Broadband Tech > General Questions > Ready to dump Windows, is Mac or Linux better for me?

reply to systemq

Re: Ready to dump Windows, is Mac or Linux better for me?

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reply to Archivis

Is it possible to install Ubuntu and then Linux Mint without messing up my current system? In other words just to preview it? I only have one hard drive and don't want to mess around with partitioning.

Also what is the difference between 32 bit and 64? Why does Ubuntu recommend 32 on their page? I have a 64 bit system right now with Windows.

Also does Linux install secured out of the box or does it require add-ons? Do I need any virus scanner for Linux? I'm running Microsoft Security Essentials now.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

It starts by burning a disc with the Ubuntu image. At start up you have an option to run from the disc to try it. At installation, you have an option to install as a second boot partition.

My suggestion was based on your saying you were getting a new PC, before trashing any old PC, I'd load Linux and see if it's worth keeping.

If your processor is 64 bit, that should work fine, they suggest 32 bit just to be safe.

reply to PhoenixDown

reply to joetaxpayer
I found a Windows installer for Ubuntu and used that. It installed easily and now there is dual boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu when I restart. I'm typing this on Ubuntu now.

I'll give it a chance but so far I'm not really liking it. It's slower than Windows 7, I click something and takes forever to trigger. The screen doesn't look as sharp as Windows. Text looks funky, scroll bar tiny.

Several times Firefox froze and flickered while typing this. I'
ll play around with it some more in the next few days since I have the option to boot into it. Maybe I need to chance some settings.

reply to systemq
I have installed different Linux distributions in past from Red Hat, Fedora, Opensuse and kubuntu .

Kubuntu was my favorite for desktop applications and Opensuse for server. Granted they both can do the same but for Some reason Opensuse was always easier to figure out installing bind, imap, postfix, apache and such.

Don't really use linux much anymore. My server got way past its prime and never replaced it.

Did test the mint mentioned in this thread installed the MATE version and was surprised. Even off the boot dvd without installing all hardware and sound worked. Kubuntu never could get sound working on boot dvd. I am sure if I actually did full install I would be able to get it going but that doesn't bold well for anyone not familiar with linux to see dead hardware.

reply to systemq
There are many things that can affect performance, at least you tried it.

I wanted it to run the browsers more than anything, and found it runs both Firefox and Chrome with no issue. No pausing, and in the year or so I've used it, not blue-screened even once. With this stuff, it's always YMMV, I suppose.

reply to systemq
Try linux mint. I put it on my dads old laptop and its noticeably faster than w7.

reply to joetaxpayer
After shutting down my computer. Then restarting it, guess what. Everything looks sharp and everything opens fast! I guess Ubuntu was doing something in the background to optimize it. Maybe that's the mystery why Linux isn't as mainstream if people abandon it after the first boot.

I still don't like Firefox, text looks strange and tiny along with the scroll bar, but I suppose it's something I can get used to after staring at a Windows program for years. But the operating system is totally fine. Really can't complain about it. If the word/excel/photoshop alternatives mentioned in this thread suits my needs, I think this is a fine alternative to Windows without spending so much money on a Mac. Actually the top area kind of looks like a Mac from the display models I remember seeing at Best Buy.

Am I safe using Ubuntu as is? I have firewall enabled on my router and have Security Essentials in Windows. Is there a MSE alternative? Also anything I should be aware of security wise? I don't want this experience to be ruined by getting hacked and identity stolen.

Thanks again for all the help.

No you'll be fine.

reply to systemq
The guy in my office who turned me on to Linux would be very proud.

The Ubuntu software download area will let you easily load SW. This is not your dad's Linux, you can be a user and not have to get your hands dirty or talk through command lines.

Glad it's working for you.

reply to systemq
What are your specs? If you're using an AMD/ATI video card, just stick with Windows. You might not like Win8's full screen start screen, but it's much easier to just install a third party alternative like Classic Shell than installing Linux and trying to make it work.

My experience with Linux has been digging through articles and forums to make things work properly. It doesn't matter which distro you're running to be honest, in the end you're at the mercy of the drivers and the available software.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Linux works great for some people... But from my perspective, I don't see the point for the average home user. Someone called it the tinkerer's OS, and that description fits the bill, at least for the home user.

reply to Bob
So was that the one with Retina? (overrated) but did yours have Retina?

I'm happy with my MacBook Air. paid $840 refurb, i5, 4GB RAM, lite keyboard. Cheaper than the $900 offering from Acer with same spec.

Especially after coming from a $1000 Windows machines that was a hunk of junk.
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If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein

reply to systemq
I am a Linux Mint user because Ubuntu became a lot like Windows 8, more tablet-oriented. Also, they've been trying to monetize it in some ways I really didn't like (ex: You search for a file or application on your system and it would give you Amazon shopping results).

