Ditching Windows is a good thing!

[boysha]

I was a Windows fan for years. I use to fight with spy-ware, viruses, worms...But it was a proud fight where I actually felt like I am doing some good work that is needed and that is how things should be. At the same time I was getting a little frustrated thinking that there must be a better way - to have an operating system that will just work. That I can use and not feel used...
I started searching for other OS's (Operating System) and yes, there was quite a few that were at different stages of development. I am only going to talk about one kind though - Linux.
Now, if you are like me and would like to turn on your PC, wait for 10-15 seconds and start using your computer without having to first run Spybot or AdAware or making sure that your anti-virus is up to date with latest antivirus definitions, then Linux is the answer for you.
I remember first going to http://distrowatch.com/ where Google suggested. Great place but hey, there's like hundreds of different distros ((DISTRibutOr or DISTRibutiOn) Typically refers to a Linux distributor or distribution. It may also refer to a distributor of e-zines or Webzines.) All of those distros had something great and something not as great about them. Witch one to choose?
That is a simple question with not very simple answer. What I did is, I started testing all the ones I thought were worth testing. (There is a short info about every distribution that can really help at first.) It took me a better part of the year but I was ready to find what I am looking for and there was no stopping me.
Finally I first installed (with intention of keeping it) Ubuntu. Great distro, very friendly and somewhat familiar for a former Windows user. Yes, not everything was working straight from the box but hey, it was damn close to it and free!
I think I was playing with Ubuntu (more like trying to learn great many aspects of the OS) for a year. Then in some blog or comment I can't remember, I heard that there is Linux Mint and that it is really cool...I had to try it out...
Needles to say, I am still using Mint and am happy like a pig in the mud. Maybe better then me talking about it, if you are interested, you should read this:
http://www.tech-no-media.com/2009/06...review-of.html
It's about the latest version of Mint - Gloria and it will tell you a story about this distro that is just a part of how great this distro is. I started with Linux Mint - Barbara. That was version 2.0...Now it's version 7.0 so yes, some time ago...But even then when Barbara was around, it was a good distro. Based on Ubuntu but somehow much closer to what I am looking for in the operating system. I remember at that time that there was not many Mint fans. Forum was kind of empty. Still, everyone was friendly and wanted to help. No know-it-all faces. Just pure "let me help if I can" guys...It was like entering a different World where someone actually likes that I am there and want to help me be more comfortable. It was a great feeling and combined with all the benefits of Linux I was absolutely ready to leave Windows behind and start fresh.
So, to make a long story short. Having an OS that will work like Windows but better, with way many more built in tools and functions. That looks and feels slick. That is customizable in any way, shape and form. That is fast and has the ability to accept several hundred software (all free). That can be used for many purposes and that one doesn't have to restart all the time, fight against all the crap that Windows user now days just think it is a part of a normal day and is all free...What is there to think about? How is that even a question?
Yes, I stopped using Windows as my main OS and now I am a happy user of Linux Mint. On top of it all, I still have Windows running inside my Linux Mint using VMWare Player (virtual machine) that is, you guessed, also free.
If you need help with your decision or any help with Linux or your PC you can always go to my page: http://www.nebcomp.com and ether myself or some other links on the site will help you. If you do get there, say Hi - don't be a stranger.
__________________
Neb Radojkovic
AutoCAD Design
http://www.nebcomp.com

[DrHu]

Yes, I stopped using Windows as my main OS and now I am a happy user of Linux Mint. On top of it all, I still have Windows running inside my Linux Mint using VMWare Player (virtual machine) that is, you guessed, also free.

Absolutely, nothing wrong with Linux and the various distributions available, mint just happens to be a good effort..

[ESM]

Strange remark, that last one. Why not say Linux Mint makes the best effort? Because that is what it's doing.

[FedoraRefugee]

er...great advertisment, but why are you telling US?

