Is Ubuntu the Right Choice for Us?

[NewMichele]

To begin with, I'm a little peeved at Microsoft. My husband and I have an HP laptop. Now we primarily use it for watching movies online, but when we go on the road my husband wants to run Wordperfect and Microsoft Streets and Trips.
I had purchased a Vista operating system disc online from an auction site, and Microsoft insists it is not a genuine copy. I haven't been able to get around this, which is why I am looking at Ubuntu. I seriously think Microsoft would have a lot less problems with what they consider piracy if they didn't ask so much money for their OS!
Will Ubuntu work for us? Has anyone here migrated from Vista Home Premium to Ubuntu? I would be interested in hearing their experiences.
Do we have to wipe the hard drive to migrate?

[wolfen69]

Do we have to wipe the hard drive to migrate?

Hi and welcome. No, you don't need to wipe windows to use ubuntu. Many people here dual boot both OS's. Here (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot) is a tutorial about dual booting. Come back and ask any questions you may have.

[nothingspecial]

As long as you understand that Ubuntu is a free alternative to Windows.

It does not allow you to run Windows software for free.

If you understand that you will be fine :)

[sammiev]

Hi and Welcome to Ubuntu, You would need to use Libreoffice to replace Word Perfect. You can download Ubuntu to a CD, DVD or USB and try it without even installing. :)

[Jay Car]

To begin with, I'm a little peeved at Microsoft. My husband and I have an HP laptop. Now we primarily use it for watching movies online, but when we go on the road my husband wants to run Wordperfect and Microsoft Streets and Trips.
I had purchased a Vista operating system disc online from an auction site, and Microsoft insists it is not a genuine copy. I haven't been able to get around this, which is why I am looking at Ubuntu. I seriously think Microsoft would have a lot less problems with what they consider piracy if they didn't ask so much money for their OS!
Will Ubuntu work for us? Has anyone here migrated from Vista Home Premium to Ubuntu? I would be interested in hearing their experiences.
Do we have to wipe the hard drive to migrate?

I've never used Microsoft Streets and Trips, but maybe an alternative would be Google Earth and Google Maps. It does take a little time, planning and learning, when moving away from Windows, but (I believe) it's worth it.

Plus, there are a lot of nice people here who can help.

:)

[wolfen69]

As long as you understand that Ubuntu is a free alternative to Windows.



I think you meant ubuntu is not a free alternative to windows. ;)

But it is a fine alternative depending on your needs.

[QIII]

Not to beat a dead horse, but ...

I think it would be unusual for you to find anyone here that did not migrate to Ubuntu while carefully keeping a hand on the Windows handrail initially.

Well, maybe a few knuckleheads like me who came from a Unix background years ago. I still use Windows to make a living.

There are many distributions of Linux, so you are free to try them all on to see what fits.

[Ms. Daisy]

+1 on dual boot. That's the best way to go to test everything out & see if you're happy before you 100% commit to Ubuntu.

Also, my two cents: I created a document in Ubuntu LibreOffice and saved it as a .doc. Then I successfully opened it in Windows- a few minor formatting things needed to be tweaked, but I was happy with the compatibility. I haven't tried Wordperfect, but you might be able to open those documents in LibreOffice. That's something I would recommend you test out once you have a dual boot system.

[click4851]

and be open to change, a whole lotta change.

[Mark Phelps]

I think you meant ubuntu is not a free alternative to windows. ;)

But it is a fine alternative depending on your needs.

I think what they meant is that Ubuntu is a free ALTERNATIVE to Windows, not a free VERSION of Windows.

[snowpine]

As much as I love Linux, I think your best option is to purchase a legal copy of Windows and continue to use the software you know and love, like Wordperfect, Microsoft Streets and Trips, Netflix Streaming, etc.

If you got ripped off by a seller on eBay then there may be actions you can take to recoup your money.

[1clue]

To try to cover some of what was NOT said so far on this thread,

IMO Ubuntu is about as easy as it gets for Linux distributions, both to install and to use. I've used a bunch of them. There is a pretty steep learning curve to get all the little details figured out if you're new to Linux.

If you're referring to Ubuntu as an alternative to Windows in the same way that Mac OS X is an alternative to Windows, meaning both are ways you can use a computer, then you're right. If you expect it to be exactly like Windows, then the only thing that's exactly like Windows is Windows. Ubuntu lets you get your work done, but it's not Windows. There will be subtle and not-so-subtle ways where doing things in Ubuntu is different than doing it in Windows.

