What sends noobs running back to Windows?

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Pjotr
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by Pjotr »

hbmcc wrote: Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:44 pm You have a problem! And it starts at the start.
I don't have a problem. Are you seriously thinking that people will want to help you with *your* Linux problems? With that attitude?
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by hbmcc »

My apologies to the monitors. My mistake. My insult and I'm sorry.

And, I haven't said much to deserve respect. Intentionally. I am testing the water and reactions can say so much. To the problem ... which is not a problem until Linux fades away with the merry pranksters. The 'issue' is for the next post.

And, Good day.
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Moem
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by Moem »

hbmcc wrote: Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:06 pm Intentionally. I am testing the water and reactions can say so much.
That's nice, but these are people you are dealing with, and we're not here to take part in any kind of experiment. If you want to know what to expect from the participants of this forum, read... there are plenty of interactions that will say just as much.
Or just be brave and post your questions. What's the worst that can happen? An unpleasant discussion? That's the other thing the moderators are for.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by catweazel »

hbmcc wrote: Tue Sep 11, 2018 10:50 pm So, why should I digress, return to the womb, to use a 'mature' disco-roller? Discotheque. Gads! That stuff was bad even then, but history must primp and polish. Just call it distribution.

Next: Let's grow up and speak real language.
Darers go first.
"There is, ultimately, only one truth -- cogito, ergo sum -- everything else is an assumption." - Me, my swansong.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by MurphCID »

This is one of the most, if not THE most newbie friendly board on the internet. I have nothing bad to say about this board.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by MurphCID »

Moem wrote: Fri Sep 14, 2018 2:42 am
hbmcc wrote: Thu Sep 13, 2018 9:06 pm Intentionally. I am testing the water and reactions can say so much.
That's nice, but these are people you are dealing with, and we're not here to take part in any kind of experiment. If you want to know what to expect from the participants of this forum, read... there are plenty of interactions that will say just as much.
Or just be brave and post your questions. What's the worst that can happen? An unpleasant discussion? That's the other thing the moderators are for.
Agreed.
webwrx

Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by webwrx »

vladtepes wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 9:05 pm Looking at user group 2 - what reasons do you think send new people running away from Linux?
Well.. that was me. Years of frustration with Windows and then growing incompatibility of an older OS/X iMac which I loaded with Ubuntu and was quite happy with, until the hard drive crashed. It was time to upgrade anyway, and the new desktop I bought came pre-loaded with Win 8 which I upgraded to Win10 and when purchasing I had every intention to put Ubuntu on the new PC. But I guess I was bedazzled a little and wanted to give Win10 a try after being out of the Windows ecosystem since XP.... so I restored my files and worked with Windows as best I could, but the whole thing was very disappointing and I missed Ubuntu, so I attempted a dual boot install which failed so I gave up and stuck with Win10 for a while.

Eventually Win10 become so bad I had no choice but to make the dual boot work, so now I'm back this time in Mint, and I'm just about at a point where I enough confidence to delete the Windows partition.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by oldgranola »

Often the horns of a dilemma are false. This is false. One shouldn't think there really is negative Boolean choice of 'im microsoft [OR] Linux [OR] IOS [OR] Android[Or].....Just like 'you look more pretty with a [SMILE] than a [FROWN], you look smarter with an [AND] than an [OR].

Most of us interact with multiple computing devices at work and at home. Most people have multiple experiences with multiple versions of all of these. Some of us go back pre PC-Dos even....IBM Dec Alpha, VMS, original AppleOS, ....Make it [AND]. Its stupid to think its [OR].

So here we have a bunch of free distros in linux that work really well for desktop and rehab laptops. Don't want to play and learn something? You don't change your own oil, pump your own gas, change your sparkplugs, crank a wrench once in a while? No sympathy from me. Go ahead and pay but don't complain
comadore, pcDOS, hpux, solaris, vms-vax ....blah blah blah..
Yet I'm still a fn nooob
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by FinixFighter »

