An INCREDIBLE Discovery !

[Danny DeVito]

Linux. I've just used Knoppix and Ubuntu. Knoppix looks great with all the fancy display stuff. But best of all its FREE All the same stuff as windows but free.
It can also boot windows machines for repairs or whatever
I was so impressed i just thought i'd share.

 

[redbaron]

It isnt the same as Windows or Mac.

It is free, with no support, no quality and limited use / useability.

Good luck.

 

[Danny DeVito]

Harsh words !
Long term support workarounds fixes etc
It opens pdfs , word docs etc it has video converters downloaders archive managers video drivers so far i have found everything i normally use. Security updates are regular.

As for linux it is used for most firewall software.

Plus you can boot it the same from a usb drive or cd and have full functionality

Your turn

 

[redbaron]

No harsh, realistic. As a home user you can do what you like with your data. I wouldn't recommend anyone to use it. Not when commercial software is vastly better for not very much outlay.

Yes, I am biased but when 150,000 customers depend on the software I recommend I need to be sure it is bulletproof reliability wise, compliance wise and so on.

Do you fit cheap Chinese tyres too? Is a similar economy.

 

[Danny DeVito]

I suppose i am looking at it from a home user perspective. I don't have money to spend on software. For me it ticks all the boxes , most anyway. Its free and it works and it does what i need it to do, which isnt much. I have windows as an alternative anyway. What do you think of the linux security ?

 

[Troon]

No harsh, realistic. As a home user you can do what you like with your data. I wouldn't recommend anyone to use it. Not when commercial software is vastly better for not very much outlay.

Yes, I am biased but when 150,000 customers depend on the software I recommend I need to be sure it is bulletproof reliability wise, compliance wise and so on.

Do you fit cheap Chinese tyres too? Is a similar economy.

redbaron: you're entitled to your opinion, of course, but you'll find much of the Internet hardware that allows you to hold this conversation is running Linux. The underlying operating system is rock-solid, and used on everything from PVRs to supercomputers. Windows has only just caught up in terms of robustness and security, and has a long way to go to match in terms of flexibility.

I've been using it since 1995 (when Windows could not even be left idle for 50 days without crashing), and it's the only OS on all but one of our home machines, and that one dual-boots Windows 7 and Linux.

There is some truly excellent (properly) free software out there. Yes, the final bit of usability polish is often better on commercial products, but robustness is not an issue. LibreOffice, GIMP, GNUCash: all in daily use chez moi, even though I have Office 2010 on the Windows machine. On top of that, the console shell and its innumerable tools allow for some very advanced data manipulation.

I run a small company based around a self-built online system, all done using Linux and its free tools. Everything is open and transparent, no learning proprietary tools, no outlay. I can have the same environment on my home machines as on the production server.

 

[Danny DeVito]

Well that blows my answer out of the water doesn't it

 

[Dryce]

It isnt the same as Windows or Mac.

It is free, with no support, no quality and limited use / useability.

Good luck.

LMAO

Windows and Mac 'supported'. LOL. Notionally. But reality bites when you have a real problem and they toss it back at you.

Linux 'no quality'? Uptime on our Linux setups vs Mac and Windows ? No contest.

Limited use / usability depends on what you do. But for many people a Linux based laptop would work fine if they could actually buy one. But they're not exactly thick on the ground in PC World.

Microsoft have taken the threat competition from Linux and OpenOffice very very seriously.

 

[John]

Whilst I am not really into Linux, you're kidding yourself if you think Windows and OSX are supported out the box without paying a shed load of money or are a sufficiently high 'partner'.

 

[donshl]

It isnt the same as Windows or Mac.

It is free, with no support, no quality and limited use / useability.

Good luck.

Well, you certainly are entitled to your opinion, but when we are providing media streaming services for millions of customers world wide and almost the whole underlying infrastructure is built on servers running Linux, I would argue the point of "no quality and limited use / useability."

 

[Colin_b]

No harsh, realistic. As a home user you can do what you like with your data. I wouldn't recommend anyone to use it. Not when commercial software is vastly better for not very much outlay.

Yes, I am biased but when 150,000 customers depend on the software I recommend I need to be sure it is bulletproof reliability wise, compliance wise and so on.

Do you fit cheap Chinese tyres too? Is a similar economy.

Like you, I wouldn't run a commercial organisation on lunux - the added support costs would swallow the software savings in a bout 24 hours!

However, for a home user, its good stuff. Easy to install and use, decently supported and perfect for email, browsing, and basic office functions.

And free

 

[EddieH]

I suppose i am looking at it from a home user perspective. I don't have money to spend on software. For me it ticks all the boxes , most anyway. Its free and it works and it does what i need it to do, which isnt much. I have windows as an alternative anyway. What do you think of the linux security ?

Interesting to note a lack of response regarding your question about security! Of course we all know that Microsoft have never had such issues Neither have they ever introduced a premature OS just make to make £££££'s (sorry .. $$$$'s)

 

[Dryce]

Like you, I wouldn't run a commercial organisation on lunux - the added support costs would swallow the software savings in a bout 24 hours!

