Linux or Windows??

[ajsie]

Hi!

I am a windows xp user at present and have been sticking with it for a long time. i think i know quite a lot about the os and am willing to take a step further...to the linux system.

But i can say this...i no nothing about it at all!
And my first questions are:

1 what is good with Linux?
2 Is it a reliable os with mimimal crashes (that is what i have heard)?
3 Is it a flexible os (easy to use and install programs/devices, user-friendly and so on)
4 has it some advantages compared with windows?

...cause I have no idea. Would be pleasant if someone gave me some hints and advices ...thx beforehand!

 

[Jimbob1989]

My friend previously used it. its suppose to run faster than windows. The only problem is, the creators of linux are competitors with Microsoft. Microsoft make a lot of software and so finding the same software able to run on linux can be difficult. You sometimes have to use copied made from reversed engineered software. He has no gone back to windows and says he prefers it.

Jimbob

 

[nomav6]

Linux is good if your good at programing and you wanted to set the computer up to only do a couple things then you could cut out all the stuff you didnt need, but you would have to spend a lot of time doing it, and like jimbob said it is hard to find a lot of software for linux that is offered for microsoft, but IBM has been going out paying the software companies to start making a linux version of their program, some say its because IBM wants to stick it to Microsoft right now, so it would be a good ideal to set up a small drive with linux so you can play around with it, and when all of the software is out there for linux you could switch over, unless you feel the need to before then.

 

[[tab]]

1 what is good with Linux?

- It's free
- It's fun
- It's stable
- It's relatively secure
- It's configurable

2 Is it a reliable os with mimimal crashes (that is what i have heard)?

I guess so... depends how it's configured.

3 Is it a flexible os (easy to use and install programs/devices, user-friendly and so on)

Yes it's flexible, but that means it's harder to learn at first. Installing programs is quite easy, especially if you use some sort of package manager to handle dependencies. Devices can be tricky though.

If you want "user friendly" you should stick to Mandrake or Suse (at least at first).

4 has it some advantages compared with windows?

See point 1.

If you're familiar with MS Windows you may find Linux very difficult to begin with, but if you stick with it you'll be fine. You can always install it on a separate partition/drive and dual boot so you have the best of both worlds.

 

[Underground_Evo]

yes, i was wondering the same thing. Alot of my friends say that they like it (ive never used it personally)

which os a better one, Suse or Mandrake?

 

[Underground_Evo]

I am downloading Mandrake now, i'm going to put it on another computer ive got layin around. I'll post what i think about it.

 

[bachxuanguyen]

WIN XP is safer and more easier to navigate
If u want to up to something new
try LINDOW

 

[Praetor]

WIN XP is safer and more easier to navigate

If you take the time to clean out the gunk in it ;-P

try LINDOW

I dont know what's with that... a creepy kinda half-breed

If you want "user friendly" you should stick to Mandrake or Suse (at least at first).

Unfortunately (i used to be a Draker), 'drake doesnt offer much in terms of "usefulness".... RedHat would be a better route to go IMO and its not that much more difficult to learn.

and like jimbob said it is hard to find a lot of software for linux that is offered for microsoft

Very true: the only thing that's kept me from a complete swtich is that Linux doesnt have any good (i.e., efficient) movie encoders!

its suppose to run faster than windows

eeeeeeerm.... argueable both ways heehee. It multitasks and multithreasds a lot better but task for task I'd say Windows apps win (especially on tuned systems)

Give it a shot.... it's not that terrible ... lots of typing though (as opposed to clicking)