Thinking of switching from XP to Linux...should I?

[tekkieman]

I would like more info on booting from a floppy while everything else is on the hdd. That sounds like a good option for me. Use a floppy to get Linux and don't use one to get windows.

Any help you can provide with that would be great. I did find some instructions which said I could put the grub files from the hdd on a floppy but I tried it it failed to boot. The system didn't complain of a non-system disk, it just checked it and proceeded to execute the normal xp boot.ini.

Then it probably was not a bootable disk. The disk still needs to be able to boot (either dos or linux) in order to basically execute grub. Otherwise, it is not bootable, and will just go to the next boot device, in this case the drive with Windows. In some older bios versions, the system would halt and then tell you non system disk. Now, I believe they just fall through to the next device. They certainly do with CDs.

The easiest suggestion would be to use something like GAG - http://gag.sourceforge.net/index.html - or some other super bootloader.

From my quick check, gag is pretty simple to use, and will install to a floppy. Other than these "super-bootloader" type apps, it will be as difficult as you might imagine it to be...

Just to give me something to chew on, could you describe how the partitions are laid out and where the OSes are installed to?

[rkgibbons]

Tekkieman wrote:

"No, the statement you made (and everyone else who says the same thing), really means "If linux wants to be a success, it needs to be more like the Windows I'm used to". Sorry Charlie! That is the last thing most linux users want. "

And yet EVERY distro of Linux gets decidedly more and more LIKE Windows. In fact, it's getting harder to tell the difference between the many flavours of Linux and Windows XP (apart from minor differences in visual appearance).

When I first used Linux (more than a decade ago!) it was very different from anything available at the time. It was difficult to use (but fast and powerful) but nearly impossible to understand for a computer novice. But over the years, as more people have started using Linux, it has moved closer and closer to the Windows operating systems.

The fact is, as more people use Linux, the more Linux will become like Windows -- because Linux will, by necessity, need to become more accessible to more and more people.

That's the great obstacle Microsoft has always faced. Windows is a victim of its own success. The more customers Microsoft acquires, the more their software needs to grow (bloat) to accomodate all those customers (with different hardware setups, different software requirements, security, etc).

So how has Linux changed to accomodate a growing customer base? Well, they've become more like Windows. Dumbing down the operating system, step by step, to accomodate growing numbers of users. The process will continue. It has to. That's the only way Linux will survive (unless it wants to keep its "experts-only" stigma forever).

[lordsmurf]

I think the simple answer to this post is "NO! DO NOT SWITCH TO LINUX FROM WINDOWS!"

But I think the suggestion is "Try Linux on an extra system, extra hard drive, removable media, or in a virtual environment." Add to your setup, don't necessarily replace it. At least not yet, probably not for many months or years of use. I think that's a fair assessment. Heck, it's the one I abide by!

I first starting trying/tinkering with Linux in 1998 or so. I've never been tempted to switch. At most, I've been tempted to add, test or play. I'm open, so someday I might adopt Linux. But for now, what I need is only on Windows or best done on Windows. And what I need is what most people visiting videohelp.com will need too (if even that much). Hey, I like some of the Mac video software a lot, but it's limited and I had to pass due to overly high (unreasonable) costs.

[Trident5]

Can anyone recommend any good newbie Linux books to pick up...Something with help on setting up and using linux

[GMaq]

Hey,
I just noticed, what's with all the Canucks on this thread? Could be it be we've all got cabin fever because Global Warming hasn't quite got here yet? I been working outside in -29 windchill and that's in the Ontario banana belt. Anyway as you were, back to the Linux discussion!!

[gll99]

@GMaq
I'm in Ottawa (just in from the tundra for the day ) It's freakin coldddd here

@tekkieman
I have to go out but giving the systems specs so it would be understandable is a bit of a life story so will be boring for the others.
I'll try later when I get back.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

btw) I know where some are coming from even though it may not be expressed properly. A lot of the Linux info on google seaches answer questions about Linux without either a version reference or time stamp so it might be out of date but who can tell? I found info on Mepis at the top of the google search (meaning the newest) but it referenced Mepis 3.5? or something like that. Maybe they are not talking about the cd version (live) but how is a new person to know. My experience goes back to mainframes and midrange computers, to IBM Dos and windows 286 etc.. I've programmed mainframe Cobol, a bit of PL1 and written some Assembly code for the pc (15 years ago or so now) to name a few things, so I'm not new to computers.

