The Pub Discussion Board

I am unfortunate enough that Win-blows has been my primary operating system for most of my computer life, but I have used older versions of Linux, and also had heavy exposure to Unix, and fleeting exposure to old Mac OSes.

I know that Linux has become much more user friendly in recent years, but here is my only warning:  You WILL need to become more computer savvy to use Linux.  The learning curve can be steep or shallow, depending on how much you want to do, how quickly.

All the points LA makes are valid with the following *possible* exception:  Unless Ubuntu has prevented this by default, it is, in fact, POSSIBLE to run Linux as root, though you should never do so.  Someone who knows Ubuntu (LA?) will have to speak to this concept.  The last Linux version I used did not prevent me from using root as my primary account, it just recommended against it.

Linux IS more secure.  Note, there is no such thing as a "secure" computer that is connected to the Internet.  There is only "more secure", "less secure", and "Windows secure"  (Meaning it only requires the computer equivalent of a screwdriver or pocketknife to get inside...)  Linux and Mac OS X are more secure by measure of 1) simply having a better security system, and 2) being far less targeted due to their smaller share of the marketplace.

Ultimately, the question comes down to: what are you wanting to do with your computer?  Linux is NOT fully supported by all hardware vendors, and almost no game vendors at all.  There is a shitload of Open Source software for business/productivity tasks that will run on Linux (as well as Windows!), but the entertainment market is far more limited.  So you have to decide what you want to do, and whether the extra security and stability of the Linux operating system are worth the extra effort and occasional hassle you will have to go through in order to do what you need to do.

In my own case (just as an example), I'd love to be running Linux, but the 3-d modelling software I prefer does not have a Linux variant, and stuff I've read suggests that WINE will just... well, whine... (pun intended)... if I try to run it that way, so for me, Linux is not really an option.  (Yes, I'm aware you can divide the system and run essentially both OSes at seemingly the same time... but my computer isn't up to that kind of tasking.)

Hope this gives you at least a little guidance...
Eric Storm

It is possible to run Ubuntu on laptops but given the more limited hardware support you may run into problems with some of the more exotic hardware laptops use.

Actually, the asus series has pretty good linux support, that, and I have put ubuntu on some VERY odd systems, and gotten better performance, but as they say, prior performance is no indication of future results.

I haven't run anything but Windows in several years.
I'm currently running Win7 x64. Works fine. But really so does MacOS.

Actually, I'm surprised at the utility of the iPad -- a guy at work has been using one all the time. He's become a bit of an app whore, and he uses it to access his Windows desktops while he's in meetings or on the couch. I wonder if for some people it might be useful as their only computer.