Should I stay with Windows or go with using Linux?

Madrax

I was thinking of changing my OS to using Linux with Ubuntu seeing how there are a lot of flaws in Windows, the only bad thing is the guy who built my PC didn't give me any of the installation Disk . So do I need to have a installation disk to get rid of my windows? (I have windows 7)

Erasariel

IIRC, Windows is generally better if you use a gaming rig, since most games are designed for it. Linux is superior for any other application, as long as your work can be done through Linux alternatives to Windows applications.

That said, I have zero experience on Linux, and I feel I wouldn't be trying it out for quite a while..unless League of Legends, Dota 2, and GW2 will be available for it.

Eld

If you just want to get rid of your windows installation, it's as easy as formatting your hard drive. A few things to consider before just wiping the Windows install and installing Ubuntu, though:

1) Though the situation's getting better, it can be difficult to find Linux drivers for some hardware, since manufacturers generally don't produce them, so you have to hope someone else needed it and decided to write one in their spare time. Not usually too much of a problem anymore, I think, but you might want to do a little research on whether there are drivers available for things like wireless cards, printers, and so on.

2) There is software that is written for Windows that does not have a Linux version. This is true of a lot of games, for example. Also things like MS Office, if you use any it. For a lot of stuff like Office, there are Linux programs that do the same thing, but quality can be spotty, so you should research replacements for any software you use a lot.

3) While Ubuntu and some of the other distributions have been moving more and more toward a sort of Windows-like user interface, Linux is still much more do-it-yourself than Windows or Mac. This is great, because it means you're able to customise it to your needs in ways you can't customise Windows, but it also means you'll eventually need to become familiar with different ways of interacting with the OS. I don't see this as a particular roadblock, but some people do have trouble adjusting, or just have no interest in learning a new way of doing things, so be aware.

All that said, there a couple good options for trying out Ubuntu before getting rid of Windows. On would be to download a live disk, which will let you boot into Ubuntu from a CD, without affecting your Windows installation at all. Or you could use Wubi to install Ubuntu through Windows as a Windows program; as far as I can tell, this basically acts as a dual boot, so you can choose which OS to boot to when you start up. Either of those would give you the opportunity to check out the OS and make sure it suits your needs before zapping a Windows install that you don't have the means to replace. If you decide you love it, then you can always zap Windows and do a clean Ubuntu installation later.

Personally, I switched to Linux about 10 years ago and haven't looked back. I have found it useful to have a Windows dual boot for a few specific things, though, such as testing code compatibility, and watching streaming Netflix back when I had it; I haven't booted into Windows in at least a year, but it's nice to be able to if I absolutely need it for some reason.

Trilliana

What I did was the wubi dual boot (yes @Eld it works as a dual boot, though you do have the option to completely go to ubuntu with that installer). I had a friend have me use xUbuntu for a while as well when my netbook was starting to screw up more and more and that was well and good. Otherwise, Eld's advice is pretty spot on. 

Nizaris

I am a Linux user, and I agree with everything that @Eld said. While I personally love Linux, and just bought a brand new computer only to completely and irreversibly wipe my hard drive to remove Windows (rather than bothering with a dual-boot like Eld recommended), I always have difficulty recommending it without some kind of hand-holding.

If you really want to give Linux a try, I highly recommend that you give Knoppix a look at. It's a full Linux distribution that you can run by simply putting the CD into your computer, and rebooting it. No installation. Things will run a little more slowly, but you don't have to commit to it by uninstalling and reinstalling. Also, @Eld mentioned an Ubuntu live disk, which is also good, but doesn't include as much software, I don't think.

Jonathin

Why the hell would you want to get rid of Win7? It's like the most beautifully crafted piece of dumb-user-friendly software ever created. Not only that, you can install Ubuntu side-by-side with it. 

I've had this laptop for going on 2 years..maybe 3, I can't remember if it was Jan of 2010 or 2011, and the only software issue I had was a piece of HP software conflicting with Windows, so I uninstalled the HP software and haven't had an issue since.

Unless of course your copy of Win7 isn't legit, which would explain why you think there are a lot of flaws with it. I also think that this is the first OS that hasn't wiped my HDD or screwed up during some kind of update, and I have had automatic update on since I bought it.

Win7 turned me on to Microsoft after hating it for years. It's actually, surprisingly, a quality product.

