (xp 60g drive and ubuntu 80g drive). I can't compare them directly until that patch cable comes and I am actually on the web but just anecdotally Ubuntu screams. Much faster than XP.

All in all I'm hooked, still working the sales pitch on my family...I just wish future versions will address hardware support. Plug and play is crucial for all but the most serious geeks.

[gosh]

2. Lack of professional grade personal information management (calendar, contacts, mail, etc) with seemless synchronization to handhelds and mobiles, e.g. Outlook, Plaxo, Activesync, bluetooth, windows mobile. With this combination, I can keep multiple computers, a PDA and a mobile phone 100% synced.


Actually, Plaxo works with Thunderbird.
Check this link: http://www.plaxo.com/downloads/tbird

[Metacarpal]

...I just wish future versions will address hardware support. Plug and play is crucial for all but the most serious geeks.

Well, it's getting better all the time. Though as a fellow sideline computer-repair guy, you should know the nightmare that is doing a Windows installation when you don't have all your driver disks on hand...

[eg-maverick]

Actually, Plaxo works with Thunderbird.
Check this link: http://www.plaxo.com/downloads/tbird

This is a good solution for syncing multiple computers (I use plaxo). But it doesn't solve the smartphone problem or the calendar problem. I have a Motorola MPX220 with Windows CE that I sync to Outlook via bluetooth/Activesync. I'd buy a new smartphone if I could find one that would sync with a Linux PIM over bluetooth(Evolution seems to have contacts and calendar - but no sync).

[girard]

i just recently learned about linux. my first encounter with it was with openoffice. after reading related topics on opensource community, i came across linux and downloaded ubuntu and opensuse. i prefer ubuntu so i now have it exclusively on my desktop. my laptop still has xp ( i bought so i might as well still use it), but i'm planning of upgrading my system and have liinux installed. right now, i'm still thinking about whether to have a dual boot of windows and linux primarily because my contacts, peers, students, etc... are mostly if not all running on windows. so it seems a little "disconnected" to use linux. i was trying to convince my sister to have it on her desktop (ubuntu) but she also gave the same reason. another fact is that pc to pc calls with yahoo contacts isn't yet available. i'd have to use different packages (programs) to be able to view a webcam and make a pc to pc call. also is the fact that i've used windows eversince so i cannot just scrap it until i am comfortable using linux... so as not to hamper my productivity. but i am really loving my experience and am predicting my future computing endeavors to be under linux and other opensource stuff.

[isecore]

What's keeping me from quitting Windows? In essence: nothing at all.

Sure, I sometimes miss playing games, but overall since I more or less "switched" to Ubuntu back in January the freedom weighs up for it. No more of the stupid Windows-things that you have to put up with (bugs, crashes and such).

Most applications that I use are available under Linux as well, and I've managed to find replacements for those that are Windows-only. Admittedly some are rather rough around the edges, but I accept it since I don't have to rely on Microsoft or some company to fix it. I can find help in the community or through Google with whatever issues I encounter.

Also this is a stand I'm willing to take. A lot of people say "yeah I wanna switch to Linux but [this or that application or game] won't run on it, so I'm staying in Windows". Well, have you ever thought that through this reasoning there will never be a Linux-port of your favorite game or application? It's rough having to leave things behind, but being sheepish and not taking a stand just means that game- and application-developers can go on ignoring Linux. The more people who are willing to make some kind of sacrifice, the more we show commercial software-devs that Linux is something to reccon with.

[frychiko]

100% linux would just be impossible for me mostly for these reasons:

-My wireless media player only recognises windows filesystem/network.
-GBA/NDS rom writer windows only software.
- I need to do art (photoshop, painter), I use gimp for simple stuff only.
- Need to test software in Windows
- I plan to play half life 2, or some other new game in the future

I'd be crazy not to have windows, just as I'd be crazy not to have linux...

[enlightened]

i have been using linux on and off since redhat 5.
I don't dual boot, I use VirtualBox to run windows.
Things keeping me from 100% linux are
- AutoCAD
- PocketPC sync

[50words]

I love Ubuntu, and I keep teetering closer to the edge, but there are a few reasons why I haven't jumped yet, and keep booting up in Windows.

I am an attorney, and I have a 99% paperless office setup. Ubuntu doesn't have very good document scanning support. By this I mean one-touch scan to PDF without all this preview garbage. I need to hit the "scan" button on my ScanSnap and get a save dialog, OCR, and then done.

I haven't tried yet, but I understand there isn't Blackberry support yet, unless you are on an Enterprise Server. I'm not.

Outlook just does more than Evolution. Most importantly, it allows you to link appointments, tasks, and e-mails to contacts. Without that, I start losing track of the to-dos and important events in my cases.

