Hello, everyone. I haven't posted some time now because I've made a serious decision. I have moved to Linux! Well, actually to Ubuntu to be exact. No dual-boot Windows & Ubuntu, but pure Linux-boot on my box.

You really should consider the fact to move to Linux as well as I did. I am not at all dissapointed about my action. In fact I am proud of what I've done. I had enough of that Windows removal questions - what to remove and what not, being scared not to brake anything - so one day I tried Linux and it was awesome. You should really see what Compiz Fusion under Ubuntu can do. It can blow your mind for starters. This thing is a window manager that makes Windows Vista's window manager look hillarious. Go to http://www.youtube.com/ and type 'compiz fusion' and you'll see what this baby can do. But this is not the only thing why you should consider moving to Linux. Nope. Everything is free here. The operating system is free, all the programs are free. It's a free world here. There are tons of Linux distributions, but I really suggest using Ubuntu as your first Linux distribution. Go to http://www.ubuntu.com/ and free yourself.

I wouldn't suggest to completely move to Linux if you are a PC gamer, but dual-boot Windows & Linux is also an option for you. Work in Linux and play in Windows.

Be well, friends!

Yep Ubuntu is great and i use the livecd when i have to, but isnt this the wrong place to post this?

I am aware this thread not being in place, but it's somewhat linked to nLite. People who are using Nlite to remove components and do other things to Windows installations should consider of something completely new. I have posted that thread for people's consideration. I still say that if you want to be free, use Linux.

Be well.

Windows can do that too since windows 2000, its just a few reg tweaks and a program

I don't think you can make Windows 2000, and higher, act exactly as Compiz Fusion acts. Even if you can, a normal user wouldn't take time to study registry tweaking to have something cool. Compiz Fusion is installed and enabled in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon Beta by default. After 11 days, when the final release of Gutsy Gibbon is out, we'll have a far superior window manager than Vista has to offer. And also, we'll get that for free and Vista users (will) have to pay for it. Linux killed Windows.

OMG this soooo does not go in the nLite forum.

danged fanboy

[/moving]

I was kidding... If you need all that stuff use linux. My self I will stick with windows 2000 and do things the old way
its fine with me

I also am starting to think about dual booting with Linux. So one reason to strip down Win Xp to remove all the junk using Nlite and reinstalling on fresh HDD. I am presently checking the Linux versions out. Excuse for posting here. But apparently the latest Ubuntu is having a few problems as per a posting elswhere as follows for Ubuntu [Quote.] Nvidia drivers still weren't working: I could not change the screen resolution to anything higher than 1024 x 768. At that point, I gave up. Yes, I know that you can edit config files, etc. to get them working, but frankly I don't care. I have no desire to spend my time trying to fix something that should simply work. [Unquote.]
No im not against Linux infact im for it after all the problems Vista is having but feel there is a better version to use. Check the forums out to see which linux version suits you first. Maybe Debian would be better.

About three/four months ago I did exactly the same thing and I'm no worse of for it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an anti-Windows protester or anything, I just find Linux very liberating.

A word to the wise though: Ubuntu does have a lot or press and to be fair it is a good OS but if your looking to install your first distro try PCLinuxOS or Mandriva first. You wont be disappointed... in my opinion anyway

Mandriva is rather easy to start out with, though i dont like my mandrake cds anymore, ubuntu is pretty good but it hates my video card so i cant really use it

for a lot of people, finance software is the only thing holding them back to Windows.

No more...

www.gnucash.org. They finally have a port to windows in addition to the Linux code.

You can start out with Gnucash on windows and when happy, move the whole thing to Linux.

I don't want to contribute to a fanboy sort of thing, but I used and delved pretty deep into Windows on my home built computers through the years and was rather fearful of trying Linux until last January.

Since then I've kept up with both Windows and Linux but pretty much spend nearly all of my time on my Linux hard drive. There's plenty of stuff to search for and read on the net so I won't go into too many comparisons here, but I have noticed that once a user finds his or her favorite Linux distribution that manages to please as well as getting along with their particular computer hardware it is pretty difficult to find folks who spend all that much time in Windows.

OpenSUSE 10.3 was just released and 10.2 was the one I started out with. Since then I have spent quite a bit of time using Debian (the Lenny, testing version of it) as well. I investigated Fedora, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Freespire as well.

