Why do you choose Ubuntu over Windows

[oldefoxx]

It's Christmas Eve, and I am back in the saddle again. I celebrate Christmas for the purpose that it exists, but I won't go all religious here on you. But years ago it came to mind that we should be exchanging presents as part of our New Year's celebration instead of at Christmas. Here is why:

Gift exchanging, instead of being in celebration of the greatest gift that God has given man, has become the primary reason for the season and detracts from the recognition of what God did for all of us. So call that reason number 1.

Reason 2. Better sales after the Christmas rush, so able to get better bargains and confront fewer crowds who still do it the Christmas way.

Reason 3. You get some gifts at Christmas, so now you know how much to spend on that person in turn, or whether to even give them a gift.

Reason 4. Any gifts you get at Christmas that you don't really want can be rewrapped and passed along to someone else for New Years.

Reason 5. The previous reason means you don't have to worry about not having a sales receipt which keeps you from just returning it to whatever store it was bought from.

Reason 6. Gift exchanging and checking out your gifts gives you something else to do while you wait for midnight to arrive New Year's Eve.

Reason 7. Now you can sleep late on Christmas morning without the kids trying to get you up - assuming you hid the received Christmas gifts until later. Otherwise, they will wake you up early anyway.

Sorry to get off topic, but it is just once a year anyway. And don't forget, Ubuntu can make a great gift for someone as well, and the price is hard to beat.

[oldefoxx]

Christmas was nice. Just me and my wife Christmas Eve, though shetook many phonecalls from family and friends. We each opened a present from our eldest son and his wife, which included gift cards for each of us. Christmas day we enjoyed dinner at a friend's with some of her family, partly because she's been widowed for a couple of years now and needs the company.

Thinking on the gift card, which is to Best Buy, I shopped their site online. They had some stuff in the wireless area that I was tempted by, but I could not quite settle on anything, either due to price, some limitation found in the description, or because of some of the customer reviews that I read, so I decided to put off the decision and hope something better would turn up later.

I next tried to check out www.ebay.com, but while some deals looked promising, and the sellers had good ratings, I checked each model out for reviews, and either there were too few to get a good feel, or there were some downright negative ones, and I felt a 4.0 out of 5.0 should be near a minimum, so was not awed by 2.5 out of 5.0 when I saw it.

There are a couple of other good sites worth checking out, but I felt if I wanted a real deal, I had best see what comgeeks at www.geeks.com had to offer. And sure enough, I not only found some great deals there, but I found where I could get both a wireless-n router with four ethernet ports and a expresscard/34 wireless-n each for less than $20, so I got a double deal for about what I was prepared to spend for just one. That was the easy part. The hard part was picking from a wide selection, and that did take a while.

So if my notebook's Wireless-G adapter turns out to be bad, I can just go with the ExpressCard add-in. I might go with it anyway, since Wireless-N is potentially faster and reaches farther anyway. And the Wireless-N router with the 4 ethernet ports let's me add wireless to my present network, great for testing, great for guests, and gives me more mobility at home. I just could not use the gift card, but I told my wife that she was free to use it for anything she wanted from Best Buy for herself.

The thing I am not giving up at this point is the freedom and flexibility that I get by moving to Linux, most specifically to Ubunty. Windows is not even in the equation. My wife's best friend needs me to find out what it will take to get Embird to run on her notebook with Vista installed, and so far, after some hours of work, I only know what doesn't work. For her sake, I will stay with it until I find an answer, but on my notebook which my wife is free to use, the answer was a simple one: Ubuntu + VirtualBox + Windows + Embird made it vastly simpler to solve.

[avacado]

I would like to see some practise instructions in the documentation.
For example, how to download a sample.tar2.bz or whatever it is called and do that make instal CLI thing and then as a reward you get a pretty picture or something.
That might stimulate people to experiment with the dreaded "Compiling a kernel" which to a windows user sounds like you are smart enough to re-write the whole operating system.
The reason I use ubuntu is because I believe in the capacity of the community to do better. Respecting the copyright for windows is a little like respecting the ownership of the church for inventing mass publication. The concept of 'book' does not belong to a person any more than an 'operating system' is intellectual property. an operating system is a cultural form and public property.
I am not interested in microsoft bashing, so I will ask the ethical question in this way-
Which operating system is available without cost where resources (ie. licensing fees) are scarce and access to computing will save lives?

[MBLGUY80]

I am a new Linux user as of well, yesterday. I am muddling my way through it. One thing I like about it is, the stability. I do wish the networking were a bit easier. Because Microsoft is a proprietary software company only, it can take a minute to get software ready to use with Linux.

This is what Linux has always sought to change. I don't mind paying someone for support as some Linux downloads require because I am paying a person to help me, not make the software. I like the fact that once I get to know it better, I will be able to customize things how I want them. It is a bit like going back to 10th grade on computers at some points.

Fortunately, I have found some really awesome freeware programs that have helped replace the ones that I cannot use in Linux at this time such as Quicken 2010. Why pay for it when you can get the same program for free?

The only other problems I have experienced is printing to my network printer because the printer is so new. Ubuntu doesn't recognize it quite yet. I think once you begin to use Linux you will see that it is not so bad.

[alexkaz]

I've just configured my dual boot with Win XP and Ubuntu.
I needed Ubuntu because many of our graduate courses require downloading software (which we can't do on a campus computer) and that need to be compiled with C or C++ and need to communicate between the PC and external microcontrollers and processors.

There is a ridiculous barrier with WinXP to set up a port and communicate with an XBee RF or ZigBee.

So. 1) the opensource free ware nullifies cost of purchasing software.
2) the software user forums are highly supportive, within the last 5 days I 've had at least 8 time-consuming glitches and within 24 hours with Q&A from Ubuntu forum, we could work through them.
3)easier interface between software packages
4) in need of a gcc and g++ compilers, they were easier to install on Linux OS than attempting Cygwin on WinXP.

[omskates]

I would like to see some practise instructions in the documentation.
For example, how to download a sample.tar2.bz or whatever it is called and do that make instal CLI thing and then as a reward you get a pretty picture or something....and receive 3volts for doing it wrong:P. Sort of like this except for with Ubuntu perhaps? (same basic principle) howextract... (http://rhinoweb.us/howtoextractatarball.htm) Truthfully you shouldn't have to compile or extract tarballs as an end user.


.........the software user forums are highly supportive, within the last 5 days I 've had at least 8 time-consuming glitches and within 24 hours with Q&A from Ubuntu forum, we could work through themI agree, This is on my top list of why I stay with Linux.

MBLGUY80, welcome to Linux in general whatever distro you use. Ubuntu and derivitives of is a great way to go.:) Good start to the new year!:KS

Somehow I just don't see proprietary software in the future. We will have advanced far beyond buying software at the corner electronics store. Having the software you need will be so easily built via user friendly GUI that its second nature to doing a little garden work in the backyard. "Honey can you whip up a program for my......?" "Why certainly, I'll just need to ask you a few questions and then walk through the app builder." "Thanks sweetheart, you're so good to me, kiss, kiss."

[oldefoxx]

App Building has been a concept in the works ever since they came up with the notion of creating software modules and interfaces, the idea being that once suitable code is developed for doing something in particular, you can just reuse it as part of something different and save time and money.

You can look at the Windows APIs (Appliance Programminmg Interfaces) as one example that works, to a certain degree. The only real problem is that there is not an API for every possibility, the APIs do evolve and expand over time, meaning old apps cannot take advantage of this with newer OSes, and new apps will not run successfully where certain APIs have not evolved yet, like on earlier versions of Windows. You also have to find and usually pay for documentation on the APIs so as to use them yourself. And learning to program on one system essentially precludes you from repeating all that time and effort to learn to program just as effectively on another system.

Look at it this way:

Suppose you had it in mind to have a custom-built car, or a home built just to your requirements? Sounds promising, but would you be satisfied with off-the-shelf components put together by someone like yourself, or would you be happier with someone really versed in the arts doing it for you? Doing it yourself will likely take a lot longer with no guarantee of outcome, and is probably not for everyone. That means prepackaging is still going to be a big attention getter, even for those that might choose to take on the job of doing some of it themselves.

Linux does tend to bring that matter to the fore, more so than Windows. But if you were to get with Windows more, you might find out similar things where it is concerned. Then it does not seem so easy any more. Take the decision to move up to a newer version of Windows, and the impact that can have as you try to sort out everything that will be involved. Can your existing PC handle it or not? What type of CPU and memory upgrades might be involved? What would be the net gain or cost? Would it be better to just buy an new system? Hard choices, and yet all you were trying to do is stay current with what Windows has to offer.

What I tend to see here is, that for those that want only a surface contact with PCs and can afford to follow their bents, Windows will likely be the only way to go. You ever have to get below the surface, or start challenging the premise of reinvesting periodically just to have it a little bit better, then a move towards Linux begins to make a lot more sense.

[DLM955]

I had XP on a laptop and it was so slow, always froze in the middle of my work from day one,doing Itune downloads,playing DVDs,the cost of antivirus alone will break you,I had so many virus attacks I thought I would wear out hard drive reinstalling.Now it has Kubuntu on it only and it operates like it has new CPU,motherboard and more mem.I never would have thought it could be improved so much by just changing the OS.I liked it so much I am now dual booting all my computers to see which linux version can inprove there performance.

[aeon.flux]

i had vista for 2 years. last month i had a problem: when turned pc on, just logged in and system used 80% of processor? :D so i reinstalled system and after 1 week it was the same... so i moved to windows 7 RC, that was ok, but after a while it couldn't connect to net, couldn't even copy/move files on disk, so i moved to linux. a friend told me that ubuntu is best for amateurs. after month of using ubuntu i tried openSuse and fedora, but non of that impressed me...

ps - i will NOT PAY for something that is NOT BETTER than the *FREE one.

*open source

[Torchmann]

I got sick and tired of spending a few hundred dollars a year on software to have it disabled in less than a year requiring an "update" and finding out later that the update is another subscription to use the software another year. If I paid for the software it should work indefinitely regardless of if I want to upgrade or not. subscription pay method is the type of "update" where the developers didn't add anything to the utility but want to sell it again
In other words the business model catering to windows based software is corrupt and evil and if I don't like it, guess what??? I really don't have to use it :P
The government owns most of microsoft anyway. I don't need to be supporting anyone who's objective is to better their situation by sneaking or outright taking more obedience and financial support from me than what would have been appropriate prior to president Lincoln's administration.
As technology increases efficiency and productivity, the burden of governance should diminish not increase.
I guess you could say my reasons are mostly financial with a minority opinion as to the politics of the thing.

[ronniestamps]

* Stability / Reliability
* I can always have the latest version, even when I'm broke
* Speed... especially without an AV slowing things down
* Trust... I just DO NOT trust Micro$oft to keep things honest
* Security
* If my system fails (software) I am not at the mercy of my bank account
* Keeps foreign hands off my computer!
* I like being different - I just love it when a friend or a client sees my computer, especially when I spin my compiz cube desktop on my dual 21" monitors, and their jaw hits the floor and instantly think I am the geek of all geeks. "WHOA! WTF is that?!"

[oldefoxx]

I realized this morning as I made an entry on another thread that there are deep core issues related to Linux that have yet to be addressed. In all probability they will not be addressed, simply because they are too massive to tackle and scale by individuals.

That's not to say that there aren't also matters of equal importance when dealing with Windows, but what these issues span and whom they effect the most are at wide variance. Linux does some things right, and Windows can be said to do other things right, and these don't necessarily overlap.

Some examples: Most of us who have had to deal with the Registry think that this is something that Windows got wrong, so Linux must be right because it does not have a Registry. That is a rather obvious one.

Second example: Windows has Plug 'n' Play, which actually works pretty good, and sure makes it easier when it comes to adding new things to our PCs. Linux is doing better when it comes to detecting some common itens, like graphic cards. but getting an All-In-One to work fully with it is another story. Or a wireless card, or a scanner. Fact is, you keep finding posts here and there where someone is forced to consider replacing some piece of hardware because Linux won't recognize or work with it the way that Windows will.

A story coming to light from my reading is that some people object to Linux since it won't run their favorite programs, particularly games. Yes, that might be a hardship, but what is worse is for someone interested in Linux to have to reinvest in some of the hardware because what he has will not work under Linux, and he still wants all that he has. This is a double strike against Linux, and I am not sure it will ever be resolved.

Certainly a community that depends so much on individual contributions is rather at the mercy of that person's devotion to his persuit. As it happens, the person given to deal with making a certain wireless adapter work under Linux just suddenly stopped, and it took a couple of years for two others to get a hold on the project well enough to try and remove it from his grasp and attempt to bring it forward. Indications are that it is still far from complete. That is at least another half strike against moving to Linux, unless you can find and live by a list of To Buy items that fit with your intent on using Linux.

Stay with Windows, buy new software and possibly new hardware, Go with Linux, maybe just buy new hardware, but fewer choices since few OEMs provide devices for use in a Linux world. There are of course some crossover solutions, where you can try to have it both ways, but some are simply not persuaded to even get that far.

Don't think there is any simple answer. A thread like this just runs on forever because there are no clinching arguments. You have choice, it is your decision, but whatever you choose, someone else will disagree with.

[blackSP]

Cause I hate Microsoft.
That's no reason you say?
Well, it is!

[mk1w86]

Because of things like this: :biggrin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tX4N2oUa2Q

[triplesquarednine]

it seems like the theme to what you are talking about is essentially lack of drivers in linux for hardware.
-i believe as more and more people are using linux, eventually manufacturers will have to adjust to the needs of the masses. more and more i read about linux being sold inside of the desktop. as this happens you will see more and more hardware that is compatible with linux, contrary to what you may think it doesn't just rest on an individual to make hardware work under linux. at this point maybe, but probably not in the future, so much....

you often hear people complain that their games don't run under linux. you also hear these exact same people diss Apple's - MacOSX for the same reason....in the case of apple - apple computers aren't for gaming and probably never will be. i feel to a lesser point that the same is true with linux. MS encouraged game developers to use this like DirectX to develop games - to keep them in the MS camp. and i don't see that arrangement changing. if you play games, Windows is the only OS of choice. period.

that being said, people like Adobe pay codeweavers to ensure things like photoshop can operate under linux. which it does, just fine(i use it). the same is the case with many other companies/programs. you see companies like loomer making Native VST's for linux, ports of their Windows and OSX VST's. and this will become more and more common.
lots of windows software can run great under linux...most of them with little effort of my part to setup. but i am no gamer, i am into system administration, pentesting and multimedia.... i do not use MS at all on my machines, and what software i do use that was written for Windows, runs great under linux/unix.

in the end it is a choice, and i like that.

[sakistux]

For all the reasons below:

- Stability
- Safety
- Up to date system
- Usability

Thanks!

[vrkalak]

I just thought I'd relay a funny story I saw on television a couple days ago. I searched the internets to verify the story, as true.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It seems that this past weekend there was a huge New Technology Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Any body who is anybody, in the technology world was there, with booths demonstrating their newest techno-stuffs.
Companies were showing the new Android and several of the new touch-screen, internet active cell-phones and hand-held devices.

Of course, Microsoft and Apple were there giving Demos of their new Operating Systems, as was Google.

Well, in one of the big auditoriums there was a presenter from MicroSoft demonstrating the new Windows-7 Operating System.

Apparently, the demonstrator was using an H-P laptop with Windows-7 on it, and he was using the Convention Centers Sound and Lighting System to project 'his' desktop onto the main screen for all to see.
At some point in the middle of his Demo of Windows-7, he clicked the wrong button on his controller, and the Windows-7 Demo switched off and 'his' true desktop environment showed on the screen.
To his embarrassment it took him a couple minutes to get the program running again, and he continued with his Demo.

What the spectators saw when the program abruptly stopped, was that while the presenter was showing a Demo of MS Windows-7, his laptop was actually running Ubuntu. And Windows-7 was in Virtual Box.

After, the Demo Presentation was over, he opened the 'floor' for a Question and Answer Session. The first 10 questions or so were about Ubuntu. http://forums.linuxmint.com/images/smilies/icon_redface.gif

They failed to mention, if this presenter, 'still' worked for MS?

