Sick of Windows?

Windows is pretty awful, and should have been binned about 7 years ago (Vista - don’t get me started). Microsoft keep resurrecting windows XP, and ironically it’s actually become quite a stable, reliable product. As long as you pay to keep it up to date, that is - plus pay for antivirus and antispyware etc. Then it usually shits itself for no apparent reason, requiring you to spend days reconfiguring it and setting up your system how you like it. Without endlessly tweaking it, it’s just plain awful to use.

Did you cotton on yet? I really despise Windows/Microsoft. They do some genuinely nasty stuff to consumers and competitors.

Anyway, you don’t have to use it - it’s not the be-all and end-all of operating systems. There are alternatives out there - Mac OS X is one - and GNU/linux is another.

‘Linux’ is really an umbrella term to describe hundreds of different operating systems, all using the linux core (the kernel). The differences between them are beyond the scope of what I’m talking about, but suffice to say that the huge majority are :

• Free (in every sense of the word)
  
• Super Stable
• Easier to Install that windows
• Come with all the software you’d ever really need (office programs, paint programs etc)
• NOT susceptible to viruses or spyware
• Easy enough to use that you can jump right in.

One of the driving philosophies of GNU/Linux is that it is open source - meaning that the software is completely free to use, modify and distribute. You NEVER have to worry about licenses, Windows Activation, or anything like that. You can just get on with using your computer for actually doing stuff. The whole FOSS (Free, Open Source Software) movement is hugely interesting.

I just installed it on Amanda’s desktop. Here it is (that’s Google Gadgets in the sidebar) - click for full size :

Click the more tag to hear more.

(Click to zoom)

I mentioned earlier that there are hundreds of different linux-powered operating systems - called distributions - and pretty much the most popular is one called Ubuntu. It’s flagship features are :

• It is targeted at newcomers
• It is based on an older, grandfather linux distribution called ‘Debian’
• It includes pretty much any bit of software you’d ever need
• It makes the transition from Windows to Linux as easy as it can get
• It has the best compatibility with your hardware (webcams, printers, etc.)
• It has a huge user support base (go online and ask questions, get immediate help)

Interested?

If not, please indulge me by watching this short clip. It shows some of the more ‘visual’ features that are available to linux users (and come with Ubuntu).

I really encourage you to give it a shot. You can install it alongside Windows, so you can switch between the two. A super-simple way of doing this is by using a Windows program called Wubi, which lets you install Ubuntu with virtually ZERO risk of fucking things up.

(When you run Wubi, it can download ubuntu for you - about 700Mb - or, if you already have Ubuntu on a CD, or .ISO file, it will use that.)

Another thing you can do is download the CD Image for Ubuntu, burn it to a disc, and then start up your computer. It will read the CD and load ubuntu entirely in the computer’s temporary memory, meaning you can get a feel for what ubuntu gives you without actually changing anything on your computer. This is really cool, as you’ll see that when you start Ubuntu, it will correctly identify and install the correct drivers for 99% of your hardware - remember that when you install Windows, you have to spend hours and hours hunting around for the right software.

One of the most important aspects of any linux distribution is that everything can be changed by the user. Nothing is ‘off limits’, and everything is infinitely customisable.

Here are 10 examples of attractive ubuntu desktops that people have customised - you can apply everyone one of these styles yourself, too. Example (click=enlarge):

I am more than happy to help anyone out installing this and giving it a shot!

No Comments so far
Leave a comment



Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML standard fomatting tags allowed, and so on.:

Name

E-mail

URI

Your Comment