Change from Windows to Linux


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I wanna make the switch but I have two pieces of hardware that's holding me back (ATI TV Wonder & X-Fi sound card). As soon as I get those replaced I'll probably make the switch. I had an old imac that I installed OS X on. Other than it being real slow on my old iMac, I liked OS X more so than Linux. I'm too poor to afford a Mac. :cry:

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I switched (100%, removed my Windows dual-boot install) about 5 years ago. I didn't switch because of any hatred of Microsoft or of Windows. Yes, I was a little frustrated with Windows so dual-booted Linux for that reason.

But I ended up really enjoying how much easier it was to keep a system running well. Less work at maintaining it, and updating all my apps is a breeze! I don't worry about having the necessary software firewalls, anti-spyware, anti-virus, defragging, cleaning out registry clutter.

I just use Linux, and am much happier. :D

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As I am poor student and my parents make just enough to get by I switched to Linux because it was free. When I was on windows I used to have a ton of pirated software. Also I think its a great way to slowly help ruin the Microsoft monopoly!

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I have one Linux Server,(HP Proliant ML370) with Ubuntu Server software, two Ubuntu workstations and one Windows XP SP2 Box running on my home network!

The reason I have changed is because I sincerely believe that Linux is the future! It still frustrates the crap out of me but I am slowly getting to terms with the thought process necessary to function outside of a Windows environment! The fact that it is open source and therefore free is one thing, but this in itself is not the main criteria for me and I am sure this applies to others as well. The numbers cannot lie; Linux is on an exponential upward curve in the desktop market. In a year or so it will be a major player (As it already is in the Web Server environment!) and users will be making new choices and included in those choices will be branded Linux of some flavour or another!

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My first ever daliance with Linux was a half hour spell with Slackware around 2000. It wasn't the most successful experience ;) ! My first fruitful experience was, like Barney, with Red Hat. I bought a "Red Hat Linux 7 for Dummies" book, and spent a weekend trying to get it to work, and although it was one of the most frustrating experiences I've had, I was hooked from then on.

Over the years I used Linux as a second OS, and spent a good deal of time with the popular falvours of Linux at various times: particularly SuSE, Mandrake (now Mandriva), Debian, Ubuntu, Gentoo and Slackware. But my usage of Windows based pro audio software kept me from switching completely.

But thanks to the leaps and bounds made by tools like Ardour, as of January 2007, I switched completely to Linux (initially Archlinux, and now Fedora). I used Vista for a few days when I got a new laptop last spring, but it only confirmed that I'd made the right choice in Linux.

I can honestly say that I have no desire to return to Windows. I would much sooner move to other Unixes like the BSDs or even Mac OS X before using Windows.

As to why I switched: Originally, Linux was a great geeky plaything for me, When I was using Windows 2000, I didn't have enough of a reason to move. But over the years Linux has become considerably better, whilst Windows has become more paranoid and restrictive. Whereas now my reasons for using Linux involve freedom, openness lack of DRM etc etc..., when I first started it was really just because I wanted to edit loads of settings (in KDE back then) and tweak my OS more than Windows allowed.

So after the extremely verbose post, I can sum up why I switched in two excellent quotes:

I did this 'cause Linux gives me a woody. It doesn't generate revenue. - (Dave '-ddt->` Taylor, announcing DOOM for Linux)
Software is like sex, it's better when it's free - (Linus Torvalds)
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After all the talk of linux, I decided to try it.

I tried the good ol' Ubuntu first. It was alright, and worked perfectly with my laptop. Overall it felt less responsive than XP or Vista. Compiz-fuzion is cool, but I felt I never used it (mainly because I don't take advantage of the multiple desktops). Also used Kubuntu, KDE interface was alright, but the KDE applications were down right horrible.

I tried OpenSUSE out next. It was alright, couldn't get everything to work perfectly on my laptop. Couldn't even get compiz-fuzion. I tried both KDE/Gnome versions.

I tried PC Linux 2007 KDE/Gnome versions. It used an unusual amount of RAM ~800MB on a clean install. It was immediately removed from my computer.

