I keep switching.

[AngryGnome]

So I'm currently using WinXP. I've switched back and forth between Ubuntu and XP for the past few years... I tend to do it every 6 months or so. I tried dual booting for a while but decided that it was more of a hassle than it was worth. It's always something small that brings me back to XP (such as certain windows only programs not working quite right in Wine or a piece of hardware not being recognized)... and it's always the love of open source software that brings me back to Ubuntu.

I was wondering if anyone else here has had this experience. Also, does anyone have any tips for getting through the wishy-washyness?

[linux_nc]

me too.

[I-75]

I use XP too, but for specific apps. I even use Mac every now and then. But for surfing and other regular computer stuff...I'll use Ubuntu or any of the other fine Linux distros.


Bottom line, use what you want, when you want...and don't feel guilty or apologize for what you use. Its your computer, your choice...enjoy.

[Phreaker]

I have the same 'problem' .

[ade234uk]

I had the same problem, but eventually you will beat it. There are some things I still need Windows for, however I intend to do 99% of my computing in Ubuntu.

[jolx]

So I'm currently using WinXP. I've switched back and forth between Ubuntu and XP for the past few years... I tend to do it every 6 months or so. I tried dual booting for a while but decided that it was more of a hassle than it was worth. It's always something small that brings me back to XP (such as certain windows only programs not working quite right in Wine or a piece of hardware not being recognized)... and it's always the love of open source software that brings me back to Ubuntu.

I was wondering if anyone else here has had this experience. Also, does anyone have any tips for getting through the wishy-washyness?

Have you considered booting XP in virtualbox? that would help with program compatability. As for hardware thats really up to the manufacturers...

[eternalnewbee]

Originally Posted by AngryGnome View Post
So I'm currently using WinXP. I've switched back and forth between Ubuntu and XP for the past few years... I tend to do it every 6 months or so. I tried dual booting for a while but decided that it was more of a hassle than it was worth. It's always something small that brings me back to XP (such as certain windows only programs not working quite right in Wine or a piece of hardware not being recognized)... and it's always the love of open source software that brings me back to Ubuntu.

I was wondering if anyone else here has had this experience. Also, does anyone have any tips for getting through the wishy-washyness?
Had this until about 2.5 years ago, when I decided it was time to just go for Ubuntu.

[dirtylobster]

Try Ubuntu + XP under VirtualBox?

[billgoldberg]

Instead of trying to install software under wine, try searching for an linux equivalent.

That and virtualization.

[chucky chuckaluck]

if you need windows, then you need windows. there's nothing wishy-washy about using what you need. you can still use plenty of open source software in windows.

[eternalnewbee]

if you need windows, then you need windows. there's nothing wishy-washy about using what you need. you can still use plenty of open source software in windows.
I think I'm going back to windows now;)

[Swagman]

As others have said.. install SxVM Virtualbox and be done with it.

I installed it just to have a play

Pic below is PhotoShop running through wine in Ubuntu with word 2007 running in vbox (Photogenics was running in vbox previously)

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii45/Outcast_Aussie/VirtXP2.jpg

[AngryGnome]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I've never tried running Windows in virtual box before. It sounds like a perfect solution. One question, has anyone noticed any system lag while running virtual box? I know XP sometimes has problems when running programs of that sort.

Thanks again. :)

[BunnyGirlDoom]

I have been relatively die-hard with PC most of my computing life. My first OS was Win3.11 on a 386 with 500mb of HD space and 16mb of RAM. Heh. Ah, the "old" days. I think I stayed with Windows so long because I had pretty much learned it inside and out and was confident I could (and did) fix any issue that came my way.

After Win98 (one of the better OSs released by Win) I was a little disappointing until WinXP SP1 & 2. Even though XP has remained relatively stable and when it does crash, I gasp since it is such a rare occurrence, I have always kind of hated it. I don't know. maybe it is the marketing, the shoddy support, the buggy everything, IE, who knows. I also tired early on of Mac and PC elitism, because both are kind of *** in their own way, equally.

Over the years I have tried a couple of different Linux distros (such as redhat in '04), but recently when wiping Vista off a friends PC and dual booting it with XP and Ubuntu 8.04, I started tinkering with the OS. Within a day I had decided to dual boot my laptop. Its been a week now and I am considering switching to Ubuntu almost exclusively, except for CS3 apps which I need for my business and Sonar which I use in my music studio (but I am going to check out some sequencing/multi-track apps that will run on Ubuntu to see if I like them at all).

I also have an iBook G4 so it only makes sense that I should begin to master another OS (but really I just want to stop feeling like I'm a slave to either Win or Mac. I am excessively ecstatic about Ubuntu (after a few headaches and having to install ndiswrapper to get my wifi card to work) and really want to make the switch to it 99% as mentioned above. I'll probably always have to use PC and Mac for certain things, or with work, but I don't wanna be a PC chick anymore...

[forrestcupp]

Just take the plunge. Get XP completely out of your life. That's what I did, and now I feel that I couldn't live without Vista. :)

But a serious piece of advice for you. Don't get your hopes up with running XP in a virtual machine. It ain't the same. And don't think you're going to use virtual box to play games, unless solitaire is the heaviest game you play. VM's don't support 3D acceleration in any usable fashion.

[chucky chuckaluck]

I think I'm going back to windows now;)

soon as microsoft reinstates support for ME, i'm right there with ya, buddy.

[jeyaganesh]

Linux is better for web browsing for people like us. With virtualization, gaming and other graphic works are difficult to do. I have tried wine but i struggled to make its window look bigger.