If you buy commercial software on an auction site then it is almost certainly not a legal copy. It could happen, but I could also find a winning multi-million dollar lottery ticket laying on my sidewalk in front of my house. Same chances IMO.

If your laptop is already pretty much toast, then go ahead and wipe it. Go get a USB drive to copy your files to that you want to keep, or burn a bunch of DVDs.

If you have a functional OS on your drive and want a failsafe way to restore everything exactly (I think you don't) then pop the hard drive out of your laptop, take it to Best Buy or whatever your local computer store is, and tell them you want a replacement as well as a drive enclosure for that drive. Go home, put the new drive in your laptop and the old one in the drive enclosure. Install Ubuntu on the laptop, and then copy your files over from the old (now external) drive. If you later decide you want to "undo" Ubuntu, then you switch the Ubuntu drive for the Windows one, putting Windows back into the laptop and Ubuntu into the drive enclosure. Now your system is EXACTLY like it was. Your price for this insurance is the cost of a new drive and new enclosure.

[Learning Linux 2011]

Yes, I think Ubuntu is an option for people who hate Windows. I was in the same boat.
I think I migrated to Linux largely because of that stupid activation thing Microsoft does (which probably accounts for your "not genuine" message)
You can actually run Windows inside Ubuntu, so that may be an option for Wordperfect and Streets.
You can also run Windows programs using a program called WINE, but the results are kind of iffy.
As long as you aren't trying to run the absolute latest state-of-the-art games, you should be ok.

Linux has a bit of a learning curve. Much of Linux is similar to Windows, but there are differences.
Give it a few weeks to get used to it. It also depends on how entrenched you are with Windows.

[wildmanne39]

Hi, the only thing left that has not been directly said is that if netflix is your source for streaming videos online then you would still of to have windows at least in a virtual environment because netflix blocks linux from being able to watch movies from there site so you would still need a legal version of windows.
Thanks

[guyver_dio]

I think what they meant is that Ubuntu is a free ALTERNATIVE to Windows, not a free VERSION of Windows.

It's not an alternative to windows, it's an alternative to all OS's.

ReactOs is an alternative to windows.

To the OP: Don't expect ubuntu to be anything like windows, it's an operating system all on it's own, just like osx on mac. It comes with it's own set of behaviours, benefits and faults. When coming to ubuntu you need to have the mindset that you are using a completely different OS and will have to use the software made for it. It will not run windows programs by simply installing and running the program. Instead you have to use a program like wine which can be thought of like a translator (it understands windows files and translates it for linux). But I'd recommend if you're coming to ubuntu, accept that you will have to use software made for linux. This is what a lot of first timers from windows don't realize at first, they come to linux and expect all their windows programs to work.

[3rdalbum]

I'd advise to dual-boot, at least initially.

While dual-booting, use Wordperfect ONLY for old documents. All new documents should be made in Libreoffice on Linux. Also, try and move away from the other software that doesn't run on Linux. Use Linux for everything that you can use it for.

Eventually you'll find that you're never booting into Windows.

Just keep in mind that Ubuntu is not intended to be a clone of Windows, and it's actually more different under-the-surface than it looks. You'll relearn things. Ubuntu is, on the whole, easier than Windows; it's just different.

[OrangeCrate]

To begin with, I'm a little peeved at Microsoft. My husband and I have an HP laptop. Now we primarily use it for watching movies online, but when we go on the road my husband wants to run Wordperfect and Microsoft Streets and Trips.
I had purchased a Vista operating system disc online from an auction site, and Microsoft insists it is not a genuine copy. I haven't been able to get around this, which is why I am looking at Ubuntu. I seriously think Microsoft would have a lot less problems with what they consider piracy if they didn't ask so much money for their OS!
Will Ubuntu work for us? Has anyone here migrated from Vista Home Premium to Ubuntu? I would be interested in hearing their experiences.
Do we have to wipe the hard drive to migrate?

Sure, as long as you understand that Linux is not a drop-in replacement for Windows. You might want to read this before you go too far into learning a new operating system:

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

Good luck, and welcome to the forums.

:)

[mastablasta]

I had purchased a Vista operating system disc online from an auction site, and Microsoft insists it is not a genuine copy. I haven't been able to get around this, which is why I am looking at Ubuntu.