Like everything else when starting out with a new hardware or software like Linux we become a newbie again for that tool. If I tried a MAC it would be the same. Some of my experience is useful but even the things I know such as partitioning and formatting etc.. is not something you do every day so it takes a bit of refreshing of the memory pathways. You gave some concise information about KDE and Gnome (I didn't read back here so may have misspelled) but unless I now go back and research those things I could guess but have no real idea as to why one version would use one or the other or what they actually are?
I believe that like most newbs I jumped in and wanted to see the GUI pick and poke around and learn as I go but without taking the time to read a primer to see what the terms actually mean. The tendency for a windows user will be to try and compare the terminology to the familiar window environment.
The desktop is a desktop but after that does the terminology hold up?? that is what I think I need to learn also to be able to converse in an intelligent manner with other Linux users.

[tekkieman]

So how has Linux changed to accomodate a growing customer base? Well, they've become more like Windows. Dumbing down the operating system, step by step, to accomodate growing numbers of users. The process will continue. It has to. That's the only way Linux will survive (unless it wants to keep its "experts-only" stigma forever).

Here we go again! Here come the nay-sayer "experts" to help us poor linux folk understand what we're too stupid to realize. "You MUST be like Windows to survive"!


Listen carefully.... The first time the source was released, it no longer took any more than one person to have it for linux to survive. I have the source. From this point on, if I am the only person in the world to use it, it will survive for as long as I do.

Another little secret which seems to have escaped all these OS market share experts: If linux keeps its "experts-only" stigma forever, the people using it do not care. It was built by experts for experts. The only reason the visual interfaces, installers, and application setups are being "dumbed down" so all the point-n-click whiny babies can use it is so that businesses can make money from it and those "experts-only" can have fun writing new stuff. If you all went away tomorrow, linux would still survive. All the shiny eye-candy and ease-of-use changes you all insist must exist for linux to survive adds absolutely nothing to linux itself. Remove every last bit of it, and it still does everything it did before. It was never the operating system that was dumbed down, the interface was just brought down to a level closer to all it's "new users".

[tekkieman]

I think the simple answer to this post is "NO! DO NOT SWITCH TO LINUX FROM WINDOWS!"

...and it only took 6 pages to get there!

But I think the suggestion is "Try Linux on an extra system, extra hard drive, removable media, or in a virtual environment." Add to your setup, don't necessarily replace it. At least not yet <snipped unfounded derogatory comment> . I think that's a fair assessment. Heck, it's the one I abide by!

Agreed. How can one possible make informed intelligent decisions without actually trying?

[rkgibbons]

Tekkieman wrote:
Here we go again! Here come the nay-sayer "experts" to help us poor linux folk understand what we're too stupid to realize. "You MUST be like Windows to survive"!

That's not my point at all. My point is that the more Linux grows in popularity, the more like Windows it will become. It doesn't NEED to become like Windows to survive, but in order to satisfy a growing customer base, it WILL become more like Windows. It's already happening. Hell, it's been happening for years.

I look at the flavours of Linux today -- and most of them now contain the EXACT same features and functionality that Linux users were insulting and attacking just a handful of years ago.

Popularity has changed Linux. And it will continue to do so. And the more popular it becomes, the more like Windows it will become.

Because contrary to the beliefs of most hardcore Linux users, there are legitimate reasons that people use Windows (and not just because we're all Lemmings).

[tekkieman]

@rkgibbons -

With the exception of the last sentence, there was so much truth in your post, it almost made me cry.

Sad indeed.




The only bright side is that we are also free to strip it all back out again!

[lordsmurf]

<snipped unfounded derogatory comment>

Huh?