In the end, I had to reformat my computer after installing Ubuntu 7.1. Why? Gparted had failed miserably. It made my partition tables overlap. I don't know about you guys, but I consider this program to be EPIC FAIL because of this. I had to use a tool called DFSee (using OS/2 eComStation install disk).

I consider myself an advanced user. I know computers, I've built them, I do some programming... Linux is what I also consider EPIC FAIL right now. Even with all my experience, every distro of Linux I used was terribly hard to use. Well I figured out how to use it after a while. Even after that, it wasn't very pleasing to use. Forgetting about me, I thought about the "Linux revolution" - trying to get more "Average Joe/Jane" to use Linux. I wondered how the hell this was possible, because they wouldn't know how to do simple tasks like installing programs and such. I think Windows and Mac OS are so easy to use, and that's what matters in the end. The average Joe/Jane will find Linux way too difficult and for that, Linux is not by any means remotely close to becoming a mainstream Operating System.

I decided to go with a dual boot XP/Vista system, and it's been zipping right along. Linux has come a long way, but it has a LONG way to go.

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I run Leopard and Ubuntu on my Dell XPS Gen II notebook. then I dual boot ubuntu/windows xp on all my other machines. Then I use Win2k3 for AD and exchange and use linux to run all my game servers. For example, on windows 20 people on a BF2 server with a DS3 CPU usage is about 60% and on linux its about 35%. Linux + OSX FTW

Edited by SVFUSiON
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I switched last summer. I am totally Linux, though I use wine for a few odd Windows programs I like. It was almost a religious experience to be honest.

I have since created an awesome system (and a few distros of my own), read heaps about Linux and Free software (I'm considering law as a career), converted my family and one neighbour over entirely to Linux, joined the Shift team here to help in every way I can to promote what I know will be an awesome distro (it already is, but just wait for the 1.0 release!).

In short, I would never go back to Windows... never ever. Windows, in my opinion, is absolutely second-rate and it will never catch up with Linux. For me personally (though I of course respect other views), Windows is the rubbish forced on people's machines because of a malfunctioning anti-trust legal environment. It is slow and causes all sorts of support problems I used to have to deal with. I still have to help people I know who still use Windows, but I never have to help those I set up with Linux.

Strong words, I know. I don't mean any offence to Windows users, believe me. Windows was my first experience with computers and, even though I don't use it now, I learned a great deal using it. It's just that the OP asked. :D

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Even with all my experience, every distro of Linux I used was terribly hard to use. Well I figured out how to use it after a while. Even after that, it wasn't very pleasing to use.

Here's what I don't like about Linux. The application names! The names of Linux apps usually say nothing about what the app does. This means you can't easily find the applications, or sometimes the commands, you're looking for. E.g. what about the name Gimp suggests it's a graphics app? What does Anorak have to do with multimedia? Supercaramba? A new Linux user would be lost.

This is not a good way to name applications, and it seems its being done to be trendy and to purposely be "different" from Windows application naming conventions. Different isn't always better, especially when it makes things more difficult for users. Even more so when many Linux distros come with multiple applications that do the same thing.

Windows was my first experience with computers and, even though I don't use it now, I learned a great deal using it.

I think people who started out on Windows don't realize just how bad it really is. They don't have an objective understanding of operating systems and think Microsoft invented everything. The truth is, Microsoft copied everything and dumped it into Windows. That's what Windows is, a big dump of self-serving, anti-competitive, Microsoft protocols and formats. The kernel isn't bad, but everything they've loaded onto it is garbage.

Edited by toadeater
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To add, and I've stated this before, before I went to Ubuntu I tried many other distros of Linux and didn't really like them all that much. They weren't enough to change from Windows at that point but one day I had read a story on how Dell was using Linux on some of its systems so I went to their web site and downloaded a copy of the ISO. I fell in love with it at once it was so easy to use and was great with my hardware as well. This was the most "ready for prime time" distro of Linux that I had seen so far. It is not perfect, but it doesn't have to be perfect to be better than Windows IMO.....

