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View Full Version : Ubuntu is amazing!



Welly Wu
September 25th, 2012, 01:08 AM
I made the switch from Microsoft Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 to Ubuntu 11.10 64 bit on January 4th, 2012 and I have not looked back at all. I had an ASUS N61JV-X2 notebook PC which died on me in less than 22 months of ownership so I decided to purchase a System76 Lemur Ultra Thin (lemu4) and that has made the biggest positive difference in my Ubuntu experience so far. Owning an Ubuntu certified notebook PC made everything much simpler and easier to use. I don't have to resort to unofficial third-party PPAs or hacks to get PC hardware to work properly which saved me a lot of time and effort. It also cost me $300 USD less money than my previous ASUS notebook PC.

Ubuntu is a masterpiece of an operating system because Canonical pays attention to a strong desktop user experience and they focus on their users for the most part. Ubuntu offers total freedom to use your PC hardware and software exactly as you wish. I no longer have to be encumbered by restrictive cryptography, digital rights management, product keys, activation codes, user licenses with many qualifications, and vendor lock in anymore. I have freed up my digital media libraries including my e-books, magazines, music, movies, and pictures from all of that. Ubuntu permits me to change almost any and every aspect of the operating system and software applications on whim which can be quite dangerous if you don't know what you are doing, but it gives freedom and liberation for me to use my PC exactly the way in which I want it to work for me. It is super stable, reliable, fast, and flexible and it is totally customizable. I can not say that it is impervious to all attacks, but it is highly secure and robust. I have achieved maximum security with only a moderate amount of effort on my part. Ubuntu has given me greater peace of mind in using my PC and protecting my precious user data from unauthorized access and foreign control.

Ubuntu made my life much easier and simpler. I can focus on getting my work done instead of worrying if my software applications are genuine and legitimate. It has made me more productive and it has maximized my digital work flows with few interruptions or disruptions. I can focus on my work or task at hand without being pestered by more advertisements to buy a product or service. Yet, Ubuntu permits me to purchase premium software applications and apps at will and it makes it safe and secure to do so. This enriches my user experience tremendously and the Ubuntu Software Center is chock full of new software to test and try out most of which are free.

I am going to be an Ubuntu user for the rest of my life. In fact, I am trying to minimize the amount of time that I spend using Microsoft products as much as possible. Someday in the future, I want to stop using Microsoft products and services entirely and just use Ubuntu all of the time.

The hardest part about Ubuntu is to convince others to try it out for themselves. Most people are ingrained to use Microsoft Windows, Office, or Apple Macintosh OS X or iOS products and services. When I get my friends to try out Ubuntu, they are startled by its speed and simplicity. They begin to appreciate its flexibility and freedom. They get a delicious taste of the Ubuntu experience and they keep using it more often.

Ubuntu is compatible with a wide range of PC hardware and there are more than enough high quality software alternatives to get most common tasks done for free. The taste of real freedom and the low cost of entry makes Ubuntu easier to sell to my friends who are curious about GNU/Linux and it is easier to maintain a fresh installation over a long period of time with fewer frustrations or problems.

Ubuntu is a gem of an operating system and although I can not agree completely with the direction in which Canonical is taking the brand especially with the Unity desktop environment, the rest of Ubuntu is developing along quite nicely. Major software vendors are taking notice of Ubuntu users and they are developing PC hardware and software products and services for Ubuntu users worldwide.

The speed and security features of Ubuntu make it worth the pain of the steep learning curve. Ubuntu remains fresh and fast all of the time regardless of how you use it and it remains light weight and responsive to the user's needs. Ubuntu makes my life better because I have to work less hard to make it work for me and I can adapt more readily to Ubuntu than Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh OS X. I tried and used both in the past and I currently use Windows 7 64 bit, but Ubuntu is my preferred operating system of choice.

Linuxratty
September 25th, 2012, 01:23 AM
Yeah,it's amazing when you discover what a pack of lies that has been fed to us by the fud machine about Linux, isn't it.

The peace of mind feeling I have when I use Ubuntu just can't be beat.
When I had Windows, i always felt I was looking over my shoulder for something really nasty to be lurking...None of that here.
My friends know I use it but they are all happy with Windows,so I leave um be.