Sothantos

Switch to Linux only if you enjoy tinkering.

Sherazad

For games, it's still mostly Windows. I myself use Ubuntu on a netbook and it's fine for most general things like browsing. It's harder to get documentation on some stuff that aren't popular (for tinkering with my phone, I got Heimdall and messed it up. I gave up, used Odin on a Windows machine). There are things that I love more with Ubuntu such as not really worrying about viruses and the automatic updates, free software. As much as I like Ubuntu, Libre Office Writer saved docx still looks a bit off when opened in Microsoft Word. 

When I get a better laptop, I'll probably dual boot too. Ubuntu is becoming friendlier with gaming (we have Steam now! Woot!) but it's not quite up to par with Windows yet. I suspect I'd use Ubuntu more tho. >.> It's been really easy for me most of the time although I had encountered some really challenging problems but that's because I'm a bit of a tinkerer. I feel secure with the main way of installing stuff, through the Ubuntu Software Center where most of what I need is offered for free. xD

Yue

If you are interested in learning about Linux (for any of the million reasons @Jonathin clearly didn't even try to consider) then I would highly recommend you start with a side-by-side installation, or dual-booting option. You seem interested in Ubuntu - that's not a bad place to start, though Ubuntu is one of the least-efficient Linux distro's around, on account of it coming with the most pre-packaged software. It will be easy to set up, and easy to use, but you won't learn a whole lot doing it. It will do most of the heavy lifting for you. Check out:

-UNetBootIn: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/

(this software will allow you to install various Linux distros to your hard-drive for a bootable option)

-Wubi: http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/windows-installer

(this is the Ubuntu windows installer)

-andLinux: http://www.andlinux.org/

(install Linux in Windows)

Personally, I primarily use Debian (http://www.debian.org) the predecessor to Ubuntu, and Arch Linux (http://www.archlinux.org), a minimalist, highly optimized distro targeting cutting-edge software development.. Debian is fairly straight-forward to install and configure (much like Ubuntu) and offers just about the same features and packages. In any case, there are a couple things to expect:

-You are going to need to read things (tutorials, wikis, forums)

-You are going to need to look things up (Google is your friend, so are the Wiki's for your respective distro)

-You are going to need to try things (real hackers learn by trial and error - period. anyone who says otherwise is selling something)

Read up on the different distros, check out the resources available to new users, etc. When you have selected one that you are interested in trying out, feel free to come back here and discuss it or get more help. I highly suggest not deleting your main operating system. If you get rid of windows and then screw up your setup with your new linux distro, you could be out of a computer. (It's pretty difficult to do that if you follow advice/guides from experienced people). Basically, just partition a certain amount of space on your hard-drive for the Linux OS and then don't touch your windows partition. The Ubuntu/Debian installation guides will go over this (and it's easier to partition a disk that already has windows on it than vice-versa (windows' partition manager doesn't play nice with Linux) or just use the Wubi/andLinux/unetbootin options to try out linux. Also, you can boot from a Live CD to get a feel for what it's like.)

Best of luck, feel free to come back here with questions, etc. as you progress.

Jonathin

Yue said:

or any of the million reasons @Jonathin clearly didn't even try to consider

F off. What was there to consider? I stated that Win7 was a quality piece of software. Not that *nix was shit. The OP said that there were many flaws with Windows, which is a sign of "my computer friend who tinkers but doesn't have any formal education told me that Windows sucks".

Yue

Jonathin said:

F off. 

u mad bro?

Jonathin said:

What was there to consider?

A million things. You didn't even try.

Here are some flaws with Windows:

-It is overpriced.

-It is closed-source.

-It limits the user's ability to extend, modify, and alter its operations at the core level.

-It is entirely dependent upon the Microsoft corporation for security updates

-It is entirely dependent upon the Microsoft corporation for functional updates/upgrades

-The product life-cycle is determined by the Microsoft corporation and may be altered at any point in time for any reason (meaning, you are not guaranteed updates/support indefinitely, even though you have paid for them understanding that M$ will support their software for at least a few years)

-It forces users into having, if not using, proprietary software that has better, more efficient, more secure open-source alternatives

-It makes it more difficult for users to become acquainted with the inner workings of an Operating System, or a software stack, etc. and limits the users ability to understand what their OS is really doing and why. This might not be a problem for you if you are content only working

Jonathin said:

dumb-user-friendly software

but some people are interested in continuing their education and expanding their knowledge and skills with the tools that are becoming more and more relevant in this modern age.

edit: you can "disagree" with me and tell me to "F off" because I have a different opinion than you, but it just makes you look rude and immature. good luck w/ that

Eld

Yue said:

Jonathin said:

F off. 

u mad bro?