[qchapter]

I choose Xubuntu over Ubuntu and Windows. :-)

fast
quite stable
supports various laptop hardware with little finagling
Not too cutting edge
Packages not too old either
relatively secure
nice artwork/theme
large and helpful community
free as in freedom

-qchapter

[gjoellee]

My post is the other way around. After I got a new laptop, I noticed that my soundcard is not supported before kernel 2.6.32, but the graphic card driver is not supported for later then 2.6.31 at he moment. That gives me the choice between hangups due to graphical problems, or no sound. I just have to wait.

Other reasons why I use Windows 7 is because I have customized it a lot, and hacked it so I achieve better functionality and performance then what I am able to get in Linux. (Maybe in the future Linux!). I also prefer applications to run natively in my OS (usually avoids a lot of problems), and I need some applications that work horrible through WINE.

Anyways I still hate Windows, and love Linux.

[The Foz]

For me there is a clinching argument, even if only temporarily. A couple of weeks ago, my laptop started to no longer accept keyboard input when running Windows-XP. After various experiments (tried an external keyboard, etc, but there is a limit to what can be done when you can't log in), I decided to try re-installing Windows, but ran into the same issue since you need to type in the user account details and licence key.

The machine is now a Linux-only PC, and the keyboard (and indeed everything else) works flawlessly.

I am pretty certain that the problem with the laptop is a hardware failure, but Ubuntu Linux works fine with this piece of dodgy kit. Until I can justify a new laptop, There will be no Windows in this house (at least no machines that boot into Windows - I have some Windows virtual machines on my server).

[fancypiper]

Another long one!

I may still have the Windows XP oem install disk, but it's rather dated now.

I choose Linux over Windows because:

1. It's free for the download, which is important to someone on disability.
2. There are tons of software available and I like choice.
3. Linux is more stable than any Windows flavor I have tried.
4. Linux is logical and configurable, Windows is mysterious and goes wonky when you try to configure it to work as you want.
5. I can do my work and play easier in Linux than in Windows.
6. The games available in Linux entertain me better than the Windows games as the Windows games tend to crash the entier OS. In Linux, the game may crash but I don't have to reboot.
7. Linux and open source software handles my multimedia better than does Windows.
8. Linux installs are simpler and faster than Windows and I don't have to search for hardware drivers with the later releases. I only need the graphics driver, Windows I even had to search for a program for my tv card, DVD drive, graphics and one other that I have forgotten.
9. Nearly all the software I have installed is handled with repositories and apt-get or Synaptic (I haven't explored the Ubuntu Software Center yet).
10. I just can only think of one thing that I did in Windows that isn't easier in Linux, and that is browsing web sites designed for Windows (and perhaps Apple) only.

GNU/Linux fits all my computing needs better, faster and cheaper than the high priced Microsoft products.

[oldefoxx]

I am going to steer this topic around some corners, just to see what the outcome might be.

For instance, we all know that buying a new computer means that you get the software that is preinstalled on it, some you want, some you don't. But just how much did it jack up the price to also get that preinstalled software as well? In other words, how much could you save if you bought a system without software and added your own?

Use to be, when PCs ran into many thousands of dollars, the software was cheap as it was separately priced in the hundreds. But now that the hardware has dropped into the hundreds of dollars, do we see the same decrease in software prices? If not, why not?

Can you get PCs without all the software included? Actually, they get sold all the time. Most describe them as being bare bones, but if the cpu, ram, leyboard, mouse, DVD/CD drive, and hard drive are included, all you really lack is the software and a monitor. You generally get the monitor separately anyway. And as Linux demonstrates all the time, you can have the software for nothing and still have some real choice in what to settle for, That's actually better than the normal deal where the vendor and Microsoft dictate which operating system you get with it, plus what additional packages they include, most of which have to be paid for after a brief trial period by signing up for subscription plans and giving them an account number, which they will reuse yearly until you take the necessary steps to cancel it.

What is characteristic about Linux that makes it better than Windows? We already mentioned the lack of a Registry, and believe me, that is a big bonus for Linux. But here is another: All user accounts are set up under /home, and you can reeinstall that version of Linux or replace it with any other version that does the same and keep your user data and other things of importance by just not reformatting the partition that you designate where the /home folder resides. The installs will just strive to replace the system folders and files that fall outside of /home.

It turns out that there is a limit to this though, because if somehow a critical setting gets messed up, but the reinstall attempts to only replace certain system folders and files, then that critical setting will still be bad after the new install. But as I found from experience, these critical settings are not found under /home with the user accounts. Instead, they appear to be part of configuration files left intact rather than replaced by the install process.

There is a way to beat this though: You launch a LiveCD, enter Terminal mode and use sudo -s to become superuser, then follow these steps:

First, identify the root or / drive you want to apply this install to. It must have a prior Linux install on it. I have two on my notebook, one at /dev/sda3 and the second at /dev/sda5. Suppose I want to reinstall over the one on /dev/sda3, but leave the user accounts alone

dir /media/A3 ;see it there is a folder named A3 under /media
mkdir /media/A3 ;if A3 does not exist, make it
mount -t ext3 /dev/sda3 /media/A3 ;now mount the file system there
dir /media/A3 ;see what is on that drive right now

You will see a list of folders, some of which will be named:
bin boot cdrom dev etc home lib lost+found media mnt opt proc sbin selinux srv sys tmp usr var

The only folder we are concerned with retaining is the /home folder and everything in it. So we skip over that. For the others, we use a command like this:

rm -R /media/A3/bin
rm -R /media/A3/cdrom
rm -R /media/A3/dev
rm -R /media/A3/etc
rm -R /media/A3/lib

The rm stands for remove. The -R means repeat, or range through any included subfolder and do the same thing there. This lets us get rid of a folder, subfolders, and all contained files in one step. But we have to do this for each folder, one by one, because if we did a rm -R /media/A3, we would delete everything on that drive, including the folder in /media, and including /home, which we don't want to do.

With all that done, we can just close the Terminal and tell the LiveCD to go ahead and install itself. It will ask us for a user account info, and we put in the same user info we used originally. Now when the installer sees this, it just adapts to the present /home/[username] arrangement. This is good, meaning we don't lose that account's contents.

This is much better than Windows on a reinstall, because Windows actually creates a new account, and does this by renaming the existing account to something else. So even if you succeed in reinstalling Windows, it screws up your user accounts so that it takes someone with administrative rights to get in there and copy what is yours over to the new account it set up for you that you did not ask for.

Now Linux does balk a bit if there are multiple user accounts. It leaves them intact, but the installer does not really deal with them. And when you try to add the same users back later, it balks because they apparently already exist, since a subfolder by that name already is in place. With administrative rights you can overcome this, but I haven't found a glorious way to do this. But at least their contents are still there after the reinstall.

Actually, it isn't all that hard to make it so that you can log into the GUI as root, and with Places to start at, you can mark all of the old account settings to paste into the new one, and that handles it pretty well. But I don't think I am going to be encouraged to tell you how to set up your PC to have root get into GUI like this, but there are more than enough postings on the Internet to guide you if you need it.

I think that is another key corner to turn. With Linux, there is likely to be a way, and with the internet and forums at hand, it might be no further than a brief search away, I never got that feeling about Windows, it was always "Maybe in the next release". Microsoft gets a bit ahead in its years-long pursuit of the next release, and you feel that they've abandoned you to just what you have in hand.

I've noted over the years that there are essentually three types of updates and service packs that come out for Windows. The most pronounce and evident are classified as security patches. If they didn't patch holes in Windows and the applications coming from Microsoft, they might get a bad name and have fewer clients next year. So get those first. The non-critical patches? No real importance there, make the user search for them on their own. That's the separation between the first and largest group, and the second.

The second group are still entangled with security. Why should third party sources garnish all the credit and profit from selling products to protect your PC from attack? Windows has some of its own, though none worth much, but they don't charge extra for them either. Just goes to prove that Microsoft will go the extra mile to prove how safe and secure its products are, right? Oh, and let's slip Genuine Advantage into this group. Not so much because of added security, but it does serve to protect or improve Microsoft's chances of selling its products at a nice profit by targeting pirates or anyone that wants to put their copy of Windows on another PC.

The third group involves some added aspect to Windows as a way to mark that you need Windows more than any other brand for something. Let's see, how about tackling video and sound to enhance games, photos, music, and other areas of outside interest? Yes. So you get DirectX, Media Player, Picture It! and similar acts of devoted attention to some focused areas in order to squirm Windows back to the top of the heap again. But caution here, we don't want too much retroactive improvement, or people might be tempted to just enhance what they already have rather than enticing them to buy all over again just to get some new feature or capability.

I think three groups about covers it. Can't recall anything of note that falls outside this range. Others might though. I think in a way you could say that Windows is a culmination of what works best for Microsoft. Linux seems to have another target or objective in mind. Let's call that the End User.

Oh, the thing about getting rid of the folders other than /home? Learned with some experience. Something gets messed up, like the screen resolution gets way off or suddenly the notebook's touchpad does not appear to be detected or work, and you put a different distro of Linux on the drive without deleting those folders, and the same problem may show up there, unresolved.

It had to somehow be linked to the software, but it was not in the user accounts, meaning it had to be outside, and how could I be sure of getting rid of it? That is what the steps above did for me, allowed me essentially to get back control of my machine's configuration settings by really starting over, and it worked. Thought it was worth passing along.

[fancypiper]

I have a separate /home partition, so if I choose to format /, doesn't that essentially do the same thing?

[oldefoxx]

I have a separate /home partition, so if I choose to format /, doesn't that essentially do the same thing?

I would have to say yes. Actually, I can only judge that there are mysterious config settings involved, I have no real idea where they are or what name the files go by. so my method is just a quick fix.

If all settings were handled collectively, then you might just have to delete one file of folder. And that might be the case here, but I have no way of knowing at the moment. I just run into a problem of some sort and try to work around it. If I get around it, I try to identify it well enough for others to do the same thing. I've tried bug reporting, but I don't see that it works very well. At best it just goes off somewhere and that seems to be it. At worse you get responses that it was not properly targeted, or it should be done as a number of bug reports, not one, or that somebody else could not duplicate your findings. I don't know why it happened to me, so how am I suppose to know how it didn't happen for you?

[qchapter]

oldefoxx,

Check out this wiki on the linux file hierarchy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard

-qchapter

[Ralph Hinkley]

I have an older laptop that was originally installed with XP. I did everything I could to clean it out, defrag, remove anything that didn't absolutely HAVE to be there, but it just ran too slow to be of any real use. So I wiped the hard drive clean and installed Ubuntu.

Now my old laptop is running like a champ. Sadly, I don't even use my desktop anymore (which has XP), because I like Ubuntu better. It faster, more reliable and I have a wealth of powerful software applications that are both free and legal! (No more pirating - which is both illegal and risky!)

At this point I just can't think of any reason to go back. Why have to steal software and risk viruses? Or the other alternative is pay through the nose, when I really can't afford it. Plus, as I learn more I get to be part a terrific community of innovative people who all work in their own capacities to help each other out. You just don't get that with Windows.

[Kai69]

Look around you windows is no longer secure if a nation wants security in an os why is it that the US defence uses linux os the london stock exchange, the french police, etc the list goes on.
I use ubuntu because i lost countless hours having to clear viruses and crap off windows pcs and its only going to get worse.
Friday night i had 2 laptops belonging to a workmate running virus cleaners on them 7 hours it took 48 trojons 3 fake antvirus software 28 other viruses one laptop when i logged onto the girls page within 40 seconds all her shortcuts disapered i couldnt even get to the start menu it was falling apart in front of me so rebooted went to her brothers page his luckly wasnt affected so ran my antivirus software from his page. 7 hours to clean one laptop they even had antivirus software installed. The laptop had XP sp3 installed the other laptop was running W7 it had 5 viruses.
As far as im concerned this is unacceptable for a big company like ms to even let this happen dont get me wrong im not a computer wizz just a normal user ive only been running ubuntu since nov09 but i just cant get over how much better it is to windows. Our desktop runs Vista and the kids laptop runs W7 my laptop runs ubuntu9.10 (the wife wont let me put ubuntu on the other pcs yet ) LOL .
And also the great philosopy of linux os and this forum ......

[mamamia88]

i just had an experience that almost made me wipe windows completely. windows update updated my graphics driver. but it had a problem that the screen would go black every time a password prompt would show up. so i decided to remove new driver and install old one. but nvidia wouldn't let me do it. took me half hour or so to realize i needed to reboot first. so i rebooted driver installed fine then i needed to reboot again for driver to work. experiences like this make me want to ditch windows. but i like itunes and subscribe to about 20 podcasts and sometimes my mp3 player bricks when transfered from linux. so right now i'm just running lucid on my netbook.

[oldefoxx]

oldefoxx,

Check out this wiki on the linux file hierarchy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard

-qchapter

Thanks for the tip. I guess I could just do a rm -R /media/A*/etc (where the A* represents the file system's folder name) and see if that suffices.

See. the problem with standards is they have to first be established, then adopted. I'm a programmer working on something new, I might just put a configuration file in my own folder of subfolder rather than mess with all the effort to apply for a new subfolder entitlement under /etc. And then things change as well. Grub2 is changing the nature of how grub works, so editing /boot/grub/menu.lst isn't carrying forward any more. Even with X11, they are dropping the use of /etc/X11/xorg.conf as a way of recording screen resolution settings. Don't know what they are using now.

Like I said, I just went for a quick fix, something that would hammer out every alternative in one fell swoop. It took several remove commands to do it, but it went the distance. Now if I could hurl a basket ball from one basket position the length of the court and ring the other basket every time I tried, then why run the whole distance first? Just because it makes a better show of it? Oh, you want it to look right and keep the crowds happy. Maybe that is why I am not a star today. Note I did not say that I could hurl a ball that distance or that accurately, and I am sure I can't, but it also explains why I never tried.

To quote:
As far as im concerned this is unacceptable for a big company like ms to even let this happen dont get me wrong im not a computer wizz just a normal user ive only been running ubuntu since nov09 but i just cant get over how much better it is to windows. Our desktop runs Vista and the kids laptop runs W7 my laptop runs ubuntu9.10 (the wife wont let me put ubuntu on the other pcs yet ) LOL .

I've argued those same points many times. My wife is equally resistive to such ideas, and after awhile you have to quit laughing out loud. It's way past the point of being funny, especially when you are the one expected to do everything else to keep their boxes clean. You tell them this is the best way to help yourselves, and you get ignored. Just "thanks" (maybe) for the time and effort required to get them back as best you could, knowing already that it isn't going to be enough.

I don't have that much time left myself. I've about reached the stage of saying that I'm past the stage of working on Windows Only PCs. I've wasted too much of everything in trying to do that for too long. You want Windows, you can have it, but don't involve me. You want to get past Windows, I'm your man, but nothing short of that. I can even get your Windows back for most things (maybe not games) by adding VirtualBox or some other VM manager to the mix, and in that context I will handle Windows too, but only because I have it in a rather protected environment.

I've thought fairly well of ZoneAlarm for years, have even added the free version to PCs running Windows for the extra degree of protection. My nephew, who only joined the PC game a few years ago, has told me repeatedly that Zone Alarm has moved to a new protection scheme where it apparently acts as a VM manager as well, putting Windows in a more secure environment. Sounds good, but unnecessary if you adopt Linux and any working form of VM management software. After all, you get all that extra stuff that comes with Linux, free, and you can't say that about any version of ZoneAlarm above the basic free version.

[Kai69]

Hi Oldefoxx to clean out these pcs i used eset nod 32 and because of the fake antivirus programs i used malwarebytes left eset on pc because i know it will work ive used alsorts of antivirus programs over the years most free ones only work on a minimal level waste of time . Not had any callback since if i was doing a new install then i would clean all MS bloat and install eset never had a problem after that and it dosnt slow down pc (Norton/ Mcafee) But if it was my pc i even switch off MS update its the only way i found works to stop windows from crashing 3 years on one pc no problems no viruses :D

[keling]

For the freedom that gives you about anything you want to do. It's open source!! and this explains all!!
We can see the heart of the OS
Nothing is hidden to the user
If user don't say it doesn't do
The philosophy that surrounds linux in generally
You can shape your OS as you like not like microsoft guides

Just can carry on with thousands of reasons

Why most of linux users can manage windows, but most of windows users cannot do it with linux...

