10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

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DAMIEN1307

10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by DAMIEN1307 »

The title of the post says it all...link provided below...enjoy...DAMIEN

http://dailylinuxuser.com/2018/08/10-re ... ystem.html
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by Pierre »

that article has almost Nailed It, But - there is always a But,
:(

7. Support for older hardware
as that is No Longer True :roll:
- with a Big Push to 64bit / loss of older hardware in the current kernel release.
this is The Big One - - that could be a Show Stopper, for some folks.

however, the Rest of that Article, is mostly correct.
:D
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by JerryF »

Only 10? I'm surprised that they didn't come up with more! :lol:

I'm on my work computer that has Windows 10 Pro, 1803

For Windows:
  1. Disk space
    This was spot on. 97.5 GB used space.
  2. Memory Consumption
    At this moment, 3.1 GB of RAM being used
  3. Updates
    They take anywhere from 1/2 - 2 hours. Some don't get installed unless I go to Settings, Update & Security, Check for Updates.
  4. Security
    For my home desktop, I had Windows and got infected with malware (yes, I had anti-malware running) which proceeded to encrypt files in one users files.
  5. Linux is customisable
    Self explanatory
  6. Free Applications
    Great apps out there!
  7. Support for older hardware
    Yes, but it's getting harder with some versions of Linux, including Mint. I've looked into running 19 on some older computers and not getting good results. 18.3 is fine.
  8. Linux is free
    Can't argue with the price!
  9. Support
    Mint forum is the best around! Poke around the MS forums; :cry:
  10. Privacy
    MS has stepped up for opting out of many things, but as a whole, the default privacy is too invasive.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by trytip »

woop woop i got Cortana with the latest Skype in linux mint 19 :lol: :lol: :lol:
sorry @JerryF didn't mean to bump you looks like we posted at the same time
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DAMIEN1307

Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by DAMIEN1307 »

sounds like just one more reason to dump anything and everything owned by M$ including skype...lol...DAMIEN
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by AZgl1800 »

I read it all, and he really nailed it good.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by GS3 »

My view:
  1. Disk space
    Well, yes, maybe... so what? Disk space is so plentiful and cheap these days that it hardly deserves much consideration. I do not understand people who spend hours troubleshooting dual boot from one disk. I just have two totally separate hard disks, one with Windows, one with Linux.
  2. Memory Consumption
    I use so little in any case that, also, just not a consideration.
  3. Updates
    Well, I have been surprised by the great number of updates for LM. Hardly a day goes by without some updates. On the other hand I decide when to download and install and they give little to no trouble.
  4. Security
    I have had Windows since 3.1 and never run any antivirus and never had any malware. Never. Call it luck or call it being careful.
  5. Linux is customisable
    Well, so is Windows. Maybe Linux is more customisable but for a non-expert like me I am glad if it even just works. I would say that maybe Linux is more customisable but that Windows is more easily customisable.
  6. Free Applications
    There are plenty of free SW for windows too. Probable more than for Linux.
  7. Support for older hardware
    I have plenty of old HW. I just run old SW on it. I am running WIN XP on most of my machines and Win 7 on the newest ones. I am determined to not run anything newer than that.
  8. Linux is free
    True. Free but (I am struggling to avoid the "you get what you pay for") Windows is much more complete and "polished". There are very basic problems with Linux which I find unthinkable in Windows. I have never paid directly for a Windows license. I suppose I paid when I bought the machines but the amount cannot be that great given what I paid for the machines. I would gladly pay some dollars for a Linux which had many of the problems ironed out.
  9. Support
    There are more Windows answers online which makes sense because there are many, many more Windows users. Generally I have always found information and solutions or workarounds.
  10. Privacy
    To me this is the paramount issue which outweighs all the others and that is why I am using Linux and trying to use it more.
Let us not fool ourselves, most of Windows has GUI's to configure things and is much easier for the non-expert user but Linux requires arcane, esoteric command line instructions which are a turn-off.

If we want to promote Linux I believe the best way is not to just blindly proclaim that it is better but to make it really more user-friendly and to iron out the many wrinkles.

