windows 8.1 vs ubuntu 14.04

[pparks1]

Incorrect. It has all of the features that the other distros do. You can also add more if you want.

Not incorrect. Xubuntu is xfce, a lightweight desktop environment. Other desktop environments are more feature rich. But yes, you can add in what you want. I just don't like xfce.

Sorry, but you are incorrect. xfce is just one of the Gui's that Xubuntu uses. It also has its own gui. Maybe do your homework, then give off incorrect information pparks1.

I'm unsure on which part I was incorrect on. As I said, xubuntu comes with xfce and you can add in what you wish.

Unsure if you were trying to rile me up with your homework comment, but I don't get worked up over things on forums.

I've supported Linux professionally for over almost 15 years and have been certified under Red Hat d for more than a decade. I still believe all of my comments were accurate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xubuntu

 

[CountMike]

There is no OS out there, that will make a decade old printer work on it. Maybe if you ran Windows 95 or 98. Then it may work.

Even the Linux foundation has gotten smart and started to strip out drivers for very antiquated equipment.


broe23


how do you get decade out of 12 months old

Sorry to inform you guys but I have an HP4L and a HP 1300 printers that windows 8 found and installed drivers for all by themselves without me even knowing. Same with "Bearpaw" scanner. I scoured HP for them without finding any drivers but got a surprise when I found them in Devices and Printers in control panel. Makes me wish they'd do that to more things. I have at least 10 year old TV card that windows keeps insisting to put their wrong driver for but I have somewhat modified drivers (from W7) that work. None of that in Linux (at least the ones I tried) but latest Mint transparently found drivers and activated few of USB 3G modems and USB WiFi devices that I had heck of a time installing and using in Win8.

 

[pparks1]

For home desktop users, it's usually peripheral drivers that cause the most heartache, followed by an inability to play the games they own that drive people away from their Linux experiment.

 

[broe23]

For home desktop users, it's usually peripheral drivers that cause the most heartache, followed by an inability to play the games they own that drive people away from their Linux experiment.

Incorrect. What drives most home users away. Is the likes of Microsoft, that try to place fear into people that their computer and other hardware will not be valid, if they do not use Windows.

You will find that a lot more hardware works now with Linux distro's, then about four years ago. It is just finding the right distro flavor to meet your requirements. For me, Xubuntu fits that need. No problems here with anything that I have thrown at it.

 

[CountMike]

For home desktop users, it's usually peripheral drivers that cause the most heartache, followed by an inability to play the games they own that drive people away from their Linux experiment.

Incorrect. What drives most home users away. Is the likes of Microsoft, that try to place fear into people that their computer and other hardware will not be valid, if they do not use Windows.

You will find that a lot more hardware works now with Linux distro's, then about four years ago. It is just finding the right distro flavor to meet your requirements. For me, Xubuntu fits that need. No problems here with anything that I have thrown at it.

Well I must have tried at least 10 or more Distros past year and none of them found those devices I mentioned but found other ones Win couldn't, so it's nice to have multiple OSs.

 

[caperjack]

For home desktop users, it's usually peripheral drivers that cause the most heartache, followed by an inability to play the games they own that drive people away from their Linux experiment.

Incorrect. What drives most home users away. Is the likes of Microsoft, that try to place fear into people that their computer and other hardware will not be valid, if they do not use Windows.

You will find that a lot more hardware works now with Linux distro's, then about four years ago. It is just finding the right distro flavor to meet your requirements. For me, Xubuntu fits that need. No problems here with anything that I have thrown at it.

you could be both right ,what pparks1 said is what stops me ,I am defently not afraid of anything Microsoft might have to say about it ,maybe iam too lazy to spend the time trying to get it to pick up my network device [that was the reason I stopped try recently with Mint] ,but I will give Xubuntu a try in the near future .

 

[CountMike]

Who's afraid of big bad wolf, la la la la, not me neither. All I want is something that works, be it or call it anything, windows, Linux or whatever. Would be just as or more satisfied if I didn't have to even care what OS is called. All I want is for my programs and hardware to do what they are supposed to.

 

[pparks1]

It all boils down to the hardware you have. If you have a desktop computer with a wired network card, it's almost a guarantee it will work. If you have a laptop with an Intel Nic, it will likely be fine. You have a wireless and broadcom wireless, might be a bigger challenge. Also, might work just fine.

Most hardware is made for Windows and drivers are provided for Windows. Not everything will have a native Linux driver. It all boils down to the hardware.

