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Author Topic: Is there an alternative OS,that is...  (Read 3544 times)

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Dave666

    Topic Starter


    Beginner

    Is there an alternative OS,that is...
    « on: January 14, 2008, 12:34:03 AM »
    ...almost as good as XP?? I was wondering if there are any,and are any of them free to download?
    Thanks

    dairyman

    • Guest
    Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
    « Reply #1 on: January 14, 2008, 04:11:46 AM »
    Linux
    OpenSUSE
    Mac OS X
    Amiga OS

    ^^ These are the ones I know about.

    Deerpark



      Egghead
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      Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
      « Reply #2 on: January 14, 2008, 04:31:20 AM »
      ...almost as good as XP??
      I think all Linux users just screamed out in horror when you typed that sentence. :)
      Depending on what you need the computer for, many flavors of Linux can probably be better than XP. But there is a learning curve of course. If you need a computer to go online on, create a few documents and play music/videos then many Linux distributions can provide you with an OS that takes less system ressources than XP while at the same time being more secure.
      Ubuntu is getting a good reputation for being intuitive, easy to get started with and free to boot.
      What you need to know is that Linux isn't going to run all your favorite windows program (You can run some but that's a longer story) so you will have to get used to a whole new set of program for all your daily chores. The only exceptions being the software that is also released in a Linux version, like Firefox for example.
      Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
      Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

      quaxo



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      Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
      « Reply #3 on: January 14, 2008, 05:09:05 AM »
      If you're interested in games, stick with Windows. No other operating system comes close when it comes to games... for now anyway. Mac is getting there, but a lot of games still only come out on Windows.

      However, if you have absolutely no interest in games, I'd go with a Linux OS. For many reasons:

      1. Most (if not all) of your current hardware should work in a Linux OS.

      2. Aside from games, Linux can do most anything else you'd need to do in Windows. Surf the net, create documents (with OpenOffice), chat on messengers (Pidgin works with both MSN and Yahoo, but there is aMSN (a nice MSN clone) and Yahoo's Linux client.

      3. Linux distributions can support the NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 files systems that Windows uses, meaning you can still use memory cards, flash drives, floppy disks, and CDs that you already have.

      4. Most Linux distributions are FREE. While most of these lack official support from the makers, there are massive communities for each distribution with many knowledgeable people who can help you should you need it. There are PAID versions of some distributions that offer official technical support as well. These vary in price and you can usually pick one up at your local software shop.

      5. Most distributions come with (or you can download for free) OpenOffice. With OpenOffice, you can still create Microsoft Office compatible files and view documents from other people. The only problem is with the new Office2007 files. As far as I know, these can't yet be opened, but I expect support will eventually be added for them.

      6. Many Windows programs will work with an add-on for Linux called Wine. It simulates a Windows environment for those programs so they can run in Linux. It also works for some games. It won't work for everything however.

      7. Less demanding for resources than Windows.

      I could go on, but I think you probably get the picture.  :)

      A few negatives on Linux:

      1. Many distributions don't come with built in support for media files (like MP3, WMA, WMV, and DivX). However, support for all these types can be added.

      2. Many games, especially 3D games, meant for Windows won't work well (or at all) in Wine for Linux.

      3. Lack of official tech support for most distributions.

      4. Some hardware won't work properly in Linux (such as Philips webcams (by design  :-\)).

      On picking a distributions, you have to take your needs into consideration and pick one that suits your needs. Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Knoppix, and SUSE Linux are some of the more popular ones. If you're just starting out with Linux, I'd go with Fedora or Ubuntu. Both are fairly easy to use (compared to others) and both have huge communities.

      Dave666

        Topic Starter


        Beginner

        Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
        « Reply #4 on: January 14, 2008, 12:32:46 PM »
        ...almost as good as XP??
        I think all Linux users just screamed out in horror when you typed that sentence. :)
        Depending on what you need the computer for, many flavors of Linux can probably be better than XP. But there is a learning curve of course. If you need a computer to go online on, create a few documents and play music/videos then many Linux distributions can provide you with an OS that takes less system ressources than XP while at the same time being more secure.
        Ubuntu is getting a good reputation for being intuitive, easy to get started with and free to boot.
        What you need to know is that Linux isn't going to run all your favorite windows program (You can run some but that's a longer story) so you will have to get used to a whole new set of program for all your daily chores. The only exceptions being the software that is also released in a Linux version, like Firefox for example.
        ..lol...I apologise to all the Linux users,it is just that BILL GATES AND MSN have the whole world cornered and everyone in it seems to be using windows...I WOULD GLADY DITCH WINDOWS FOR A GOOD SOLID OS..JUST TELL ME WHICH ONE AND WINDOWS IS IN THE TRASH!...
        Thanks for your help

