Windows Sucks. . . Is Linux Better?

[scuzzo84]

use BSD, linux is a POS

 

[Cyclops]

 

[firefly1201]

UbuntuLinux is what I recommend to all Linux Newbies.

http://ubuntulinux.com/

Download the liveCD, burn it to a disc, and you'll be all set. It's a good introduction to linux.

​

Bah, GNOME is the spawn of Satan. Download Kubuntu instead, nice KDE interface to accompany a grand little distro.

:EDIT: Typo

 

[declaration]

You should try Linux anyway but maintaining XP is not that difficult imho.

My installation is lightning fast, has no viruses and never gets any.

Just use Firefox, get a decent firewall, get some good anti-spyware software, and watch what you install.

 

[deadlychicken22]

use BSD, linux is a POS

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Well, I don't know operating systems as well as some people here, but from my experiences linux is definitely the most secure and efficient os there is (apart from possibly os x, which I haven't ever owned and hardly ever used). HERE's an interesting article about linux dominating supercomputers It compares the top 500 supercomputers in the world and says that roughly 300 of them run on linux, roughly 190 run on unix, two on freeBSD, and one on microsoft windows. (seven are catagorized "other"). Of course, you're not looking for a supercomputer so that doesn't necessarily mean its the best for you. You really have to spend some time to learn linux. From my experiences it is much much better but you will have to memorize quite a few commands and get used to some other differences (mounting.....). If you're prepared to spend the time to learn it I would recommend getting a completely different hard drive to put linux on as recommended early. That way if you do have trouble, you can always switch back. Good luck.

 

[iignotus]

You know, the BSD kernel may be better thought-out than the Linux kernel, but you know what else it is? Immature. No BSD has nearly as much support for newer devices as Linux does. BSD is for people who like to say Linux sucks, as they sit there without their SCSI RAID or WiFi working.

 

[darkman]

I would strongly urge you to try out the Live CDs first as has been recommended in this post. Not just one but do try out several. I tried over 30 different Distros before I settled down to one main distro that I liked. You can easily find out if you have any hardware that is not compatible with the Live CDs. You can go to Distrowatch.com to read up and find out which Distro is for you. I currently use three. I have two laptops and one desktop running Linux. My favorite is SuSE. I like doing a little desktop publishing and Windows was not able to handle it. I was tired of the freeze ups, crashes, loss of info, and blue screens of death, not to mention the reinsall that you had to do once every 6 to 8 months. My daugther still uses it. I have taught her how to maintain it. I never have used XP except at work and I try to stay off of the computers that have it. I have been using Linux now for at least two years. I love it! But Linux is not for every one. It all depends on the programs you use. h34r:

 

[firefly1201]

If you're a hardcore PC gaming fan who wants the latest games such as Counter Strike Source, Battlefield 2, or World of Warcraft, then Linux is essentially a no-go, because, yes, there are gaming communities centered around Linux, but Windows has more stuff made for it. Which won't work under WINE.

 

[deadlychicken22]

If you're a hardcore PC gaming fan who wants the latest games such as Counter Strike Source, Battlefield 2, or World of Warcraft, then Linux is essentially a no-go, because, yes, there are gaming communities centered around Linux, but Windows has more stuff made for it. Which won't work under WINE.

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Well, you are mostly correct. They are working on a program that is similar to WINE that is made specifically to emulate modern windows games. So far it sounds like it can emulate quite a few modern games well but it still has a long way to go.

 

[Cyclops]

 

[darkman]

There is a program called "Cedega" that is based on wine. It is supposed to support over 400 commercial microsoft games. From what I have read, a lot of games take a lot of fiddling with to get them up and running. You have to do a lot of adjusting and tweeking. It sounded like a lot of trouble at the time I looked into it. It also needed a monthly subscription to use. Nothing beats loading and playing.

 

[efegea]

Do a favour to yourself and download a livecd: kubuntu or knoppix are very good.

You don't have to install it. A livecd runs from the cd when you turn on your computer, so you don't have to worry about configurations and so.. If you only want to browse internet and read your mail, that's the better for you.

Viruses for linux: :lol: :lol: there are a few, but only "concept software", they are only tests and only run on very old software, because of the way linux and the rest of open source software are developed, the bugs are resolved in a very short time. And there are a lot of more reasons of why viruses for linux are very difficult to find. But the market share its not a reason: linux its not dominating the desktop, but its dominating at servers. And hackers prefer cracking servers better than cracking desktop users. Linux+apache=an invencible beast


PD: you will never see a virus/trojan/whatever on a livecd, because it's a cd so it's read-only, no way a virus can modify anything! (it also means you can install software on a livecd... )
PD2: a livecd, at least knoppix, can be installed to the harddisk if you like it.
PD3: there are also live-usb sticks! boot linux from an USB memry stick
PD4: there is not PD4

 

[Splinter]

SUSE linux i found fairly good as someone who had never even seen a linux box before. Dont know that much about the limitations of it but migrating from windows to SUSE i found fairly easy.

 

[reaper79]

Personally I like Mandrake, because of all the crap that you can choose from on install. Many don't like it exactly for this reason though as it is somewhat bloated. Linux is a great OS for those that know what they are doing and can handle the learning curve. Personally I support Linux, because I want to support open-source.

As for the usefulness of the OS, I'm still on Windows XP most of the time (I dual boot both). When it comes to PC gaming, Linux sucks balls. Don't sugar coat it. And remember, WINE is an emulator... meaning that it plays title SLOWER.

But there is hope for the future. Maybe one day there will be a DirectX derivitive for Linux, and all will be well. Linux unfortunately is in the same predicament as OSX, lack of gaming.

Cheers!

 

[Cyclops]

 

[WarmFluffyUK]

Hi,

I have read on this thread that windows installs spyware by default, and as part of the OS.

Now, I have never heard of this before, and just stating that "Windows installs Spyware" sounds a bit like slateing to me.

Does anyone have any more info on what exactly they class as "Windows spyware"? And I don't mean MSN Messenger here, that's not classed as spyware, if it is, then so is Yahoo AIM and 90% of other chat clients.

 

[Cyclops]

 

[iignotus]

Jesus Christ, Cyclops, you could be a little nicer. You give us linux types a bad name with stuff like that. :angry:

 

[iignotus]

Maybe one day there will be a DirectX derivitive for Linux, and all will be well.

So I'm guessing you've no idea what SDL is, eh? <_<

Wine just provides the Windows API. So it doen't run slower.

It still translates one API to another, making it run slightly slower than native.

 

[Cyclops]