Tips on moving to Linux?

[Thorham]

@commodorejohn have you forgotten what happened last time you started bashing Linux in a thread like this.

Perhaps those complaints have some merit: http://linuxfonts.narod.ru/why.linux.is.not.ready.for.the.desktop.current.html. Don't know if it's all true, but it doesn't seem like a bad idea for people to do some research into Linux problems if they want to switch.

[Thorham]

Check out the Blender interface - it's designed for space aliens, by space aliens. The technical underpinnings may be excellent, but they're accessible only via a poorly-designed UI, which is a lot of Linux software in a nutshell.

Check out the current version, 2.70. The improvements that have been made since 2.49 (which is indeed a pig) are astronomical. Same for the 2.6 versions.

[Thorham]

Using Windows XP today is a bit like using Windows 3.1 in 2000.

Not really. The two are completely and utterly incomparable.

it's time to let go and move on to something more modern!

That's true, and I would if I could, but I'm strapped for cash at the moment.

It was good back then, but its filth now.

:laughing:

[Thorham]

Right.  In 2000 Windows 3.1 was only about 8 years old.  Right now Windows XP is about 13 years old.

What does that difference have to do with anything? Ask yourself the following, and see how that age difference isn't relevant: How good is Win3.1 compared to WinXp, and how good is WinXp compared to Win7/8? The difference is undoubtedly very big.

By the way, I'm not defending WinXp because I still use it. If I had the cash, I'd get Win7 or 8.

[Thorham]

For me there are two good reasons to upgrade from XP:

1) Future programs that simply won't run on XP.
2) 64 bit.

As for the UI, I'll adapt

[Thorham]

I don't need multiple-display support because I don't use multiple displays

:eek: Really? Multiple displays are so cool that I use an old CRT SVGA monitor as my second display. Anything better than going back to a single monitor. You should try it sometime

So, you spend all this time organizing and maintaining your Start Menu hierarchy

Arguably that only takes a few clicks after installing a program.

they are more productive using them.

But what do they produce? Who actually makes anything on a tablet or smart phone? Aren't those devices aimed at consumption rather than creation? If so, then I can certainly see how anyone mostly interested in creation doesn't find those devices very interesting.

Personally, I find those devices utterly uninteresting, because I'm simply not impressed by them. Computers with touch screen interfaces. Meh. When are we going to see some really cool stuff? Developments that are on par with the early part of the modern computer revolution which made computers available to anyone?

At the ripe old age of 40

:laughing:

I find myself sometimes fighting to stay modern too, and my gut is always pulling me towards staying with what's comfortable.

If you're fighting to stay modern, then what I wonder is: Why bother? Is there anything wrong with being old fashioned if you're not like a grumpy person about it?

[Thorham]

I'm talking productivity, not production.

Good point. I misinterpreted that.

But, being able to carry a flashlight, voice communications device, text communications device, camera, camcorder, network scanner & analyzer, GPS, street level world atlas, restaurant finder, level, etc... all in my pocket?  That's pretty freaking cool and I fail to see how anyone can think otherwise.

It's very practical and useful, sure, but cool? I don't know about that. A beast peecee with three big monitors, now that's what I would call cool.

[Thorham]

You know, I guess perspective is a big part of it.

Indeed. It's all about what you can make good use of.

If you can't afford Windows 7, then there is every reason to give Linux a try.

I can't afford a Windows upgrade right now (couldn't when I bought my current peecee, either) and I'm simply going to wait until I can afford an upgrade.

Internet Amish

:laughing:

I'm not saying multiple displays don't have their uses for some, they just don't fit my workflow.

No no no. You don't know you need multiple monitors until you've used them

[Thorham]

I have used them - and I don't need them. If you like 'em, that's great; I just have no use for them.

Relax, I'm just kidding.

[Thorham]

Maybe he should try reinstalling WIndows XP on his 160 GB HD

What they should do is make two partitions on that 160 GB HD, install WinXP on one of those partitions, and after that Linux on the other. Problem solved.

(it doesn't even support 160 GB out of the box, does it?)

Of course it does, why wouldn't it? I have two HDs in my peecee. One 0.5 TB, the other 1 TB. Works just fine with WinXP. I think WinXP supports 2 TB out of the box actually.

[Thorham]

That's more or less what he's doing (shrink the Windows XP partition without data loss, install Lubuntu in the free space).

Should do the job

I'm really not an expert on Windows, but the way I remember it the original Windows XP had a 128 GB limit. If your install CD already contains SP1, you should be fine, but I think you couldn't create partitions bigger than 128 GB otherwise, you had to 'fix' them with partition magic later on, IIRC.

Really? Didn't know that. My install disk has SP2 on it, so I've never had any issues with HD sizes.

[Thorham]

If I just shrink the XP partition with gparted and leave the rest of the disk "blank" (free - no defined partition), can't the Lubuntu installer handle that automatically?

It should.