Here's what I don't like about Linux. The application names! The names of Linux apps usually say nothing about what the app does. This means you can't easily find the applications, or sometimes the commands, you're looking for. E.g. what about the name Gimp suggests it's a graphics app? What does Anorak have to do with multimedia? Supercaramba? A new Linux user would be lost.

This is not a good way to name applications, and it seems its being done to be trendy and to purposely be "different" from Windows application naming conventions. Different isn't always better, especially when it makes things more difficult for users.

Doesn't Gimp stand for Graphics Image Processor? :) I'm not asking why people don't like Linux. The question is why they changed from Windows to Linux. If you want to list what you don't like about Linux then start a separate thread.....Please.

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Here's what I don't like about Linux. The application names! The names of Linux apps usually say nothing about what the app does. This means you can't easily find the applications, or sometimes the commands, you're looking for. E.g. what about the name Gimp suggests it's a graphics app? What does Anorak have to do with multimedia? Supercaramba? A new Linux user would be lost.

This is not a good way to name applications, and it seems its being done to be trendy and to purposely be "different" from Windows application naming conventions. Different isn't always better, especially when it makes things more difficult for users.

It's a fair point. Unix developer have a history of using odd names and acronyms for software. The first time I mentioned a man page to my Dad, he seriously thought it was something very different :woot: .Oddly names applications can be found in all areas of technology, but the Unix world has always enjoyed using them more.

There is also a point to be made, that if you spend all your time hacking on a keyboard at a command line, to have short acronyms for commands is much preferable.

And in any event, I don't think that's enough of a reason not to use Linux. But I'm terrible at Linux evangelism, I'm sad and geeky and I'm not too fussed if Linux never becomes a mainstream option on the desktop (although with Dell's offerings, and the launch of products like the Asus EeePC, there's no doubt Linux is infiltrating into parts of the home and people's lives where it was previously absent).

Doesn't Gimp stand for Graphics Image Processor? :)

GNU Image Manipulation Program - doesn't everyone know that, always seemed obvious to me :D

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While I have not switch to Linux I use Linux on my main box aswell as OSX and Vista. They all have good and bad points for me there is no one good or bad OS. If I am just surfing the web or listening to music I will use Linux or OSX but for anything importent or playing games i will ofcource use Vista. But just as Vista and OSX Linux will always have a place on my computer.

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Here's what I don't like about Linux. The application names! The names of Linux apps usually say nothing about what the app does. This means you can't easily find the applications, or sometimes the commands, you're looking for. E.g. what about the name Gimp suggests it's a graphics app? What does Anorak have to do with multimedia? Supercaramba? A new Linux user would be lost.

This is not a good way to name applications, and it seems its being done to be trendy and to purposely be "different" from Windows application naming conventions. Different isn't always better, especially when it makes things more difficult for users. Even more so when many Linux distros come with multiple applications that do the same thing.

I agree that a lot of Linux programs have silly names. But a tour of the sorts of programs people here who use Windows would normally have on their systems would reveal equally silly names. It's just that they are used to them. Excel? Access? Powerpoint? Dreamweaver? Flash? Alcohol? Opera? Foobar? Seriously, have a look above at the Software section. Most of those programs are for Windows. What do most of those names have to do at all with the functions of the programs they name? ;)

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...

Gparted had failed miserably. It made my partition tables overlap. I don't know about you guys, but I consider this program to be EPIC FAIL because of this. I had to use a tool called DFSee (using OS/2 eComStation install disk).

...

Funny. But when people who have never used Linux have had the same problem (from whatever partition tools, like PM), I have asked them to boot Ubuntu or Knoppix live, and identified the problem and made repairs using g/qt/parted as my main tool. I think that the term I would use would be EPIC SUCCESS.

The program works as it should.

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I switched on and off back and forth between Windows and Linux (various distributions, although I must say my favorite was Gentoo, stage 1 was fun!) and I really enjoyed using Linux and the degree of customizability I had over every little aspect including the kernel. The reason why I kept switching back to Windows was because certain programs I had become accustomed to, like Adobe's Photoshop, didn't run under Linux, and I was doing a lot of graphics design work at the time so it was a must.

