Choosing Ubuntu 10.04 over Dual boot - Any regrets?

[OldBoy44]

I currently am using Wubi with XP with only 40 Gb hard disk. I am seriously considering taking the plunge and installing Ubuntu as my sole OS. I was wondering if any of you have taken this step and if you have any regrets?

I have found with Wubi that virtually all of my needs could probably be realized with Ubuntu. I am a 67 year old newbie and not really into things such as gaming (other than chess).

Any response will be welcomed!

Cheers, :p

[rjbl]

Done that a year ago. absolutely no regrets. Go for it
rjbl

[NightwishFan]

If you are sure it will cover all your needs, then I agree, go for it. Ubuntu will only continue to get better and have more software support as time goes on. The only think you have to do is make sure that you back up data for the installation and be careful and look up reviews about devices you buy to see if they are compatible with Ubuntu.

I also recommend you install Ubuntu 10.04 to take advantage of the 3 year support. You can use a newer one if desired though.

Here is a cool resource: http://ubuntu-manual.org/

[cgroza]

I did it in 2008 and it got me rid of the game obsession. Go for it.

[OldBoy44]

Thanks rjbl, NightwishFan and cgroza.

I have already downloaded the manual!

:p

[NightwishFan]

I should also give a nod to this site if you have something that might be better answered in the form of Q&A. Some very very smart people post there.

http://askubuntu.com/

[Spice Weasel]

Did it years ago with a SUSE disk I found lying around after a crash, no regrets. Go for it!

[t0p]

I only need XP when I want to print something. So I've got a virtual XP on my desktop machine via VirtualBox. Other than the printing thing, Ubuntu meets my every need. You're not a gamer, so I would speculate that you'd be fine.

Going for 10.04 rather than 10.10 would be a good idea IMHO. 10.04 is a LTS (long term support) version, which means you'll get software updates for 3 years (I think - it may be longer). I've got Lubuntu 10.10 on my netbook, but on my desktop I have only used LTS versions for some time (8.04, then moved up to 10.04 last year). A big plus point on using 10.04: it was first released quite some time ago, so a lot of kinks and bugs have been ironed out and stomped on by now. I can boot the desktop machine with (almost) total confidence that it'll do what I want it to do and won't bite me. Whereas my Lubuntu-running netbook does sometimes mess with me.

[Jay Car]

I currently am using Wubi with XP with only 40 Gb hard disk. I am seriously considering taking the plunge and installing Ubuntu as my sole OS. I was wondering if any of you have taken this step and if you have any regrets?

I have found with Wubi that virtually all of my needs could probably be realized with Ubuntu. I am a 67 year old newbie and not really into things such as gaming (other than chess).

Any response will be welcomed!

Cheers, :p

No regrets here!

Just keep things simple for a while, until you learn your way around in Ubuntu. The hardest part, for me, wasn't learning new things, it was un-learning old Windows ways.

I was fortunate to have already been using cross-platform software on Windows, so I was able to continue with the same software I was used to, when I moved away from Windows. (tons of gratitude to the folks that created Audacity, Inkscape, Scribus, Gimp, and Open Office!)

It also helped that I'd never used MS Office, or iTunes or the like, and never had time for games, so I didn't have to fuss with such things to get them to work outside of Windows.

And like another comment mentioned, once I learned to be careful of the hardware I purchased, it all got much easier.

There's always something new to learn, but it's always been fun. I highly recommend taking the step, and am really happy to see you here...hope you stay!

[OldBoy44]

Many thanks to Spice Weasel, tOp and Jay Car!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply.

:p

[bigseb]

Unless you're into gaming or CAD then by all means do it!

[weasel fierce]

Best way to learn.

Give yourself 2 months. If it can be done in linux, you'll learn how to do it.
If it can't be done, you'll learn how to work around it.

After that, you can set up dual boot again, or you'll be lost to the penguin side forever :)

[undecim]

The only think you have to do is make sure that you back up data for the installation and be careful and look up reviews about devices you buy to see if they are compatible with Ubuntu.

If it worked in Wubi, it will work with a proper install.

[marl30]

I made the switch to 10.04 right after it came out. I've since upgraded to 10.10. I have absolutely no regrets. 98% of my computer needs have been met by Ubuntu. I've found a lot of decent open source softwares that I'm quite happy with. I'm somewhat of a gamer as well, and I still didn't need to dual boot. What I did was to fool around Wine enough to configure the Windows games I wanted to play. I've gotten all the ones I like to play to work perfectly. I also found great native Linux games that I just love.

I still have XP in virtualBox to update my phone's firmware, and to run Access (for School purpose), which I've also gotten to work to an extent in Wine.

Here's a handy site that has helped me to make my transition easier. It has helped me to find Linux alternatives to the Windows softwares I used to use: http://alternativeto.net/software/?profile=linux

[Zzl1xndd]

Just to add my two cents, I stopped dual booting in 2006 and haven't looked back, honestly there were a few pains along the way, but in the last 4 years Ubuntu and Linux have become so much better. So I don't foresee any major issues.

[OldBoy44]

Thanks again to all contributors!

I like your blog undecim

Cheers, :P

[cariboo]

Removed extra posts.

[marl30]

Removed extra posts.
Thanks. For a moment I was trying to submit my post and the server wasn't budging for some reason. When it finally allowed my post, I saw that I had triple posts.

[Zero2Nine]

I have done that, but I had prior experience with Ubuntu as sole OS, though not that much. Only installed it after some good thinking about what Windows software I used and which files and folders had to be backup-ed.