I think a lot of people are used to see a certain graphic, and when they switch to Linux it is like putting an old person in front of a computer for the first time; it doesn't matter what OS is installed (Windows, Linux, Mac etc...), he won't be able to do anything. In fact, I think that projects like Zorin OS are useful to make the transition more gradual and simple (I think that also Mint is good in this); try to think to the difference between Zorin and Ubuntu, Zorin looks more like Windows compared to Ubuntu, so it can be a valid alternative to begin to use Linux, but.... I have to say that I saw a lot of person (who is not expert with computers) who think that Linux and Ubuntu are two separate things; more over, they don't know that there are alternatives to Ubuntu (for example Mint or Zorin) which are more user friendly, so they are not encouraged to make the switch because the environment is too different from Windows. And also if they switch to a Linux system, then there is another possible problem. Let's suppose that this user uses Solidworks for working and he usually plays Crossfire EU in his free time(a free game only available for Linux). Also if the new user is comfortable with the new environment, it's possible that he will come back (forced) to Windows, because neither Soldiworks nor Crossfire run on Linux. For this reason, I can say that the most important thing to develop in order to attract more users are:
1 - an as easy as possible customizable desktop environment (in order to attract users who do not want to switch to a completely different environment)
2 - improve the compatibility with Windows programs through apps like Wine and PlayOnLinux (I think these projects are so important and need to be supported).
These are the two most important point, in my opinion.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by MurphCID »

I cant disagree with many of the points here, but I also think that there is a huge user base out there waiting to come over but Linux is its own worst enemy. We as a community need to understand that most users of computers are like my dad, they want familiar desktops that work the way they understand, and for it to just work. They don't want to tinker, they want it to just work, sort of like a major appliance.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by ChingonKaz »

Personally id say lack of comtability ...wine and POL are far from perfect and having to use a danish cad/ electrical program for schoolworks is where i caved and had to get a "loaner" from School. I tried installing windows librarys after giving up with wine..so yes the biggest challenge in my book is lack of these programs..this includes programs that plc manufacturers provide...like siemens, omron etc...if anyone has a workaround feel free to bump me..
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by williebthe3rd »

I think I'm a perfect candidate for this discussion. 8)

I have been using Windows since the 3.1 days. Learning to edit the ini files, then move to the infamous Windows Registry with XP... and so I am a fairly advanced "Windows Guru". I've maintained "SoHo" Windows networks for years... done backups and restores at home and for a former employer. Kept all kinds of XP and WIN7 boxes purring along, replacing HD's and what not. On a scale of 0 to 10, I would be in the 7's... not a super guru, but certainly experienced and skilled enough to handle just about everything a common Windows box can throw at me. (No experience with the Enterprise-level stuff, like servers, domains, etc.)

So, about a year ago, I was pushed away from XP by the simple fact that it's way out of date, isn't supported, and more and more things I did online were starting to "break". (Plus the heavy-handed SHOVE of M$ toward WIN10! NO STINKING WAY!!) :x

So, once Firefox ceased updates to it's XP version, that was the final straw. About a year ago, I set up a dual-boot XP & Linux Mint 18 system... (MATE desktop) and it's been running SUPERBLY for all this time! Until yesterday.

Now comes the GOTCHA!!! moment! Suddenly, and with NO WARNING that this impending doom was, indeed, pending... everything starts to crash! Firefox normally never does that! Lo and behold, BENEATH Firefox, is a window that is telling me that my HD is *FULL* and has ZERO bytes free!! :shock: WHAT THE?!?! :shock:

So, I'm using XP now... I opened a new topic in the "Newbie questions" Forum, and I'm working with some gurus there. :)

But this is the kind of thing that can cause someone to run away screaming from Linux... My system was running just fine. I wasn't installing anything. Just a few Kernel updates here and there, because I like to keep things current, but the last one was over a week ago. I was online, just surfing, when it all came to this grinding, screeching halt. :(

If this was Windows, I would have had that problem solved within MINUTES. Literally. However, it's now going on 24 hours later... and my Linux system is still very broken. :(

Questions posted, and information exchanged with some great people, so far... but I'm only on square ONE as far as trying to get my system back up and running. Obviously, I'm going to be looking for (and installing) some kind of "watchdog" and "butler" utilities to keep this from biting me in the butt again! ;) Seriously, though, such watchdogs should be built-in... warning me LONG BEFORE I reach "ZERO", allowing me time to FIND AND FIX the problem, BEFORE my system is turned into a pile of smoldering silicon and burning bits! :(

It's a rather humbling thing to be a well-versed Windows guru, and suddenly find oneself barely 1 step above a total noob in Linux. ;) I can do a few important things, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty stuff done in the Terminal, I'm pretty much a novice. It's different enough from DOS/Windows to leave me quite at a loss.