Ubuntu is just one of the most nice easy and very stable versions of linux

[XubuRoxMySox]

It's easier than Windows! Click here (http://robinzrants.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/desktop-linux/) (or on the last line of my signature) for an example. Not only is it actually much easier, but even if I totally mess it up, I can re-install it effortlessly and still not lose all my photos, music, documents, e-mail folders and settings, browser bookmarks, even Firefox extensions! Just try that in Windows! Oh, um... nevermind. Don't. You can't do that in Windows.

-Robin

[SlickRick]

The question I give to everyone would be why would you choose windows over ubuntu or Linux. Most people aren't even making that choice. I have this saying "most people use windows because MOST people use windows". If everyone chose to switch to Linux tomorrow, i can guarantee that the problems that plague Linux would disappear. Every game would be made for or ported to Linux, hardware would be made for Linux to run on, etc..

(sorry if this was mentioned, I haven't read the whole thread at the time of posting)

[beetleman64]

Why did I choose Ubuntu over Windows? Simple: speed. When I ran Windows Vista HP I would often wait around 3 or 4 minutes for it to be usable but now with Linux I can use it in just over 1 minute. I suppose the transition was made easier by the fact that gaming duty is carried out by my PS3 and I was already using Firefox, OpenOffice, etc. on Windows.

[juancarlospaco]

Because Bill Gates New WebSite runs on Linux for one reason. (http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatesnotes.com%2F)

[Psychodox]

It's a small thing, but, I like controlling my computer, and Windows really doesn't like that.

[alwayshere]

Its FREE !!;)

[qchapter]

Because Bill Gates New WebSite runs on Linux for one reason. (http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatesnotes.com%2F)


Nope, that website runs on IIS. Netcraft is probably picking up linux from a proxy.

That being said, I'm sure it would be much more stable on Linux/Apache. ;-)

[sudoer541]

the only thing I can think of is, because its secure thats all for me.

[Tibuda]

It's easier than Windows! Click here (http://robinzrants.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/desktop-linux/) (or on the last line of my signature) for an example. Not only is it actually much easier, but even if I totally mess it up, I can re-install it effortlessly and still not lose all my photos, music, documents, e-mail folders and settings, browser bookmarks, even Firefox extensions! Just try that in Windows! Oh, um... nevermind. Don't. You can't do that in Windows.

-Robin

you can if you setup separate partitions

[dwflo]

It is not Window$

[k64]

Because Windows XP is crippleware. Linux at least HAS a media center in the repos. In XP, you have to pay a premium for a media center.

Also: Linux has the ability to access a repo by default. In any Windows installation, you have to install software manually, which is so strenuous on average users: to have to purchase software, accept the license, select the directory, and install the software.

In Linux, it's automatic. First of all, the software is free. Secondly, there's no directory to select: Software is automatically installed in /usr/bin. Third, there's a universal license for all the software: The GPL. Fourth, the package manager handles all software installation.

[schauerlich]

Third, there's a universal license for all the software: The GPL

Uhhh. No.


Fourth, the package manager handles all software installation.

If it's in the repos and it's the version you want. If it's not, have fun compiling and tracking down dependencies.

[Zoot7]

Linux at least HAS a media center in the repos. In XP, you have to pay a premium for a media center.
There's plenty free media applications out there for Windows.

[k64]

Because Bill Gates New WebSite runs on Linux for one reason. (http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatesnotes.com%2F)

Yes, but it runs on M$ IIS, probably in Wine.

[schauerlich]

Yes, but it runs on M$ IIS, probably in Wine.

http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2003/08/17/wwwmicrosoftcom_runs_linux_up_to_a_point_.html

[juancarlospaco]

Nope, that website runs on IIS. Netcraft is probably picking up linux from a proxy.
That being said, I'm sure it would be much more stable on Linux/Apache. ;-)

VM over Linux Host, Virtualized, i already scanned.

[emma00]

I came to know Linux when my windows get crashing and crashing due to modem drivers,i tried everything but could not resolve it and i take a risk and installed fedora 11 than switched to Ubuntu.Am really surprised everything is fine.But still i have to use windows for gaming and for some other softwares.It will take a time to learn it.

But am never going back to windows permanently,enough of their crap.

[luffy_chan_19]

I love ubuntu, and will continue using it. i love the fact that there is no tedious crap to installing and configuring applications, there is no need for licenses because it is all free and runs on the same licenses. but i have been running into slight issues envolving random crashes. i know it just might be my hard drives failing on me since i have been using these drives for at least 5 years now.

[marseille]

when ubuntustudio broke out, it was just the first of many reasons... but even before that, i walked -- no, not walked but CRASHED -- away from windows and was forced into linux literally by microsoft windows accident.

my first experience was on debian based distros and it was actually debian that motivated me to go pure ubuntu.

i was impressed with all the audio gear in the debian repositories but ubuntu just makes it soooooo convenient and it's a lotta fun:)

ubuntu has EXCELLENT documentation; i feel comfortable at forum -- it's really friendly and super active; and i don't worry about things i shouldn't have to worry about, like we all must if we use windows.

short and sweet... ubuntu lets me be an end user most of the time.

with windows, i constantly had to fix something, fight something or run around online looking to install proprietary madness... there is no package manager in windows and it just can't talk to me like the CLI can... and that brings me to something else: i have adjusted to the ubuntu CLI and now i just don't want to live without it.

and that's some of the reasons why i like and stick with ubuntu;)

[richard270384]

If everyone chose to switch to Linux tomorrow, i can guarantee that the problems that plague Linux would disappear. Every game would be made for or ported to Linux, hardware would be made for Linux to run on, etc.

Sure the current problems would be gone, but there'd be a whole lot of new ones! There'd be more of a reason for virus and spam makers to target linux for starters. They'd find a way to break machines for their own uses.

[dE_logics]

As a new Linux user, I chose ubuntu to learn stuff, then I switched to Gentoo permanently.

Everyone says there's a long way for Linux to go to the desktop...I cant agree more. To make Ubuntu desktop ready, it has to mimic XP, people don't understand any other GUI...that's what's happening here.

[oldefoxx]

I can't agree with the last accessment, about havng to mimic XP. It isn't the XP operating system that needs to be considered so much as the applications that are involved. Linux is ready in my book. But there needs to be one of the following to take place:

A port of Windows applications to Linux
Good duplication of Windows applications that do as well as those under Windows.
A decline in the demand for the applications specific to Windows.

Taken together, some people find they are more than ready for Linux now, and others find that they still lack something essential to make the move at this time.

What you probably need to do is consider exactly what people want and use computers for. We know that email is one of the big items, and if email clients between the operating systems are incompatible with each other, that is going to be a big obsticle.

A large number of people point to games that only work well under Windows. Same thing here.

Office suits are somewhat closer, but if you are practiced and really familiar with Microsoft Office, then anything else will feel odd and different to use. Minor point though, as long as the needed functionality is there and goes as well when you need it. After all, each different make and model of the vehicles we drive lay out the interior differently, and knobs and switches move and change the most.

I think the key holdback here is games. Not just having as good a game, but being able to play the same game, because these are something extra we had to invest in. We want to get our money's worth.

Email, maybe not so much. Getting stored messages and address book contents would be the big issue, and having the same email client would not be quite so important. Still important if we access the same accounts on different PCs with different clients, as the merging the whole together at any one point might prove very hard to do.

I would say that is is more a matter of who and when someone focuses on these key areas and works out acceptable solutions for us all to adopt, and then Linux can surge ahead in the race to the end.

[Vignesh S]

1. Its so damn customisable and is so easy to do so :-D (major winning point for me)
2. I don't have to freak out over viruses and malicious threats directed to Windows
3. So much sleeker and faster than Windows
4. Isn't a system resource hog on older machines

[JoeWheeler]

I use ubuntu because my windows install got swamped with viruses and spyware.

[abu-sakaria]

I choose Ubuntu because of privacy...

[D3V11]

1.The ntfs fat filing system is an abomination to computers. wonder why you don't have to defragment linux?
2. registry errors, anyone?
3. dll hell
4. windows is a healthy environment for viruses. The protected root file system on linux eliminates this unless you don't read the codes you put on your computer.
5. newer versions of windows have all but eliminated autonomy for the user.
6. linux has fvwm, blackbox, gnome, kde, gnome shell, netbook remix, xfce, ect. ect. windows has whatever you bought the version with and is much less customizable.
7. anyone remember service pack 2? gotta love the ms induced bluescreen o'death.
8. 1/3 of the background processes on windows systems.
9. if i uninstall my default browser it won't lock up my system.
10. speaking of that, no ridiculous attachments from program to program so if i uninstall one it doesn't cause a universal system lockdown.

[XubuRoxMySox]

To make Ubuntu desktop ready, it has to mimic XP, people don't understand any other GUI..

I don't want my Linux desktop to look or behave anything like XP! One of the coolest things about Linux is that my desktop can be just about anything I wish it to be; from stark, minimal bare Openbox/Conky to elaborate, wobbly, rotating eye candy.

I can set it up either (or any other) way with far greater ease and simplicity than was possible in Windows.

XP is the only Windows I've ever used, so I can't speak to later versions if they have improved its customizability... but it's a good bet that it's not as simple in Vista or 7 as it is in 'buntu.

Simplicity doesn't mean "mimicking Windows!"

-Robin

[ashwinrao]

1. I don't wish to spoil my HDD by installing Windows :P .
2. I don't wish to accommodate viruses and ad-wares in my local machine.
3. I like the freedom of Linux world using which I can customize my PC.
4. I wish to do real computing with Linux and wish to learn.

There are lot of other reasons, I can update them later.

[Kai69]

Ive used ubuntu now since november. It took me about 3 weeks to get used to how Linux works still dont know much about teminal codeing but it does what i want and thats what is different to windows it does what i want not what the windows os says i cant do.
Ok things i miss, sound quality is not as good, in windows i had HD realtek audio now speakers sound a little tinny but i still have sound my webcam came with a creative lab webcam app sort of like cheese but i could alter settings like zoom and colour thats about it. Oh I lost all of my preinstalled virueses and malware i suppose i have to reinstall windows to get them back.
As for gameing,, PS3 42" 1080p HD tv
yes email is a problem i still dont know how to get my email from live messenger to evolution so i use amsm .
Linux is installed on a lot of electronics today iphones and apps but people dont know as long as it works.
As for windows apps wine just needs more work but ive found apps that dont need windows.
Linux for most people is still seen as computer geek programing I thought that to. As its free people are suspious wheres the catch, it takes us out of our comfort zone some things arent as nice looking in linux as it is in windows..
But above all it works out of the box no drivers to mess with I can have ubuntu set up from putting the cd in to fully operational all files an folders loaded printer working watching a vid with a coffee in less than 2 hours. Windows takes 5-6 hours if it dosnt crash in the meantime or 8 hours if i do the updates and virus scanning.and then a few more days getting the other stuff loaded that i forgot about.
I think i know what im happier with... :D:D:D:D:D

[Rob@ThePCWiz.info]

I ran Windows for a few years, came with my system.
I quickly realized within the first 3 months:
Windows gets virus's from porn sites. Windows gets virus's when you use limewire Windows gets virus's when you download your email Windows gets virus's when you download an interesting program Windows gets virus's when you download bootlegged programs Windows gets virus's when you download keygens to legit program downloads Norton deletes your game music, after detecting a virus in the music files even when you install from a legit CD!!!! Anti-Virus programs come with virus's Virus's come with keyloggers keyloggers come with spamware spamware comes with malware malware comes with windows everything comes from malware malware sucks Winblowz sucks

[4Orbs]

And that's why Microsoft should give everyone a new computer.

[Zoot7]

Simplicity doesn't mean "mimicking Windows!"

-Robin
Exactly! OSX does a pretty good job of offering simplicity and being *Not* Windows.

[Kai69]

ROB@thewiz,
DO NOT download porn that is why you got viruses,, idiot thats what macs are for :lolflag:

[fugazi32]

I ditched any form of Windows completely along time ago...it's pretty obvious why! :)
No more duel-booting, I use Xubuntu as my primary operating system.

[t.rei]

There are three primary reasons to me:

a) Freedom - I get the chance to give something back to the community - be it help, ideas, critics, artwork, code.

b) Features - I have easy access to thousands of great products. And one has to admire the level of professionalism that you find in many many opensource projects these days.

c) Customizability - I get a systems that - after a few hours of customization is specialized to MY way of working. I get a system that assists MY workflow according to MY preferences: thus working alot faster, more fluent and less stressfull.

[3177]

Exactly! OSX does a pretty good job of offering simplicity and being *Not* Windows.

how so, I think there even worse. At least i can run all my windows crap through wine. If I wanted to do the same on Mac I'd have to go and search for a mac copy. No thanks.

[3177]

Every game i ever had on xp runs just fine through wine. a few examples are: GTA San Andreas, ET Quake wars, sim city 4, Firefox(for windows only pugins), and Fruity loops studio 9.

Ubuntu stomps all over windows.

[Chame_Wizard]

I can install Kubuntu on my PS3(since today).:guitar:

[sting3r]

Because it works :)

[RichardLinx]

I don't choose Ubuntu over Windows, but I just remembered an Ubuntu feature I really liked that I don't know how to replicate in Windows 7: Middle click (the mouse scroll wheel) to paste. That way you could copy and paste two seperate things at the same time - You can't do it in Windows 7.

[Silent Warrior]

I second that! :thumbup: I found out about it recently, and, well... Commandline work is now a treat!

"I'm lovin' it!"

(I hope the vast masses visiting these forums can forgive me for quoting the arch-devil.)

[angheloko]

Because the best things in life are free

[thecliff]

I second that! :thumbup: I found out about it recently, and, well... Commandline work is now a treat!

"I'm lovin' it!"

(I hope the vast masses visiting these forums can forgive me for quoting the arch-devil.)

Agreed. Its a beautiful thing.

[Chame_Wizard]

THE CLI is too important for me.:guitar:

[Psychodox]

Linux is about using your computer, and not being told what you can do with your computer.

[Tibuda]

THE CLI is too important for me.:guitar:

http://www.cygwin.com/

[Chame_Wizard]

http://www.cygwin.com/

no thank you,I have Konsole.:P

[steveglenn01]

I don’t use Linux at the moment, but I plan to switch at least partially. I used Windows, then switched to Linux in 2001, but bought an Apple in 2005. Since then I found myself using more and more software I could also get for Linux. I wrote my masters thesis in LyX, create flyers and posters with Scribus, record my music with Ardour and do the writing for my job on a simple text editor. All my mail, calendar etc. is handled via the Google apps and I watch my DVDs with VLC.


I switched my parents to Linux and they did fine, since they mainly use the OpenOffice stuff and some other simple things. But my mother needs Windows for her job, so they switched back – but they were really impressed with Linux and would have liked to continue using it (Ubuntu).


I’d like to switch my girlfriend to Linux since she can do pretty much everything there she does with Windows, but she had a bad experience with SuSE some years ago when it was a pain to configure things how she liked it, so I have to convince her a little bit more, I guess.


But Linux is finally usable, without the need to fiddle with some dubious text files in directories the average user doesn’t want to know and shouldn’t need to know.
In other words: there is no reason not to use Linux.

[dE_logics]

May be it's time to lock this thread to avoid further loads on the database.

[scheck32]

I choose Ubuntu over Windows because I am a network admin (Windows) by day and when I get home at night I just want something that works! :D

[vadarfone]

I have started using Ubuntu a lot more recently, as I have hit up a very intensive course of computing study.

I find the kind of things I am studying actually work better when I try them in Linux, as I have to really learn how they work, as opposed to a highly user friendly version being available in Windows. It is not as direct a way of working, but I learn something new about computing every time I use Ubuntu, and that to me is reason alone to use it.

Really like it on a personal level too. Everything feels fluid and fast, compared to Windows (although I use XP as my Windows version), so newer versions may be better.

I like how it feels like a joint effort between major and minor players and things really do work.

I still use Windows for things that I just can't do in Linux as effectively (I work in the audio field, and a lot of the pro level stuff isn't available on Linux (yet), so need to keep a windows box at hand).

Basically, if I could do everything in Linux, I would. Looking forward to the day when this becomes a reality!

