Moving from Windows, for or against?

[Bazzlad]

Hey all,
For a long time I've been tempted to move away from windows, to something, simpler, quicker, and basically less annoying. This may be the time. My Windows has hit it's half life and is now degradating. Search won't work and crashes explorer amongst other things.

I would like to move away from windows to be honest because now I'll have to back up all my files onto my USB backup drive, format my hard drive, set up windows XP, register it, activate it, update it, install the drivers move my files back and then install all my software. That'll take about a day.

I was thinking I'll need to dual boot the PC though, due to my web design. As I use Photoshop, Swish and Dreamweaver.

I'm thinking about Ubuntu.

Thoughts on moving OS, recommendations on which OS and for and against thoughts please!

[Moby-Dick]

I can't see the point of changing OS just for the sake of it

If you've got to rebuild with windows anyway , why double the work and dual build ? ( saying that , Linux is surprisingly quick to get a base install up and running )

[snedger]

I would be happy to use any open source equivalents for general apps e.g. open office, Gimp, media player (name I've forgotten).
However, last time I looked, my favourite games were not playable with any of the Linux windows emulators - and so, for me, dumping Windows is not at all possible.

[ajbrun]

I can't see the point of changing OS just for the sake of it

If you've got to rebuild with windows anyway , why double the work and dual build ? ( saying that , Linux is surprisingly quick to get a base install up and running )

I'd agree.

The only reason I've not moved is because of my fear that games won't work with linux. I know I could dual boot, but I cba to switch OS's every time I want to do something in windows.

[Saracen]

It all comes down to need.

I use some applications that need windows, and I'm not prepared to risk problems by running under emulators, etc. And the cost of moving would be huge, and unjustified. I'm effectively locked in.

But if you can move from Windows, and want to, then go for it. It's not, in my view, something anyone else can decide for you since it depends on your uses and situation.

[redsky009]

you could always try a scaled down version of ubuntu that you can run from a memory stick and see if you like it...

tbh, I have ubuntu on my lounge music/internet pc and its great for what it does, simple and quick, but I still need windows on my main pc for games and for when I work from home

[chicken]

I think 99Flake will back me on this one...

As much as I don't like the whole "the man" thing about MS, I wouldn't change to Linux from Windows any more. I did consider it once but living with a Linux fan changed my mind.

He would often go on about how great Linux is, how you can get Jeff's Graphics Driver in a couple of clicks, or George's if it suits you better. The desktop was all 3D, the windows bend, react to wind or gravity, and best of all it's all free...

...free and pants. You start a film and no sound comes out, oh that's because you got Bob's sound driver and this media player isn't compatible. So you fiddle, eventually sound comes out but you realise you want it on the TV but it's too high res, so you go to turn it down... only to find you have to enter things like the monitor's Horizontal + Vertical refresh maximums for it to work... eventually your film is on, you watch it, then decide to put on some music, but the music player has eaten half of your playlist. "Oh it sometimes does that, just reload it again"... Right.

That's not even starting on the games issue...

So sorry to any Linux heads out there but my advice to Bazzlad is don't bother, it's too much hassle. Unless you're an avid programmer wanting to make a whole load of freeware apps in your spare time, you'll probably switch back to Windows in a few weeks.

[injin]

Ditch your PC and go Mac - especially because you're a webby

[Bazzlad]

That means a whole new box though doesn't it?

[99Flake]

AAARGGH LINUX!!! Noooo, I would never say Windows is the greatest OS ever (Amiga OS/Workbench FTW) but it is so much easier to use than any Linux distro I have seen. Even the simplest of tasks seem to take twice as long.

I have only seen it setup by one person though and maybe it is just him, he is always complaining that something doesn't work!

Stick with Windows, it may be bloated expensive and mass market but at least it does the job it was intended to do and you know that 99.9% of all your software will work on it.

PS: Chicken look at your email for Gods sake man!

[moogle]

I'd agree.

The only reason I've not moved is because of my fear that games won't work with linux. I know I could dual boot, but I cba to switch OS's every time I want to do something in windows.

sameeeee, i've moved to vista but my games still work, some. btw ajbrun can I connect to your cs server if I have CS:CZ? and although I tried cs, its really outdatedddddddddddddddd, why dont you guys play something like America's Army!! It's free and its like CS, plus its coool! Heck if hexus had an AA server (AA short for Americas Army) I'd be on there all the time. Seems no one plays :/

[ajbrun]

You can connect if it's counter strike source.

[Whiternoise]

I'm going to switch to a Mac next year when i go to Uni. That way i can get the mac apps that i like and i can just dualboot with Vista (i imagine that'll be easy by the time Leopard is released).

I wouldn't go with anything other than windows for a desktop though. I know the cons and whatnot, but the games are just too much temptation.

@Moogle - i have the odd jaunt on AA, i'm poor as a hobo on fps's but it's fun nevertheless

[alsenior]

I think 99Flake will back me on this one...

As much as I don't like the whole "the man" thing about MS, I wouldn't change to Linux from Windows any more. I did consider it once but living with a Linux fan changed my mind.

He would often go on about how great Linux is, how you can get Jeff's Graphics Driver in a couple of clicks, or George's if it suits you better. The desktop was all 3D, the windows bend, react to wind or gravity, and best of all it's all free...

...free and pants. You start a film and no sound comes out, oh that's because you got Bob's sound driver and this media player isn't compatible. So you fiddle, eventually sound comes out but you realise you want it on the TV but it's too high res, so you go to turn it down... only to find you have to enter things like the monitor's Horizontal + Vertical refresh maximums for it to work... eventually your film is on, you watch it, then decide to put on some music, but the music player has eaten half of your playlist. "Oh it sometimes does that, just reload it again"... Right.

That's not even starting on the games issue...

So sorry to any Linux heads out there but my advice to Bazzlad is don't bother, it's too much hassle. Unless you're an avid programmer wanting to make a whole load of freeware apps in your spare time, you'll probably switch back to Windows in a few weeks.

when was the last time you or your friend used Linux i installed debian a few weeks ago on a old p4 e-machine and everything even the smartarray 431 worked out of the box and was installed in a couple of hours (was doing a net install) the whole linux world is moving towards driver unification anyway and alot of programs are standardized now

if your are going to be on the Hexus forums think before you spew crap same to you 99flake if it does not work you are doing something wrong

[moogle]

You can connect if it's counter strike source.

damn.., i only have cs and cs:cz

@Moogle - i have the odd jaunt on AA, i'm poor as a hobo on fps's but it's fun nevertheless

YEY!, one AA player, I'm pretty good I think , when Punkbuster gets updated for Vista I'll be able to play again

[Whiternoise]

I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's a "crap" opinion because for most end users, Linux is too difficult to get to grips with (not saying you're thick or anything , just it IS more complicated than windows.

There are a fair few distros that just let you buy a CD with an installer on, like Suse, so it takes most of the pain away.

But, the games issue i agree with, if you're a games addict, then the benefits of Linux go straight down the pan. My cousin is a linux addict, but he dual boots (well tri boots he's on a macbook) between linux and windows to play games.