I think my current love is OpenSUSE 10.3, but really a user must try and decide things like which one by personal trial. Any of them will require a commitment to search for and read information. Of all the distributions I have tried I see OpenSUSE as the one that has the most complete help information directly installed onto a machine by default and so likely is the one needing the least looking around the net to get themselves started with Linux, assuming the installation went well and this particular Linux distribution sorted all of the users hardware correctly and set things up properly. All distros are not equal in that regard.

If anyone is reading this thread to see if it can be helpful making a choice, be aware that nearly every distro out there will take some additional setting up of 3D Videocard drivers, wireless connections, and proprietary multimedia codecs (mp3, Windows Media, Quicktime, Real, DVD encrypted playback, font installation and preference). Each distro will have its own methods that accomplish these things and some are easier than others.

It is not the "free as in beer" only or the visual "eye candy" that are chief reasons to explore Linux as a desktop choice, but rather the increased inherent security without memory intensive security software running in the background, free as in freedom software that is maintained by both large corporation contributions as well as individual developers that facilitate faster improved features as well as faster fixes of bugs, as well as user freedom to have his or her choices of what they want their computer to do and in most Linux distributions much easier software installation and removal due to system wide package management and configuration tools than the Windows operating system provides. Usually you go to one place on your system, check out what's available, and tell your package manager to install or remove whatever you wish without searching for on the net, downloading, and installing individual pieces of software themselves. It's a one-stop shop for almost everything a user could want. And many distro's include just about everything available in Linux based software available right in their package manager if the user learns to activate the sources he or she desires.

It's great fun to learn, there will be road blocks even for experienced users, and one must be patient and willing to learn something new.

Once learned, it is easier to install and configure than Windows has ever been. But keep in mind that I mean easier than a blank hard disk and installing Windows on it, not a prepackaged by manufacturer computer with Windows and all software preconfigured. However, certain distributions make even that comparatively easier.

It's an exploration that can be frustrating, but hopefully taken upon oneself in a spirit of having fun with it.

I use Linux a lot at school/work, since that's where all the research software seems to be, but everytime I have to install or configure something for a new program, I just get endless headaches. Why? Because the instructions you find are for a generic distro, or something Debian-based, but you're using RHEL based systems. The simple lack of consolidated how-tos or help documentation is the biggest thing holding linux back from being adopted into workplaces.

You say that Linux is free...? What about all the time you spent learning how to configure and use it? Try doing that with every employee in a company, especially some who are not-so tech-savvy. Now you're talking about the paid wages to train these people on how to use Linux, when chances are they know how to use Windows (more or less).

Every time I touch another OS, I always go running back to Windows XP and Server 2003. Why? Because they just work (and people who say otherwise are ill-informed or do stupid things on the internet).

O_o have you heard of Wine? Wine's been porting windows for ages allowing you to install/run Windows apps in Linux...thats how i keep my Photoshop license. [rather than letting it collect dust]
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i do agree with Zxian though...while its possible to go completely linux, its far too time consuming than what's exactly necessary. i'm on the way over to linux myself here, my laptop is all linux, my old Pentium 4 is all linux [got my hands on a Fluxbuntu CD] and my newest PD rig triple boots...but since my printer only works in Windows [it claims to work in OS X, but i guess not Intel based because its pre-intel based mac] i'm stuck.

there's a limit to how easily one can switch over, and its partly based on hardware along with user knowledge. part of building a linux box is knowing that everything's compatible, with windows, its just plug in, boot up, install drivers.

linux is a contender, yes, and very easily at that, but people who have new computers now that aren't compatible with linux wont want to pay more money to use a free OS.

I use various flavours of Microsoft Windows and Linux. I produce music in my free time and a lot of applications which I use don't run on Linux, not even in Wine. There are also no proper Linux counterparts available for these applications, so I'm stuck to Microsoft Windows. Not that I mind though. I honestly believe that most people who complain about Microsoft Windows simply don't configure their systems properly. "Windows security sucks!" makes me sigh. I have seen lots of people who said this and who switched to Linux, but who had their Linux systems poorly configured and fully open to the outside world. Money wise, switching to Linux is better. I use both Microsoft Windows and Linux, both for work, as well as during my free time. Both have their advantages, but also their down sides. I couldn't live without either.