Welly Wu
September 25th, 2012, 01:53 AM
Don't get me wrong. Microsoft Windows 7 64 bit Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 is a great operating system. I plan to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64 bit and Office 2013 Home Premium Subscription on October 26th, 2012 and as soon as Office 2013 become available, but that is not by choice. Montclair State University requires me to use Windows 7 64 bit and Office 2010 for my Masters of Arts in English with Writing Studies concentration degree program.

Ubuntu is terrific when it comes to getting out of the user's way and letting him get his work done without interruptions or distractions. It's a clean user interface that offers a plethora of choices. There are so many choices available for almost everything that it is a little bit overwhelming at first for beginners. However, it's that cornucopia of choices that makes Ubuntu more interesting than Windows. You get to play with Ubuntu and tinker with it as a hobbyist and you learn to love it down to the nitty gritty details. Ubuntu offers multiple ways of getting the job done effectively. Microsoft dictates how their users should get their work done for them. See the differences?

I like the fact that I am not forced to do things Canonical's way if I so choose not to. KDE and Cinnamon offer perfect examples of avoiding the Unity debacle without abandoning Ubuntu itself. With Microsoft Windows 8, users will be forced to use the new Windows 8 user interface whether they love it or hate it. I am looking forward to trying that out for myself in late October 2012. However, I label myself as a Windows enthusiast as well as an Ubuntu enthusiast. The average user may not like Windows 8 at all.

Ubuntu is refreshing because it is constantly under development for new features and improvements every six months. This is a fairly rapid release schedule that allows for freshness in the user experience and it adds richness to using Ubuntu. Windows updates itself every three years. Office updates itself every 3 - 4 years. That's a long time to wait for new features.

Ubuntu 12.04.x 32 and 64 bit Long Term Service is the best version right now. It offers maximum stability, compatibility, and reliability along with speed and performance. LTS releases are special because they are supported for up to 5 years. This ensures that few software applications are going to break over a long period of time. I found that upgrading to Ubuntu versions is pretty smooth, but third-party, closed source, and proprietary software applications take time to keep up to date with the newer Ubuntu versions. One good example is VM Ware Workstation. I have found that version 9.x 64 bit works with Ubuntu 12.04.1 64 bit LTS without any need to resort to unofficial third-party patches. This is good in my opinion as it leaves little to chance in terms of breaking compatibility and introducing bugs or security vulnerabilities. LTS releases are also special because of standardization. Software vendors looking to create products and services often target LTS users because many of them are enterprise users. These businesses rely on quality software that is rock solid stable and reliable. In the past, I found that non LTS releases were slow, buggy, and some software applications or apps broke compatibility. I have learned those hard lessons as an Ubuntu user. I am sticking with LTS releases in the future.

Finally, Ubuntu requires little to no user intervention or modification to just work right out of the box for most people especially on modern PC hardware. With the sole exception of Nvidia Optimus technology, virtually all existing PC hardware is supported in Ubuntu. This is important because it creates the first impression for new Ubuntu users looking to try out GNU/Linux for the first time. This is how word of mouth spreads about GNU/Linux in general. Ubuntu ensures a robust and rich user experience and it leaves it up to the user to determine their course of actions. I have found that Ubuntu's new HUD feature saves me precious time navigating through complex nested menus and sub-menus and it is clearly at an inchoate stage of development right now. I am eager to see it mature more fully in Ubuntu 14.04.1 64 bit LTS.

The best way to try out Ubuntu is to install it in a guest virtual machine so that you don't have any skin in the game. If you decide that it's not for you, then simply delete the guest virtual machine and go back to using your host operating system again. However, most people wind up using Ubuntu to learn more about its features and they wind up coming to Ubuntu Forums looking for help and tips and guides. This is a great community that truly goes out of its way to help others. Not every problem can be solved, but there is enough know how here to figure out an acceptable solution or work around to a problem.

KiwiNZ
September 25th, 2012, 02:12 AM
I am OS agnostic, I see uses for Linux, Windows, BSD OSX etc etc. If used correctly in the right circumstances all OS's can be said to be amazing.

iponeverything
September 25th, 2012, 03:19 AM
I am OS agnostic, I see uses for Linux, Windows, BSD OSX etc etc. If used correctly in the right circumstances all OS's can be said to be amazing.

the correct way to use the propitiatory OS's is always conveniently dictated by the EULA..