I share documents a lot, and while OOo is very good, I'm still a little nervous about its compatibility with Office.

It is also too difficult to use dual monitors. Since I am paperless, one monitor doesn't cut it.

Wi-fi is sketchy at best. Half the coffee shops I visit I can't access wi-fi from Ubuntu.

And a mild annoyance, my ThinkPad has no Windows key, and so I can't figure out how to map the right Alt key as the "super" key in Ubuntu. It also has no button to shut off the wireless and Bluetooth antennae, so they stay on all the time in Ubuntu. Not good for my battery life.

I think I may be able to go 99% Ubuntu one of these days, but at the moment, it just isn't a very good solution for me. I think it will be another three releases before it becomes a really viable option for me.

Edit: Also, no good video editing software. I don't need fancy, just easy video capture and file creation so that I can get digital copies of videotaped depositions. And I would rather do this going straight from camera to disk, rather than doing tapes and then converting them to digital.

[vsandz]

I'm relatively new to Ubuntu and currently am having to dual boot Edgy & XP. Mainly bcos
1. Skype Video Calling -- All my friends are on it
2. AutoCAD 2006 -- I'm an engineer
3. Somehow cant get wine to run any of my games!! :confused:

If ne1 can help me with these I would gladly LOoOvE to quit using micro$$$oft.
Cheerio!

[guinra]

I've got several things that keep me from leaving Windows altogether, including:

1) Games, most particularly WoW :) Yes I know most run on Linux, but its more hassle, and when I want to game I don't want hassle

2) IE. I use Firefox most of the time, but sometimes you gotta have IE around to do something. This isn't any fault of Linux, Firefox, or anything else. This is getting better though as people are moving to Flash video, AJAX, etc.

3) Photoshop. I need it, and GIMP still isn't there yet. I don't know if its the UI I'm used to, or it really is missing features (I might just not know how to get to them), but I gotta have my Photoshop :)

[50words]

guinra, you might want to try GIMPshop, which rearranges dialogs, menus, etc., in GIMP to match Photoshop.

[cracker]

Well, I'm almost completely Ubuntu now. I run a lot of dual boots, but Ubuntu is by far my primary OS. The only major things I need from windows is gaming support and wireless support. Everything else, and I mean everything, is totally covered in Ubuntu. Feisty broke wireless support for most of my cards, and using Cedega is a gamble at best, though I can say I can happily play Counter-Strike Source without having to reboot :). The ATi drivers in the extra repositories on Ubuntu Guide now support my laptop's video with no tinkering, so that's one major issue resolved. I've got one desktop and one laptop that are solely Ubuntu, two desktops that dual boot Ubuntu and XP, a laptop that triple boots Vista 64, XP 64, and Ubuntu, a Windows 2003 server, and a FreeBSD server. And let me tell you, Vista doesn't hold a candle to Ubuntu. I only have it because I'm an MCP, and I'm on my way to being an MCSA...I need to learn how to use it so I can fix other people's problems ;).

[daller]

I'm relatively new to Ubuntu and currently am having to dual boot Edgy & XP. Mainly bcos
1. Skype Video Calling -- All my friends are on it
2. AutoCAD 2006 -- I'm an engineer
3. Somehow cant get wine to run any of my games!! :confused:

If ne1 can help me with these I would gladly LOoOvE to quit using micro$$$oft.
Cheerio!

You should try qCad to match your AutoCAD use! http://qcad.org

[wog]

I have a desktop machine which is Linux, and then I have a laptop which came with XP installed. The main thing that keeps me from 100% Linux is unfamiliarity, and the fact that Linux has gone down on me three times in major ways during system upgrades. Windows doesn't do that, so I keep my email and so forth on the laptop.

Eventually I'll keep all my email and such on a thumb drive, but I don't really know how to do that yet. Especially not in Linux.

I inch slowly but surely toward 100% Linux, just as Linux inches slowly but surely toward being more familiar, plus Wine becomes better capable of dealing with Windows Games, and more games become available in Linux native.

[ubergeeknz]

On the whole, I find Feisty to be really usable. A good 90% of what I do, day to day, can be achieved without calling up my WinXP VM.

But there are some things that are show stoppers:

1. Visio - I need VISIO or a *real* equivalent. None such exists on Linux (to the best of my knowledge) and getting it to run in WINE is.. well apparently you can run VISIO 2000, that is just not up to scratch. Does anyone know if crossover office does it?? if so maybe I should try that.

2. VPN support - although most of our client's VPNs (MS PPTP) work fine, one doesn't. So I need to fire up windows to connect. Don't know what the problem is quite.