Yeah, Mint is a great distro. I am glad you are enjoying it. Using it has certainly changed my prespective on Linux. You see, I used to be a firm advocate of Linux users learning as much about Linux as possible. I felt you had to learn to use the command line and to manually mount things and to compile from source. As an extension of this view I felt that Linux was only for those who were willing to learn. But using Mint has shown me the other side. People like you are proof that anyone can simply install and use this OS. I use the CLI quite often on my installs, but I have installed Mint on all my children's computers and have never even opened a terminal. They do not either for the most part, though my eight year old son (as opposed to older teenagers who simply do not care) is learning Linux under my wing and prefers using the terminal to GUI tools simply because it makes his brothers look like dorks.

Anyway, you should copy and paste your post in many other forums, especially Windows places. You are sort of preaching to the choir here.

As for me...Most of the computers in my house continue to run Mint 7 and future Mint releases, but I put Arch on my big desktop and liked it so much I also installed it on my laptop. My laptop now dual boots Arch and Vista and my big rig Arch and F11, which is also a good release. Mint is an awesome distro, but I find Arch to be the very thing I have been missing these last few years. Keep an open mind and enjoy the choice.

[lupgaru]

I could not agree with you more. I traveled very much the same path, probably a longer one. My first go at Linux was with Red Hat in 1998. As with many my career and family slowed down my attempts to really delve into Linux. A couple of years ago (early retirement) my spare time increased. I have tried over 12 different Distros and ended up settling on Ubuntu for the last few months. With the release of Gloria I just had to give it a try. At this point I'm hooked. The ease of install, features and overall beauty of the Operating System has me hooked. The only reason I still have one of my computers as a dual boot is that it has Vista Ultimate and I paid a lot of money for it. That will probably end soon.
As a final note, I would like to congratulate all involved in the development of Linux Mint for a job well done. Keep up the Excellent work!

[DrHu]

Strange remark, that last one. Why not say Linux Mint makes the best effort? Because that is what it's doing.

You think so ?
--I would never attempt to judge what's best, I don't make or follow lists

Someone will just come back with.
--Distribution name?? is the best Linux by far..

I also quite like Mepis 8.

[pcdoctor]

http://www.tech-no-media.com/2009/06/ta ... ew-of.html

[lexon]

I had a good running W98SE OS but it needed a lot of maintenance. After installing XP for a couple people I realized I did not want to go down that path for myself and switched to Linux five years ago. Never looked back. I just purchased a laptop with Vista Basic and I was appalled at the complexity of the OS. The laptop now runs Mint 7.

People, don't forget an occasional donation to Mint, even if small. Even with updates, I send a few dollars every few months.

lexon

[optimize me]

ou see, I used to be a firm advocate of Linux users learning as much about Linux as possible. I felt you had to learn to use the command line and to manually mount things and to compile from source. As an extension of this view I felt that Linux was only for those who were willing to learn.

I share that perspective, actually, and I have little tolerance for people who don't even try to learn something about how their computer and OS works. One need not dig too deep into these very forums to see where the non-learning types get hung up.

Go take a look at UF's Absolute Beginner Talk forum. That's going to be our future here if we fail to instill a spirit of exploration and self-improvement (read: learning about how your computer works, even to a small degree) into the n00bs.

You can't drive a car without taking a class and being tested. You can't cook without knowing some recipes. You can't even use Tivo without reading at least a few pages of a manual and learning the menu structure. Why does everybody in the Linux world these days insist on dumbing everything down to the lowest possible level?

At this rate, how long is it going to be until the more popular distros start shedding the command line altogether, because it's not n00b-friendly?

Being welcoming and open to all is one thing; giving yourself a lobotomy so you can fit in better with the retards when they show up is quite another.