KiwiNZ
September 25th, 2012, 03:30 AM
the correct way to use the propitiatory OS's is always conveniently dictated by the EULA..


No, and off topic

Welly Wu
September 25th, 2012, 03:31 AM
I consider 2012 to be a turning point for Canonical, Apple, and Microsoft. This is the year that they ship well developed and mature operating systems and mobile operating systems that come with features designed to bridge the gap between desktop PC users and the burgeoning number of mobile devices. Apple has the lead so far with its OS X Mountain Lion and iOS 6 as they have clearly designed an elegant ecosystem that marries the two worlds together quite elegantly. It remains to be seen if Microsoft can trump Apple with Windows 8 and Office 2013, but so far the reviewed are mixed. I am still eagerly looking forward to upgrading in late October 2012 and hopefully I will have both of these software products and services by the end of this year. However, Ubuntu is perhaps the most refreshing and exciting contender in this battle. Clearly, Unity is designed for future form factors such as HDTVs, smart phones, tablets, and thin client solutions. It is cogent as much as it is controversial. One of the great features about Ubuntu is that you can skip the annoying advertisements and the commercials by choosing an alternative desktop environment. If we take a hard look at Unity, it is not hard to see that it is quickly becoming a desktop environment designed for electronic commerce and it will create new revenues for Canonical in the future. One of the most intriguing aspects about Unity in particular is how they are adding their own panache to existing solutions available on Windows and Apple Macintosh for years. Unity is the most cogent and cohesive desktop user interface and experience that gets it mostly right. It provides a coherent and consistent user experience to enable value added features to exist and to be created such as online shopping for music, movies, TV shows, magazines, and electronic books to be added later on along with PC games. I don't dislike Unity as it stands right now as I understand that Canonical needs to generate more revenues to be able to offer Ubuntu to anyone for free worldwide. I don't begrudge Canonical for moving in the direction that they are taking over the next three years. The good aspect about all of these future features and changes is that they will be grafted on gradually and incrementally with constant user input and feedback. Yes, it is true that Canonical is dictatorial in forcing Unity upon Ubuntu users, but they are doing it the smart way by listening to users and adjusting their future goals and designs to meet the needs of Ubuntu users both old and new. Canonical realizes that Ubuntu has to be seen as a legitimate contender in the battle over the PC desktop market and especially the lucrative mobile operating system market which they have not entered in full force yet. Unity is an elegant compromise to help usher them into these markets. My understanding is that new Microsoft and Apple users are warming up to Ubuntu and Unity together because it offers them an opportunity to indulge their curiosities about GNU/Linux without forcing them to abandon their precious ways of doing things or habits.

I think that the next two years will be the most important years ahead for Canonical and the Ubuntu brand. We are beginning to attract the attention of major software vendors that cater to creative professionals that are looking for new and emerging markets to sell their digital products to us. Our user base is growing at a healthy clip on a weekly basis and Ubuntu is often times referred by family members, friends, and colleagues as the GNU/Linux distribution of choice for neophytes. It is also true to state that Ubuntu is offering a more complete and richer user experience as a result of these important new features and changes. Slowly and gradually, Microsoft and Apple users are perking up to Ubuntu as a free alternative operating system. Now, it is up to OEMs to ship more Ubuntu compatible PCs and to create Ubuntu powered HDTVs, smart phones, and tablets in mass ready for consumption and production.