[Zero2Nine]

I did it in 2008 and it got me rid of the game obsession. Go for it.

That was one of my reasons to switch. I'm working on my thesis and I was too distracted by other stuff. Although there is an (at least) equal amount of distraction available in Ubuntu with a Software Center full of small games that are installed in less than a minute :P

[johntaylor1887]

Since there are plenty of chess games for linux, I say go for it!

[oldfred]

Good info on converting:

HOWTO: migrate wubi install to partition - bcbc
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1519354

[OldBoy44]

Thanks very much oldfred!

I really appreciate the tips and links I am picking up on this thread.

:D

[P1C0]

I regret I hadn't done it earlier.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

I'm 62 years old. I could live with Ubuntu only for home use. I still work so that is another story. For home use, I have things like a GPS TomTom navigation device for my car that requires Windows to update the maps. If you do not have devices like that you may not need Windows. I have a computer that dual boots Windows and Linux for such devices. I used Linux before there was a WUBI. I tried WUBI in its early days; however, it wasn't reliable. It didn't seem like it took very many changes; such as, an update in order for it to break. I continued to do a traditional dual boot. I really only need to use Windows a few hours every 4 months. I could use one of my children's computers to update the maps if I wanted to.

[OldBoy44]

Thanks for your input Old_Gray_Wolf - it is nice to see someone around here approaching my age.

Cheers, :D

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

Thanks for your input Old_Grey_Wolf - it is nice to see someone around here approaching my age.

Cheers, :D

:lolflag:
There are actually a few people in their 60's on the forum; however, most do not advertise their age. I've seen at least one post by someone in their 70's.

By-the-way, belated (3 or 4 days ago) happy birthday. :)

[OldBoy44]

That is kind of you Old_Gray_Wolf.

I trust we will come across each other again!

:D

[perspectoff]

I am a very big proponent of Linux worldwide, and especially (K)Ubuntu/Debian.

But I do not erase Windows from any computer of mine. I may shrink the Windows partition quite small, but I never erase it (as long as I still have a valid license for the Windows installation).

There are still a few companies in technical fields (radiology, for example, with which I am associated) that only have programs compatible with Windows. They don't work in Linux nor with Wine.

Virtual machines obviously are a solution, but you still need a Windows license to have a Windows virtual machine, legally. So there is no difference. Besides, virtual machines run slower than a native OS on the hard disk, and for memory hungry applications like radiology image viewing, the added overhead of a virtual machine slows it down noticeably.

Also, I watch Netflix constantly, and there still is not a solution to watching Netflix in Linux.

I would say these two reasons are the only reasons I boot Windows at all, anymore, but they are significant ones.

Mind you, I am on a quest to encourage Linux-compatible PACS systems (dcm4chee, primarily), but CEOs of hospitals don't always listen to the needs of their doctors in making business decisions (as to which system the hospital will purchase for radiology, for example).

There are still two programs that I turn back to in Windows from time to time: Paperport and Turbo Tax. However, there are now Paperport equivalents in Linux, so I end up using those nowadays primarily, and all my financial books are isolated on a single book-keeping computer that runs Windows anyway, and it is dedicated to that sole task (it is not connected to any other computers or to the network).

I do play games but am happy enough with Linux-compatible offerings.

As far as servers and networking, Linux is leagues better than any Microsoft offering (which are very painful to use, IMO). For anything requiring distributed computing resources, it's Linux all the way.

The original question was whether to get rid of Windows altogether, and I truthfully don't see the point in doing so. Inexpensive hard drives these days are 500 - 1000 Gb. If I leave Windows on a 30 Gb partition, what's the difference?

Even though I only use Windows rarely, I still do require it for niche purposes from time to time. In those instances I'm glad I didn't erase it impulsively.

Commercially sold computers (like at Walmart, Office Depot, etc). are actually less expensive when Windows comes pre-loaded on them (due to kickbacks and other marketing arrangements). It usually takes me a half-day to shrink the Windows partition and install (K)Ubuntu the way I like it on a new computer. The flexibility that affords me, though, is still worthwhile (in 2010).

I think this will change maybe this year. There is a juggernaut in software development in creating cross-platform applications. I think growth in Linux-compatible software is exponential, and perhaps by the end of this year or the middle of next there will be few technical companies that do not support Linux.

Netflix is a funny animal, but Google Android will be a game changer as far as even Netflix goes.

So my opinion this time next year may be different.

[andymorton]

I currently am using Wubi with XP with only 40 Gb hard disk. I am seriously considering taking the plunge and installing Ubuntu as my sole OS. I was wondering if any of you have taken this step and if you have any regrets?

I have found with Wubi that virtually all of my needs could probably be realized with Ubuntu. I am a 67 year old newbie and not really into things such as gaming (other than chess).

Any response will be welcomed!

Cheers, :p

I stopped using Windows completely about 4 years ago and I haven't regretted once in all that time. Ubuntu provides me with everything I need without the hassle of having to deal with all the problems that come with using Windows.

andy

[OldBoy44]

Thank you very much for your considerable input perspectoff, you have certainly given me much to consider. I was tending towards a sole Ubuntu OS, however you make sound arguments for retaining XP.

I doubt my ability to install a new H.D. unless someone convinces me that I could manage it. The only work I have done on my P.C. was to increase the Ram which was quite easy.

Thanking you very kindly for your input!

Thanks to Andy too!

Cheers, :D