[sbelz79]

I first switched from Ubuntu from Windows because it was renedered completely inoperable by malware, and a friend of mine suggested Ubuntu because of it's relative invulnerability to viruses and spyware. I've stuck with Ubuntu for several reasons- but the main two are: using it encourages me to take personal responsibility for my machine, and the fact that there is such a strong user community.

Windows is set up in such a way that discourages users who aren't certified Windows technicians from going under the hood. If something went wrong, my only option was calling customer support (a tedious process, by which I never actually learned anything about my machine), or taking it to a pro (expensive).

Since installing Ubuntu, I've had some ups and downs, and learned some hard lessons, but I've always been able to find the answers to my questions using the Ubuntu forums. I love that Ubuntu has such a mutually supportive community of users- and not just in the forums. I volunteer at a computer reuse and recycling center that installs Ubuntu on all of the machines they sell in their thrift store, and donate to business and non-profits. They offer classes ranging from a basic introduction to Ubuntu for Windows converts, to GIMP, command-line basics and BASH scripting. They put computers in the hands of people for whom they would otherwise be financially out of reach, and help their customers and volunteers to become more technologically self-reliant. Trying to fulfil their mission with Windows would be far more expensive and involve dealing with complex licensing issues.

[andou]

Basically I dont see any advantages to using linux over windows xp, Im dual booting windows and ubuntu. Ubuntu is nice and all but I dont see anything that would make me prefer it over windows.The only thing i have been using ubuntu for is web browsing playing music/movies (cant play games) which I can do better/hassle free in windows.

So what are the advantages of l using linux over xp?

I think this is a great question, and a couple years ago, I didn't see any advantage either... It was a lot harder for me to do a variety of things that I found really easy to do in Windows... such as set my screen's resolution (http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/uplus-vision-30-monitor-resolution-issues-573098/), but recently I decided to give it a try again.

The main reason I decided to was that I moved and sold the computer I was using. As I moved to a larger monitor with a slower processor, less ram, and a fairly outdated graphics card, I noticed a great deal of lag in Dalaran on my world of warcraft character. I couldn't even tank a heroic, my fps was so bad.

So, I decided to see if I could mess around with Ubuntu and Open GL. There are some tutorials kicking around that helped, but to be honest, installing WoW and Ventrillo was at least as easy and hassle free as it would have been on Windows 7 (my other OS) and I get decent enough FPS to tank 10 man raids. Unfortunately, I can only really DPS 25 man raids now, but with the same settings in Windows I was unable to do even that on this hardware.

Finally, not like anyone pays anyway (except me), and it is only $65 for Windows 7 Pro (http://ultimatestealdeal.com/default.aspx), Linux is free (I didn't actually read all the posts previous to this, but I'm sure quite a few people have gone over that).

[ibates]

I sometimes wonder if it is because I like beating my head against a brick wall.

But more likely it is for essentially the same reasons expressed by Im-Ka.

There is another reason also.

With the introduction of Vista and now Windows 7, and the probable "new OS" Microsoft is deigning in order to get your cash, fundamental changes to the way Windows works are becoming evident. Sooner or later you will need to change from XP. What then?

If you are going to be forced into fundamental changes by a commercial organisation for no other reason than to improve their bottom line, then why not make a fundamental change to a new OS altogether.

Linux or Mac are two OS which offer that alternative. Mac, whilst an excellent OS, puts you right back in the commercial realm. So Linux seems an obvious choice.

Really; between sticking with Windows and changing to another OS, there is no choice in the long term, so why wait? Linux, which is an excellent OS, is here now.

And if you need the mental stimulation of a challenge - Linux definitely offers that option.

[BoGs]

All i have to say if you run windows vista or + google winsxs and check how big it was on your computer.... my old windows 7 was 12gb and slowing my computer in Linux 0 bytes and I am happy

[BigSteve_G]

To cut a long story short - installation, drivers, other programs & daft errors!

To set the scene my brother has this laptop with XP on it only problem his muppet girlfriend has messed the internet settings up or something & has told him he needs to install Windows 7 for it to work right but only a copy of XP is available to him. On her (bad) advice he re-installs Windows afresh before bringing the laptop to me - Displays not right, no sound, no card reader, no wifi & a lot more - worse still no drivers!

Two choices here search the net for drivers (no branding on the laptop could make it VERY hard) & hope to find them, could be 10 min could be 10 hr - or choice 2 install Linux Mint.
He went with Mint = about 15min later EVERYTHING WORKED!

ps Windows XP updates will stop in 4 yrs time but the virus / hackers wont - why pay for the next Windows version when Mint/Ubuntu will be free?

[KyleG545]

i choose ubuntu over windows because
1. its free of viruses.
2.its community support is a heck of alot better than microsoft's.
3.there is alot of good quality application alternetives that are free like gimp and open office.
4.its free
5.less issues with the software
6. most free online games are linux friendly.

honestly the only reason i still use windows is because i play a game called urban terror its a free online multiplayer fps. but its not really linux friendly at least on my computer it laggs and it has a problem viewing recorded demos. but on xp its fine.

other than that i use nothing but ubuntu.

[tcoffeep]

I chose Ubuntu over Windows because I was frustrated with it. Over time, I grew frustrated with Ubuntu, but I do remember it fondly - it opened up a new world of computing to me. I'm back on Windows, but I still have a VM for Funtoo.

[PeteUplink]

I moved from XP to Ubuntu because I had no choice if I wanted to keep this old laptop.

It'd been working fine on XP up til a few days ago and then the BSOD kept cropping up. I couldn't figure how to fix it so I thought I'd use the system restore disks. Only problem with that is the laptop is old (was new in 2002) and when I ran the restore disk it kept on getting a read error. Checked the disk and there was a massive, deep scratch on it (not sure how it happened). Called Toshiba and can't get a replacement... So I thought rather than spend money on a new XP install disk, or bin the laptop (it might be old but it's still suprisingly good), I decided to download Linux and see how that goes.

I installed Ubuntu on Monday, had a few teething problems getting my wireless network to work, but everything seems to run fine now.

[oobuntoo]

This topic may have been discussed before, but I'm too lazy to look for it.:D

I'm a KDE user and I agree that Kubuntu is not the best KDE-distro, yet I'm sticking with it since 2005. Why?

1. It's Debian-based.
2. It has ClearType-like font rendering out of the box.
3. Forum is very helpful, friendly, and well organized.

Is there a KDE-distro out there that meet my 3 reasons? I have used OpenSuse, Red Hat, Mandriva, and Arch in the past.

[abhibharti]

1) Free to download
2) Good community support

only two from me.

[unknownPoster]

1) Free to download
2) Good community support

only two from me.

You just described quite a few distributions out there.

[pbpersson]

1. Very easy to use
2. The majority of things just work
3. LOTS of people use it so any problems I have are already answered on the forum - I don't even need to wait for a reply :)

[jedlacks]

The name sounds cool

x3

[rajeev1204]

1.A professional looking www.ubuntu.com website which showed ubuntu to be a quality distribution.The site was neat and cleanly laid out.
2.Google searches for linux when i was curious on installing linux led me to sites which described ubuntu as easy to use and popular.


Never tried any other distro because didnt have the time for it,But iam seriously considering opensuse also, and i will never try pclinuxos or other distros whos sites are plastered with google ads which shows they dont have money to keep a distro running smoothly.

The rest are not user friendly websites and have the word compile too much written on them.

[madnessjack]

1. Most popular
2. Pitched as the easiest to use (put me off at first, but having flirted with Linux before and failed thought this would now be a good thing)
3. This guy pestered me http://ubuntuforums.org/member.php?u=373057

[NightwishFan]

I would have to say the main reason I do not switch is the packaging. I can install an optimized kernel for a specific workload with a single command. Also DKMS makes it easy to manage certain drivers on said kernels. Debian packages seem so efficient and flexible as well.

Predictability. I am getting a small organization off the ground based on Ubuntu services. We are much like a Linux LUG but we officially support Ubuntu. (Nothing professional mind you, but I hope to reach more people with open source is all). The 'cadence' of Ubuntu releases allows us to plan what we need much better.

[bruno9779]

support
support
support

[MelDJ]

laziness to install tar.gz

[Tibuda]

laziness to install tar.gz

You just described quite a few distributions out there.
:)

[gnomeuser]

Top 3 pros:

1) Apport, it makes reporting bugs so easy
2) It presents a strong and polished high quality GNOME desktop
3) The Mono support is second to none (though still lacking a few applications)

Top 3 cons:

1) The willingness to compromise the user experience for revenue
2) Dragonian copyright assignment policy
3) Inclusion of Ubuntu One so long as the server is non-free

[Tibuda]

3) Inclusion of Ubuntu One so long as the server is non-free

it also includes Empathy (or Pidgin previously), that can connect to Yahoo, AIM and MSN, which have non-free servers.

[Tikkyca]

1.No viruses :D
2.Support
3.Open Source!

[ubudog]

1. Faster
2. Large Community
3. It's not windows

[xpod]

1: It was the very first Distro i discovered, installed and used.
2: It was a breath or fresh air after the first few months i`d just on a computer, with Windows.
3: Nearly 4 years on it continues to be my preferred(comfy?) choice, even though i`ve looked at many others along the way.

Had i Stumbled across another Distro`s homepage back in 2006 then i may well have been using that as i sit and type here now...who knows?

[lotharmat]

1. From being a windows user; I read that Ubuntu was an African word meaning 'Just switched from Windows' so I thought it was the natural place for me to start :wink:

2. I discovered these forums - Enough said!

3. It does everything 'I' need it to!

[Mark Phelps]

Reasons:
1) Largest of the Linux distro communities -- translates to lots of available support
2) Of all the distros I tried, provided the best combination of features, hardware detection, and drivers
3) Combination of LTS and semiannual updates -- can choose which one to follow

[Thorondir]

because it is completely up to you how you use it, what you do with it, and in case you screw up, which i have done a couple of times :D, there's always someone there to help you.

it's just a great community

and of course it's free :D

[MelDJ]

i didn't read we had to post 3
2. increasing lack of security (15 min sudo). i love living on the edge
3. songbird and emesene both can work on it

[darsu]

1. Upgrading an existing system is less fussy than installing a new one.
2. When I was moving away from Debian I heard (K)Ubuntu (5.10) is good at recognizing hardware.

And, um, there's no third reason.

[Keyper7]

Why I originally installed it:

1) All the cool boys were doing it.

Why I am keeping it:

1) The Code of Conduct and its direct consequence, this great community.
2) Ayatana.
3) The Launchpad ecosystem. While I was never truly impressed by Launchpad just as a bug tracker (but I do like it, and details like the heat system and upstream linking are really nice touches), it has an impressive set of features like the incredibly easy translation framework, the apport integration and the PPA system.

[eriktheblu]

1. ISO download worked (Suse fail)
2. Install worked (Fedora fail)
3. Sound worked. (Debian fail)

Ubuntu was the first distro I tried that worked. I've since tried others, but thus far I've seen nothing to convince me to switch.

[2hot6ft2]

After tying a lot of distros.
1) The support in the forums is great.
2) Stability
3) Ease of use.
4) Easy to tweak.

The list goes on.

[Hreinsi]

Its free
It works
It is fun
and it is not windows:D

[WannabeFantasma]

when I want it to update later it doesn't ask it again!

vista New update needs restart

Restart now?
Remind me in:
(select 4 hours)
PRess "postpone"

20 mins later same damn question!

[mdimock]

I could make a list of answers for you.;)



is that you have multiple desktops
You don't constantly have a pop up in the bottom right hand corner
You don't have 1 million programs that you don't use
Not many people know about it so you get slim to no viruses



It's FREE:D


JUST SAYIN'

[nexoncore]

A quick list for why I moved to Ubuntu

1) 90% of programs you need are free and can be installed through command line or the software centre

2) Not experienced a single (or even have heard of) any virus's, trojans or any negative programs.

3) Better Security

4) No lock-in's (yet) a main issue for me was having an ipod, but ubuntu showed me great alternatives to itunes ( which I hated anyway ).

5) Better Codec Support ( Windows Required tonnes of googling for certain codec's, where as enabling restricted drivers gives you nearly them all.

6) Better Performance

7) Better GUI, I never liked the windows GUI, and with 7 its even worse. I preferred mac but gnome stole my heart

8) Freedom, you can do anything with ubuntu and linux in general. Change any section and even re distribute your own changes. Window's threw a tantrum for a simple thing as trying to use a non micro$oft theme.


To sum it up, linux has its downfalls which are due to M$ dominence in the market. If PC vendor's took to churning out more linux based PC's ( especially budget computers ) and that Programmers found a decent way to make money for programs then linux would most likely surpass windows within the decade.

Key points of linux for me is "Customization", "Performance", "Community"

[alexandari]

Oh...another "Why Ubuntu and not Windows" thread...I think I'm gonna throw up the next time I see another thread like this (in a few minutes)

[estyles]

Yeah, it's "another" one... Maybe you haven't been around since... oh, the beginning of time, when this thread started.

[takisan]

1) I compare Windows to the British and Linux to the 13 colonies. Sub fore, the Colonies of Linux are divided into the major ones, which are divided into the minor distros (Whereas Windows / Britain has the 4 districts.)

2) Not running .exe / .bat / .msi files can be really useful if somebody tries to upload a virus for Win to Lyn / Ubuntu.

3) apt / Synaptic / Aptitude / the Software Centre are brilliant for getting software without having to plough through the massive non-point Internet.


LLL- Long live Linux (Ubuntu, SuSE, Debian, Gentoo, RHEL, DSL, Slax included.)
;)

[g4ry.l33]

When you can't update XP any more, and have to upgrade to vista or win 7 and
buy all new software.... You'll know why! :(

[ratcheer]

One big advantage of Ubuntu (and other FOSS) over Windows dawned on me a week or so ago when I had to reinstall Ubuntu from the ground up. If I had to do that on Windows, I would have to scramble hard to find all the original CD's, serial numbers, and "Windows Genuine Advantage" mess. With FOSS, just re-download if necessary and reinstall.

Someone has probably already mentioned it, but it hit me hard when I actually had to do it.

Tim

[peacengell]

yeah guys agree with freeedom
i use linux before but kep to windows for no reason
when i did make my forst server with fedora 11 resently working great and i love it just text base and i decide to switch ove to ubuntu and try things out i was using debian before but only text base just to learn configure server one is where i got stuck is dns config when icompile my own bind9
i don't know much about configure it i currently loking for a good on

what? how did i build the fedora linux server >> one of my friend did that part for me <>now i want to do myself by getting help on the net
i looking for one that explain in details how to compile and configure for PRIMARY /Secondary /and Caching what file to modify and create and what are .db .hints etc please if anybody can help me do that on ubuntu i would be greatfull to them thanks

[amrypma]

For me it is simply less hassle. I don't have to find a cd to install program X from. No key codes or what have you. Just think you need something, say vim open up you package manager and about a minute later I'm happily typing away in my favorite editor.

Also have you noticed you legally acquired CD keys don't last all that long. After a botched install you just may find out you need to give MS more money.

I like to script. Which for the most part isn't really possible in windows. Sure you have batch files but they are fairly clunky and hardly ever used. Die hard windows people can really tick me off by saying: "but we have a tool for that." Lots of little apps with their own gui and no command line options. Completely useless if you want to build a script. Lot's of mind numbing repetitive wrist aching ... you get my drift.

Oh and I nearly forgot in XP the scheduler was just plain broken for the longest time. Getting a script to run at a specific time was a real pain. Best implementation I've found so far is an alarm clock with an intern.

hmmm. this turned out to be quite the rant. But I still have windows somewhere for playing games.

[sbelz79]

When you can't update XP any more, and have to upgrade to vista or win 7 and
buy all new software.... You'll know why! :(

I just saw an ad on TV the other day for this computer store where they brag about how they "won't make you buy a computer with an OS you don't want." I thought, great! A computer store that sells linux systems. But no, they sell computers with XP installed. Awesome- great way to unload a bunch of aging computers on people who don't know any better- they're gonna have to pay to upgrade soon enough.

[LewRockwellFAN]

Windows seems to get dumbed down more with each new edition. Tried the Windows 7 native file searcher? Is it the acme of stupid or not? I guess they don't want to confuse the peabrain high schoolers with too many pesky options and buttons and thingys. Windows sucks at backwards and forwards compatibility. I guess that's ok for people whose idea of repairing or upgrading is to ditch the old system and buy a complete new one with software already installed. People that wouldn't know which end of the screwdriver to hold.