Ten years from now, who knows what exactly will happen. My prediction is that Ubuntu will continue to flourish and there will be several hundreds of millions of Ubuntu users worldwide. It will finally gain mainstream popularity and street credibility among PC enthusiasts and average users alike. Ubuntu will always offer a free product that does not feel cheap or skimps on popular software apps or is devoid of interesting multimedia content. However, it will take more revenues and funding to make it happen. It will also take a longer period of time since Canonical is fighting in a three person marathon with Apple in the lead and Microsoft nipping at its heels. Ubuntu has already met the parent and grandparent test of usability. It is easy and friendly enough for older adults especially whites to acquire, install, and use for free. Now, the test is to gain footing among the precious teenagers up through the mid forties adults that comprise the majority of consumer spending worldwide. Canonical needs to spend more time and effort on marketing Ubuntu as a viable alternative to this prized demographic. It has to be able to offer slick new gadgets at competitive prices with the value add ons of freedom and liberty along with security and features. Ubuntu has to free itself from the tethers of the PC and it has to find itself in the tablet and smart phone markets more quickly. At this point, it is clearly behind the curve just like Microsoft Corporation is at this point with the imminent release of Windows 8 and Office 2013 worldwide, but real world professionals, consumers, and enthusiasts already rely on Microsoft products and services on a daily basis so the transition will be smoother for them. Canonical has to be a trailblazer and it must forge its partnerships and alliances with tier one OEMs and household brand names in the electronics industry more quickly or else it will be too little too late.

TheMTtakeover
September 25th, 2012, 04:13 AM
Dude the length of your posts are killing me! hahahaha! But seriously though I have a love/hate relationship with OSX, Win, and Linux. They are all good options IMO, but they all have things that could be better.

Myki
September 25th, 2012, 08:10 AM
Dude the length of your posts are killing me! hahahaha! But seriously though I have a love/hate relationship with OSX, Win, and Linux. They are all good options IMO, but they all have things that could be better.

I've got to admit the wall of text threw me off a bit. I felt like, "Okay, I pretty much get it's a rave about Ubuntu... I don't need to read it all, I mean, I can just agree with the subject and call it a day..." XD

:lolflag:

I did read it though! o_O

In fact, I too have trouble convincing family and friends to make the switch. Even when I show them on my laptop, how great it is running Ubuntu. I get the nod of approval, but when I mentioned them using it, nope.

Always an excuse. >_>

A lot of people just fear change. Even if it's easy.

vexorian
September 25th, 2012, 04:35 PM
I am OS gnostic and proud. I see using proprietary OSes akin to using plastic containers. Sure it might be convenient, but eventually all that plastic is going to the ocean and making our lives more terrible. I'd rather not promote lock-in or monopolies. Not ever. The only proper use for windows is inside VirtualBox.

orange2k
September 25th, 2012, 05:17 PM
I am OS gnostic and proud. I see using proprietary OSes akin to using plastic containers. Sure it might be convenient, but eventually all that plastic is going to the ocean and making our lives more terrible. I'd rather not promote lock-in or monopolies. Not ever. The only proper use for windows is inside VirtualBox.

I don't think so - running in VirtualBox does not enable you to play games or to use many other features in the OS and other software. I have dual boot Win7/Ubuntu 12.04 system and when I have to I switch to Windows for some tasks...

I think KiwiNZ is right - you should use whatever is usefull and most productive...

mamamia88
September 25th, 2012, 05:23 PM
I don't think so - running in VirtualBox does not enable you to play games or to use many other features in the OS and other software. I have dual boot Win7/Ubuntu 12.04 system and when I have to I switch to Windows for some tasks...

I think KiwiNZ is right - you should use whatever is usefull and most productive...

has anyone tried using dual harddrives one for windows one for linux and then using hibernate to switch between operating systems? last time i tried hibernate on ubuntu it would bring up the grub menu again. would assume that this would be faster than rebooting entirely? or better yet have dual ssds one with windows and one with linux and some kind of mechanical switch for flipping between both instantly? is that even possible?

SeanIM
October 4th, 2012, 08:20 PM
An OS agnostic LOL...love it.

I kind of feel the same way but finally with the latest update of Ubuntu and my ability to finally do screencasting lets me know if I wanted I could use Ubuntu for 'everything' I need.

I do still have a little love for Windows just because of a few programs I'm used to using like Camtasia, Lightroom, etc.

But if it came down to it...I could drop all windows now and be fine with it.

That's a great feeling.

2 thumbsup


I am OS agnostic, I see uses for Linux, Windows, BSD OSX etc etc. If used correctly in the right circumstances all OS's can be said to be amazing.

litiform
October 12th, 2012, 09:21 PM
It def my fav OS that I've used. But it is difficult to switch from Windows to Ubuntu, especially if you don't know much about computers.