Plenty of serious commercial and government users running business critical stuff on Linux.

The thing that really drives organisations is information. On that basis Windows in itself is irrelevant in many situations - it's the applications and particularly Office that is the key requirement on the desktop.

 

[Dryce]

the added support costs would swallow the software savings in a bout 24 hours!

'Added support costs'.

Again. Massive LMAO on this. When I think of the running around we've had over the last couple of decades and what has incurred actual cost. One OS springs to mind. Windows.

- systems that decided they wouldn't be remotely managed requiring a site visit: Windows.

- systems that screwed their file systems and required another OS to get them rebooted: Windows

- systems that need AV: Windows

- servers that burn cycles on AV: Windows

- Systems that require heavy frequent patching and reboots: Windows

- Systems that just do strange things: Windows

- Systems that screw their registry: Windows

- 'My systems running slow': Windows

- 'My system is still running slow': Windows

- 'I want a new computer - my system is so slow': Windows

- 'I can't see the file server on the network': Windows (bl**dy networking)

I don't want to take such a huge downer on Windows that it seems that it's the only system with problems. But it does have serious cost issues. But one of the things that is frustrating is that it gets away with it because it's treated as the only game in town by huge swathes of the IT community.

 

[219]

I played around with Linux a couple of years ago to get an old Windows box I had been given up and running when I had no OS discs for it .

Spent time searching the web on my Mac and downloading various bits & pieces for it .

I found the whole process a royal PITA ; I did in the end get the machine running with somewhat limited functionality , but eventually got some Windows XP installation discs from someone who had upgraded to one of their newer OS and no longer needed them .

While XP seems to be a fairly stable and reliable OS ( have three Windows boxes in the house running it now ) , I still far prefer Mac OSX for simplicity , reliability and functionality , but then I've been an Apple user since the days of the Apple II .

The fun really begins when you have a cross platform home network , with various things on NAS and shared network printers

 

[Colin_b]

'Added support costs'.

Again. Massive LMAO on this. When I think of the running around we've had over the last couple of decades and what has incurred actual cost. One OS springs to mind. Windows.

- systems that decided they wouldn't be remotely managed requiring a site visit: Windows.

- systems that screwed their file systems and required another OS to get them rebooted: Windows

- systems that need AV: Windows

- servers that burn cycles on AV: Windows

- Systems that require heavy frequent patching and reboots: Windows

- Systems that just do strange things: Windows

- Systems that screw their registry: Windows

- 'My systems running slow': Windows

- 'My system is still running slow': Windows

- 'I want a new computer - my system is so slow': Windows

- 'I can't see the file server on the network': Windows (bl**dy networking)

I don't want to take such a huge downer on Windows that it seejms that it's the only system with problems. But it does have issues. But one of the things that is frustrating is that it gets away with it because it's treated as the only game in town by huge swathes of the IT community.

To be fair, that would apply to systems like NT, when linux had the same problems.

Nowadays, windows is rather(!) better. Server 2008R2, properly configured with things like group policy and W7 clients is secure, easy to manage and reliable. Design it wrong, and you'll get your described experience. Do it right, and costs disappear, just about.

I could also tell you about the 40hour raid rebuilds on our UNIX servers and similar tales of woe, but that was also in the past.

Windows works, extremely well, in corporates. Unix works, but doesn't have the server/desktop/security integration of windows.

I love your assumption that only windows is prone to malware!

 

[Danny DeVito]

I played around with Linux a couple of years ago to get an old Windows box I had been given up and running when I had no OS discs for it .

Spent time searching the web on my Mac and downloading various bits & pieces for it .

I found the whole process a royal PITA ; I did in the end get the machine running with somewhat limited functionality , but eventually got some Windows XP installation discs from someone who had upgraded to one of their newer OS and no longer needed them .

While XP seems to be a fairly stable and reliable OS ( have three Windows boxes in the house running it now ) , I still far prefer Mac OSX for simplicity , reliability and functionality , but then I've been an Apple user since the days of the Apple II .

The fun really begins when you have a cross platform home network , with various things on NAS and shared network printers

XP is apparently losing security updates/support from next year and it is expected that the net will be rife with virus and such for XP users.

 

[haggis2768]

sounds like the 'discussions ' I have with my nephew re android versus apple. I love my windows 8 experience so much.ive just bought an 'imito mx2.'(android mini p.c.)the windows 8 may be hibernating for some time.

 

[Danny DeVito]

I will have to research linux security a bit more. I'm not too clear on it yet. It seems it is not likely to be infected by a windows virus. But malware ? I could see a program being downloaded from a website with funny stuff in it

 

[Colin_b]

XP is apparently losing security updates/support from next year and it is expected that the net will be rife with virus and such for XP users.

This is true, though the net is already rife! Whitelisting is your friend if you really want to keep XP (or 2000, 2003, NT, 3.1) running.