That's my 25c worth on the topic. :)

Willie...
Willie...
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by oldgranola »

oh boy. of course the title will attract some loonies. OS is not religion. lets ignore. For me, the only thing that makes me install MS, now windows 10, is work. I have to have it. Its required. Yet I do my bioinformatics computing all on linux. Mostly Arch based.. But as Ars has noted, things are changing on the MS side. They are taking a decidedly linux model for their dev in updating windows. They want to roll it instead of point release=versions ie MS11 is not going to happen. They don't have it down yet but I like the new model. I don't take Os's as religion. I super appreciate the open source nature of linux. I prefer the general approach. but if MS gets on board, I'll work a bit harder to take advantage.
comadore, pcDOS, hpux, solaris, vms-vax ....blah blah blah..
Yet I'm still a fn nooob
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by Pierre »

williebthe3rd wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:16 pm
If this was Windows, I would have had that problem solved within MINUTES. Literally. However, it's now going on 24 hours later... and my Linux system is still very broken. :(

Willie...
the other point is this : How Long did it take you to learn those Windows Skills :?:
- - it should also take you, just as many Years - to become an Linux Guru 8)
except, that this time - - there is stacks of fellow Linux Users, & who are very keen to assist your endeavours.

the Game-Changer of late - - is that the Windows System is now set on an course,
that it's owner prefers, & thus is slowly becoming less user friendly.
- plus it's hardware requirements, have also been changed & that too, is frustrating some folks.
:roll:
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Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved!
and DO LOOK at those Unanswered Topics - - you may be able to answer some!.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by oldgranola »

heh. I've never had anything windows solved within minutes. You must be a paying customer. But all linux expects that yo learn something to diy at lkeast for the most basic stuff
comadore, pcDOS, hpux, solaris, vms-vax ....blah blah blah..
Yet I'm still a fn nooob
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by HaveaMint »

williebthe3rd wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:16 pm I think I'm a perfect candidate for this discussion. 8)

... done backups and restores at home and for a former employer.
Willie...
Where's the beef.. errr backups?
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by rambo919 »

Windows update problems, windows booting problems, windows just generally being a jerk..... three big things I will never ever EEEEVER miss that linux (mostly) does not have...... also XP? HOW does that OS NOT infuriate you on a daily basis? At least goto win7 because XP got so slow that the differences in hardware requirements completely stopped mattering.

That said though Linux DOES have it's problems that we cannot just wish away the way some try to.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by BG405 »

I'll have to make a short video demonstrating the speed & responsiveness of Linux Mint 17.3 KDE & Manjaro KDE vs. Windows 7 Ultimate. I could start by just doing the Linux ones as the latter requires free space on one of the HDDs in order to install it.

I'll compare performance with a fresh boot vs. "fully loaded" i.e. browser with the usual number of tabs, image viewers & editor (GIMP), smplayer, several Terminal windows, file manager with multiple tabs, several open text documents etc.. & monitor system temps, memory and CPU usage.

I'll note that although usually loaded to the hilt, the target machine generally gives excellent performance. I'm not really looking forward to revisiting the awful sluggishness of Win7 but I think it needs to be done. :mrgreen:
Dell Inspiron 1525 - LM17.3 CE 64-------------------Lenovo T440 - Manjaro KDE with Mint VMs
Toshiba NB250 - Manjaro KDE------------------------Acer Aspire One D255E - LM21.3 Xfce
Acer Aspire E11 ES1-111M - LM18.2 KDE 64 ----Two ROMS don't make a WRITE
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by ajgringo619 »

williebthe3rd wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:16 pm I think I'm a perfect candidate for this discussion. 8)

I have been using Windows since the 3.1 days. Learning to edit the ini files, then move to the infamous Windows Registry with XP...
If you can edit .ini files and feel comfortable with the Windows Registry, then Linux will be a breeze for you.
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Re: What sends noobs running back to Windows?

Post by oldgranola »

that there is no registry or ini files to edit...
comadore, pcDOS, hpux, solaris, vms-vax ....blah blah blah..
Yet I'm still a fn nooob
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