I think it's fair to say you'd want quite a few months (maybe years) of use and experience before entirely switching to something new. I do that with quite a few tech items (such as an OS). I do it with Windows. I rarely adopt early. In fact, the only technology items I recall adopting early were DVD burners and DSLRs.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Another little secret which seems to have escaped all these OS market share experts: If linux keeps its "experts-only" stigma forever, the people using it do not care. It was built by experts for experts. The only reason the visual interfaces, installers, and application setups are being "dumbed down" so all the point-n-click whiny babies can use it is so that businesses can make money from it and those "experts-only" can have fun writing new stuff.

What astonishly self-important arrogance.

If it wasn't for the "whiny babies" (i.e., everyday people who want to use the computer as a tool and not worry about how it works), you'd have to pay a small fortune to get your precious computer. Without the sheer volume of whiny babies, none of the hardware you take for granted would have been developed. Or if it was, it would be orders of magnitude more expensive.

I take it you don't apply your "experts for experts" bullshit to, let's say, your television. I bet you rely of the "whiny baby" features of that. I don't suppose you manually program the PLL to tune into the channel of choice. I don't suppose you open the case and adjust the basic settings with a screwdriver or whatever. Somehow, I suspect you use the remote control.

This "I'm so much better than you because I use Linux" attitude is one of the very things that turn people away from it. Believe me, I've had to endure such people. Even on a vacation. Every f*cking conversation that this person started was about how wonderful Linux was, how he personally had met Linus. His wife left him because of the zealotry. Quite astonishing.

[SCDVD]

It's actually pretty easy to describe. "Social mutants" need something to attach to in their pathetic attempt to gain some semblance of self respect. Out here in the real world, there is a great diversity of people with productive lives and real skills. Some of these people may well need Linux in the pursuit of real tasks. If so, they realize it and make an informed choice based on their specific needs. But the "social mutant" is a different story. They are just crazed psychos locked in a surreal realm of piteous dimensions. A few of these nuts latch onto something like Linux as the pivot-point in their delusional self-deceptive rants. It's a pity because they stain the image of a specialized tool that in some applications may be appropriate to use. When someone observes the bizarre behavior of one of these cretins, they may be repulsed and unfairly associate Linux with the "mutant's" behavior.

[GMaq]

It's actually pretty easy to describe. "Social mutants" need something to attach to in their pathetic attempt to gain some semblance of self respect. Out here in the real world, there is a great diversity of people with productive lives and real skills. Some of these people may well need Linux in the pursuit of real tasks. If so, they realize it and make an informed choice based on their specific needs. But the "social mutant" is a different story. They are just crazed psychos locked in a surreal realm of piteous dimensions. A few of these nuts latch onto something like Linux as the pivot-point in their delusional self-deceptive rants. It's a pity because they stain the image of a specialized tool that in some applications may be appropriate to use. When someone observes the bizarre behavior of one of these cretins, they may be repulsed and unfairly associate Linux with the "mutant's" behavior.

SCDVD,

EDIT: Comments Removed due to temporary lapse in reason.

[pragen]

On topic from the original post from videotape74

I'm really tired of XP and I don't want to switch to Vista. I've been thinking a long time about giving Linux a go. I was wondering what your opinions are on the OS.

I have used Linux as my primary OS for about 2 years. I like it much better than Windows. At first I tried it because I did not like Microsoft's business practices but I find it just works so much better for me. Its hard to explain, but it works the way I think and OS should work.

I backup alot of DVD's and stuff (usually with CCE SP etc.) on my XP system. Other stuff I use it for are the usual, a few games, internet browsing, chat etc. Also, is there a iPod program for Linux?

I do use Linux for all my video work now, but my needs are simple. I can capture video, re-encode if needed, do simple cut and paste editing, author and burn DVD's and I can backup DVD's. But Windows does have many more advanced applications for Video. Advanced video editing is one of the areas I think Linux is behind in native applications.

Linux does have some native games, but Windows huge advantage over Linux in the number of game applications. Basic PC functions such as E-mail, Web browsing, office document editing, digital photography organization and editing, IM chat, music playing, etc. are well supported. The iPod is supported, but iTunes is not.

