A convert long-time coming ...

[dc-]

Hello

Assuming there's a restriction to post new topics until introductions are made so here goes. One time computer "technician" who packed it all in to follow electronic waste and trees and stuff. Hence my knowledge not being what it once was; give me Windows 98, I'll keep that sucker running for generations.

I've recently decided to bite the lip and move to Linux, with Mint being the one most pleasing to my eye. Was put off by it for so long due to wireless issues with my laptop (coming to a forum near you!) but realised I can't keep being the hypocrite; slating Windows and suggesting Linux to others without doing something about it myself.

So here I am. Convert #X

[The-Wizard]

Welcome to the mint family forums

wizard

[DrHu]

Well hello!

--you should be pretty comfortable in this environment: Linux that is!

And even as we like it here, we can't expect to convert any fanboys from any other OS

Despite the facts that most OS systems are so similar enough that one can switch back and forth across each OS without very much difficulty..

I would probably go to XP pro as the windows OS to keep for generations

Simply because I thought it had improved on win98x and was a keeper: Vista and later versions to me simply added extra effects (eye candy) without much substantive change, unless you like the additional MAC (Mandatory Access Control ) method added with Vista and later versions

--except I really don't like Microsoft's .net framework being included into various aspects of that OS operation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework

Newer versions of the framework (3.5 and up) are not pre-installed in versions of Windows below Windows 7 (although newer versions are available via Windows Update). For this reason, applications must lead users without the framework through a procedure to install it.

As to Linux, yup
--for the longest time it has done all that is necessary for a desktop OS

Do most people really need more than email, youtube, chat sites to be available to them
--they can't all be media, animation directors and need all the horsepower newer machines, mobile or desktop (again my preference, I like to be comfortable sitting , since I tend to go in for long compute sessions, and hunched over a notebook would be agony..

[dc-]

Agreed, XP is nice and stable. Unfortunately this laptop rejects it and I'm afraid the laptop wears the trousers in this relationship. Vista I couldn't stand, I'm not sure why - I always likened it to the random guy you meet at the pub who doesn't seem so bad at first but gets too much when he tries to sit in on a date ... long story ...
I genuinely liked the GUI for 7 though. I used to put the task bar on the left (like Unity and it looked so much cleaner and "nicer"). The laptop just spat it's dummy out yet again ... Hello Linux.

Genuinely believe in open-source software though. My excuse always was that I didn't know enough about the varied command lines but the latest GUIs just negate the argument. Very impressed with Cinnamon so far though I need to tweak cosmetics a little, merely for personal preference.

Here's to learning?

[xenopeek]

Hi dc-, welcome to the Linux Mint forums Thanks for joining the forums! Windows 95 was the last Windows version I enjoyed, probably because you could still boot DOS if you needed to (which you couldn't do with 98 anymore). I can tolerate Windows 7 at work, and earlier Windows XP, but I'm glad they skipped Windows Vista

Be sure also to check out the Community website (tutorials, hardware and software reviews, ideas), and the Cinnamon Spices website for adding even more themes, applets and extensions to Cinnamon.

You can also chat in real-time with other Linux Mint users. In the Mint Menu, in the Internet section, start the application XChat IRC. You will automatically get connected to #linuxmint-chat for general chat and #linuxmint-help for support with other Linux Mint users.

Have fun with Linux Mint