[lexon]

I guess you guys are correct. Clem dumbed down Ubuntu.
It is just software evolving. It will continue to evolve. Touch screens are going to become more common. Look at the hand held devices.
My first motor vehicle was a 1957 Pontiac. Everything was manual. Now I drive a dumbed down modern motor vehicle. Touch a button for something to operate.
I love a manual transmission vehicle. Difficult to find now. The transmissions have been dumbed down.

I use to preform as much Operating System maintenance on my motor vehicles as I did operating them. I do not like doing OS maintenance anymore so I dumbed down to having my brother's repair shop do the maintenance on the OS. I pay the same rates as everyone else. I now just use the OS. Get it?

If you like using Command line, then go for it. Many people do not like using command line. Most of the people I know want to use there PCs as a tool. Get in, do the job, get out.

The world is evolving. Get with it.

lexon

[optimize me]

If you like using Command line, then go for it. Many people do not like using command line.

Sounds to me like these people are making an error in choosing Linux as their primary OS.

There's nothing wrong with having options - every kid's first bike has training wheels. Eventually, they have to come off, though.

[optimize me]

And another thing:

All you no-terminal, anti-tinkering, strictly GUI, we-don't-need-to-know-how-no-steenking-computer-works types have some support posts to answer. They're some real doozies, too. Check it out:
Skype Issues - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=30899

I need help with setting up the audio and video for Skype. I have a Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000.

vista has disappeared - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=30898

i just installed linux mint according to the dual-boot directions with vista installed first. but when i start up my computer, i only get the three linux options, i can't boot my computer under vista. my computer doesn't seem to believe that vista has ever existed. as much as i love linux, it doesn't support the zune software and i really need that... any suggestions?

Virtualbox can't install key - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=30888

I trying to install the key for virtualbox and I can't seem to get it. The command for jaunty don't seem to work for mint. And I dont see where I can import the key manual in synaptic. That sucks balls

FIREFOX crashing..plz help - http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=30886

my firefox keeps crashing..opening it on the terminal produces "segmentation fault"
plz help

Best of luck to you. And to them!

The world is evolving. Get with it.

Yeah it is.

[DrHu]

If you like using Command line, then go for it. Many people do not like using command line.

Sounds to me like these people are making an error in choosing Linux as their primary OS.

There's nothing wrong with having options - every kid's first bike has training wheels. Eventually, they have to come off, though.

If you like using Command line, then go for it. Many people do not like using command line.
If you have read these forums, you will find many examples where using a command line is the preferred method both for newbies and others who just want results; not ideologies.

That's a windows presumption or an Apple MAC presumption, it is not the case in a business or in any productivity solutions using computers (spreadsheets, DB, word processors, data entry, accounting, statistics ) etc..

In fact, how an application starts is mostly irrelevant, because it is the application you use that matters (people actually get this, as they tend to cling to applications they know/use, they just happen to reside on mostly windows machines)
The only major difference between the past and the present has been the lower cost of computing

• Mainframe-->Minicomputer-->Microcomputer
  Terminal/green screens-->graphical screens

And the fact that a company such as SAP is only presenting the same display that used to be on a CICS system on a graphical desktop/screen (OS)
--apart from being slower and more distracting, it hasn't really improved anything at all (from a productivity standpoint, for a business); cost saving yes, sometimes has improved, but that's about it.

I don't mind that much that people aren't computer literate, it is no different than being number illiterate and other issues of that ilk

I also think, that just as long as the basic Linux style is not altered just to make sure newbies can be accommodated; and as I have said previously, I do think it is a mistake to channel Microsoft windows user expectations, just to keep people in their own comfort zone
--I keep hoping Linux distributors get the moxie that Apple has, and say, we aren't just different, we are better, instead of trying to say, well you can try us, and you can still use the system like you do with windows

If me and you (optimize me) don't mind being known as hide bound traditionalists or legacy or old farts, then it doesn't matter how newbies see us.
--we've been though it and know what we know.
Oh, I never had those training wheels, I went straight to a balanced point and 2-wheel riding, of the bicycle

One of the forum posts I find funny is

• I have uninstalled Vista, XP ? and when I boot with the menu it is not there

--maybe that's just like the mindless (mindlessness) twaddle that many people use, "Excuse me I need to use the photocopier, I have only 1 copy"
Oh, OK go ahead; instead of OK, wait your tun, I am part way through my copying..

