How many of you completely switched to Linux?

[deadflowr]

I am totally switched. I hated the viruses and Antivirus programs that slow you down. I liked the Gnome desktop and want to go back to it. I have 12.04 now. I have done all I have read and still see no choice at startup near my name in the right top corner.

If you mean, you can't switch DE's, from the default to another(Unity to Gnome or something else)Log out and in the login dialog box, next to your name will be a little cog, or Ubuntu logo, click it, and choose a different DE.(If you've installed one), then log in.

[zgornel]

I'll never commit to a single OS. Counterproductive.

[kevinorourke2008]

four years ago I totally switched and haven't regretted it. I've just upgraded to 12.04 yesterday I love it. kev

[necromonger]

me love linux me hate windows.

[Baltazar Blake]

I want to erase Windows but unfortunately, I'm still a gamer at heart.

Trust me Gnu/Linux systems OS are better than windows ,infact at first i tried a few times Ubuntu ,and then i switched completely to Ubuntu ,it work's great ,and my pc now is two times faster since i use Ubuntu ,what can i say .... it's Great

[drpjkurian]

I've completely switched over to ubuntu. My clinic laptop as well as my all in one desktop run on ubuntu. I prefer gnome in all my machines for its stability. And I use to upfrade only to LTS

[mamamia88]

Trust me Gnu/Linux systems OS are better than windows ,infact at first i tried a few times Ubuntu ,and then i switched completely to Ubuntu ,it work's great ,and my pc now is two times faster since i use Ubuntu ,what can i say .... it's Great

you are using unity right? if you were using xfce i wouldn't question it but unity feels like windows vista to me in terms of speed.

[SantaFe]

Ditched Win 7 on my Dell Studio 1745, just Xubuntu 12.04 with Xfce & LXDE DE's. Funny thing is, haven't found one windows game yet that I have that hasn't worked in WINE.

[peyre]

Ditched Win 7 on my Dell Studio 1745, just Xubuntu 12.04 with Xfce & LXDE DE's. Funny thing is, haven't found one windows game yet that I have that hasn't worked in WINE.

Go Xubuntu! I think it's the best of Canonical's offerings.

I actually have found a couple games that didn't work in Wine: Civ V for instance, and lately Lord of the Rings Online (even with PyLOTRO) has stopped working mysteriously. But yes, a high proportion of Windows software actually does run in Wine.

[Welly Wu]

I got Codeweavers' CrossOver for Linux 11.2.1 64 bit for Ubuntu 12.04.1 64 bit Long Term Service and I got Valve Corporation's Steam for Windows and Sid Meier's Civilization V with some DLCs to install and run properly. You should check out codeweavers at http://www.codeweavers.com.

The hardest thing that comes with switching to Linux is the changing of the mindset especially if you have grown up using Microsoft or Apple products and services. At first glance, GNU/Linux and especially Ubuntu don't seem to offer more features and it seems that it supports less hardware and electronics. However, I have found that I can still use Microsoft Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 including Office 2010 32 bit Professional Plus Service Pack 1 in a VM Ware Workstation 9.0.0 64 bit guest virtual machine just fine on my System76 Lemur Ultra Thin (lemu4) notebook PC.

Ubuntu offers a better way to using your PC. It's one of the safest and one of the more secure GNU/Linux distributions that has over 20 million users worldwide. It's used by governments, military, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, supercomputers, scientists, researchers, authors, poets, and casual PC users alike. There are a huge number of software packages and PPAs available so that you can find a high quality alternative to a closed source and proprietary software application in Windows or OS X.

The learning curve is quite steep especially if you have never used the terminal previously. Using the Ubuntu Unity desktop environment is easy enough and most people stick with that for the most part, but the terminal is essential for scripting and fine tuning Ubuntu or any GNU/Linux distribution. I found it quite easy to use K Desktop Environment as an alternative and it is so focused on desktop PC users that I don't have to deal with hot corners or side bar menus like in Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64 bit.

I chose Ubuntu because it is user friendly and it is easy to learn how to use. I don't like to build my GNU/Linux from scratch as I find I have better things to do with my time and I make too many mistakes as it is already. The best thing about Ubuntu and GNU/Linux is the freedom to do whatever you like to do without many restrictions or limitations. This alone was worth the cost of the learning curve and I can say that I am more comfortable using Ubuntu or GNU/Linux than Windows or OS X.

Ubuntu is particularly easy to harden and secure. The security features are the best thing about Ubuntu and GNU/Linux in general and it only takes a few hours to harden Ubuntu. A fully hardened Ubuntu is exceedingly difficult to crack, but it is not impossible. I find that it is best to secure your PC as much as possible and then you can focus on other tasks at hand. If you own a notebook PC, this is essential as you might travel with it on the go and it is nice to know that a hardened Ubuntu will survive almost any hostile environment barring physical security concerns like theft or loss.

Yet, I don't recommend that others try Ubuntu unless they are my friend and I am willing to provide them with free technical support and help. I am an Ubuntu certified technician. I have installed Ubuntu on friend's PCs only to find that they rarely use it or they only use Ubuntu when connecting to public 802.11 Wi-Fi hot spots. They think that using Ubuntu on public Wi-Fi hot spots guarantees them security, but they are mistaken. I usually recommend that they purchase a VPN service provider's plan to augment their network security and personal privacy. I use WiTopia Personal VPN PRO service myself and I connect to gateways worldwide as much as possible. Ubuntu security is quite robust and it is very tamper resistent especially if you turn off remote connections to your Ubuntu PC and you don't host servers. Ubuntu pushes out updates and security patches within a few hours every day and this is another major security plus compared to Windows or OS X. Patching security vulnerabilities is very fast in GNU/Linux and Ubuntu has a leading track record.

Finally, you have to consider the user's needs. GNU/Linux and Ubuntu is not for everybody. If a PC user has to use ISV certified software applications, then I recommend Microsoft Windows or OS X if it meets their needs. Otherwise, I think that Ubuntu is best suited for personal PC owners and select enterprise scenarios such as servers or hosting public and private or hybrid clouds.

Most people use Linux every day and they don't even realize it. Linux powers the Internet and it hosts critical services that affect hundreds of millions of users regardless of which PC they own or use and the operating system that they use daily.