So, in all...I'd really just like to know if I should give it a shot and if I do, which is a good version of it to use (Linspire, Xandros, Mandriva etc)? Thanks for any help.

I would recommend trying it if you are willing to invest the time. There certainly is a learning curve, but the reality is the learning curve is not much more then learning Windows would be if you were starting to learn Windows from scratch. Just learning video editing was a large learning curve for me (On Windows at the time) and I used videohelp.com extensively. Similarly there are many on-line Linux resources to use for learning. Also, not all hardware is supported. Others have mentioned to try a “Live CD” first to check your hardware. I would recommend a dual boot with Windows. I still maintain a PC with an old version of Windows 2000 for time I can't find an equivalent Linux application (Like recently: tax software). For basic PC use on supported hardware, anyone can easily use it, but add unsupported hardware or less common software and it there are places it is “still rough around the edges” that will require work to overcome. I had to invest time in it, but it was worth it to me.

My personal preference is OpenSUSE 10.2 using the “KDE” desktop environment. I have tried Ubuntu, Fedora and others. Mepis comes close but I still keep coming back to SUSE as the best solution for me.

[SCDVD]

A Clarification -

My response above was not referring to Tekkieman. I was responding to JohnnyMalaria's post about the zealot who he encountered on a vacation. The fact is there are people that are that out of it.

[AlecWest]

I think the simple answer to this post is "NO! DO NOT SWITCH TO LINUX FROM WINDOWS!"

Yup. This is certainly my own plan ... to later add Linux as an "adjunct" to the two OS environments (XP/98SE) I already use (a triple-boot system, ultimately). There will always be utilities that work better under one environment than under another and OS "variety" seems to be the smart choice.

One ancillary question. Of all the video applications written for use in a Linux environment, what language are most of them written in? One of the temptations of Linux for me would be to attempt writing my own application software ... tailored to my own quirks/tastes ... but I'd want to learn a language that's conducive to video aps (if there is one particular language that is).

[tekkieman]

How does a linux user make a Windows troll have a stroke?


Tell them you don't care about them. :P

Another little secret which seems to have escaped all these OS market share experts: If linux keeps its "experts-only" stigma forever, the people using it do not care. It was built by experts for experts. The only reason the visual interfaces, installers, and application setups are being "dumbed down" so all the point-n-click whiny babies can use it is so that businesses can make money from it and those "experts-only" can have fun writing new stuff.

What astonishly self-important arrogance.

Surely the truth doesn't hurt that much...

If it wasn't for the "whiny babies" (i.e., everyday people who want to use the computer as a tool and not worry about how it works), you'd have to pay a small fortune to get your precious computer. Without the sheer volume of whiny babies, none of the hardware you take for granted would have been developed. Or if it was, it would be orders of magnitude more expensive.

I have paid many small fortunes for computers since 1980. The computer as a tool is a tool to compute, not to send Aunt Edna the latest digital masterpiece of little ugly Johnny, or to play online tiddlywinks with Jamar halfway around the world. It is when the tool was turned into a leisure item for the masses that the tool, while cheaper, lost its real value.

I take it you don't apply your "experts for experts" bullshit to, let's say, your television. I bet you rely of the "whiny baby" features of that. I don't suppose you manually program the PLL to tune into the channel of choice. I don't suppose you open the case and adjust the basic settings with a screwdriver or whatever. Somehow, I suspect you use the remote control.

Junior, when I first started repairing televisions for a living, they still had tubes. No matter, the difference is that the television was designed to be a consumer item for the purpose of leisure.

This "I'm so much better than you because I use Linux" attitude is one of the very things that turn people away from it.

And yet there must be some truth in it as it seems to cause the deepest cut. Usually with the crowd going around spouting that they're "l33t haxx0rs" or worse, MCSE rag holders, then come out screaming "linux sucks! "I've tried it x times and it never worked". And the absolute last straw is when they find out that linux users don't care. We are patient and helpful. We enjoy sharing both software and knowledge. But when you (collective) come in and the first words out of your mouth are about how bad something you can't make work is, don't be so surprised when we don't care if you use it or not.