[DrHu]

To me the future is to GUI and I think that most of the distros makers knows it. We clearly see that there is more and more you can do with GUI compared to what it was about 10 years ago.
...
Also comparing computers to what they where in the past is plain useless as there where less than 10% of the household that had a computer compared to more than 80% now.

That future has only existed for a small part of computer history
--perhaps you missed Santayana's exhortation " Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.", and the general note that we all live with history as it has played out in the world..

To me the future is to GUI..
Just answering or posting comments on the trend in the posts here..
Perhaps you are missing the trends that are possible..

• voice communication
  --like the universal translator on StarTrek, and the interface to the computer system available to the crew, but augmented with keyboards: being sometimes quicker as one presumes, in not having to formulate an inquiry
• Human machine interfaces
  --brain/neuro implants: people already are implanted with RFID's in some places for security tracking
• The paperless office
  --promised for so long, and not delivered yet
• No more books
  --the idea that technology, like book readers will take the place of paper books

Also comparing computers to what they where in the past..
If that was my contribution ref: mainframes-->minis-->micros (current day personal computers PCs')
Knowing the history of computers; lets you see that todays hottest tech trends are nothing more than the evolution of older ideas only differing in their expression.. ( mainframes-->minis-->micros)
--so that holds no surprises, at all

I don't agree that it is bashing anyone: to point out differences we may have, as we are all in the same world, whether we like it or not.

[optimize me]

• voice communication
  --like the universal translator on StarTrek, and the interface to the computer system available to the crew, but augmented with keyboards: being sometimes quicker as one presumes, in not having to formulate an inquiry
• Human machine interfaces
  --brain/neuro implants: people already are implanted with RFID's in some places for security tracking
• The paperless office
  --promised for so long, and not delivered yet
• No more books
  --the idea that technology, like book readers will take the place of paper books

Brother, you said a mouth full.

Where in the hell is voice control for a PC? Here it is, well into the 21st century - rapidly creeping up on 2010 - and I still have to type out responses to people saying "GUI is the future"?

GUI is the past, man. We're just stuck in it, is all.

"Computer: Establish an SSH connection to 192.168.1.190; show me the file tree; move all documents in the REPORT folder into my print queue and begin to print; close connection when finished."*

It's almost 2010 and I still can't talk to my computer, cars still don't fly, and there's still no robot in the kitchen cooking my dinner and doing my dishes.

Somebody lied to me about how this was supposed to turn out.






*Funny part is, a theoretical situation like that would be translated by whatever voice-recognition software into commands and routed through what we would call a command line!

[rhY]

Computers can be voice controlled now. The problem isn't the technology. It's the implementation. Most voice recognition programs I've tried attempt to understand every word. This is inherently flawed and stupid. If your computer only turned on voice recognition after hearing it's name (a unique name, not part of other words, like "Esmerelda"), and understood 10 basic commands, that would be much better.

"Esmerelda, check email"
"Esmerelda, play music"
"Esmerelda, set alarm"
"Esmerelda, dial (Skype contact)"
"Esmerelda, print (document)"
"Esmerlda, show map (address)"

Honestly, this would be easy to design and implement, but instead voice recognition programs are designed to always be on and always listening and then attempt to decipher whatever mp3 is playing. It's stupid. Of course that is too complex for a modern CPU, and the software algorithms are currently WAY too far behind to even begin to wade through all that data and operate sensibly.

Windows has it's place: On one side of my compiz cube as a virtual machine, so I can play Civilization 2, or zsnes.

/edited because I'm a grammar <violates forum rules>.