I recently built a new PC and I plan to run Linux in a virtual machine using VMWare.
I know very little sbout Linux and was wondering if anyone had an opinion on which of the seemingly endless versions was the best to use. Many thanks in advance.
Posted on 09/26/2010 5:04:44 AM PDT by Brainhose
Greetings;
I recently built a new PC and I plan to run Linux in a virtual machine using VMWare.
I know very little sbout Linux and was wondering if anyone had an opinion on which of the seemingly endless versions was the best to use. Many thanks in advance.
If you like that kind of control, gentoo is also a good alternative.
Mel
Well...up to now I’ve only used a computer for Excel spreadsheets, Publisher, pictures (photos), WORD, email, internet.....don’t have a need for games capabilities.....
I’m not a computer geek....know enough to be dangerous...I’m trying to plan for the next 5 years...I am working with 2 others starting a communications/media company....so I might want to try and make sure it has good graphics capabilities...
I have always used a PC....not Apple...and don’t think I’ll wander off the “reservation”....unless I’m told it’s the VERY best thing to do....
Any suggestions would be helpful....thanks
Windows is good if you have a moderate amount of money.
Linux is good if are willing to sacrifice some effort in order to save a ton of money.
If you want rock-solid stability and are willing to pay for it, go with Apple.
Linux is growing in popularity as more and more people discover that it can do anything Windows can do (and in some cases more) and that you can afford to put more money into high performance hardware - since the software is free.
Windows has the advantage of a huge user base. And a correspondingly large software availability. There are many games that will only run on Windows, but then you said that you were not a gamer.
If I were in your situation (as you described it), I would put my money into a fast processor and a lot of memory and use Ubuntu Linux as my OS. It comes with Open Office (it will read and write to Microsoft Office files - Word, Excel, Publisher, etc.) and is an excellent alternative to Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office may have some fancy new bells and whistles in its newest versions, but Open Office will do all the basics). And best of all, if you do not like Linux, you can always go out and purchase a copy of Windows 7 and Office 2010, because Linux has not cost you any money - except for the minimal cost of media (CD or DVD).
Thank you......what I keep thinking about is....I’m 59, I’m a pretty fast learner, and fairly logical. I’ve had a computer since 1983 (Commodore)...BUT....am I up for learning a new OS? I USE computers...I don’t KNOW them, really. Part of me says it will be good for my brain....another part is a little fearful...any thoughts?
NOTE: (I cannot even figure out why my computer says NO SIGNAL and won’t load Windows - I took off the side panel and cleaned and tightened everything I could touch...still doesn’t work....having to call someone today.)
For that level of use, anything will work, as noted in the posts above this one.
A Mac is likely going to give you the lowest total cost of ownership in the long run, at the cost of a higher initial price. Subjectively, Macs tend to hold their value better than the others with minimal maintenance.
A Linux machine will likely be the least expensive up-front, and is often a good choice for putting onto lower-end hardware. While the UIs have certainly improved, it still helps to be moderately savvy about system maintenance. Then again, if I was sticking with the stock install, I’d likely not have to do much to keep one running, if it has a built-in package manager/update utility (like Fedora and Ubuntu, among others, have).
On the whole, I can’t recommend Windows for anyone who doesn’t need it for one or more specific programs that are unavailable on other platforms. If you go with high-end hardware to extend the computer’s life, you might as well get a Mac. If you want the lower entry cost, a Linux machine will suffice. It’s kind of the problem with trying to be everything to everybody — you generally are second-best (if that) across the board. The biggest cost of moving away from Windows is getting used to a new interface, but given how often Microsoft revamps their interfaces, it’s a lower cost than you might think.
In any event, save yourself money by using the OpenOffice suite instead of MS Office, regardless of platform. For 99+% of the users, it does everything you need.
Thanks....and esp for your last statement....I took a 3 part class in EXCEL a few years back....I do NOT NEED ALL THAT STUFF!
Stick with Windows. That's what you know. Stick with your strength.
If you want to learn Linux on the side, fine, try some of the Linux/Unix apps that run under Windows, as Window variants: in your case OpenOfiice for DeskTopPublishing and Gimp for image editing. And to get experience in the Unix command line, try Cygwin, a linux-like set of unix tools that run under windows. Take a course at a night school in linux.
If you really want to to switch, say because you need to see if you CAN still can learn something new, go to the MAC side and hire a tutor to get you up to speed on the basics you need for your work.
Put your work needs first! That means getting proficient in the tools you need to work on whatever system you go to. I do NOT recommend Linux to you for that reason.
Stick with Windows. Or, if you need the reaffirmation that you are indeed a lifetime learner -- get a MAC and hire a tutor to get going with it.
If you switch to Linux, well, you'll be doing your professional skills a harm. Maybe you are no longer a professional and just a hobbyist? If so, sure -- go to Linux.
There's MANY good reasons to use Linux, it's clean, safe and reliable for those using it as a web-based platform to serve data and apps, and also for embedded systems. That doesn't apply in your case. And I don't see anything that does apply. Linux is not a good platform for most desktop work.
IMHO, Mint is hands down the best to begin with. It’s based on Ubuntu and installs things like Flash and Java automatically, so you don’t have to do as much to set it up.
I have Xubuntu on several machines. It uses a lighter-weight desktop (XFCE) than Ubuntu (Gnome) or Kubuntu (KDE). Its one downside is the plethora of configuration apps -- a bit of a mess.
I would suggest that it's 99% of home users. For some of us (even at home), the capabilities available via macros and functions in VBA are worth the expense.
There's also a repository of OpenOffice macros.
I'll check it out again one of these days.
I have never seen a functioning Linux distro on any of my machines take longer than 30 minutes...most under 15 minutes...
AM 2 and above sockets with X2 up to X6 processors.
Thanks....I don’t have a “paying” job, however am in startup mode with a comm/media company (political)....so I get to decide anything I want. That’s what is making this a little more difficult. I also have to consider what my partners are doing - they are on Windows based systems right now...but that could change. Thanks again....still mulling.
Perhaps with a broadcom wireless chip?
Check some forums...
Broadcom has recently made available some Linux drivers....
So you have VMWare running?
That's a general issue with open source software. You can check out a version, decide it's not sufficient, and subsequently ignore it, but a few months or years later it might be time to give it a second look. :)
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