 

[caperjack]

for what its worth ,im gonna try xubuntu 14.04 64bit ,,will really give it a good go this time .downloading iso now ,will install it later on a separate drive after I unhook the 2 main drive in my tower

 

[noelbeth55]

i should have added i have no intention of using mint or any other linux distro. i just wanted to try it out. as far as i am concerned nothing comes close to win 8.1

 

[pparks1]

i should have added i have no intention of using mint or any other linux distro. i just wanted to try it out. as far as i am concerned nothing comes close to win 8.1

Yeah, license keys, costs, activation, media center keys, inability to download the install media....all things you don't get to experience when you skip Windows.

 

[caperjack]

for what its worth ,im gonna try xubuntu 14.04 64bit ,,will really give it a good go this time .downloading iso now ,will install it later on a separate drive after I unhook the 2 main drive in my tower

ok, ijuat installed xubuntu,install went great ,it picked up my nic, and iam on the internet, it aout 20 min or less ,i was watching tv in another room during the install ,i dont use a printer or any other device on this tower so not sure how well it would have done with drivers for such . anyway will give it a go for now ,

 

[caperjack]

i should have added i have no intention of using mint or any other linux distro. i just wanted to try it out. as far as i am concerned nothing comes close to win 8.1

Yeah, license keys, costs, activation, media center keys, inability to download the install media....all things you don't get to experience when you skip Windows.

good way to look at it ,
for myself as an mvp i have had it all free since 2009 ,so cost wasnt an issue i just like windows ,easier to use for me i guess

 

[snerd]

Security through obscurity........... we don't really want or need millions of newbs switching to Linux. Sometimes ya just gotta hear the hard truth.






ETA: I dual boot 8.1 / Ubuntu 14.04.

 

[pparks1]

There is a learning curve with Linux. It often demonstrates that people who feel that ARE computer savvy aren't as advanced a they may think.

I find it best to try Linux as a virtual machine. This way, no risk to the actual machine and it gives you a running machine with a web browser for researching how to do something on Linux.

Also, don't let command line intimidate you. It's not that hard and makes documentation very simple. Everything in Linux is a text file for configuration, so no registry to have to be concerned with.

 

[lehnerus2000]

If you don't like W8, then I suspect you won't like Ubuntu 14 with Unity either.

A compromise could be running Ubuntu for your daily work and Windows 8.1 in a virtual partition (e.g. with VMware Player) for those Windows programs that you absolutely need. That is not a solution for games (performance) but works well with 'normal' programs.

I tried Wine myself and never really got good results. That is not a good option.

I run Windows as main (host) system and half a dozen Linux distros under VMware Player. That is a good option too. If you run the OS from a SSD, there is quasi no performance impact. I even run my virtual Linux systems from an external SSD attached via eSata or USB3. That way I need to maintain only one set and can run them on any of my PCs.

Agreed.

I've never used WINE, as I often see comments complaining about various programs not running correctly.

I use VMware Player in Linux Mint 17 MATE (64 bit).
I can play my old Windows games (2001 or earlier) without any issues (using an XP VM).

It all boils down to the hardware you have. If you have a desktop computer with a wired network card, it's almost a guarantee it will work. If you have a laptop with an Intel Nic, it will likely be fine. You have a wireless and broadcom wireless, might be a bigger challenge. Also, might work just fine.

Broadcom equipment must be junk.
Most of the Linux wireless issues I've read about related to their stuff.

My Atheros wireless worked "out of the box" (Toshiba Satellite Pro C650).

i should have added i have no intention of using mint or any other linux distro. i just wanted to try it out. as far as i am concerned nothing comes close to win 8.1

Agreed.

Also, don't let command line intimidate you. It's not that hard and makes documentation very simple.

I have to disagree with this.
Once you are comfortable with Linux you might find them helpful.

I find the man pages to be a baffling ordeal with almost no sensible examples.
You are better off searching the Internet.

This is not only a Linux issue though.
Most help files these days are based on the assumption that you already know how to do something and therefore don't need the Help file.
They are about as useful as tying a piece of string around your finger.

Everything in Linux is a text file for configuration, so no registry to have to be concerned with.

Agreed.
It's much easier to edit a text config file (which normally includes comments) than hunting through the Windows Registry.

 

[noelbeth55]

well i have to eat my previous words. installed ubuntu 14.04. wow. recognised everything, and i mean everything and loaded all the drivers itself. i would like to add the icons back to the desktop and get rid of unity but other than that, wow again. the way it is going at this point it appears it is goodbye microsoft from me. i am greatful although a little bewildered as to why it is free. there should be some charge for this wonderful os.

 

[broe23]

Load a different Gui if you want to get rid of Unity, which eats up a lot of CPU cycles, along with RAM.

 

[caperjack]

xubuntu loaded nice and worked right off, but I only do a bit of web browsing and my little bit here on this site,burn the odd iso file ,and listen to some music , so ill stick with windows .

 

[noelbeth55]

thanks. as i am at the bottom of the learning ladder do you mind if i ask how i do that
broe23