That was a bad idea as if someone already installed it on their computer it means it is thier copy and usualyl can not be moved to another maschine (not true as sometimes it can be moved, but obviously not in your case)


I seriously think Microsoft would have a lot less problems with what they consider piracy if they didn't ask so much money for their OS!

well if you count in you get customer support for the duration of product support for that money then the price is really not that high. If you try to buy Ubuntu 1 year customer support you would pay about the same. additionally windows comes with some codecs and some programmes for which they pay for their use. so this is also included in the price.
anyway while they are not and ideal OS by far, there is a reason why so many people use it. Vista though was/is garbage.

[shuttleworthwannabe]

Originally Posted by NewMichele
I had purchased a Vista operating system disc online from an auction site, and Microsoft insists it is not a genuine copy

I think your best bet will be to get call MS and explain your ordeal--they may actually give you a valid licence (?wishful thinking). Have you tried getting Windows 7?? ;-)

Also I think, you will do well dual-booting since your requirements are MS specific.

[3rdalbum]

I think your best bet will be to get call MS and explain your ordeal--they may actually give you a valid licence (?wishful thinking).

Better yet, just ring them and tell them that you've just reinstalled Windows and now it's telling you that the license key is not genuine. If they ask, tell them it's the copy you've been using before. They'll give you a little code to put into the validation program that will make it 'genuine' again. No further questions.

However, this *is* a good time to step into Linux and see what it can offer you. It will still be less trouble than Windows. And if you give it an honest try and still don't like it, at least you know you've tried and you can give it a go in another year. Linux evolves very quickly.

[Frogs Hair]

Try from the live cd first especially with the newest version . If your movie provider is incompatible you will need to dual boot anyway .

[1clue]

There is a commercial version of Wine called Crossover Office. It will run Microsoft Office on Linux, and a bunch of other apps. Possibly NetFlix and your mapping app, but you'll have to look for yourself. That version uses some commercial DLLs from Windows to help the commercial software work. The fee for the software pays the license for the DLLs. It's a legitimate product. You can get it from your Ubuntu Software Center once you install Ubuntu.

The rest of this post sounds like I'm a Windows salesman. I'm not. I maintain a test license for my company, and I'm generally the guy who has to activate Windows products.

Speaking about Windows licenses, you may be able to download a Windows cd/dvd from a legitimate site. I do so directly from Microsoft, but I have a test license through my company. What you actually pay for is the license key. The price of the key varies based on the terms of use of the license. Go to CDW or NewEgg or whatever legitimate computer site, punch in 'windows license' to the search and click go. Read the licenses, they take 5 minutes each to understand.

Regarding telling Microsoft that you had it on a previous machine and you're re-installing, that is an iffy proposition. Most Windows licenses are OEM licenses, meaning they came on a specific piece of hardware and they only work on that hardware. If you have a full license, then they'll expect you to have the key and they will reactivate it only if you can provide that key.

Don't be afraid to talk to Microsoft directly. Thousands of people a day call them about licensing. They WANT to find a way to make it work for you, but they won't bend the rules. There are probably a half dozen different license agreements for every version of any Microsoft product, and some of them are really cheap if your use case fits the agreement. It may be that your use case is the 'normal' one and you need to pay full price, but it's worth a shot.

If you call Microsoft, they already know you're trying to be legal. Be honest with them. I've had those guys help me with a license for a VM on a Linux box. They did not bat an eye at that. Again, you're there because you're trying to be legal, and they're trying to help you be legal. Putting Windows in a VM still has the same license restrictions as if it were on bare metal though, so you would still need your Windows license and a license for all the software you put on it.

If it was me though, I would ditch that Vista image and get Windows 7. For one thing, you don't know what they put on that DVD. I always recommend people get the full version the CD image, but with no extra software. The OFFICIAL image. IMO most people who use OEM versions have spyware already on the machine when they buy it. Get the official image, put the software you need on it and make it work, and your box will be much better off.

[verymadpip]

Personally I dual boot Oneiric & W7, & think that would be the best idea for now. (My W7 is mainly for gaming).

Here's a cautionary tale:

I got some fake W7 Ultimate from an ebay seller (in cellophane & everything), & ended up having to buy retail W7 Home Premium from a shop. The total cost amounted to what genuine W7 Ultimate would have been from the same legal vendor. No more ebay for me. I've had people suggest I buy a second hand CPU off ebay, which sounds to me lika a disaster waiting to happen.

[1clue]

Buying hardware is a different story.