I'm not a Windows hater, an MS hater, a Gates hater, an IP hater, or a "evil rich capitalist" hater. I think a lot of people, not all, in each category are frankly stupid posers who are just copping an attitude they think is cool. Nor do I understand why some of the posters indicate a hatred of the Windows registry. Windows is more customizable than most people realise. If you use Windows, learn to edit the registry and it will do tricks for you.

Pragmatically, I use several OSs. This gives me a wider range of choices in aps. W2k works pretty well for me. Of course I've tweaked the registry quite a bit and added a lot of utilities and set up a lot of stuff in a non-default manner. Right now, I can't run it cause the drive I had it on died, the installation disk won't recognise modern drives, and IDE images can't be restored to SATA drives apparently. So until I get a new (old) drive I'm running W7 beta instead. It truly sucks but it will run some aps that Wine won't so it will do for now.

MS practically gives their stuff away to OEMs so people will learn on it and be afraid to try anything else and then pay big bucks to upgrade to full versions of Office or newer versions of Windows. One born every minute.

I've run every Windows there was except Vista and frankly thought they all sucked except for 2000. So in the post DOS era MS's score in my book is 1 win and lets's see, /me counts on fingers, 6 losses. So, no, I'll keep using my legal copy of W2k, but I don't think I'll be buying any more MS OSs. That's just a pragmatic cost/value decision, playing the odds as indicated by past experience and influenced by my Scots ancestry and Jewish training, not some kind of moral crusade.

As for the politics, on the one hand DOJ beat up on MS not because it was J but because it was good politics. So they get some sympathy points from me there. On the other hand MS's hands aren't totally clean. Look up the nasty **** they did with respect to DR DOS and aps with deliberately misleading error messages. So far, a wash. On the gripping hand though, with free speech endangered throughout the west and positively extinct in Canada, the U.S. Constitution treated as a "literary fantasy" and "just a piece of paper", the left and right looking more alike and more totalitarian every day, it might be worth considering that open source software is more likely free of malware than hidden source (to me, that is a bigger issue than "propietary") products of ONE BIG COMPANY that is very much under the gun. Not sure how significant a factor that is or will be but anyone who dismisses these types of concerns casually thinking "It Can't Happen Here" */me nods to the ghost of Sinclair Lewis* needs to study history more and stop substituting feeling and wishing for thinking.

/me wonders if anyone ever reads the last page of very looooong threads.

[neallofgran]

I think Linux is good when compared to the xp because we will get the full version online so what ever the error occured is recovered if we update once online but coming to xp you can't get the full version.

[cyberphrog]

Ubuntu is comparable in performing what I need it to, and it's FREE! I also run it on older PCs that won't perform as well on windows; makes it easy and affordable for every family member to have their own PC. Fewer vulnerabilities too. I run WinXP in a VM for times when I can't avoid using windows, but it's very rare when I need to.

[dennymallow]

Fast!
Simple!
Friendly!
Free!!!

...do you really need something more???

:guitar:

[stjohnmedrano]

i choose ubuntu over linux coz the best thing in life are for free....:D

[Computer Waste]

We personally use Ubuntu because simply of the reliabilty :D

[GreenDance]

I choose Ubuntu one day because Vista stopped working all together, I had to download Ubuntu on another PC, burn the ISO, and when I booted my PC I fell in love with Ubuntu, since then I've been a linux lover.

[TRG1]

I haven't really chosen since I have 4 computers and only one of them is full Ubuntu. I like the no-nonesense aspects of it, but it does require a person who is a little more savvy than the average computer user; I'm no ball of fire, but I do like building computers and playing around with them. And if you don't just automatically hate that other brand it can only be because you've never used it. I will do more switching when I can figure out how to run TradeStation on a Linux box.

tom

[tareksobh]

Today is officially my third day after I installed Ubuntu. I'm totally loving it. Ubuntu is a completely different experience than Windows. It's true that I'm facing some difficulties, and there are lots of stuff that I still need to learn, but I already feel that I'm using a computer! Not the other way around where a computer uses me! It seems like I can do anything with Ubuntu... I rarely boot into Windows anymore, although I kind of miss my iTunes and Photoshop... One more thing, I love the Ubuntu community! Look around you, all the users here are very helpful, respectful, educated, and seek freedom! Ubuntu is freedom!

[Post Monkeh]

Today is officially my third day after I installed Ubuntu. I'm totally loving it. Ubuntu is a completely different experience than Windows. It's true that I'm facing some difficulties, and there are lots of stuff that I still need to learn, but I already feel that I'm using a computer! Not the other way around where a computer uses me! It seems like I can do anything with Ubuntu... I rarely boot into Windows anymore, although I kind of miss my iTunes and Photoshop... One more thing, I love the Ubuntu community! Look around you, all the users here are very helpful, respectful, educated, and seek freedom! Ubuntu is freedom!

try the GIMP, it should be in your applications > graphics menu.

if it isn't, you can download it from the software centre or synaptic.

it's not photoshop, but i found it was a good alternative if you're not doing anything really advanced.

[MobiusJedi]

Basically I dont see any advantages to using linux over windows xp, Im dual booting windows and ubuntu. Ubuntu is nice and all but I dont see anything that would make me prefer it over windows.The only thing i have been using ubuntu for is web browsing playing music/movies (cant play games) which I can do better/hassle free in windows.

So what are the advantages of l using linux over xp?

I tried out the ubuntu live cd a few weeks ago, and ended up wiping xp so i could install ubuntu. In my experience between my desktop and my old win95 laptop that's now running puppy linux, linux just makes things work. For both of my computers, I acquired wireless cards without any drivers; xp couldn't use it without the drivers, but linux ran the card flawlessly at startup. I fell in love with ubuntu's workspace switcher, customizable keyboard shortcuts for anything you can get the code for, the repositories full of intriguing applications and utilities, and even the terminal. Some linux newbies don't like the terminal, I guess, but in the long-run, learning/reading how to run terminal commands is a quick way to troubleshoot and manage your system. There are a lot of little things I appreciate about ubuntu.

That's not to say I haven't had hassles. I have a legacy soundcard that no longer is supported by alsa as of karmic. Even before upgrading from jaunty to karmic, I had to work/research/tinker for hours to get my tv-out working, and my souncard was without its equalizer. At the moment, my soundcard isn't even being recognized by my system, but I'm not giving up just yet. XP has given me plenty of hassle over the years for a bit less reward. I haven't gotten around to testing out my windows games through wine, For me, playing movies and music was always a hassle until I found suitable programs/codec packs, but the video player package I've been using on windows (cccp/mplayer) was written for linux in the first place.

[strumusa]

Free OS and sw that kicks butt. Also, you don't have to install and configure drivers for every little thing e.g. printers and cards. The only thing I miss from ******* is video in chats and making movies. I ended up wiping out XP completely (due to MicroS. corrupting my OS with their freaking updates (non-gen. copy already installed on pc, I guess.) I am now running 100% ubuntu.

[gaums]

I dont know if this is true any more with windows 7 but I like linux because

I can kill any app almost instantly
If my CPU is at 100% I can actually do stuff, like killing the causing app
Overall, I find Linux more logical. (settings, apps etc.)
There are some really good apps: Zim, Geany, VIM,
Ability to write scripts and make my own tools
The system doesnt seem bloated as a windows
I like the command line
apt-get install
gnu tools
cron

[bth73]

Only one out of hundreds of windows installs I've done completed without some problem. Only one ME install out of several including XP ever lasted more than a month without showing the blue screen of death. Four out of four new computers running vista couldn't burn there own recovery disk.
Xp wouldn't work on this computer I'm using for more than 30min. Thank goodness for that anonymous Best Buy salesman that told me about Ubuntu back in 06'. MY (self built) computer has worked near perfect since Ubuntu 6.04.
NO CRASHES AFTER UPDATES, UPDATES WAY FASTER, MOST NEED NO REBOOT.
INSTALLS FAST, BOOTS FAST, OPENS AND CLOSES APPLICATIONS FASTER.
EASIER TO USE, MULTIMEDIA WORKS WAY BETTER AND IS EASIER TO DO.
NO VIRUSES,NO VIRUSES,NO VIRUSES,NO VIRUSES,NO VIRUSES
FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,FREE,
FLEXIBILITY OF TOOLBARS AND MENUS.
WINDOWS SUCKS, UBUNTU ROCKS!!

Just finished fixing a Vista laptop that was almost FUBR from virus and crashing during service pack 1 update. Unable to get sp1 to work at all.
Cleaned up drive to make room for dual-boot Ubuntu and turned off auto updates in Windows.
3 year old HP laptop had over 5 gigs of crash logs! Just takin up space.

[octobermagic]

A mouse whose pixels you can't see!
Seriously though, free and freedom. It's free as in $0. It's free as in spy/mal/somethingelse-ware free. You have the freedom to do whatever you'd like with it - this is by far the biggest plus, but the hardest one to really pick up on. I'm still finding cool stuff to change every day that I didn't even think possible.


The registry ought to be shot.

Uhh really? I'm kind of new to Ubuntu and all, but how the heck is this OS working then if it has no registry?

[Post Monkeh]

Uhh really? I'm kind of new to Ubuntu and all, but how the heck is this OS working then if it has no registry?

your settings are all stored in individual files on a per program basis - so if one managed to get corrupted, at least nothing else does.

plus it's easier to clear settings and start again

[gnupipe]

I'm using Ubuntu because I like Free Software.:)

[MobiusJedi]

your settings are all stored in individual files on a per program basis - so if one managed to get corrupted, at least nothing else does.

plus it's easier to clear settings and start again

learning that about linux has made my day better

[ndefontenay]

No disk fragmentation either.

[seth elohim]

Yessiree! The biggest reason is that 'nix systems don't have a registry. Windows registry is like building a house of cards upside down with one card at the bottom precariously balancing the whole deck. It gives malicious code a place to hide and replicate, and poorly written code a place to muck up and bog down your whole system. But there are so many reasons to choose 'nix over *******. M$ seems to have intentionally designed windows to be hard to customise, or even look under the hood. As a technology advances it should become more simple and open ended, not more convoluted and obstructive. Linux is simple in the sense that what you see is what you get. there is a certain graceful logic behind BASH that I think has really set the feel for the rest of the OS, and i would guess that is with most distros, not just Ubuntu, but I'm not sure because I have only used this one. Plus I feel like windows is always telling me what i can and cannot do with MY computer, and I don't like being told what to do. I also don't like uninstalling a program and have it leave bits and pieces all over my hard drive. Ever notice on an old windows machine it is slow as hell after having a hundred or so programs installed and removed, but that it never happens on your Linux box? And I am a relative 'nix noob. There are probably a million more reasons to choose ubuntu I haven't even discovered yet. Last but certainly not least, Microsoft is just plain unethical in its business practices. What they did to Netscape is just one of MANY examples of outright illegal, unethical, and arrogant behavior that I refuse to help support any longer. In short, monopolies suck.

[Whistling Nixie]

1. Faster and more reliable.

2. Office suite thrown in for free.

3. More intuitive; easier to figure out how to perform most functions than Windows XP.

4. Customisable desktop.

5. Recognises most international characters.

6. Solitaire game has many more variations! :)

[Chame_Wizard]

Installing things via the CLI very fast,if your graphical environment is screwing up.:lolflag:

[Ntr0s]

So many reasons to choose Linux over Windows. Here's a few in my opinion.

1. Excellent variety of applications.
2. Security, as many mentioned no adware, spyware, never had an issue with virus. Of course, you'll want a good firewall setup, firestarter works for me (for now)
3. System updates do not destroy or degrade system integrity.
4. Faster than XP, in terms of OS boot, opening applications.
5. Better internet experience, I see much better throughput results when using the Linux kernel and my Intel PRO GT cards.
6. Everything just works.
7. One hell of a good community to answer your questions.
8. Linux enables the user to investigate their issues rather than paying and becoming dependant on a company that provides bad solutions or never replies at all.
9. No BSOD's.
10. I can build a hardware firewall with pretty much any linux OS and some old hardware, locking down my home network and servers.
11. MythTV Home Theater awesomeness.
12. I never ever have to worry about my music files, movie files, personal documents, tax documents, my finace's business photo's invoices, etc.
13. No windows registry.
14. No need to "defrag" a disk, which is just another tool that works around the flawed NTFS file system.
15. No need to run the endless array of antivirus apps in the background, or firewall apps in the background that ALWAYS slows your system down to a CRAWL.
16. XP, Vista and Windows 7 interfaces look very "Fischer Price" from the 1980's.

I left the windows world 5 years ago, my house and fiance's baking company is 100% Linux. There has never been an application we could not find to fit our needs, which is mainly Business, Music, Movies, Photo Editing, Image Editing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Documents, Taxes, Finance tracking, Online Radio, Home Theater (live TV, Recorded TV) DVD Collection, Online radio, Webcam to say high to family. You name it and it can be done in a secure environment. We dont game on the PC though, I dont see the point. XBOX360, PS3 and an Original XBOX running XBMC is really all we need these days.

[ale2010]

I can contribute to this discussion. I have a Linux HD and Windows HD. I use Windows for most stuff, Linux for experimenting because as you said, there aren't all that many advantages. However, I just got a nasty case of the Aurora spyware that I couldn't kill, so I went to reformat the HD after backing things up. Apparently my hard-drive is partially fried and neither windows nor Linux will install on it... So I'm using Linux now exclusively until I get a new HD to put Windows on.

I'd honestly dump Windows entirely if it weren't for lack of game support/lack of good ATI drivers on Linux.


Yeah you are correct but actually I was able to install games. I bought call of duty and I was able to install this game using "WINE". Regarding the ATI drivers you may be right it is really hard to work with games because you really need a good video card and without the drivers the video card is useless....anyways Give it a try it may work for you. The reason why i dumped windows is because of the viruses, and spyware, it is really anoying. No matter if you have a good antivirus or a good antispyware once your pc gets a virus it is a pain to get rid of it.

[ale2010]

So many reasons to choose Linux over Windows. Here's a few in my opinion.

1. Excellent variety of applications.
2. Security, as many mentioned no adware, spyware, never had an issue with virus. Of course, you'll want a good firewall setup, firestarter works for me (for now)
3. System updates do not destroy or degrade system integrity.
4. Faster than XP, in terms of OS boot, opening applications.
5. Better internet experience, I see much better throughput results when using the Linux kernel and my Intel PRO GT cards.
6. Everything just works.
7. One hell of a good community to answer your questions.
8. Linux enables the user to investigate their issues rather than paying and becoming dependant on a company that provides bad solutions or never replies at all.
9. No BSOD's.
10. I can build a hardware firewall with pretty much any linux OS and some old hardware, locking down my home network and servers.
11. MythTV Home Theater awesomeness.
12. I never ever have to worry about my music files, movie files, personal documents, tax documents, my finace's business photo's invoices, etc.
13. No windows registry.
14. No need to "defrag" a disk, which is just another tool that works around the flawed NTFS file system.
15. No need to run the endless array of antivirus apps in the background, or firewall apps in the background that ALWAYS slows your system down to a CRAWL.
16. XP, Vista and Windows 7 interfaces look very "Fischer Price" from the 1980's.

I left the windows world 5 years ago, my house and fiance's baking company is 100% Linux. There has never been an application we could not find to fit our needs, which is mainly Business, Music, Movies, Photo Editing, Image Editing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Documents, Taxes, Finance tracking, Online Radio, Home Theater (live TV, Recorded TV) DVD Collection, Online radio, Webcam to say high to family. You name it and it can be done in a secure environment. We dont game on the PC though, I dont see the point. XBOX360, PS3 and an Original XBOX running XBMC is really all we need these days.

Yeah, me too. I left windows 6 months ago and i love linux. The list you provided covers everything and on top of that windows you have to spend lot of money on programs. What ever program you need you pay for it. Offfice 2007, windows server, etc....those programs cost from $200 up to $1,000 depending on how many licenses you are planing to buy + pay for upgrades wow it is crazy. Linux has it all.