Jonathin said:

What was there to consider?

A million things. You didn't even try.

Here are some flaws with Windows:

-It is overpriced.

-It is closed-source.

-It limits the user's ability to extend, modify, and alter its operations at the core level.

-It is entirely dependent upon the Microsoft corporation for security updates

-It is entirely dependent upon the Microsoft corporation for functional updates/upgrades

-The product life-cycle is determined by the Microsoft corporation and may be altered at any point in time for any reason (meaning, you are not guaranteed updates/support indefinitely, even though you have paid for them understanding that M$ will support their software for at least a few years)

-It forces users into having, if not using, proprietary software that has better, more efficient, more secure open-source alternatives

-It makes it more difficult for users to become acquainted with the inner workings of an Operating System, or a software stack, etc. and limits the users ability to understand what their OS is really doing and why. This might not be a problem for you if you are content only working

Jonathin said:

dumb-user-friendly software

but some people are interested in continuing their education and expanding their knowledge and skills with the tools that are becoming more and more relevant in this modern age.

edit: you can "disagree" with me and tell me to "F off" because I have a different opinion than you, but it just makes you look rude and immature. good luck w/ that

While I'm generally up there with you on the free software bandwagon, I would interpret a statement that "there are a lot of flaws in X software" to mean design flaws/bugs/etc in the code itself, rather than being based on a philosophy of design/production/distribution that I don't like. In the sense of actual problems with that kind of mechanical flaw, Windows 7 does indeed seem to be much better than many past MS products.

I would imagine that @Jonathin didn't try to consider those issues because he felt they were irrelevant to the specific claim he was addressing.

Yue

Agreed. Win7 is better than previous MS OS... 

however, Jonathin made a big assumption. The OP didn't really indicate what his goals are, what his intended use is, or the context in which MS was indicated to have flaws. He assumed "the OP is dumb" and "the OP's friend is also dumb".

Jonathin

Yue said:

Agreed. Win7 is better than previous MS OS... 

however, Jonathin made a big assumption. The OP didn't really indicate what his goals are, what his intended use is, or the context in which MS was indicated to have flaws. He assumed "the OP is dumb" and "the OP's friend is also dumb".

What the hell are you talking about? Stop trying to put words in my mouth and go take a relaxing nap you kind person. Never once did I call anyone dumb. Just because someone doesn't have a formal education doesn't make them dumb, just brought to the wrong conclusions or misinformed, usually. I drew that specific example because I was exactly like that not too long ago. "Windows 7 is going to be just as bad as Windows Vista, I'm going to stick with Linux and XP." Now I know better.

I'll spell out my feelings in simple words because obviously if I don't, you'll try and take everything I say as a personal insult because I prefer Windows over Linux these days.

Linux is great. It is very, very fun to play with. Windows is great, too. The original post stated that Windows had a lot of problems. I was stating that Windows 7 (seven, siete, sieben) does not have all of the flaws that Windows 2000, XP, and Vista had. I can not understand why someone would just up an get rid of Windows 7 when putting two operating systems on a computer is normal these days. 

I was not saying that Windows is better than Linux. I was not saying that Linux is better than Windows. So now you can get the hell off your pedestal and stop thinking that you know better than everyone.

Edit: I'm done here because I'm not going to hijack this thread arguing your own intelligence with you.

Yue

No. I am not getting off my pedestal.

I like it up here.

You wouldn't know.. but I do.

Madrax

I don't know if Win 7 had problems I just heard Windows 8 was crap. So I wonder if maybe I should change to Linux.

Jonathin

Windows 8's UI is crap. It isn't that terrible if you know the workarounds though.

Edit: Vindication feels great.

Yue

nothing beats the xfce desktop environment (http://www.xfce.org) in Linux

though I did recently discover a nice windows UI tool called Fences by Stardock

http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/ which could make any windows ui a little better