Just my humble opinion.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by rui no onna »

GS3 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:50 pm My view:
  1. Disk space
    Well, yes, maybe... so what? Disk space is so plentiful and cheap these days that it hardly deserves much consideration. I do not understand people who spend hours troubleshooting dual boot from one disk. I just have two totally separate hard disks, one with Windows, one with Linux.
Note, not always an option on laptops or SFF PCs. Also, SSDs may have gone down in price but they're still not exactly cheap (at least for 1TB+ capacities). Moreso for NVMe.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by GS3 »

rui no onna wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:59 pmNote, not always an option on laptops or SFF PCs. Also, SSDs may have gone down in price but they're still not exactly cheap (at least for 1TB+ capacities). Moreso for NVMe.
Point taken. I agree. I was thinking of desktops. Adding a second hard disk to a laptop can be difficult to impossible. That is one reason I prefer desktops. The laptops I have can switch the hard disk by just sliding it in / out which I really like. I have always used laptops like that. I can leave it in the hotel room and take the HDD with me in my pocket. Or I can switch hard drives easily.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by Pippin »

If the laptop has a optical drive, one can replace it with a optical drive caddy for a second SSD/HDD.
Who still needs a DVD drive?
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by GS3 »

Well, yes, but if you have an old laptop with limited disk space you do not want to go pouring money into it. I have an old laptop for when I travel and when I am at home I just have it online and access my main file storage in my other computer.

With an old laptop you are probably better off just getting external usb storage but, as I said, if the HDD can easily be swapped out then you can just get another HDD cheaply and swap them around depending on the OS you want.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by AZgl1800 »

GS3 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:18 pm The laptops I have can switch the hard disk by just sliding it in / out which I really like. I have always used laptops like that. I can leave it in the hotel room and take the HDD with me in my pocket. Or I can switch hard drives easily.
what brand would that be?
every laptop I have seen requires setting down with a screwdriver and dismantling the damn thing :twisted: :twisted:
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by ud6 »

GS3 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:50 pm ...Let us not fool ourselves, most of Windows has GUI's to configure things and is much easier for the non-expert user but Linux requires arcane, esoteric command line instructions which are a turn-off.

If we want to promote Linux I believe the best way is not to just blindly proclaim that it is better but to make it really more user-friendly and to iron out the many wrinkles...
For me this used to be the case, but not now. Windows 10 seems to have a terrible menu system that I can no longer understand or find what I want for even quite simple things. I guess maybe I'm more used to mint now. I'd say for most things I use GUI though I know enough to open terminal when I want and install things, edit some script file, navigate or run some software. The stuff I need to use the terminal for, I'd absolutely need to use the terminal for in windows anyway.

Of course, updates (why had windows never properly sorted out how to do automatic updates.. it's very simple: update when computer closes down and do reboot and close down immediately after to install updates rather big delay when you turn on computer). If there is one time you really need to use your computer, it's when you turn it on to use it!

... but for me linux mint is a good example of how the old diffculties of Linux (hardware, dependencies) no longer exist (I remember spending a week trying to get vodophone usb modem to work in linux :lol: )

But for me Tara is the first time I can say with confidence that linux for me is quicker, easier, more adaptable and more robust than windows. I do stuff on linux I would never attempt in windows (nice panel at side for quick access to specific folders, which have their own specific icons I've designed)... Yep, probably you can do that in windows, but I'd need to do loads of reading to find out how, and the general feeling of windows is 'maybe you can do it if you're a power user' whereas the Linux it's 'Im certain I can do it, just gotta find out how'.. ie control of your system.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by GS3 »

AZgl1500 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:44 pm what brand would that be?
every laptop I have seen requires setting down with a screwdriver and dismantling the damn thing :twisted: :twisted:
This is just off the top of my head but I believe they were probably all Dell. Just slide the HDD in-out at the side. Here is one that I have at hand:

Code: Select all

Dell Latitude D630

Chipset  Intel GM965 
Processor  Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile T7300 @ 2000 MHz 
RAM: 2048 MB (2 x 1024 DDR2-SDRAM ) 
Video Card  NVIDIA Quadro NVS 135M 

Hard Disk  ST9250315AS (250 GB) SATA
Seagate Momentus 5400.6 ST9250315AS, 250GB, 5400 RPM, 8MB Cache, SATA 3.0Gb/s 2.5"  