3. IE - yes, some websites that I have to use, only work on IE/Win. It sucks, but that's life.

These may not be fixable, and that's the way it goes. I guess they are not problems for most people :) But there are also some annoyances, that would really go a long way if they were fixed:

1. Multiple VPN support - Why the heck does nm-applet not let me have more than one VPN at a time? That is ridiculous.

2. DNS forwarding by domain - particularly for VPNs, it would be nice if you could use the remote DNS only for particular namespaces, and all other DNS treated by the system defaults, but it's all or nothing.

3. Attitude - It seems that, although Ubuntu has made massive steps towards a user-focus, there is still some resistance to fix things when they are seen as 'easy to work around'. 'easy to work around' is another word for 'I can't really be bothered fixing this, so everyone who wants to use it will have to hunt on the internet and fix it for themselves, even though it would be easy enough to actually fix'. That is not going to win the hearts of the non-technical - what seem like 'minor' issues can be enough to put someone off for good.

That's my 2c. I'd love to stick to Ubuntu, but in sooth, the gains are fewer than the losses, and I am considering going back to Windows XP (Better the devil you know? or is that FreeBSD...)

[soxs]

Well,.. Windows.. I left it on my primary HD, but.. I do not really use it anymore... just as a backup for my private data, no actual usageanymore.

So, I went 99.99% to Ubuntu.

[AHumanUser]

Well,.. Windows ... no actual usageanymore.

I'm on my way to this: just synchronizing (and converting pdfs to) my Palm left me to keep my Windows - almost any other reasons have been wiped totally out by Ubuntu.

Last time I was using Windows the Virus Protector adviced to update the completely outdated virus data list and my intention was ... to smirk about that and to switch instantly back to Ubuntu GNU/Linux.

Best wishes,
A Human User

[isecore]

Some suggestions from me:

1. Don't really have solution for this one. Sorry.

2. You really mention the solution there. Your company uses MS PPTP? That's the problem. A microsoft-only solution will remain a microsoft-only solution for as long as Microsoft deems it necessary. With the current attitude from MS this will remain the standard for the day. The solution here is to seek open solutions rather than vendor-supplied proprietary "solutions". Start bitching about it, make a mess, instead of silently accepting it.

3. Two solutions here: use IE4Linux (essentially IE6 under Wine, but very smooth). It's not exactly great since it opens up all the security issues that come with IE6, but it will surf sites that are stupid enough to design for IE. Which brings me to solution number two: unless the site is critical to your existence, boycott it or send an email to the maintainer explaining why webstandards are important and why designing for one browser is counterproductive. That's what I do - if I can't live without it I politely mail the maintainer/company/whoever and inform them that they really should change their ways. If it's not critical to my life and the maintainer doesn't listen I stop visiting it - I shouldn't be the one bending to their will, and if they don't want me as a visitor/customer based simply on the laziness/incompetence of their webdesigner then so be it.

Other than that I agree that there's room for improvement, especially with regards to newbies and non-technical users. I'm fine with Ubuntu, but I've been using Linux since 1994 so I'm not exactly green. But there's always room for improvement of the new-user-experience.

On the whole, I find Feisty to be really usable. A good 90% of what I do, day to day, can be achieved without calling up my WinXP VM.

But there are some things that are show stoppers:

1. Visio - I need VISIO or a *real* equivalent. None such exists on Linux (to the best of my knowledge) and getting it to run in WINE is.. well apparently you can run VISIO 2000, that is just not up to scratch. Does anyone know if crossover office does it?? if so maybe I should try that.

2. VPN support - although most of our client's VPNs (MS PPTP) work fine, one doesn't. So I need to fire up windows to connect. Don't know what the problem is quite.

3. IE - yes, some websites that I have to use, only work on IE/Win. It sucks, but that's life.

These may not be fixable, and that's the way it goes. I guess they are not problems for most people :) But there are also some annoyances, that would really go a long way if they were fixed:

1. Multiple VPN support - Why the heck does nm-applet not let me have more than one VPN at a time? That is ridiculous.

2. DNS forwarding by domain - particularly for VPNs, it would be nice if you could use the remote DNS only for particular namespaces, and all other DNS treated by the system defaults, but it's all or nothing.

3. Attitude - It seems that, although Ubuntu has made massive steps towards a user-focus, there is still some resistance to fix things when they are seen as 'easy to work around'. 'easy to work around' is another word for 'I can't really be bothered fixing this, so everyone who wants to use it will have to hunt on the internet and fix it for themselves, even though it would be easy enough to actually fix'. That is not going to win the hearts of the non-technical - what seem like 'minor' issues can be enough to put someone off for good.