I've bought specific hardware on ebay and came out with what I expected, but you need to research who the seller is. Don't buy anything big from somebody with no reputation, and don't buy from somebody with a lot of bad reputation. And make sure you know what it is that you're getting, and what the shipping cost is, because a lot of sellers pad the sales price with a huge shipping fee.

Also look at the auction site links regarding scams before you buy, and use a method of payment which has its own buyer protection, like paypal.

I don't like Windows any more than any other Linux nerd. But if you're going to work with people who use it, you need to understand what's going on. IMO if you are going to run Windows, you should get the CD from an official source, and buy the licenses from a major outlet in person or from one of the official vendors listed on the Microsoft site.

Another note here. I don't like dual boot. My answer for the scenario of the original poster is to install Ubuntu, then install a virtualization package like VMware or KVM or whatever, and install Windows onto that. That way, your Windows install can follow you around from box to box, and you never have to quit what you're working on just to go run some tool in the other OS.

[BertN45]

I bought a windows cd on ebay and it did not authenticate, because it had been used already to often. I called Microsoft explained the situation and they legalized my copy.

[flyfishingphil]

I have considered getting Win$ back a couple of times but then think about all of the problems I've seen with it, and the costs, and put the thought back on the shelf for a few more months.

It's a bit frustrating, at times, figuring out exactly how to get what you are looking for, figuring out exactly how a program works and figuring out how to word searches and questions, but it's light years better than Win$ as far as I'm concerned.

Major values? Have had better results on my web sites, use it for all of my business needs, developed presentations on various subjects for PowerPoint, have done more using Ubuntu 11.04, with fewer problems, than I ever got done in Win$, the threat of virus, trojan, etc is almost non-existent in Linux and, one of the best parts, the help is free and much faster than I saw "over there".

Minor problems? Currently having some problems at Pogo.com with a couple of games, still trying to figure out all of the steps needed to connect to my new tablet with Honeycomb OS, but that's about it. (Once I get the replacement for the faulty I'll be here with questions on the tablet.)

[Mark Phelps]

I think your best bet will be to get call MS and explain your ordeal--they may actually give you a valid licence (?wishful thinking). Have you tried getting Windows 7?? ;-)

Also I think, you will do well dual-booting since your requirements are MS specific.

Very good suggestions...

MS is really BIG on halting piracy of their products. IF you call them and describe how you got cheated on the version you bought, it's very likely that they will provide you a FREE version of Win7 to replace it.

And, I would go for Win7, not for Vista.

Also, despite the fact that some folks strongly dislike dual-booting, I've been doing this for YEARS and, as long as you have some real dependencies on MS, this is my preferred way to go.

Good Luck with MS.

[1clue]

Yes, Microsoft is big on halting piracy, but part of that is raising awareness that buying pirated software will not get you ahead. I've seen second-hand accounts of people who got a free license after buying from the wrong place, but I don't know anyone who has done so.

I fail to see how dual boot can be better than running a VM. Run a VM, give it one core and leave it running all the time, you basically have 2 machines running simultaneously that can share data with each other or be client and server. Or quit the VM and get a faster PC instantly, if you only have a couple cores.

Back to the original topic, only you can decide whether Ubuntu or any other Linux distribution would be the right choice. Lots of us have become long-term Linux users exactly through the same scenario you described with licenses. You need something to make you try it, and then you find something you really like. Or not.

The main advantage for you is that it costs you nothing to try it out, other than time and effort. It helps if you have a semi-new machine to work with that won't mess with your existing setup, but there are ways around that.

I recommend first trying to run from the CD, then maybe install VMware or similar on your windows box and install Ubuntu onto that. If you like it, reverse the situation, wipe your drive, install Ubuntu and see what happens. If you find that you MUST have Windows, then install a Windows 7 onto a VM with Ubuntu hosting it.

At one point I NEEDED Microsoft Office because of work. I bought Crossover Office and it worked nicely, without the overhead of a VM.

[morhin]

I'm a noobie to ubuntu and I still have a computer with vista home premium on it.

When I had a virus removed the guy asked if I'd ever thought about open source. It started me on a journey. I got some live cd's from the library and played with something called Mepis, and then PCLinuxOS and now Ubuntu.
Seriously, try your local library and see if they have books on open source distros (look it up) and you can try it for free.
I highly recommend the book Ubuntu for non-geeks by Richard Grant and Phil Bull. I've tried a few books but this one made Ubuntu accessible to me.
That's the one I started with. It came with a live cd that I could try without installing it.