I share your opinion and agree with it. ;)

[fragileandys]

the ONLY reason to use windows is netflix play it now This is only because ol' Bill thinks adobe doesn't know how to make web based multimedia plugin and pulled Silverlight out of his rear... which sucks imo.

[Austin25]

Mostly because it uses fewer resources, but also because it doesn't crash, and I don't get yelled at by my parents for not taking the time to install virus protection.

[chad_anderson]

i personally just love everything about linux and more specifically ubuntu. i put it on my psp and i wish i knew how to put it in english instead of french. id almost say im obsessed with ubuntu.
in fact right now i currently had karmic koala installed but i upgraded to lucid lynx and i love it

[tilixibr]

Way more good-looking than Windows (even without Compiz and Emerald)
Fastest boot I've ever seen :D
Comes with a Media Player that syncs iPods without using damned iTunes....
Free Software that works just like paid ones
Fully customizable OS
Great CPU managing system
Needs little RAM to run :)
Defragmenting is unecessary
Almost impossible to be infected by viruses :P
Can read Windows Partitions (unlike the opposite:-x)
Probability of a system crash is 1/100000000000000000000000000 :P
Too bad most of the world is still blinded by -cough-Microsoft
I'm sorry is that word prohibited in this website?8-[


_____
If a Windows OS crashes and there is no one to see it, does it show a BSOD?

[ndefontenay]

stability. it just _is_ more stable.


I don't think we can say that windows is much more unstable than linux these days.

Ubuntu is easier to install, there's no virus, spyware etc... But windows comes pre installer as the de facto OS (With its cost included in the computer's price)

There's no fragmentation. This means that over the years your HDD is not getting sluggish.

There's a bountiful of application already installed which makes it ready to use. Applications are easy to find.

[varunpandeyengg]

If you will ever learn System level programming or any sort of processing in which you need host OS support, I think you will and should go for UBUNTU. Simple example can be a multi threading programming. Microsoft impose there OS on you and keeps you restricted from the use of the resources transparently. I agree that installing and configuring softwares on linux is difficult. And it may not look as simple as XP. But you may have not noticed that all the processing you do on XP can be done very fast - much faster in ubuntu. Its like you are having 2 bucket to carry water. XP is the heavier bucket. What will you prefer, water in heavy bucket or light one?
There are very less security issues is LINUX. The graphics in current version of ubuntu is 100 times better than that in windows. Just that it doesn't work on .exe(s) and setup files in here. ;)

[tilixibr]

Freedom from fear. No viruses, adware, spyware...thus no headaches associated with them & countermeasures.

Freedom from bondage. No chance of being orphaned (in terms of OS or application support), provided the community continues to use & support the software. Try that with Windows down the road.

Freedom of choice. GNOME and XFCE. I prefer both operating environments to Windows. With Windows, you get Windows' GUI....sorry.

Freedom to learn. Linux has been an excellent way to teach myself more about my computer and how it works. I've missed this since DOS.

Freedom to experiment. I've been able to play with lots of different software packages very easily.

Overall, I find Linux a better tool for me--it does all the useful things I want. Windows has been relegated to the 'toy' OS--something to run games on.

If you look up freedom on google, its definition will be: Linux :p

[tilixibr]

ALSO: Windows is getting old and boring. The same desktop look on every distro (start button on the bottom left) is getting lame, even if it's changed a bit.....like in Windows 7...

[zoomy942]

for me its the no need to protect against viruses and spyware. i can be secure and safe right out of the box.

[Jay Car]

I have one machine that dual-boots Ubuntu and XP...I use Ubuntu over Windows as much as possible. Why? Because I can. For so many years I read comments and articles stating that "Linux was tooooo hard for *grandma* to use".

I'm happy to prove that common belief to be wrong. I'm a grandma, I use it, and absolutely love it. And yes, I installed it myself.

On a side note, I had the dubious privilege today of working on a friend's HP laptop with Vista installed. Uge!! It has 4GB RAM, yet it crawled like a hobbled snail. It served to reinforce my happy decision to stop buying Microsoft's Windows after XP. I won't be going any further with their (so called) "new and improved" software.

I'm glad to have made the change, and am even more glad to help others to make the change. It's been a little over two years now with Ubuntu on my main work systems. I've had some moments of frustration, but the knowledge that I CAN fix the problems is the best reward ever.

When people ask me why I dislike Windows, I just ask them why they don't. (It saves time).

Windows offers a very narrow, heavily controlled view...GNU/Linux (not just Ubuntu!) offers a wide open road to a whole new world.

To me, GNU/Linux and Ubuntu are an adventure. I'm too old for sky diving, hang gliding, snowboarding, and bunge-jumping...so my big adventure is Alpha testing Lucid (hey, I even learned how to put the min-max-close buttons back where they belong) :)

Oh...almost forgot, I also use Ubuntu over Windows because Ubuntu's a lot more fun.

[Chame_Wizard]

:oZOMG an actually Grandmother here.

You can use it on old PCs(1997-2002 periode).:P

[tilixibr]

Yup, you can actually resurrect old laptops that once used to run *cough* Windows by installing Ubuntu, and they work like new. It's like Ubuntu is the healer of computers :D

[wmcbecker]

Just to add my two cents worth to this very interesting thread that's been running since 2005. I run a (very) small biz with 5 people, 5 computers. I just grew weary (and a bit impoverished at times) of purchasing software that did not perform as advertised, having to pay for tech support to talk to me and sometime still not be able to solve the issues and having no alternative source of help.

Version compatibility: The other hassle with Window was that old versions of proprietary software eventually become unsupported... so you have to buy the new version....but wait, the new version is not compatible with my old (XP) Windows OS so I have to upgrade to...oh wait...my computers are too old and slow to run 7 so let's see, to get the new version of this little CRM (or whatever) program, I have to basically buy 5 new computers that run 7 and start the learning curve on several things at once.

This scenario never happens with Ubuntu. The stuff just works and when you do have an issue to work through you get, generally, better help from the Linux community free than the tech support you pay for in the Windows world.

[oleink]

FREE FREE FREE!!!!!!!!! FUN FUN FUN!!!!!!!!!!!! SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ubuntu is incredible. I've never enjoyed being a geek so much!:p:p:p;););)

[saj4eva]

my suggestions if you play games: dual boot with windows (games) and ubuntu (everything else)
go here: ubuntuguide.org
Dual boot is not an option, IMO. The process is too slow and time-consuming. What someone needs to do, is invent* a PC that dual boots literally, so that Windows and Linux are running together, and can be switched from one to the other like a TV channel. THEN, and only then, would I switch from Windows to Linux on a full-time basis, rather than a "test" basis.

* The key word here.

[eksasol]

There are many reasons, but when it comes down to the fine details and practicality, I think the biggest reason is that it load apps faster. I love having my apps load in split seconds as oppose to listening to the harddrive rattles in Windows. Which comes to another point, the harddrive never rest in Windows, so I must be preserving its life by using linux and not have to defrag and virus scan all the times.

[razorseal]

As much as I love linux and how I can customize it, I primarily use my desktop to play games on it, and linux doesn't offer me anything for that. also some programs that I'm very famliar with like photoshop aren't here... (yes I know there are similar apps, but none are like PS)

but for my laptop, I've been primarily using Linux off the wubi install, and soon it looks like I might even just dump windows and run linux only on my laptop. it runs faster, smoother and hassle free... it does what I use it for which is just internet and chat... that's about it. plus the network epson printing works, so that makes me happy :)

so i'd have to say, for desktop, windows but for laptop, linux :)

I could have used Kunbut/KDE on the desktop, but I think u can make ubuntu to look pretty nice and useful. going to install xubuntu on roommates POS old computer, she'll prolly get a nice boost that she'll really like

[razorseal]

Dual boot is not an option, IMO. The process is too slow and time-consuming. What someone needs to do, is invent* a PC that dual boots literally, so that Windows and Linux are running together, and can be switched from one to the other like a TV channel. THEN, and only then, would I switch from Windows to Linux on a full-time basis, rather than a "test" basis.

* The key word here.

that would be called having 2 computers :D

all joking aside, that is what I do, and I see no problem with it. if i'm in the game mood, i'll just restart to w7, if not. I stick with linux, but then my computer is prolly off and i'm on the laptop which is running linux lol

[durand]

Dual boot is not an option, IMO. The process is too slow and time-consuming. What someone needs to do, is invent* a PC that dual boots literally, so that Windows and Linux are running together, and can be switched from one to the other like a TV channel. THEN, and only then, would I switch from Windows to Linux on a full-time basis, rather than a "test" basis.

* The key word here.

You mean like using a virtual machine? It's pretty much what you're looking for, just not completely native.

http://virtualbox.org

EDIT: Xen virtualisation is probably a better example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xen

[Chame_Wizard]

Installing another DE+WM without any problem(LXDE via the CLI).:guitar:

[BigSteve_G]

Leave a windows machine running & unlocked with a so called 'computer expert' around & they will muck about with just for the sake of it (or try to make you look daft in front of the wife as you try to sort it) - now do the same with a Linux machine & watch them recoil in horror as they very quickly realize they will be out of their depths.

-And before anyone posts it no, I dont leave running machines unlocked normally, only to test people.

[solovyov0100]

I changed from xp/ vista over to here because I could not stand the amount of downtime I was suffering. with vista I had so many problems with my CPU that it idled at 100% on a pentium 4 dual core 3.06GHz what a nightmare. ill like to learn this os better so I can switch form school to play faster.

[tilixibr]

with vista I had so many problems with my CPU that it idled at 100% on a pentium 4 dual core 3.06GHz what a nightmare.I know right? Windows Vista eats up half my RAM (4GB) with nothing running! The only thing that doesnt make my CPU(AMD dual-core) work at almost 100% is card games O.o

[saj4eva]

that would be called having 2 computers
I know, so someone invent it already! :) I would use it.

And no, virtual machines are NOT an option as they are too slow for gaming. I want 100% speed on both Windows and Linux, and switch between them at will, no rebooting, and using only one monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It can be done, but nobody has yet. I await the day! :)

[Gregorybekkers]

and if u want u can run the most windows apps on linux aswell.
Just install "Wine"
you can find it in the Ubuntu software center

[zoomy942]

I know, so someone invent it already! :) I would use it.

And no, virtual machines are NOT an option as they are too slow for gaming. I want 100% speed on both Windows and Linux, and switch between them at will, no rebooting, and using only one monitor, keyboard, and mouse. It can be done, but nobody has yet. I await the day! :)


sounds like you need a kvm

[unregistered-user]

So that I can use the programming tools that I would otherwise not be able to use. Windows is the worst OS and because its basically the default OS it can make the users that don't know what their doing do anything that they want to do to them. Microsoft is very sneaky.

[Preserved Killick]

I came to Ubuntu by accident. My Linux career began with Red Hat. After several upgrades, Red Hat ditched their desktop and offered Fedora for 'bleeding edge' users. Well, I'm not that, so I looked around and tried Mandrake, SuSE, Debian, Mepis, and eventually landed on Libranet, a sweet little distro that I really liked. But when the lead developer died, his second-in-command (his son) decided to end the project and as far as I know, that was the end.

At the time, Ubuntu had a reputation, probably undeserved, as a 'not for real Linux users' reputation. I got a live CD in a magazine, so I decided to give it a try (Libranet was totally borked by that point, but I was holding out hope for a rebirth) and I was happy right away. At least for me, apt-get was much better than rpm. I used to get into dependency-hell all too often on rpms. (Probably user error, I'm sure, but with apt-get/synaptic it's been smooth sailing).

I'm a 5 year Ubuntu user now, even though I was originally hoping for a new and improved Libranet. Ubuntu has been rock-solid. I spend my time working, not tweaking/repairing/rescuing. The only thing I can't use Ubuntu for is video editing. The current batch of video editors are still not dumbed-down enough for me-- when it comes to video, I'm barely a Mac user. But otherwise-- podcasts, home media streaming, email, web, ebooks, photo editing, photo collection management, email, IM, web, system backup, etc, etc, etc Ubuntu comes through with flying colors.

Killick

[saj4eva]

sounds like you need a kvm
I wasn't aware what that meant but Google saved the day. :) Yes, it does look like what I want. I'll have to investigate this interesting possibility. Thank you! (Link for future reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KVM_switch).

[velle frak]

Like others, flexibility. Windows is my gaming OS, but I should put some effort in gaming with linux OS.
Since 1 week I have a copy of Windows 7 (came with the laptop), it's not too bad, but I'm not very impressed by it either.

Prefer my Xubuntu anytime ;-).

[bigseb]

Read your Revelations, people. Big faceless corporations that can turn you off at the press of a button are paving the way for the anti-christ. Don't give them power. Use Linux.

[Smith..]

Hey people I just signed up here not to long ago. This is actually my very first post on the forums. Some people just don't know linux enough to be comfortable with it. I was one of those people myself. Like anything you do though. You have to actually spend some time as an end user before getting used to it. By that I mean at a point where you know what not to do. To end up crashing your deal. This is my first post here that I've written, but not the first post I've read. Oh man I've crashed and burned this system so many times over. I'm lucky to actually be here with you guys honestly. I'm a recovering format junkie. One that thought it was neat to switch operating systems on a monthly basis. Most of the time I found myself going to Xp only to play some game. The ONLY reason I went to Xp was to play some game. Now granted this "game" [ and there were many ] was fun don't get me wrong. Was the fun really worth opening yourself up to the various threats? Threats that that could go down simply by playing "game". I mean that's not cool. I don't care how fun it is to walk into a fire. Your still walking into a fire. Not if you use your installation in a different way then most though. I mean if you boot into your version of Xp to have it act as a desktop. Then never do work related things like drafting and email, setting up a spreadsheet, or using the browser. If you never USE it then yeah Xp is awesome. As soon as you start using it though for checking out the youtube, or playing the latest [ and perhaps no so ] greatest titles out there. You start running into issues at some point down the line. If you have a set number of programs on Xp and only use those set number of programs on that installation. Only visit and use "trusted" websites. Maybe you'll be alright. Then again maybe not. What happens if you're playing "game" and this talented person finds a way to put a windows virus on your rig. If you got windows you know what will happen. If that expensive security system you purchased doesn't work then your really out some cash now. Imagine if you will. Your controlling the helicopter playing BF2. Echo team [ the team in the helicopter ] is firing down on the enemy as troops are about to breach the line. Meanwhile in the distance you got uber elite recon guy. Who's glitching in some textures. All the while alt tabbed. Doing some weird netstat command to try to tunnel into your deal. As war and chaos continues around you, your keeping your cool holding the line. Then BAM! You start getting all these warnings as recon guy finds a way to bypass punkbuster. Your frames per second start to fall off like your computers going into a coma. Of course the rest of Echo has to bail as your computer starts to lock up on you. Opfor has captured and secured your rally points. They've got the screenshots to prove BF2 wasn't worth playing in the first place. The icing on the cake here though. Is you just got a digital std and if your broke. Can't afford the newest junk being dumped into the markets. After rolling off the M$ assembly line. Maybe I'll end up reading one of your posts on here as well. Saying you've broken free from the chains of M$ oppression. M$ your windows often need cleaning, it's beyond nonsense and I'm done. Linux is awesome. I will spend money here.