[lordsmurf]

I'd have to say at least half of all computer advances are because of entertainment. Not 'games' necessarily, but entertainment.

[tekkieman]

And yet, without entertainment, would they cease to compute?

Again, don't get me wrong, this is not necessarily my position on the matter, yet it is a truth none the less. This has been mentioned before in various posts (including this one): I write software. What platform do I write software for? Windows (well, and some Mac as well). What market do we write software for? Broadcast mainly, and hobbyist for the Mac stuff. But a segment of "entertainment" generally.

I know where my market is, and I would not want to see that diminish if I still want to earn a paycheck, but I also won't apologize for a great operating system because someone who thinks they're good with computers can't make it work. If it doesn't work for you, don't use it. The world won't end because you don't. But don't blame your shortcomings on it.

Me, I'm really bad with tools. If you took a 2x4 (I know they're not really 4", but cut me some slack for this), drew a perfectly straight line on it, and cut 3 15/16" through it and handed me the saw, I would cut it crooked. Does anyone hear me shouting that saws suck?

[mike1061]

Tekkieman
The computer as a tool is a tool to compute, not to send Aunt Edna the latest digital masterpiece of little ugly Johnny, or to play online tiddlywinks with Jamar halfway around the world. It is when the tool was turned into a leisure item for the masses that the tool, while cheaper, lost its real value.

I don't think I agree. I think it great that people have computers that are capable of doing both, or seperate cumputers that can do either thing. I think that a computer can still be a tool and do a job, while my mother in-law, can use it for shopping and keeping up with her family.
I do agree that it has gotton to the point that price has affected quality. The need to make them cheeper, has made the parts quality, just above the minium quality standerds. If that's what you mean.
Thanks Mike

[GMaq]

@SCDVD,
In the general context of what was being said I assumed your comments were directed at Tekkieman and not in response to the last line of Johnny Malaria's post preceding yours. Since you've indicated that was not the case I apologize to you and am faced with the cold truth that assuming does indeed make an ass out of me! Sometimes the fingers start typing before the synapses start firing, I respectfully withdraw my comments, will unplug my keyboard and continue to watch and learn some Linux tips. As you were.

[tekkieman]

The computer as a tool is a tool to compute, not to send Aunt Edna the latest digital masterpiece of little ugly Johnny, or to play online tiddlywinks with Jamar halfway around the world. It is when the tool was turned into a leisure item for the masses that the tool, while cheaper, lost its real value.

I don't think I agree. I think it great that people have computers that are capable of doing both, or seperate cumputers that can do either thing. I think that a computer can still be a tool and do a job, while my mother in-law, can use it for shopping and keeping up with her family.
I do agree that it has gotton to the point that price has affected quality. The need to make them cheeper, has made the parts quality, just above the minium quality standerds. If that's what you mean.
Thanks Mike

Precursor - Mike, I agree with you. I think the computer can be a useful tool and an entertainment device. However, putting this into the "computer as a tool" category -

Not really what I meant, and I'll explain a little more. I'll get into areas that are not generally in my area of expertise, but I think it is still accurate.

An engine analyzer is a tool, and an expensive one at that. It is made for professional mechanics to help them perform their work. If the "shade tree mechanic" began to purchase them in volume, it is likely they will become less expensive. Now, the general public begins to purchase them, driving the cost down even further. However, people complain the are too difficult to use, and they should be made simpler. This is not what the professional wants for their tool, but now the manufacturer is listening to what is driving the sales. There are more "general public" than there is professional mechanic. Who wins? Not the person the tool was designed for in the first place.

Photoshop used to be a tool for semi-professional artists, and it was expensive. As the general public started using (stealing) it, the demand increased, and the price dropped (a bit). However, it was still difficult for the non-artist to use. Cheaper, easier versions came out (think Paintshop Pro). Ask any semi-professional what they think of Paintshop Pro <cue lordsmurf in 5..4..3..2..>. A cheaper, easier tool, but less functional.

Back to operating systems...