That's my 2c. I'd love to stick to Ubuntu, but in sooth, the gains are fewer than the losses, and I am considering going back to Windows XP (Better the devil you know? or is that FreeBSD...)

[rockin_goliath]

Really, three things

1. An easy way to set up an Audio Workstation. I use Adobe Audition in Windows, which I absolutely love, but until we clean up the catastrophy that is Linux audio, I don't think we'll see a program as reliable and powerful as Adobe Audition. I love how I can just install Audition and get to work, which is not the case with something like Ardour.

2. A zeroconf virtual private network program. I used hamachi in windows, but can never figure out how to get it working in Linux. Is there an open source version of such a program out there?

3. Webcam support in Skype. Apparently, this is coming in version 1.5 of Skype, so we'll see.

[Loquax]

99.9% Ubuntu. XP only occasionally. I can go months before booting xp! :)

[strabes]

I have CS 1.6 running in wine but my refresh rate is 30-40 (unbearable) and there's a small delay between when actions happen on screen and when the sounds play. Because of this I dual boot. I'm looking to delete my windows partition asap though. Wine gets better every release so I'm just waiting for 100% compatibility with Steam/CS 1.6.

[chimp_rex]

Hello geeks! :)

I use 100% Ubuntu Linux 7.04 at home. I don't play much PC Games now eversince I got married. My new baby boy has been keeping me company these days. But in my office in school, I dual boot edubuntu (as i am currently writing a book for school use) and Windows XP for some other applications. This is my piso for all. :guitar:

[stchman]

I have 3 computers (1 laptop, 2 desktops)

I am 100% Ubuntu on the laptop and about 98% on the desktops. There is very little reason for me to boot up Windows. Games is one of the reasons.

[Mark Phelps]

Been using Ubuntu for a couple of months now and have been really impressed by just how many things that I did in various flavors of Windows I can now do in Ubuntu -- but there's still some things I can't do, and those keep me locked to Windows at least some of the time.

Reasons why I'm still using Windows:

1. Lack of Linux support for Office 2007. Use this at work, need it at home. Doesn't work in Wine - period (more on Wine later). Open Office is really good, but functions I've grown used to in MS office are simply not there. No point in opening and editing an MS Office document if I can't then import the results into MS Office at work. Use Word, OneNote, and Visio on a daily basis. I haven't tried Crossover Office, but when I last checked, they only supported up through Office 2003.

2. Wine doesn't work. Haven't been able to get ANYTHING to work in Wine -- period. Have tried a dozen different apps, ranging from simple utilities (e.g., video joiner), to very complex applications (e.g., Paint Shop Pro XI). Most of the time, the app simply won't install. When it does install, it won't run.

3. Some basic functions I use just won't work in Linux: Printing directly to CDs doesn't work. Wireless doesn't work. Hardware video acceleration on my ATI card kind-of works. Sound card (CMI8788) doesn't work with ALSA; can use OSS but then don't get some sound features -- and then, some multimedia players don't work. PS/2 mouse (on an older system) simply doesn't work. Firefox crashes on some YouTube videos. SMPlayer crashes more often than not playing any video. Have spent many hours hacking away at all of these problems (have pile of printed forums threads over a foot hight) but still can't get any of these to work. All of this "just works" in Windows.

4. Ubuntu crashes and seizes -- much more often that I had expected: I've had to go back to Gnome from KDE because running in KDE caused my system to sieze several time a night. None of the function-key combinations would restore functionality. Had to use the power button to reset the PC -- every time! Went through all the boot parm combos, nothing fixed it. Ubuntu stopped booting a few days ago -- would hang on an fsck. Had to boot into Windows and run a chkdsk on a shared FAT32 volume to fix it. Asked for help on Ubuntu forms on how to check the filesystems, especially the shared fat32 volume; days went by, no response.

5. Installation conflicts when trying to use current versions: Have added bunches of packages to get needed functionality (OSS-LINUX, NTFS-3G, SMPLAYER, etc). Each installs OK from the distro but such version are typically not the current ones. Nearly every package I've downloaded from source ends up getting some kind on unresolveable dependency that prevents it from creating an executable. Mostly have to do with conflicts between lib6c and tzdata. In Windows, can upgrade apps without having to resort to source (because there isn't any!), but nonetheless, can take advantage of the latest versions and bug fixes. In Ubuntu, I'm always a few versions behind.

But still, in the balance, I'm really impressed with all the stuff that I CAN do in Ubuntu, plus, it's great to be able to hack around at making changes without worrying about "deactivating" a $400 piece of software -- which I then have to call India on the phone to convince some outsourced support tech that my copy is "genuine" so they will give me a new activation code -- so I can run the software I already paid for!! That offsets a lot of the frustrations in Linux.