[zoomy942]

Linux is awesome. I will spend money here.

nice thing is that linux is free

[Smith..]

nice thing is that linux is free

Oh I know it's free and that's only a portion of the power behind linux. When you consider the future of computers and what's going down. Stacking the two choices side by side. M$ F-- certification, or the Ubuntu certified professional (UCP) certification options. I'm going to get my hands into the linux training. Even though Ubuntu is free and is way awesome. You can make and develop a market for it. For myself I set up a small time remote administration operation. Where I would fix various issues that my clients had presented to me for their M$ boxes. I've seen a lot of stuff over the years and there is a lot that can go wrong with a windows installation. After learning about linux and knowing it's potential. Even if I couldn't harness it fully myself. I would still recommend it to anyone daily hands down. To this day why is there over 99.99999999% of viruses and misc junk people can get using the [ pardon the phrase here ] tinker toy? There hasn't been a solid attempt by a single, or an entire array of competent M$ professionals to combat the issue? I mean of course you can take a gaping wound that drips from knee to ankle and throw salt in it. Like they do with customer support. Then patch it with a colorful band-aid calling it service pack 1,2,3,41. Until the OS is wrapped like a mummy that's still suffering from blunt force trauma. Or you can install Ubuntu. With patience and time you WILL get the hang of it. The more you use it. You'll find yourself able to do things that would never happen on a M$ pc. Okay I misspoke there on purpose. Cause they would happen on windows but only for hard earned cash. Ubuntu - It's not free it's priceless. :popcorn:

Dr. Smith: Nurse what's the current status of our patient here?
Nurse Jessica: Well after the preliminary tests we think windows has an embedded virus of some kind hidden in there.
Dr. Smith: Classification?
Nurse Jessica: Unknown, it's hard to narrow this down. There's just so many these days what do we do? Oh wait it looks like it's about to lock up.
Dr. Smith: Ctrl + Alt + Del 1..2..3.. Ok we're back. Attempting to kill off rouge.... Ctrl + Alt + Del, Ctrl + Alt + Del.
Nurse Jessica: Smith save it, we've almost got the BLUE SCREEN OF!
-------/\~---~/~---------------
Dr. Smith: Nurse take down the time. I'll inform the family.
Nurse Jessica: So many pictures, moments gone...
Dr. Smith: You doing anything tonight?
Nurse Jessica: Na I'll catch a movie on the tube all lonely and vulnerable.
Dr. Smith: You want some company?
Nurse Jessica: :oops: You know I've always found you attractive.
Dr. Smith: :idea: Dinner at 7 would be nice agreed?
Nurse Jessica: 8-[ Sure come on over.
Dr. Smith: 8) Ok well I guess I'll see you at 7.

[bigseb]

Dr. Smith: Nurse what's the current status of our patient here?
Nurse Jessica: Well after the preliminary tests we think windows has an embedded virus of some kind hidden in there.
Dr. Smith: Classification?
Nurse Jessica: Unknown, it's hard to narrow this down. There's just so many these days what do we do? Oh wait it looks like it's about to lock up.
Dr. Smith: Ctrl + Alt + Del 1..2..3.. Ok we're back. Attempting to kill off rouge.... Ctrl + Alt + Del, Ctrl + Alt + Del.
Nurse Jessica: Smith save it, we've almost got the BLUE SCREEN OF!
-------/\~---~/~---------------
Dr. Smith: Nurse take down the time. I'll inform the family.
Nurse Jessica: So many pictures, moments gone...
Dr. Smith: You doing anything tonight?
Nurse Jessica: Na I'll catch a movie on the tube all lonely and vulnerable.
Dr. Smith: You want some company?
Nurse Jessica: :oops: You know I've always found you attractive.
Dr. Smith: :idea: Dinner at 7 would be nice agreed?
Nurse Jessica: 8-[ Sure come on over.
Dr. Smith: 8) Ok well I guess I'll see you at 7.

ROFL!! +1 for that!

[BigSteve_G]

If it helps.... http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9088459 (sorry if it dosnt jump to the start of the post)

Although after reading the question becomes Why (would you want to) choose Windows over Ubuntu?

-Although personaly I prefer & recommend Linux Mint (Built on Ubuntu)

[sinhanikhil.5]

I believe linux is catching the world market, linux getting more user friendly, more glossy n popularity.
Why I choose, tried 1ce and have nvr taken off, not been long though.
I do have dual booting, reasons i keep windows :-
Games ofcourse.
My first original windows cd(win7) in life.
i got windows for free too.



.

[Jay Car]

It's funny, when people used to ask me why I didn't like Microsoft or their software, I'd always check the time because I knew it would take a few hours to "count the ways" to dislike 'em.

These days, when someone asks why I don't like Microsoft, I just ask them why they DO like Microsoft. It saves a lot of time, because the only answer most people can give is: games. Meh.

To me there's no longer a question about using Microsoft products or not, I simply don't need them anymore. The new question is why I might choose any other system over Ubuntu. It's a question I'm seriously considering these days. Partly because I'm not a fan of Mr. Asay, partly for other reasons.

I'm still undecided...

[trig]

Well linux vs windows.... yeah you can pry Linux out of my cold dead hands!

[TheNerdAL]

My reason is because it's free to install and upgrade and it's pretty fast(Well, not to me right now because I need more ram due to a new video card.) I am also going to try and play PC games on Linux! :D

[cdavid13]

1. free
2. Windows crashed
3. no virus from Internet that caused windows to crash
4. FREE again

[chaosx9]

Personally, i was just thinking there has to be a better way to use my pc, because windows was quite annoyingly slow sometimes

I started with linux for the performance, but then i realised i had to do a lot of work on it, but it has proved to be something better than windows after all of the work on getting drivers and stuff, and it's simpler

[Smith..]

Speaking of work and staying on topic. I just spent most of my night building a driver from source code. I mean come on. In windows what you get is more or less the same kind of deal. Only you've got a handful of people trying to sell you the driver you could have built for yourself. If the driver one day fails. Try to get the source code without violating the law [ I call BS ]. With the source code being available for anyone to improve upon it's crazy.

Although somewhat past the tinkering stage of my linux studies here. I'm finding that there's an insane amount of options. My driver for example. I can choose what options I want to support or not before I even make it. Simply by editing the config.mk file in the package there. Linux more over Ubuntu is the way to go. The Ubuntu community compared to the M$ one is way different.

I've got a group of people that harass me all the time cause I'm using linux now. It's funny because at first I was upset that I was being made fun of. Then as time started going by. As they started having issues on their computer. That's when I had to chime in. See, should have had the linux man.

For those of you that play games as I do. Hey check out the wine app database. It's full of stuff you can play on linux. You'll have to configure it though and it may take you some time. If you start getting frustrated with it. Take ten twenty minutes and come back to it. Think of it this way. You can pay M$ to charge you while they say what's going to be on your computer or not. THEY choose the options. When THEY make the drivers. The choice is theirs [ and proprietary ] not yours. Plus the more you activate your brain thinking of how to do your initial setup. You'll be smarter. Linux is the healthy way to go all around people.

[ajay7174]

i am tiring Linux. but i cant withdraw xp because support for game, software. and hardware. if linux gives support for hardware and games well then i choose linux

[mrowth]

less feel-good corporate eXPerience ********
apt-get and huge package repositories
doesn't cost me money
better sense of connection with Internet/computing history/culture
more going on

Yeah, as far as actually using it is concerned, I might even be better off with Windows. There're more and better apps for my interests. But using a Windows computer has never been fun.

[Smith..]

i am tiring Linux. but i cant withdraw xp because support for game, software. and hardware. if linux gives support for hardware and games well then i choose linux

When considering what to play for games on linux. It's a good idea to check this resource out here man. Some of the games listed here only require some minor configuration to get them working to their full potential or better. There's quite the list there. Also keep this in mind as well. The wine program is open source which means that the source code is available to the public. It's always getting updated with bug fixes and other enhancements and such. If you can read there's a ton of guides to follow out there for the various things/options you have for gaming on linux.


http://appdb.winehq.org/That's the free deal right there as well. There's also the other program that you can pay for if you really want to purchase proprietary software to get M$ games to work on linux. But from my experience the free wine program has always seemed to be a better option then these people here:


http://www.cedega.com/I wanted to show you Cedega cause this is an excellent way to illustrate my point here about open source software. You check these people out and you'll see they have 40 titles that are listed as "Certified" to run with Cedega. You pay a subscription to use this program as a service. This "Service" is based off of you guessed it wine.

Now here's where I'm going with this. "Open Source Software" is so powerful. There is a team of people [ Cedega ] working round the clock to get you to pay for something that the "Open Source Community" has already provided you for free. So guess what the Open Source Community's response to that is:


http://www.playonlinux.com/en/Play on linux is comparable to the one you can get if you wanted to pay for it. From your terminal in linux. Do you know how easy it is to get play on linux for free? The sweetest deal of them all:


sudo apt-get install playonlinux

[gs777]

simple.... speed in web browsing.....virus

[techn0mad]

The short version is that I'm tired of working for free to support the morally deficient and technically flawed products produced by some of the richest people in the world. :mad:

The long version is here: http://www.dogwood.com/~larry/ (http://www.dogwood.com/%7Elarry/)

Cheers,

[jan0ng]

1.I like the gnome desktop
2.Cool for my eyes. I love the GUI compared to windows.
3. The simplicity
4. tweaks you can do for your preference

[d3v1150m471c]

I like it because it's not as much of a resource fiend and that it's easily customized. I like that I have a plethora of window managers to choose from. I like that a software crash doesn't lock up my entire system. I like that it's stable. I like that I don't get registry errors nor have to defrag. The list continues. In fact, the only reason I like windows is not because windows has any strong points but because people make much of the software I enjoy for it due to the fact making Linux versions would be costly.

[banerjeerupak]

My laptop is now 4 year old. It is practically ancient. Yet it runs everything on the Karmic Koala. I'm sure it would perform equally good with the LYNX.

It heats up a lot less. The battery life has gone up. And i have not formatted my computer in months since i started using Ubuntu full time.

Add to all that, there are no viruses or malware. I am at peace.

[linbo]

my two bits...

I grew up on Unix but was forced into a Windows environment and hated having files hidden, mysterious commands running, goofy settings applied without my knowing, and never being able to debug problems. Couldn't run Unix on my home computer and still communicate to folks with Word, Excel, and all that other stuff that became the standard.

Finally, Linux arrived but still incompatible with all that Windows stuff. Gradually, ever so sneakily, the Linux community expanded and intelligently recognized that to take over the world they would need to free all the unwilling Microcr*p slaves (like me) by making open source apps that mimic the stuff they were forced to adopt.

Now comes Ubuntu, free, virus proof, easy to understand, customizable (or not).

Yay! Free at last. I only go back to Windows when I have to have my copy of Photoshop for some special feature or my knitting machine software.

[pcrat]

i thought i would never get the hang of linux. i wanted to so bad too. Now i have a vista laptop.. im tired of the crashes.. lag,, slow downs.. always reinstalling ... network issues connection to my home server... when i installed ubuntu and finally got used to it.. about a month now.. i use it for everything.. i have vista and ubuntu 10.04 dual booted. i use windows for a few things every now and then.. but ubuntu is the main boot. its faster loading.. dont really lag at all...i love the terminal! and i dont need to save up any money like $499.00 for the operating system... oh yea.. it takes about 15 minutes to install NO DRIVER INSTALLS everything works out of the box... ( except my wireless but will get that going its atheroes) software so so easy to install.. i could keep going.. but i wont.. oh yea.. like the others said.. no really worry about virus trojans etc..

[falonyn]

I still use both. On my 4 year old laptop I use Ubuntu exclusively and since switching I haven't felt the pinch of working on an older computer. With Ubuntu I get a flashy OS (yes I do like my OS to be aesthetically pleasing) that can do everything I could ever want to do on a laptop without feeling the age and outdated reality that is my laptop.

I also find myself attracted to how Ubuntu now has so much more functionality built in that the Windows 7 OS and no bloatware like a new laptop with Windows installed.

i.e. ISO burning, torrent download, office suite, IM . . . the list goes on. It is just really nice.

I have been using Ubuntu off and on since 2005 and it has gotten so much better and polished. WiFi support built in, display support drastically improved. Software included is better. I just don't see dumping it from my laptop again.

My final point is I know that unless the hardware on this ancient laptop gives out, I will have this same system without problem for a very long time. No viruses, spyware, or system breakdown issues. Stability is key!

[neotifa]

I have computer from the late 90`s, and all the time i was running windows. Now, im bored. Every version is the same, 90%.
Now i want some change. So i choosed Ubuntu. Thats the main reason.
The second reason is that i want to try something new, and its preety cool.

[falonyn]

I have computer from the late 90`s, and all the time i was running windows. Now, im bored. Every version is the same, 90%.
Now i want some change. So i choosed Ubuntu. Thats the main reason.
The second reason is that i want to try something new, and its preety cool.

I am not sure how Ubuntu is running on your laptop and I don't know what the specs are, but I would suggest if you have any performance issues trying a "smaller" less resource intensive version of Linux. i.e. Xubuntu if you would like to stick with an Ubuntu version. From what I understand the XFCE desktop environment is less resource intensive and that version is designed for people using older hardware.

Just a thought.

[Vaxon]

Wow I guess because it just feels right to me
I admit it took maybe 2 months to get the hang of
But after words It felt weird to not use it

[philodice]

Because I can. Windows versions have gotten more unstable and intrusive over the years. Modern computers get enough ram and processing speed to make windows run ok, then they make another windows that gobbles up the new resources and makes your hot new computer never live up to it's potential unless you spend way too much cash. More cash than an ubuntu machine needs. It's criminal. I think to myself, wow with 2 gigs of ram this will run great. Not so with windows vista, that eats that ram for breakfast.
It's time for the people to speak by moving away from microsuck.

[philodice]

[/QUOTE=banerjeerupak;9154083]My laptop is now 4 year old. It is practically ancient. Yet it runs everything on the Karmic Koala. I'm sure it would perform equally good with the LYNX.

It heats up a lot less. The battery life has gone up. And i have not formatted my computer in months since i started using Ubuntu full time.

Add to all that, there are no viruses or malware. I am at peace.[/QUOTE]

Plus 1!
I AM a granny. 9.10 passes the granny test.

[cadillac807]

cause why not it is free and works awesome on older computers :) and like if you have windows xp why would someone want to pay to upgrade to vista or windows 7 when you can keep up to date for free

[Drenriza]

Basically I dont see any advantages to using linux over windows xp, Im dual booting windows and ubuntu. Ubuntu is nice and all but I dont see anything that would make me prefer it over windows.The only thing i have been using ubuntu for is web browsing playing music/movies (cant play games) which I can do better/hassle free in windows.

So what are the advantages of l using linux over xp?

Working on other machines remote (ssh)
Free GIMP vs windows paint (a joke)
Has less security issues, and is the most secure system in the world.
The ability to modify the system to your needs. Change the system code.
The ability to make your desktop a server. For whatever needs.

these are just a few examples.

[Betialai]

I do like the customization of linux but the whole spyware/adware thing and viruses I have never had a problem with, as long as your not being dumb opening random exe's its pretty much non existent. In reality the spyware is a big problem only because of the fact that the average computer user is attracted to flashy things and clicks.


If it wasnt for the games I could dump windows entirely but i play games on a whim and I hate having to restart just to play it. I could get used to the complexity of it. Honestly though I dont think I will switch to full install of linux or even being first on the boot up list because of the fact that I have the exact same things on windows and linux.

To me this is the real reason that linux is not adopted by the mass public, theres really no reason to go over to linux if you have windows and a casual computer user. However I do think if you dont have an OS and dont plan on being a gamer you should use linux because it is a good system. I also think its perfect for schools/governments/large business because you wouldnt have the major problems a windows network environment has curious/dumb users.

And somehow Canonical listened to you and decided to entirely ruin what until now had been a pleasant experience by releasing Lucid Lynx

[opandora]

I have used every version of Windows since it was introduced. I spend the better part of every day making it do what it promises to do and fails to deliver. I've kept Windows on my computers at home because my husband has never been into "alternative lifestyles," so to speak...lol.

I have had some version of linux on at least one machine for the past five years, and am about to convert at least one of my desktop home computers to Ubuntu. I am researching support for my tuner card, but even if it doesn't support the card, this Windows box is Going Down! It's currently got Windows 7, and constantly loses USB connection, freezes, and is generally troublesome. When I get home from work, I want easy - not a pretty picture frozen on my monitor.

So...that's why! :P

[cameronedwards]

Because when i dropped my computer and f**@ed up its booting and cd-rom drive. i was able to boot into ubuntu using a usb pen, and can now access my coursework! (which is now backup).

[zengzhangsong]

The reson that i chose Linux :
1.It is more beautiful than Windows,as we know the Ubuntu 10.04 is more like Mac OS,it's so beautiful!
2.It is Open Source.That means if you know how to program,you can change the code,and you can give it to others,and then,you will get an OS which is different with other Linux.
3.Linux is more popularer in embedded system.
4.The Windows is to easy,which will maide you felt you are stuped.

[1Michael1]

The reason is pretty simple as everyone has brought up.

A more stable system
Easier to learn since more or less everything is open source
No blue screens of death

And the most important reasons why you should choose Ubuntu over any Windows OS, we got an incredible good community here where we can easily share our experiences and knowledge for the greater good.