For a basic, non-headache desktop system (that includes laptops), I'd go with Mint. Cinnamon or Mate will be fine even though I'm running XFCE on both my "desktop" systems (an honest-to-goodness desktop and a laptop) because I was able to tweak it to my taste.

As an m$ office alternative, I'd try Libre Office or Open Office. You can install them on your Windows system and play with them. If I were doing some SERIOUS work with a spreadsheet package, I might feel a bit crippled compared to Excel (especially since it has a lot more useful extensions like ASAP and MicroCharts). You can also run GIMP on your Windows machine.

Instead of burning a live DVD, I'd run Unetbootin »unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ and create a bootable memory stick. Works a lot better than optical crap, so you can try out Ubuntu, Mint with Cinnamon, Mint with Mate and anything else you can think of and pick your favourite.

I was a Windows user until I bought a lappy with Vista pre-installed and many things just didn't work. Tried Ubuntu (before it became tablet-oriented) and never looked back.
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If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.
—George Bernard Shaw

reply to systemq
Unfortunately, it seems that Ubuntu / Linux will not work for me.

I opened up some XLS workbooks, and it does not work properly. Simple functions like indirect() do not work. Another workbook had a macro that gave errors and froze Calc with runtime errors. Writer opens my DOCX files, but does not appear identical in layout. They're not really compatible at all, especially Excel/Calc.

I also tried GIMP. While it's no Photoshop, it doesn't seem too difficult to apply Photoshop principles using that program. Also kinda odd that it's not one window. I'm sure someone can get adjusted to it, so GIMP is just okay.

And when I said that everything is fast a few posts back, I need to take that back. It is fast if you have one application open but it sucks with multitasking.

So I really can't switch to Linux unfortunately. I installed it on another computer with an i7 processor, 8 GB RAM. And it's still not up to par with Windows.

I need to seriously consider if it's worth my investment to get a Mac. Otherwise I guess I need to deal with Windows again and hopefully the Win/Office business model does not change much. Damn you Microsoft, I can never leave even though I try. LOL

Appreciate all the feedback given, they were very useful and informative, and hey, at least I tried Linux for the first time in my life.

If you haven't tried a Mac, you really need to do this before buying one and for longer than 10 minutes in an Apple store. Find a friend or coworker with one.

I'm a Windows user and haven't tried a Mac for about 10 years, but at that time I put serious time into learning that particular Mac OS which was new at that time. I found it annoying way beyond what I expected. With Windows, there are typically half a dozen ways to accomplish the same task in the OS, and the user gets to choose. With Mac, it was Jobs' way or the highway. Some very simple and routine tasks that could be accomplished with one quick right-click menu choice in Windows would take three or four unintuitive steps in the Mac. The Apple OS also made it deliberately difficult or impossible to poke around under the hood in ways that Windows users take for granted. Now all this may have changed in the last decade. But back then, I personally thought the "user friendly" image of the Mac was more legend than fact. They designed the thing for idiot-proof lockdown security and very limited command choices for ease of technical support in the Mac versus lots of user customizability for Windows.

Also if you already have Photoshop and Office, you need to take into consideration the cost of switching your software to the Mac. If you have one of those new $@##! Adobe subscriptions for Photoshop, you may be able to transfer it to a Mac--I don't know one way or the other--check it out. But if you have disc-based or download-based non-subscription Photoshop software, it is probably not transferable (again: check this out--I am not an expert on this), and if it is not transferable, you would have to $tart over and re-buy Photo$hop. IIRC, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom can be moved to a Mac without rebuying, but not recent versions of Adobe Photoshop. Office would have to be repurchased in the Office-for-Mac version. Remember that the interface and command sequence is somewhat different and will require some relearning moving Photoshop and Office to the Mac.

Also remember to check the websites for all your peripheral devices to see which ones have Mac drivers to avoid other hardware rebuy$. Keep in mind that if you want to make hardware changes under the hood of a Mac as with video cards a few years down the road, if you do that sort of thing, your choices may be much more limited, even proprietary (you may be restricted to Apple models for some devices), and therefore more expensive.

reply to Krisnatharok
Yes, I thank Linux some pretty friendly Graphic User Interface (GUI).
But, I like Os System W7 & W8.

reply to systemq
I'm pretty sure you could run WINE to install Office or use something like Virtualbox to have a virtual Windows instance. I guess that defeats the purpose, but if you're looking to replace the whole OS experience, that's the way to get around the bulk of your issues.

I ran Mint for a while with a Win7 VM on VirtualBox. From there, I could install and run anything. The only reason why I dumped Linux was because of the 3D gaming requirements. Most of the games I wanted to play could run, but I'm in a lull right now trying to find a new game to capture my interest, so things like Mech Warrrior Online wasn't going to work at all.
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A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -MLK

reply to Archivis