I like it so much I bought a cheap laptop (Acer Aspire 5250) and installed Ubuntu on it. I'm still learning the in's and out's but with the help of the book I find I can move easily through the basics. I am loving it.

Nuf sed.

Try it..... it's free.....

morhin

my wife tells me I'm wrong so often that I'm thinking about becoming a weather man.

[cap10Ibraim]

why would you buy vista !! :confused:
if you need windows buy windows xp sp3 it'll be cheap
and not from an online auction , I guess that's not Microsoft fault that your copy is not genuine
you were a "victim" because this guy who sold his copy of windows may already used the license

[keithpeter]

When I had a virus removed the guy asked if I'd ever thought about open source. It started me on a journey.

Hello morhin and all

Was the guy running a small business or a 'one man band'?

Or was he just a friend?

This kind of 'viral' stuff is important.

PS: my local reference library keeps current Ubuntu LTS and recentish Fedora live CDs in its software library.

[VanR]

You can get an OEM version of Windows 7 for like $99 at newegg.com. I keep Windows 7 on my machine because my wife needs it for some software for her work. Other wise I would just dump it and reclaim the hard drive space.

[CharlesA]

why would you buy vista !! :confused:
if you need windows buy windows xp sp3 it'll be cheap
and not from an online auction , I guess that's not Microsoft fault that your copy is not genuine
you were a "victim" because this guy who sold his copy of windows may already used the license

OEM copy of XP Pro costs about the same as an OEM copy of Win7 Pro.

Why use an OS that is 10 years old?

[cap10Ibraim]

Why use an OS that is 10 years old?
because it works

[lile001]

To begin with, I'm a little peeved at Microsoft. My husband and I have an HP laptop. Now we primarily use it for watching movies online, but when we go on the road my husband wants to run Wordperfect and Microsoft Streets and Trips.
I had purchased a Vista operating system disc online from an auction site, and Microsoft insists it is not a genuine copy. I haven't been able to get around this, which is why I am looking at Ubuntu. I seriously think Microsoft would have a lot less problems with what they consider piracy if they didn't ask so much money for their OS!
Will Ubuntu work for us? Has anyone here migrated from Vista Home Premium to Ubuntu? I would be interested in hearing their experiences.
Do we have to wipe the hard drive to migrate?

I've moved my business to Ubuntu over the last two years. The learning curve was steep, mostly because I don't have a trusted buddy that is willing to hold my hand while I learn. I feel the move was worth it, because of the kinds of annoyances you mention. AND you can have it both ways!

Put your toe in the water. Most people are able to use Ubuntu right out of the box, without much trouble. Things are a little different, but no more than Windows Vista was different from Windows XP, and you got over that hump OK, didn't you? The learning curve for day-to-day operations is no bigger than XP to Vista. Use Ubuntu when you have a choice between the two, and get used to it.

However, the learning curve for under-the-hood maintenance is definitely steeper. The payoff is, most of the time you can get powerful new software and applications painlessly, cheaply, or free. In fact the other day I installed a different music player program in about fifteen seconds flat. Didn't like the one that came out of the Ubuntu "box", had another one I liked better. Blam! Done. Want Powerpoint? Free alternative in LibreOffice. Want Excel? Libreoffice also has an alternative for that. Want an alternative to Quicken? I paid $45 for a fine program called Moneydance that does a fantastic job of keeping my books and checking account. Wise software developers are including a Linux build in thier products.

Upgrading a computer? Plan from the start to install a dual boot system. Using an old computer? Try ubuntu out before installing it, leave a boot disk in the CD drive for a while.

[1clue]

because it works

It's also an antique.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/products/lifecycle

Vista is no longer being sold on PCs. Neither is XP. XP's official support stops in 2014. Are you saying you are willing to run your computer without any updates?

There comes a point where updates are no longer generated for an operating system, and this goes not only for maintenance upgrades from Microsoft but also for virus fixes and other software not directly from Microsoft.

Use your head for a bit. Go research what's up, and make your informed decision by whatever logic seems appropriate to you, but don't just blindly assume that an older (or newer) operating system is going to be better for you.

Every account I've heard from IT support staff tells me that Windows 7 is the best client-side Windows operating system out there. It's stable, it's much leaner than Vista, and it's at the beginning of its life cycle.