FirmhandKY
Posts: 8948
Joined: 9/21/2004
Status: offline
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FR:
I've got several reasons that I have given up on Microsoft, and I am currently in the process of trying to become "well acquainted" with Unbuntu (thanks, Fargle).
One of my biggest problems with using MS software is their attempt to own your box i.e. they are in bed with other major corporations, and are setting the parameters that will determine that you have to ask permission for some things, or simply prevent you from doing some things - on your own computer - and are DRMing too many other things.
And to do that, the cost is the added performance burden that Vista has (which means you need more and better equipment to run it, than you do to run XP at a similar level of performance).
In rude terms: Microsoft has decided to screw you ... and make you pay for it as well.
I have a problem with the entire attitude. I like building my pc's from scratch when I can, and keep them updated and connected.
I've decided to take the plunge and make the effort to live in a Microsoft free environment.
A quick synopsis to date:
I loaded Ubuntu on an old Emachine. The only issue I had was having to learn to use ndiswrapper to make the wireless network card work. Other than that, the 384 meg, 40 gig HD machine runs fine.
I bought and built a new top-of-line machine (pure intell machine) from scratch, and loaded only Ubuntu on it. The only issue I had in installation was in getting the wireless drivers to work - again. Took me a couple of hours to remember how I did it on the Emachine.
Over the last several months, I've bought or paid for three Vista laptops (and Treasure bought a fourth).
I've converted one to a dual boot Vista/Ubuntu machine, without a single glitch or hiccup. It's a 64 bit machine, runs 32 bit Vista and 64 bit Ubuntu. It runs a lot faster under linux.
I have a two year old XP laptop that I'm debating the transition right now.
I made my video-server a dual boot XP/Ubuntu machine ... and spent about 3 months getting it to work right. Primary problem was in trying to mix SATA and IDE boot drives (and using an IDE Raid array card for additional HD's), and Ubuntu messing with the MBR (Main Boot Record) on my Windows disk.
Finally got the drives and the dual boot straightened out, but discovered the Nvidia restricted drivers won't allow me to change the monitor resolution beyond 800x600. Not sure, but it looks like it's an issue with the X org people's attempt to "automate" their configuration system. (The video card I'm using worked fine with earlier distributions). Looks like the only way I'm gonna solve it is with a new video card.
So far, all of my programs - or their free linux equivalent - seem to be available, or work. There is only one "killer" Windows based program that I need, and I think I'll be able to run it in VMware.
I'm going slow, and had a few bumps along the way, but it looks like a Microsoft-free lifestyle is do-able.
For anyone not very technically savvy, I'd say that any new laptop, or pc could be converted over pretty easily and automatically to Ubuntu linux, with an ocasional trip to their support forums for that odd problem.
My experience leads me to a tentative conclusion that a clean, single OS installation on a new PC is likely to be pretty much the least troublesome way to convert.
Me? My goal is MS free in the next year.
And stay that way.
Firm
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