DVD-Rom Drive TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-L632H 

Monitor Type  DM110141W1 - 14 inches 
  1280x800 pixels at 60 Hz in True Colors (32-bit)
You can search for upgrading the Hard Drive of a DELL Latitude D620, D630, D820, D830 and you can see videos in Youtube. I have had other Dell laptops and I believe they all had the same system.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by catweazel »

Pierre wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:24 am that article has almost Nailed It, But - there is always a But,
:(

7. Support for older hardware
as that is No Longer True :roll:
- with a Big Push to 64bit / loss of older hardware in the current kernel release.
this is The Big One - - that could be a Show Stopper, for some folks.
Even more so with the recent big push to remove old code from the kernel.

https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CA+55aFw34 ... gmail.com/
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...But there's a few other drivers that are gone too, sometimes because the hardware was never actually released to a wider public. You can go see the details in the git history.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by AZgl1800 »

GS3 wrote: Thu Aug 30, 2018 2:45 am
AZgl1500 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:44 pm what brand would that be?
every laptop I have seen requires setting down with a screwdriver and dismantling the damn thing :twisted: :twisted:
This is just off the top of my head but I believe they were probably all Dell. Just slide the HDD in-out at the side. Here is one that I have at hand:

Code: Select all

Dell Latitude D630

Chipset  Intel GM965 
Processor  Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile T7300 @ 2000 MHz 
RAM: 2048 MB (2 x 1024 DDR2-SDRAM ) 
Video Card  NVIDIA Quadro NVS 135M 

Hard Disk  ST9250315AS (250 GB) SATA
Seagate Momentus 5400.6 ST9250315AS, 250GB, 5400 RPM, 8MB Cache, SATA 3.0Gb/s 2.5"  

DVD-Rom Drive TSSTcorp DVD+-RW TS-L632H 

Monitor Type  DM110141W1 - 14 inches 
  1280x800 pixels at 60 Hz in True Colors (32-bit)
You can search for upgrading the Hard Drive of a DELL Latitude D620, D630, D820, D830 and you can see videos in Youtube. I have had other Dell laptops and I believe they all had the same system.

Thank you,
My Dell is an Inspiron and you have to open up the bottom of the case to access the HDD, which I changed out to a SSD. You have my interest, that is a very neat feature.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by GS3 »

Right now I have three laptops Dell D620/D630 and each has two disks, one with Win XP and one with Win 7 but the truth is I just use XP. They all came with Win XP and a regular HDD. Later I decided to buy another HDD with Full Disk Encryption and install Win 7. I played around for a while with Win7 and FDE but the truth is I never got very far. Now I have a shoebox full of laptop disks which I could just plug in and they should work. Maybe I could repurpose one for Linux.

Being able to slide the hard disk out is a feature I always demanded in a laptop. When I travel I can leave the laptop in the hotel room and take the disk with me in my pocket. Or I can have two disks, one for me one for my wife, and it is like we each have our own computer.

Right now for Linux I have a dedicated desktop (which also has a second HDD with Win 7 and which I never use). If one day I want to install Linux in one of my laptops I would just buy another HDD and install Linux there.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by Pierre »

GS3 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:18 pm The laptops I have can switch the hard disk by just sliding it in / out which I really like. I have always used laptops like that. I can leave it in the hotel room and take the HDD with me in my pocket. Or I can switch hard drives easily.
so - I've got a bunch of Lenovo Laptops, & of different models,
and last year, the HDD on that one crashed & so I'd just slid the old drive out & slid in a new drive.
- one screw, one cover, @ the LHS of the machine. 8)

now - none of the other Laptops, are that easy :(
- yet most of them do have a rear cover - for the RAM access :?
which is most likely the reason, that all came with 2 X 2Gb RAM
- - not too bad, for a bunch of Ex Vista PCs.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by 151tom »

.
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Re: 10 Reasons to Replace Windows with Linux

Post by shawnhcorey »

3. Updates: Do not turn off your computer.

They're kidding right? What if there's a power failure? This is so broken that I'm surprised anyone tolerates it.
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