        Dave666

          Topic Starter


          Beginner

          Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
          « Reply #5 on: January 14, 2008, 12:35:09 PM »
          If you're interested in games, stick with Windows. No other operating system comes close when it comes to games... for now anyway. Mac is getting there, but a lot of games still only come out on Windows.

          However, if you have absolutely no interest in games, I'd go with a Linux OS. For many reasons:

          1. Most (if not all) of your current hardware should work in a Linux OS.

          2. Aside from games, Linux can do most anything else you'd need to do in Windows. Surf the net, create documents (with OpenOffice), chat on messengers (Pidgin works with both MSN and Yahoo, but there is aMSN (a nice MSN clone) and Yahoo's Linux client.

          3. Linux distributions can support the NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 files systems that Windows uses, meaning you can still use memory cards, flash drives, floppy disks, and CDs that you already have.

          4. Most Linux distributions are FREE. While most of these lack official support from the makers, there are massive communities for each distribution with many knowledgeable people who can help you should you need it. There are PAID versions of some distributions that offer official technical support as well. These vary in price and you can usually pick one up at your local software shop.

          5. Most distributions come with (or you can download for free) OpenOffice. With OpenOffice, you can still create Microsoft Office compatible files and view documents from other people. The only problem is with the new Office2007 files. As far as I know, these can't yet be opened, but I expect support will eventually be added for them.

          6. Many Windows programs will work with an add-on for Linux called Wine. It simulates a Windows environment for those programs so they can run in Linux. It also works for some games. It won't work for everything however.

          7. Less demanding for resources than Windows.

          I could go on, but I think you probably get the picture.  :)

          A few negatives on Linux:

          1. Many distributions don't come with built in support for media files (like MP3, WMA, WMV, and DivX). However, support for all these types can be added.

          2. Many games, especially 3D games, meant for Windows won't work well (or at all) in Wine for Linux.

          3. Lack of official tech support for most distributions.

          4. Some hardware won't work properly in Linux (such as Philips webcams (by design  :-\)).

          On picking a distributions, you have to take your needs into consideration and pick one that suits your needs. Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, Knoppix, and SUSE Linux are some of the more popular ones. If you're just starting out with Linux, I'd go with Fedora or Ubuntu. Both are fairly easy to use (compared to others) and both have huge communities.
          Thanks a mill for all of this great info!:)

          DaveLembke



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          Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
          « Reply #6 on: January 15, 2008, 03:33:29 PM »
          Closest Distro to Windows I've seen is Lindows, but I'd go with Fedora Core or Ubuntu Desktop as my choices for ease of install.

          You can also download and burn the ISO images to CD or DVD's and try them in a Live CD or DVD distro and take them for a test drive without installing. Knoppix, and Ubuntu Desktop 7.x has this feature and I believe you can get Fedore Core 6 in a Live Distro all from here http://www.linux.org/

          Linux is far better than Windows for security, but gaming should be left up to Windows OS unless you are a pro at Linux command prompt.

          Dave

          Dave666

            Topic Starter


            Beginner

            Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
            « Reply #7 on: January 15, 2008, 09:05:22 PM »
            Thank you for the info Dave..And thanks to all who replied.I have a PC i have just built and am about to fire it up,i am in the process of creating my Ubuntu CD, should i be aware of any surprises?..I know i simply boot from the disc and take it from there..Will i have driver issues etc etc ?
            Thanks

            quaxo



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            Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
            « Reply #8 on: January 15, 2008, 10:13:13 PM »
            I doubt you'll have too many driver issues (if any). Unbuntu and Fedora 8 both have very good support for hardware at the time of install without having to add a bunch of stuff.

            Softix

            • Guest
            Re: Is there an alternative OS,that is...
            « Reply #9 on: January 16, 2008, 07:32:37 AM »
            As far as I know, Linux is not as good as Windows XP, it's even better. But I'm still using Windows XP since it has caused me enough errors to make me change my OS. I would like to learn how to use Linux someday when Windows XP stop working in my PC.