Unix was king long before Microsoft. And it was good. Along comes Microsoft with their bastardized product (DOS), and it was bad. But it was certainly cheaper than Unix. DOS on a scaled down computer made it cheap enough to interest the general public. More sales, less cost.

Fast forward to the present. Windows XP. A fair product. Easy to use, satisfies most of the general publics needs. However, it is not nearly as useful for the people operating systems were originally for. This is why we need alternatives. We need an os that can be molded to our needs. We need other peoples input on how to advance the system (code sharing, not user experience). Windows has removed most of that, so an alternative is needed. Here comes Vista. What is the advancement? More eye-candy for the user. More restrictions on how you can use it. This is not the way to advance computing in general, so an alternative is needed. Part of the reason for the "experts for experts" attitude sometimes found in the linux world (and sometimes even found in me) is that we see this trend to make it "easier for the normal user". I think I've covered where that leads... This is not what the computer professionals want to see happen to their tool. Only the "new users".

We welcome new users. We really do. What we do not welcome as kindly is a new user that wants us to change to his mold. You want it easier? More like Windows? Use Windows! We may not like it, but if you do, use it! In its own way, Windows is good for linux. As long as people are happy with it, we still have a useful tool in linux. If linux has to become like Windows, it will have more users, but be a far less valuable tool.

[lordsmurf]

Ask any semi-professional what they think of Paintshop Pro <cue lordsmurf in 5..4..3..2..>. A cheaper, easier tool, but less functional.

I actually use Photoshop professionally too. Paintshop is like the 4-banger version of a Mustang or other favorite sports car. In other words, it will work for Joe Public, to a lesser degree, but it's unacceptable to power users. Not an option. In fact, 'use Paintshop' would be a joke or insult in some circles.

But it all gets back to entertainment. Artwork is laid out in it, be it photography or more esoteric stuff. By its very nature, large portions of PS-generated content end up in entertainment pieces.

Web technologies are largely driven by entertainment values. They might be started by computing needs, but they are fully matured and driven by entertainment.

And I AM NOT referring to games. That's such a waste of hardware. Just buy a console.

it is not nearly as useful for the people operating systems were originally for. This is why we need alternatives. We need an os that can be molded to our needs.

This is very true. Unix/Linux/BSD is the OS that can be altered at will. This makes it useful to a niche, ones who understand things 99%+ of computer users never will.

But it is still not necessarily worthwhile to those other 99%. We need an OS that simply runs the software required for our tasks. Linux, by and large, doesn't do that for so many areas. Or if it does, it requires a learning curve and commitment to change that's not necessarily worthwhile. This is why dual-use testing is a good idea (run Windows and Linux side-by-side). Never switch without extended testing/usage.

[rkgibbons]

Tekkieman wrote:
If linux has to become like Windows, it will have more users, but be a far less valuable tool.

Agreed. It seems that the more people you try to satisfy, the more people you'll leave unsatisfied.

I totally understand your comment that Linux-users don't care if new people come along (at least not new computer novices who will want things dumbed down). It's nice that Linux is something separate from the mass-market Windows environment. And I'll admit that I've argued on the Linux side touting its benefits over Windows (on more than one occasion).

And contrary to some of the previous comments, I don't see any problem with Linux folks wanting to remain an elitist community. It was started, largely, as a community of relatively advanced computer engineers -- and why shouldn't they have a community of their own to interact with each other on their own level?

That's one of the reasons that I tell people not to bother with Linux (if they're happy with Windows, or don't possess anything beyond "Microsoft Office" computer knowledge). Why invite certain people to a community they won't understand or enjoy?

But what the Linux-community sometimes forgets is that many people aren't computer-experts -- and that THEY need a community too. IE: the Windows community. Or the Mac world.

They're not Lemmings. They're not ignorant.

Their interests, perhaps, just lie outside of tinkering with a computer. They're using their computer as a tool without any care of how the tool works. They're artists or writers or football players. They may even be computer experts themselves, just with different needs.

Whatever the case, both sides need to respect the other for their differences. Not try to prove why one is wrong and one is right. Or try to merge the two together.

