Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

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heavy metal
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Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by heavy metal »

Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux:

Reason 1. You want to save hundred of $$$, linux is free!
Reason 2. You don't want to worry about viruses, in linux you don't need A.V.
Reason 3. If you encounter a problem, you don't have to pay for support, just use the forums!
Reason 4. You can use virtualbox to test various flavors linux has to offer before choosing one!
Reason 5. Windows is giving you a lot of headaches and your headache medication doesn't work anymore!... :lol:
Debian 12 Gnome on a MSI H61M-P25 (B3) PC & on a Dell Latitude E6410 & HP EliteBook 8540p Laptops.
LMDE 6 on a Panasonic ToughBook CF-C1 Laptop.
Bodhi Linux 7 on a HP Compaq DC5750 Small Form Factor PC.
Windows 11 on a Intel DH55TC PC.
killer de bug

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by killer de bug »

I have read very quickly the post, but it looks like the problem is not linux but your graphic card.

Maybe I'm wrong, but if all look like W95, I would watch the gc more carefully.
crushkittykitty

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by crushkittykitty »

umm one correction windows 7 doesnt load the ati driver you must install it yourself, A pc bought from a store will already have the driver loaded. I must of missed the part were the specs of the pc are stated.
JWJones

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by JWJones »

GreenCandy wrote:The main thing i use my PC for >

1 > the internet
2 > gaming
3 > music & films


Ive had Mint installed for about 3 weeks now n the only thing that i can guarentee is that when i come home in the evening i can bet my arse that im gonna be spending a lot of time seraching the net trying to figure out what the hell im doing, rather than using my time productivly.
I'm sorry, I think I missed something, here. Productively? The internet, gaming, music, and films. Let's see, are you a web developer? This all seems like leisure activity to me. Why exactly did you think you needed to delve into Linux, if your needs were already being met by Windows?

Perhaps you need to address your issues one at a time, and give detailed info about the problems you are experiencing. If you're not really willing to learn, find answers, and troubleshoot, you're in the wrong place. And Linux is still not the gaming platform that Windows is. It's getting better, with Steam and all, but it's still a long way off.

Furthermore:

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
pfeiffep

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by pfeiffep »

I suspect that you need to evaluate for yourself why you wanted to switch from Windows.

Linux Mint is pretty easy to learn IF there's proper motivation; but just because you've heard decent things about something is certainly not a sufficient reason to switch.

If you're looking for freedom then there's a price to pay in a learning curve. Just curious - How long have you spent with a Microsoft OS in comparison to a Linux OS?

Bottom line if you're satisfied with Windows stop frustrating yourself with Linux
Orbmiser

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by Orbmiser »

Yep still need Win7 here so dual boot with linux & Win7.
And no real reasons to go Linux unless you are behind the philosophy.
And wish more freedom & control over your Desktop and OS.

But the sacrifice does come with more control & freedom.
But requiring more personal knowledge & responsibilities of how your system works.

If you are having troubles with Windows then hopping on the Linux Train will not solve issues with lack of knowledge of how to troubleshoot and do the basic needed understanding to resolve issues no matter what the OS you are running.
.
Scott65

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by Scott65 »

If you stick it out, you'll find Linux to be more stable and faster and much easier...

And I can sympathize with you because I was exactly where you are now and also went through the same transition-- I tried redhat, turbolinux, slackware etc. etc. back when Win95 was the newest release of Windows, and I had to suffer until about a year ago, (after I "upgraded" Vista to Win7 and my printer wouldn't work and Win7 was almost as bad as Win95 imo) and I was on a forum and quite a lot of people were running Mint 12. So I tried it... and Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Puppy Linux etc. etc.... and all of them were better than Windows' blue screen of death and constant "upgrade" bs.

But you have to have above average computer skills, time and patience... or just a hatred for Windows lol...
dee.

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by dee. »

alizee wrote:I must agree with the assessment of the initial poster, taken the two following points into account :
1. Windows 7 is a great OS. We cannot say that much of Xp, Vista, or even W8, but to my mind, yes, Windows 7 is running smoothly, is user friendly, and works out of the box - of course*.
...
*Yes, it does. Myth of Windows being unreliable are totally outdated. I've bee using W7 on my 900$ laptop for the last two years, and I NEVER experienced any real problem or need to reinstall my system. And I use it everyday for programming, surfing, playing games, multimedia, movie projection on big screens...
Well, obviously. Your laptop came with Win7 preinstalled, did it not? Thus, the OEM would have taken care of all the compatibility, driver issues, etc. If you buy a laptop with Linux preinstalled from, say, ThinkPenguin or System76, you will get exactly the same kind of everything-working-out-of-the-box functionality. Conversely, if you get a vanilla (non-OEM) version of Windows and try installing it on some random laptop, chances are you will have just as much trouble as you would with some random Linux distro (at the very least you'll likely have to hunt for drivers on various websites).
bigseb

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by bigseb »

To the OP: I was where you are now (maybe). Wanted an alternative to Windows, get away from Microsoft, etc. And Linux ticked all those boxes.

Using Linux was a different story. None of my software ran on it. I do CAD/CAM for a living and Linux just doesn't have the software options in that area. Neither could I use my parts catalogs, rendering software, etc. Some games worked in wine, most didn't. And watching movies or listening to music was a PITA too. Still, I like Linux. It different and that's good. And Mint Mate is definitely my favourite distro.