I will switch completely to Linux when they hide that terminal window.:lolflag:

[Therion]

For those few instances I'm forced to use a Windows application, I run WinXP in a VM using VMWare's Workstation and I think it just about mops up the floor with Virtual Box.

Workstation has better USB support (in my experience), more seamless integration (Unity mode!) aaand support for DirectX 8 (or DX9 if you're willing to go BETA).

[Swagman]

Linux is better for web browsing for people like us. With virtualization, gaming and other graphic works are difficult to do. I have tried wine but i struggled to make its window look bigger.

I will switch completely to Linux when they hide that terminal window.:lolflag:

Can you see a terminal window in my screeny ?

Having said that....

@ BunnyGirlDoom

Sequencers.....LMMS Screenshots page (http://lmms.sourceforge.net/screenshots.php)



sudo apt-get install lmms


Great fun

[AngryGnome]

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm backing up the files I want to keep now. I think I may finally be able to move completely over to Ubuntu. We'll see what happens. :)

[Swagman]

Interestingly... How the heck has BunnyGirls post count remained at zero ?

[jeyaganesh]

I meant Linux should be made easy to use for all.

[forrestcupp]

I meant Linux should be made easy to use for all.

You're right, but you should have tried it 11 or 12 years ago, when I first tried it out. Now, a monkey could use Linux compared to what it was like then. It's coming along quite rapidly. If only hardware vendors would back Linux a lot more; we'd be in great shape.

(BTW, I'm not trying to be offensive to people who have problems with Linux. I'm just saying that it's much, much easier than it was back then.)

[Trafferth]

I agree - I have switched over to Ubuntu for 99% of the work I do (experimental physics) - the only time I have to use Windows XP is to interface with (expensive and hence irreplaceable) CCD detectors which have Windows-only drivers and control software. I dipped my toe in with 6.06, didn't like it, tried again with 7.04, got on with it then, and have stuck with it ever since. I have 8.04LTS on my work desktop, 8.10 on my laptop (dual-boot with WinXP SP3), and a 8.10 / WinXP SP3 (for games) dual-boot on my home computer. Have flirted with Fedora and OpenSUSE, but Ubuntu is by far the easiest (and least frustrating) to get going out-of-the-box.

-T

[eternalnewbee]

You're right, but you should have tried it 11 or 12 years ago, when I first tried it out. Now, a monkey could use Linux compared to what it was like then. It's coming along quite rapidly. If only hardware vendors would back Linux a lot more; we'd be in great shape.

(BTW, I'm not trying to be offensive to people who have problems with Linux. I'm just saying that it's much, much easier than it was back then.)
Non taken by this evolved monkey;)

[irish66]

Well the only major windows program that I can't seem to run in Ubuntu through wine is called MDe infohandler. I'm downloading virtual box, although was was warned that my i gig mem would make it run very slow.
M

[softtower]

Once I tried Ubuntu (and then OSX) I just couldn't go back to Windows and it's ugly thin fonts: my eyes just couldn't take it. In fact I went as far as internal transfer at work just to avoid dealing with Windows and put some effort into finding a OS-neutral programming job one year later.

As far as Windows-only software is concerned, I couldn't live without Adobe Creative Suite and RAW converting software for my camera. On top of that, my wife is a photographer and she needed Windows for exact same reasons. So I ended up getting a Mac too, just to run Adobe and to make sure that no Windows is around the house.

When my parents computer died, I sent them a gift: a new laptop with completely sealed Ubuntu 8.04 on it: (hot updates disabled). They were bitching for a month or so, but every time I responded and investigated, it was because they were tried to install some windows-only crapware from the net "to check the weather". Soon they stopped complaining and now they're quite happy, plus their laptop works *exactly* the same way it did half year ago: it didn't get any slower, it didn't cover it's tray area with 25 new unknown icons and didn't develop the habit of blasting you with randomly opening ads. Oh, and the Linux version of Skype looks like an actual chat app, as opposed to overweight "personal information manager" with 23487 annoying&useless features that Windows version has, and they like it.

[BunnyGirlDoom]

Interestingly... How the heck has BunnyGirls post count remained at zero ?

I had noticed that. Oh well, guess I can't be accused of being a post wh*re

[AngryGnome]

Currently typing this from my newly installed Ububtu. :)

Thanks for the help guys... maybe this will be the time I don't switch back.

Now to customize!

[cardinals_fan]

Interestingly... How the heck has BunnyGirls post count remained at zero ?
Because posts in non-support forums (such as the Café) don't count toward the overall count.

[blithen]

So I'm currently using WinXP. I've switched back and forth between Ubuntu and XP for the past few years... I tend to do it every 6 months or so. I tried dual booting for a while but decided that it was more of a hassle than it was worth. It's always something small that brings me back to XP (such as certain windows only programs not working quite right in Wine or a piece of hardware not being recognized)... and it's always the love of open source software that brings me back to Ubuntu.

I was wondering if anyone else here has had this experience. Also, does anyone have any tips for getting through the wishy-washyness?

Sounds EXACTLY like me. We do the same thing basically. I think I switch more frequently though.

[derekr44]

You have a couple options...

Dual boot (can be a hassle, I agree)
Run Ubuntu only, then put XP in VirtualBox (this works wonderfully)
Run Ubuntu only, install Crossover Office/Games
Run Windows only, install Ubuntu via WUBI

I eventually went the Ubuntu/VirtualBox/Crossover route.

[forrestcupp]

Interestingly... How the heck has BunnyGirls post count remained at zero ?


I had noticed that. Oh well, guess I can't be accused of being a post wh*re

Community Discussions posts don't count.

[jeyaganesh]

If only hardware vendors would back Linux a lot more; we'd be in great shape.

Exactly!:guitar: