Anybody here use Linux?
 

If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?

No, no one here would even THINK of using xinux. ;^)

What do you plan to use the OS/system for? All the latest software, games, tax programs, accounting, CAD? Admittedly its been
awhile since I dabbled, but I think the biggest limitation would be that there is not allot of mainstream software to be had.
However, it is on an ever increasing amount, as I have seen many titles coming out with Linux versions.

"GlueGum" wrote in message . ..
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?

GlueGum wrote:
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask
at an XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for
newbies (like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP
home) and was wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it
compare to XP?

i use linux sometimes. two out of three of the systems on my KVM use a free
unix of some sort (linux or freebsd) and the third uses XP. how do they
compare? that totally depends on your goals. if you use (or aspire to use)
unix tools in the workplace, linux makes a cheap and compatible home system.

beyond that, there are plusses and minuses. a CD set from mandrake will
have more bundled apps (totally free, and not demoware) than an XP install
.... but if you try to move beyond that starting set you won't have as many
options as XP.

.... it goes on and on, plusses and minuses, but disk space (or even a
secondary system) is cheap, so give it a try if you want. fwiw, here is the
story of somebody choosing a $40 computer (plus extras) to try linux on.
the main site, LinuxBeginners might be a good place for you to surf anyway:

http://www.linuxbeginner.org/modules...rticle&sid=372

"GlueGum" wrote in message
. ..
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at
an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?



I use as many OS's as I can get my hands on.

Mandrake is probably as good as any to get started on...
give it a try and judge for yourself.

In article ,
GlueGum wrote:
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?




Suse is real slick IMHO.

Knoppix is nice to have in the toolkit, and to see how things work in
Linux without screwing you your system (it runs of the CD and a RAM.
It can read NTFS and read/write FAT32. It needs at least MB ram)


--
Al Dykes
-----------

GlueGum wrote:
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?



Comparing two operating systems would require a book. Yes, people here
use linux. No, we're not going to write a book for you. Ask a specific
question, otherwise, all you're asking is 'which do you like better',
and the responses to that question should be predictable: whichever the
respondent is using.

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 18:49:32 GMT, "GlueGum" wrote:

If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?


I just started using Fedora Core 1. I thought about Mandrake, but
since it's made in France I decided to go with the American product.
Linux takes a little more know-how than XP. If you like of games use
XP. If you want lots of security, use Linux. There are many flavors
of Linux (see http://www.distrowatch.com/index.php ), only two kinds
of XP. Most Linux O/Ses are free, XP is not. You can easily get
the source code of Linux, but not XP. Linux is community driven, XP
is M$ driven. More choices of application software for XP than Linux.

"GlueGum" noooo wrote in message
. ..
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at
an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?



You don't have to choose. You can use both on the same computer, if you
have enough hard drive space. If not, stick to XP. I used to dual-boot
linux (mandrake) and windows. It's easy to do if you install windows first.
Just leave part of your hard drive (4GB or so) NOT partitioned when you
install windows. Then when you install linux, linux will automatically set
up a boot menu for you that you can customize.

How does linux compare to xp? Before xp, I would have said that linux was
faster, easier to use, and more stable than windows. Now it's a tie.
Because of xp, I've stopped using linux. Does that mean linux is bad? No.

What it boils down to is that it's practically impossible to use a computer
without windows installed on it. You can do pretty much everything you want
to in linux, but eventually you will find that ONE game or ONE office app.
that you MUST run on windows. I used to run linux for the stability but
also had windows installed for that ~1% or so of the time I used my computer
where I *needed* windows.

With XP, Microsoft has managed to negate most of the reasons for not using
windows. XP is actually a decent operating system, the FIRST ever bought
and/or produced by Microsoft. XP isn't better than linux, but it's not
worse either.

Just stick with XP, IMHO.

If all games and apps. are ported to linux, then the obvious choice will be
different. It hasn't happened yet, so just run XP. You will like linux,
but you won't like it more than XP, and you need windows, so . . . -Dave

Al Dykes wrote:
In article ,
GlueGum wrote:

If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.


From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies

(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?





Suse is real slick IMHO.

Knoppix is nice to have in the toolkit, and to see how things work in
Linux without screwing you your system (it runs of the CD and a RAM.
It can read NTFS and read/write FAT32. It needs at least MB ram)

I'll echo Knoppix for a 'look-see' at linux, but I've just got MEPIS
Linux (www.mepis.org) and IMO is superior to Knoppix. Really nice,
java, realplayer, flash - all working straight away, openoffice, lots of
stuff :-)

XP isn't bad I'll admit but it's Micro$oft shudder

"GlueGum" wrote in message ...
If I ask this question at a Linux ng, they'll say XP sucks. If I ask at an
XP ng, they'll say Linux sucks.

From what I've read Mandrake is the best for desktop apps and for newbies
(like me). I've been using windows since 3.11(currently XP home) and was
wondering if anybody here uses Linux, and how does it compare to XP?

Well, I have tried to use Linux twice. (I read the hype and wanted to
try something other than another Windows.) But, both times I gave up
in disgust. Linux makes even simple tasks such as adding new software
very difficult. And despite claims that there is a lot of software
available, there isn't. (But someone is working on it and it might be
available sometime in the future.) I think Linux is fine for real
computer geeks who want a "kick ass" operating system and maybe for
servers, but for the other 90 percent of us it just doesn't work.

Regards, jimbo