[Autodave]

Basically I dont see any advantages to using linux over windows xp, Im dual booting windows and ubuntu. Ubuntu is nice and all but I dont see anything that would make me prefer it over windows.The only thing i have been using ubuntu for is web browsing playing music/movies (cant play games) which I can do better/hassle free in windows.

So what are the advantages of l using linux over xp?

Cost, takes much less space on my harddrive, cost, runs better than Windows, cost, don't have to worry about viruses, malware, spyware, cost, can run on old machines that can no longer run Windows, cost, much more stable that Windows, cost, every program that I need is readily available for download, cost.

If I offered you a brand new Yugo ( keeping in mind that you would be lucky to drive it more than 6 months without major repairs ) for $10,000 or a new Subaru (or Cadillac, or Ford, or Jaguar, or VW) for free and guaranteed it to be a thousand times more dependable than the Yugo, which would you choose??

If you answered, "the Yugo", you are exactly the kind of person that Microsoft is counting on to keep them producing the same old garbage they have been producing and raising the prices for their next version.

[pastalavista]

Cost, takes much less space on my harddrive, cost, runs better than Windows, cost, don't have to worry about viruses, malware, spyware, cost, can run on old machines that can no longer run Windows, cost, much more stable that Windows, cost, every program that I need is readily available for download, cost.

If I offered you a brand new Yugo ( keeping in mind that you would be lucky to drive it more than 6 months without major repairs ) for $10,000 or a new Subaru (or Cadillac, or Ford, or Jaguar, or VW) for free and guaranteed it to be a thousand times more dependable than the Yugo, which would you choose??

If you answered, "the Yugo", you are exactly the kind of person that Microsoft is counting on to keep them producing the same old garbage they have been producing and raising the prices for their next version.

I believe your metaphors are a little skewed and biased. Windows was certainly not a Yugo but more like General Motors and Ubuntu would be more like Tesla... except I don't know how Canonical will ever make very much money. I hope they don't sell out to advertising or worse, personal information gathering, whose main market is advertising, but the much more sinister minor markets out there are frightening. I really hope Ubuntu doesn't get too much more popular. We would be a very large potential target. We might even need to run malware prevention software too. That would be ironic, wouldn't it?

[pyedog]

We might even need to run malware prevention software too. That would be ironic, wouldn't it?

There's no malware in the Ubuntu repositories, you'd only need to run malware prevention software if you were installing applications manually from third parties with the superuser password. The fundamental dynamics of Ubuntu make it malware-proof really.

[pyedog]

Not that I don't think you knew that. Just saying.

[estyles]

There's no malware in the Ubuntu repositories, you'd only need to run malware prevention software if you were installing applications manually from third parties with the superuser password. The fundamental dynamics of Ubuntu make it malware-proof really.

Well... sort of. This assumes that there are no vulnerabilities in Firefox, and I'm not sure anyone believes that 100%...

If you browse a web site, and your browser has an exploit that allows the execution of arbitrary code, then that code can modify pretty much anything in your home directory, which includes what programs run when you log in. If someone can run a program when your user logs in, they don't really need the superuser password.

Running as a limited user is a good security policy, but thinking that it prevents malware from running is a mistake. Where I work, no one runs as an admin, but I still have to play wack-a-mole on windows machines with malware running from their home directories.

[pastalavista]

Well... sort of. This assumes that there are no vulnerabilities in Firefox, and I'm not sure anyone believes that 100%...

If you browse a web site, and your browser has an exploit that allows the execution of arbitrary code, then that code can modify pretty much anything in your home directory, which includes what programs run when you log in. If someone can run a program when your user logs in, they don't really need the superuser password.

Running as a limited user is a good security policy, but thinking that it prevents malware from running is a mistake. Where I work, no one runs as an admin, but I still have to play wack-a-mole on windows machines with malware running from their home directories.

The user, admin or not, is the one vulnerability common to all software and it will never go away. The prevalence and co-operation of "social networking" software is enabling a lot more sophisticated and subversive privacy "hacks" than most people are even aware of.

It seems they want everybody to twitter on facebook about everything they know and do. I don't use any of those services. But they keep hounding me...

[dmp2010]

All the reasons mention above plus....

It SAVES TIME.

1. For short duration that I have used Linux, I don't ever remember pressing CTL-ALT-DEL.
2. Fast Boot.
3. With Windows, my computers are great and fast in the begining. Once I install more software, it takes forever to do ANYTHING.

[cloyd]

I really think that if I had the choice of teaching a brand new computer user . . . one who had absolutely no computer knowledge . . . one that did not have a preconceived idea that the computer should operate like one they had operated before . . . I think that Ubuntu would be easier to teach than Windows.

For example, setting up evolution did not require that I furnish near as much technical information as Outlook Express. Most drivers being included in the kernal is much simpler than installing drivers every time you use a new device. I've never installed windows myself, but installing Ubuntu did not take anywhere near as long as I've heard people speak of as they installed Windows. When I installed Ubuntu, there just weren't that many technical questions I had to answer/guess. Getting ready took a while, but actual installation took 20 minutes or less.

It is different from windows. If you expect it to work just like windows, then you have to unlearn old habits before learning new ones. But it is really more straight forward than windows. And I like my four desktops on a compiz cube, which work perfectly well on a large netbook/mini-laptop (whatever you want to call it-- 2 gig ram, amd athlion 1.2 GHz processor). When did windows ever give me four desktops, wobbly windows, roll up windows, flaming pointers and such? Windows was never this cool, and with all this, Ubuntu doesn't slow down.

I love it.

[DaF1oh1]

I like Linux don't get me wrong, but I stick to Windows for desktop use, I use a Linux box at home running Ubuntu server, and she works a treat, but in my preference, I don't use Linux as a desktop, I have tried, and I'm not particularity a fan, But I love Ubuntu Server <3

[extracrispy]

I've gradually shifted over to linux over the last year or so. Why? Well, from switching my lappy on to doing something meaningful is dramatically faster in Ubuntu than in Vista. In use Ubuntu just feels more responsive.

Ubuntu has a single point for updates/upgrades, in Vista I get a stream of applications asking to update and with some I have to be careful they don't sneak in some dumb toolbar or other uselessness.

In Ubuntu most dialog boxes can be expanded so I can see as much or as little as I choose, in Vista pretty much all dialogs are fixed size and require much dicking about to actually see the info I want, msconfig, I'm looking at you.

Ubuntu just keeps getting better, I'd had some frustration getting it to talk to my ps3 (Vista just worked, no sweat), the Lucid update fixed it.

Amusingly OpenOffice is more compatible across versions of Word than Word is. Though OpenOffice does have some annoyances like the way it changes the view when you select large amounts of text.

Now I only use Vista to play games

[FreeTheBee]

After getting a laptop with vista preinstalled I figured since I had to get used to some new things anyway, I might as well give ubuntu another shot. I played with linux in a dual boot before, but always found myself booting more and more into windows as time passed. This time it went the other way. At home I almost exclusively use Ubuntu nowadays, but have xp in a virtualbox for some win only applications that I sometimes need for work (wine didn't work for these programs). At my office I have the opposite setup.

For most windows only applications, that I used to use, I found good replacements. The only thing I somewhat miss is Winedt. Although there are good alternatives, none of them can beat its syntax highlighting. Perhaps I should risk another attempt on setting it up in wine.

I'd say synaptic is a big advantage over windows, having all updates in one place. Some other things, Gnome do, the rich command line, boot times (although I understand win7 boots quick as well), more freedom to tinker and it's free. The large community behind Ubuntu and Linux in general is nice as well. It is usually fairly easy to figure out new things, simply by browsing the forums.

[requiredto]

Because we can
and its more fun to learn with

[cgroza]

Because you can do the same things as windows and more without paying money for something that will take you time each time it gets a virus or crashes...

[Nightstrike2009]

This is just my opinion but I am sick of mindless tat instead of fixing major security holes, forget "aero" "3d flip" and such rubbish, product activation is like accusing legitimate users of being pirates, and windows genuine advantage is just a pain in the backside. The stupid pricing system doesn't help too many versions and should be cheaper.

Ubuntu has moral values and can match (or improve on many windows programs) and is jig-saw like in nature install what you need and remove the tat you don't want. :-)

[pradeepthundiyil]

1. ubuntu (linux) is more secure

2. Open source - No need of license

3. Good for Networking professionals.

4. Faster bootup & shutdown

5. and more

Above all...... I 'm using sony vaio laptop which has an OEM vista OS, and had a very bad experience from sony .. I installed a different version of windows and they didn support for some drivers, whereas in Ubuntu, everything worked without installing drivers. i 'm impressed.. I had few issues regarding connecting my datacard. I hope canonical will give more importance for dial users, to make it more user friendly...

[milesrlv]

The advantage is that I don't put another penny into the pocket of the Bill Gatesopoly.

[uRock]

Windows is awesome and has its uses.
Ubuntu is awesome and has its uses.

They are both free, to me, so I use Windows for Netflix and a few other things. I use ubuntu for everything else.

[theozzlives]

This is just my opinion but I am sick of mindless tat instead of fixing major security holes, forget "aero" "3d flip" and such rubbish, product activation is like accusing legitimate users of being pirates, and windows genuine advantage is just a pain in the backside. The stupid pricing system doesn't help too many versions and should be cheaper.

Ubuntu has moral values and can match (or improve on many windows programs) and is jig-saw like in nature install what you need and remove the tat you don't want. :-)

I wrote a letter explaining that they treat their customers like criminals. Didn't even get a letter saying screw you!

[HViktor]

It is fun to learn and make me free to do simple things without any legal issue...like browsing internet, send e-mail-s and some entertainment.

I feel a nice mindset all over the linux community.

[Chame_Wizard]

What should I say?Too much fun to learn new things.:guitar:

[vinan]

For me Ubuntu (linux) is simple, at the same time a complicated working tool.

Plus all other good reasons which mentioned by my fellow Ubunturians in this 499 page thread


And windows like made out of glas, ;o) and broke every time try u tested to the limit.


Point of view why Ubuntu or the other Linux distros never maded(yet) to the main stream market . Is not because The Open Source or GPL product is 2. class.

Is Because, these companies or products are not conduce or contribute to WALL STREET thieves.


Viva La Open Source (http://futuretense.corante.com/archives/2005/07/28/viva_la_open_source.php)
Peace

[sqrooup]

It's free!

[dvwolfman]

hmmm...open source vs. closed source...love vs. hate...good vs. evil, Ubuntu vs. Windows...

It was easy once I accepted the reality...windows is hopeless, mac is expensive (to buy and repair) and Ubuntu is for free(dom)...

audio is going very well, all other apps even better:guitar::popcorn:

[edwardtilbury]

I use it because the games are so horrible or non-existent on Ubuntu, so I'll get more work done :)

Forces me to be more productive..


Also, my servers are all ubuntu, I better start learning how to use this operating system by making it my desktop OS.

[dvwolfman]

it keeps me free, and it is modular so I can build my music software from elements which are well thought out but not predefined; windows want to tell me what I can do with it, Ubuntu says "you're free, do what you will"...I like that

Also Ubuntu doesn't get viruses, so if you pay a bundle for say, music software like Cubase and use Windows XP, and find out that you have to spend a bundle more to keep it updated properly, you don't have to worry, because Ubuntu is ethical and cares about you and whether your needs are met, rather than microsoft windows, where microsoft cares more about keeping secrets about how it works because it is paranoid, maybe it should be paranoid, because it can't even keep out a virus...
Apple is another story...I applaud that they copied linux for thier backbone, good for them, I tried to repair an OSX machine for a friend, and lo and behold, it looked like linux on the backend, except the closed source part, you have to be an 'authorized' Apple dealer to get the software to fix it in some cases...I was sad because a little girl wanted to use the computer...lucky that some nice person made the OPLC and the little girl got one, and when she got one, so did someone over seas, because of nice, helpful people.

Ubuntu rocks, microsoft talks (well makes a lot of ads):guitar:

[EarlGrey167]

I don't like the viruses. I don't like way Microsoft has become so greedy and once you understand it Ubuntu is just as easy to get along with in day to day surfing as Windows.

[dvwolfman]

I don't like the viruses. I don't like way Microsoft has become so greedy and once you understand it Ubuntu is just as easy to get along with in day to day surfing as Windows.

Good point, straightforward!:popcorn:

[Nick_Jinn]

Basically I dont see any advantages to using linux over windows xp, Im dual booting windows and ubuntu. Ubuntu is nice and all but I dont see anything that would make me prefer it over windows.The only thing i have been using ubuntu for is web browsing playing music/movies (cant play games) which I can do better/hassle free in windows.

So what are the advantages of l using linux over xp?



You probably feel this way because you have not yet tasted its advanced features. Some of them are pretty awesome.


A lot of them I never even played with or knew existed until I recently tried Linux Mint with gave me access to TONS of awesome features that I had not played with....just customizing your home page with animations and features is great fun.

If you are just using the basic out of the box features like web browsing and empathy chat, then I might even say that Ubuntu was inferior to Windows.....but its not. There are some programs in there that would cost you tens of thousands if you bought something equal on windows. Its nothing short of amazing.



Go read the Ubuntu Unleashed and play with some beginner distros like Mint and you might change your mind.

[Nick_Jinn]

A few things I hate about windows.....


Do you want to activate your anti-virus sweet now or later?

???!


Where is the option for NEVER, no go away, I dont want to give you any more of my money so stop asking, k-thanks-bye? They dont give you that option.

Windows is desinged to get you to give all your money away for stuff you wouldnt even need or could get for free on linux.



Admittedly they had a pretty innovative and decent product back in 1995. Whether we like to admit it or not Windows has brought some great features for user friendliness....People like to be able to use their system with a point and click interface, and just because they dont know as much about computers as the geeks do doesnt mean they are bad people or not brilliant in other ways....some of them could be doctors and lawyers but just never cared much for staring at screens for too long.


Windows has really stagnated since then. I dont feel they have been bringing much to the table since 1995 and the innovation of a point and click user based interface....and they may not have been the only one to do it, but they packaged it well and it really was great at the time....today all their innovation centers around greed, spyware, cornering the market, reporting you for listening to shared music, selling you crap you dont need, marketing you products from the mega-corporations, and the most innovative thing they have done beyond some eye candy and slight tweeks in the interface and controls is compatibility with higher end software.


I think that Linux is progressing at a much faster rate and I think the philosophical model of linux and Open Source + the ambitions of Ubuntu to make it accessible to the masses are to thank for the more rapid innovations...There are still some bugs though.

If you want to avoid the bugs and trouble shooting, you should probably keep 1 release behind and stick to the long term stable releases (Unless they are new or the last one was especially buggy, then you might want to go back farther to the previous stable version, but install the best newer packages.

You are kind of a guinea pig leading the way for innovation, even after its released, if you use the latest version...its fun though, but its a lot more fun if you read the manual and understand how to troubleshoot a bit on your own.

[EarlGrey167]

A few things I hate about windows.....


Do you want to activate your anti-virus sweet now or later?

???!




Oh I hate that! Norton is like cockroaches! It is all through the system just like AOL used to be!

[jerenept]

Oh I hate that! Norton is like cockroaches! It is all through the system just like AOL used to be!
Why do you use Norton?
There is better out there.
(AVG, Avira, COMODO, Clam.

[Nick_Jinn]

Why do you use Norton?
There is better out there.
(AVG, Avira, COMODO, Clam.


No, we are complaining about how Microsoft reinstalls it and keeps prompting you to buy it or it wont leave you alone.

You can turn it off with the controls, but it takes some doing and a lot of users dont even know how.....so they get bombarded with prompts until they give in and do what microsoft tells them to.


Also, I think they FINALLY wised up in 7, but they wouldnt give you the option of saying 'No, I dont want to restart my computer right now'. The only option is to get bombared every 10 minutes or they will restart without your permission....what if I am doing something and the update isnt important enough? What if I am downloading torrents and I dont want it to be interrupted but I also want to walk around?

**** Microsoft. Seriously. That gets edited out with bleeps right?

[gerowen]

After my recent (yesterday) experience with the latest and greatest Windows operating system, (7 Ultimate), I have a new reason for choosing Ubuntu. It works.