[tekkieman]

@rkgibbons -



<nothing more to say>

[SCDVD]

Their interests, perhaps, just lie outside of tinkering with a computer. They're using their computer as a tool without any care of how the tool works. They're artists or writers or football players. They may even be computer experts themselves, just with different needs.

Whatever the case, both sides need to respect the other for their differences. Not try to prove why one is wrong and one is right. Or try to merge the two together.

Very well said. This reminds me of an experience I had on a albacore fishing trip out of San Diego a number of years ago that I will never forget. There were 40 or 45 people on this boat. One of the passengers / fishermen was seasick and having a problem getting his fishing rig set up correctly. A deckhand on the boat, who was probably 19 or 20 years old, was making light of his problem. Instead of helping him, he ridiculed him and embarrassed him. The skipper / owner of the boat saw what was going on and stopped the boat and angrily said to the rude deckhand, "Do you know who this is!?" When the deckhand grunted a somewhat surly, "Don't know", the shipper said, "This is Dr. So and So, he has been a customer for a number of years and he is a leading heart surgeon in San Diego. He knows more about tying more kinds of knots than you ever will!" He then continued to throughly chew out the deckhand for his rudeness.

There are many skills in this world. It's wrong to judge others as stupid just because they don't have the same skills as you do because they may have just as much right to judge you in the same way. Is it right for a graphics artist to criticize a construction contractor because he doesn't know how to manage layers in Photoshop properly? OF course not, just as it isn't appropriate for the construction contractor to criticize a graphics artist for not knowing how to calculate concrete loading factors.

[fritzi93]

Me, I'm really bad with tools. If you took a 2x4 (I know they're not really 4", but cut me some slack for this), drew a perfectly straight line on it, and cut 3 15/16" through it and handed me the saw, I would cut it crooked. Does anyone here me shouting that saws suck?

Good one, I bet Zapper would like that as well. :P

Let me extend the analogy: You got Harry Homeowner tools and contractor tools. One kind is cheaply made and nasty. The other more durable and powerful. Some tools in the latter category lack the guards, warning stickers, etc, that basically say: "Hey moron, don't put your fingers here!" A cabinet saw for instance; you basically can't have a guard on it and still be able to use it for (some) of the intended purposes. (Dados, etc.) Although the lawyers make sure one is included, it's never mounted on the machine.

Tell a cabinetmaker his saw shouldn't be so dangerous and he'll think you're nuts.

[EDIT] Back on topic... My new rig supports em64t, I'm thinking of trying a Ubuntu 64 bit distro. V. 6.10 is called "edgy eft", how do they come up with those names?

[RLT69]

But it is still not necessarily worthwhile to those other 99%. We need an OS that simply runs the software required for our tasks. Linux, by and large, doesn't do that for so many areas. Or if it does, it requires a learning curve and commitment to change that's not necessarily worthwhile. This is why dual-use testing is a good idea (run Windows and Linux side-by-side). Never switch without extended testing/usage.

That's the problem: You need to define what are the tasks you need the OS to accomplish.

If you are a gamer then I would say Windows is your best choice.
If you are a software developer - it would depend on your client's requirements.

I would say for the average person, someone who surfs the internet, watches movies, reads email and types letters, any operating system would accomplish that.

They key is to define the task(s) and determine which OS will meet those needs. Then get in there and test!

[RLT69]

Back on topic...My new rig supports em64t, I'm thinking of trying a Ubuntu 64 bit distro. V. 6.10 is called "edgy eft", how do they come up with those names?

Six pack and a dart board

I've played with Kubuntu's (KDE version of Ubunut) Live CD (6.10) for AMD64 and it's pretty nice. I have Suse 9.2 (64) running and I like that. I'm a big fan of the Suse distros, they are up to 10.2. Suse 9.2 installed fine out of the box without any hitches - I was expecting some with my printer, HP Laserject 1012 (host based, no post script or PCL), but that worked without any tweaks. DVD playback needed tweaking. For legal reasons Suse disables dvd playback but it's easily enabled. For Ubuntu, here's the instructions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/6.10/ubuntu/desktopguide/C/dvdplayback.html

Good luck.