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I switched on and off back and forth between Windows and Linux (various distributions, although I must say my favorite was Gentoo, stage 1 was fun!) and I really enjoyed using Linux and the degree of customizability I had over every little aspect including the kernel. The reason why I kept switching back to Windows was because certain programs I had become accustomed to, like Adobe's Photoshop, didn't run under Linux, and I was doing a lot of graphics design work at the time so it was a must.

I hear that Adobe's Photoshop CS works under Linux now using WINE.

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I would like to know how many on here have gone from using Windows to using Linux and why and are you happier because of it?

I changed because of Vista. As for happier, YES.

I am very impressed with UBUNTU.

I agree LINUX is the future and I will run LINUX on my PC one day but right now I am sticking with Windows XP. I run UBUNTU on my laptop and is better than Vista in every respect but for gaming.

The reason for not switching my PC to LINUX is that I am perfectly happy with Windows XP for the moment. It never crashes on my machine, is very stable and has huge amount of free, open source and proprietary software that satisfy all my needs. Regarding security I have no problem... I believe is 99% user's fault if you get viruses, spam or Trojans. All this statistics for "how unsafe windows is" are because of millions of dumb users around the word clicking like mindless zombies.

Also XP is the best platform for games and there is no alternative at the moment... so if you like your games you have to be Windows XP user. I know there is EVE online, Second Life, RF online etc. by i want my HL2, Portal, COD4 and i don't want winex or crap like that to run it on my machine. There is nothing better than native code for games.

Is different when it comes to Vista. I used Vista for one week and I can't believe that Microsoft come up with rubbish like that. That shows how detached are they from reality and how inflexible Microsoft have become. Their arrogance can only spell their doom because ultimately is the users that decide and they have choice now.

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one day realised, I had to stop playing games and stop watching some.... umm... "movies" and get work which was going to be in Linux (caused i failed doing things in VB html and stuff and wasted years on it).

so i work in linux and fortunately can do all things in linux without worry for Virus/Trojan attacks wiping/corrupting my stuff and not have to pay Windows-Tax , specially when I dont agree with them in ethical/moral terms of keeping all this proprietary/closed ware (source-code) etc.

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I'd "dabbled" with Linux in the past, but I was never really comfortable with it. If I ran into a problem I would simply reboot into XP and do it in there instead.

Around a year ago, I tried Vista and found that my hardware was simply not up to the job. And let's be honest, XP is good, but it's old now. I wanted a new OS with new features, but one that wasn't going to strain my hardware. I'd heard good things about Ubuntu and had a look at it. Honestly, I haven't looked back. I persevered where I could have gone back to XP, and the sense of fulfilment was tangible. Linux really is a breath of fresh air.

I still have XP installed, but only because the TV-out socket on my card isn't supported under Linux, and I like to watch movies I've got stored on my server through my laptop. If it wasn't for that I know I'd have no use whatsoever for Windows.

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I changed from Vista last summer, why? Well I always wanted to try Linux, but I've always changed back to win, so I made a decision, I'm a Web Programmer, so I had all the tools I needed in Linux.

I'm not comming back to win, Linux completes my needs, and I'm also a very big player, I like to play Warcraft 3 FT, and works like wonders in Wine, so I don't need Windows for anything except Flash (wich I have a License and I run it under VirtualBox..).

I think 2008 and 2009 will be a great year for Linux, I'm always trying to convert a lot of people to Linux and leave windows :)

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For the most part I changed over for security and stability reasons. I like the fact that I can update my system without having to reboot. I like the *nix security model and the philosophy behind sudo.

Not having to pay for it is also nice.

One of the major reasons, though, that I'm happier and happier as time goes on is DRM. *nix has no DRM. My computer does what I tell it to do, period. I've heard the argument that "DRM means more choice because you have access to DRMed content." Sure, in the same way promiscuous unprotected sex is more choice because I have access to syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV, herpes... I don't want DRMed content and I don't want DRM. Running Linux ensures that the disease of DRM will not infect my computer or its files. That, to me, is worth a lot.

And Compiz. Compiz kicks the crap out of Aero and Aqua so bad it's not even funny.

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