I've been running Windows forever, but as each new version comes out, they get more and more expesive. Not to mention the bloat. It was time to do something different for my Kids. I ended up purchasing, from a college kid, an older Dell PC with Windows XP Pro, then I won another one when the Company I work for decided to let people enter a drawing for some older PC's that were no longer up to snuff for day to day business operations. It also had XP Pro on it. (Compaq)
I've been using OpenSource Applications for sometime now, (Inkscape, Paint.NET and InfraRecorder predominately) and liked what I saw. I then decided to switch the Kids over to Linux within the past 2 months after I spent some time researching different Distro's. Inititally I settled on Ubuntu 10.04 (Kind of Slow to me). A week or so later, I stumbled across Xubuntu, another Ubuntu Derivitive, (Pretty Snappy in Speed Comparison to Ubuntu on their Systems) and recently switched them over to that. Then just recently I stumbled across Mint Isadora. GOD I LOVE LINUX!
I currently run Windows 7 on my PC at home, but yesterday I downloaded the ISO for Mint Isadora and decided to give it a whirl via LiveCD on my PC. I Love It!! I know it has quite a bit of Ubuntu in it, but it appears to Outclass Ubuntu in speed and usability for Windows Converts. I predict, in the very near future, that I will be switching my Kids over to Mint. Add Wine to that, and I shouldn't have to hear them fuss about not being able to play their favorite Sims Game anymore.
In Summary: I'm not a Terminal Jockey by any means, but love the look and feel of Isadora. I hope I don't end up offending anyone with what might seem as a Stupid Question. I'm new to Linux, and it is somewhat of a NWO around my house, and I'm sure there will be a learning curve, but I welcome the challenge (albeit in small pieces at a time
) I look forward to the insight I'm sure I'll receive here. Most of all, I'm just thankful for an alternative OS that, "Just Works"Thanks Again, and keep up the great work.
(Update 6-18-10: I tried Mint on the older systems, but went back Xubuntu. After an hour or so of being in Mint, the OS seemed to crap out with flashing white lines across the upper half of the Screen.
I am Dual Booting on my Windows 7 Machine now instead of running off of the LiveCD. I decided to go ahead and take the plunge. So far so good on my system. Now if I can just figure out how to Samba via Mint. I picked up one of the Desktops, but I think I lucked into that one. Still a little nervous about the whole thing, but still enjoying it.)