I never switched to Linux properly. Occasionally I'll boot up from a Live CD but that's it. I use Windows 7 Professional on all my PC's, work and private. Why? 'Cos it comes with everything I need to do what I want (apart form my work software). And I like how it works. It looks great. Most importantly, when I sit down to do what I want I can do what I want. And that rocks. :D
Jonathan Spearman

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by Jonathan Spearman »

Greetings,

One of the main things I think people forget when they are using linux is, This was created to give you a choice, You can customize linux any way you want to. Windows was created to be a idiot proof OS, These are the words of Bill Gates himself. Therefore you don't get choices as to the inner workings of the OS.

Yes, it takes hours of study to learn linux, That is because you soon find out that the issue is with vendors who do not create drivers for the linux OS, most of that is done by everyday folks who spend 100's of hours porting those drivers to linux so we can all use this wonderful OS.

The bright side is that you get a OS that is built to allow you to learn and think on your own, thereby increasing your knowledge. Funny how folks will spend hrs watching stupid and no value shows on TV, or playing games that make you unsociable and really does not add to your knowledge of the world or computers in general, But you have a issue when it comes to sitting down and learning how to use your computer more efficiently.

I understand some people just want to get in their car and drive, but what happens when you don't put oil in it or get it changed? it breaks down and if you would have done a little reading and learned how, when to put oil in the engine, it might have never broken down and cost you thousands to fix it. Some times you just have to take time and learn about your enviroment in order to properly function in it. It is the same with computers, OS's and regardless of what you want to do, You will have to read, understand and apply the knowledge in order to have the outcome you want.
graeme

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by graeme »

Jonathan Spearman wrote:Windows was created to be a idiot proof OS, These are the words of Bill Gates himself. Therefore you don't get choices as to the inner workin
In my experience Linux is a lot more idiot proof than WIndows. People who regularly mess up or break Windows do better with Linux, with an appropriate set up. I would say Ubuntu with Unity is the best for that type of user: the very lack of choice that sends some people to Mint/Cinnamon makes Unity hard to mess up.
craig10x

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by craig10x »

graeme wrote:
Jonathan Spearman wrote:Windows was created to be a idiot proof OS, These are the words of Bill Gates himself. Therefore you don't get choices as to the inner workin
In my experience Linux is a lot more idiot proof than WIndows. People who regularly mess up or break Windows do better with Linux, with an appropriate set up. I would say Ubuntu with Unity is the best for that type of user: the very lack of choice that sends some people to Mint/Cinnamon makes Unity hard to mess up.
That is very true...ubuntu with unity is pretty simple to run and lack of a lot of customizing options makes it less confusing to use...and fortunately, the default experience is a very pleasant one, so a newbie can get going pretty quickly...

I am an old time linux user (4 years...lol) and that is what i like so much about it, i don't have to customize it...oh, i do make a few minor adjustments, such as selecting the lighter "theme" which i prefer over the default black one, and i also reduce the pixel size of the unity dock to about 38 pixels (i think it looks nicer that way and "auto-hide" it of course and that's about it...
eanfrid

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by eanfrid »

To the OP and a few others:

Users of Microsoft products are used to have no freedom of choice, so they feel more "at home" when less choice is given to them. You are free to choose to refuse freedom. But then... why would you want to use an OS like Linux which gives you the freedom of choice that you don't want ?

Linux and free software are all about "do it yourself". If you don't want to learn and build your "home" with parts you choose and let down parts that you don't want, then buy an all-in-one/one-for-all pre-made OS. Linux is not an exact and free (gratis) Windows replacement and will never be. It is an alternative OS based on another ideology.
craig10x

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by craig10x »

I prefer linux because it's virus free and more secure then windows and also because while i prefer a distro without a lot of customization (but is very nicely polished by default), it's much easier to use then windows...also it's faster, updates aren't a big pain like they are on windows, the OS isn't filled with junk from 3rd parties i don't want anyway, etc etc...so even if you are not a customization fan you can find PLENTY of reasons to prefer linux :wink:
graeme

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by graeme »

eanfrid wrote:Linux and free software are all about "do it yourself". If you don't want to learn and build your "home" with parts you choose and let down parts that you don't want, then buy an all-in-one/one-for-all pre-made OS. Linux is not an exact and free (gratis) Windows replacement and will never be. It is an alternative OS based on another ideology.
That depends on the distro. Use Ubuntu with Unity and all the default pre-installe software and Ubuntu one and it is a lot less do it yourself than Windows is. Use Arch and detail is do it yourself.

The great thing about Linux is that the variety of different distros make it all things to all people.
eanfrid

Re: Please give me decent reason to stick with Linux

Post by eanfrid »

graeme wrote:That depends on the distro. Use Ubuntu with Unity and all the default pre-installe software and Ubuntu one and it is a lot less do it yourself than Windows is. Use Arch and detail is do it yourself.

The great thing about Linux is that the variety of different distros make it all things to all people.
Yep but whatever the distro is, you can freely add/remove/change many options and software including the DE that is shipped by default and your own customized OS will still be fully operational. Some distros focus on more details and more control and others do not. Your don't always want to have to build the hammer before using it to set up your home-made chair :)
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