Umm yeah OPEN OFFICE uses all available MICROSOFT file extensions and it is free no need to purchase office for 200 dollars, you can use open office for free.. it also works in XP to. not just linux......

Well, if you are interested in a new operating system with no fuss at all, may I recommend Knoppix? www.knoppix.org.

Just download the ISO image, burn to cd, boot from the cd and enjoy a Debian/KDE configuration. Then, remove the cd when you are finished and go right back to windows.

Umm yeah OPEN OFFICE uses all available MICROSOFT file extensions and it is free no need to purchase office for 200 dollars, you can use open office for free.. it also works in XP to. not just linux......

BUT, if you already have MS Office, why not just use it?
I just used Word as an example.

Better yet check out Ubuntu (with Gnome)http://www.ubuntulinux.org/ and Kubuntu (with KDE) http://www.kubuntu.org/ This is a very nice, user friendly linux Distro. They'll even send you a free copy, or many multiples for you to share amongst your friends.

My system would of been up today, but my new Motherboard fried when I hooked it up I contacted tech support of the motherboard because it shouldn't of did that with what I hooked up. I hooked enough up to just do the POST. We'll see what they say. .... ... GRRRRRRR

I find Ubuntu to be practically like Fedora Core 4 test 2.

Meowy you spend to much time trying different distros.

hehe

For using a NIC that you can't make work any other way in Linux, try using ndiswrapper and the Windoze driver. My Motorola wireless NIC works perfectly in both Slackware and Linux from Scratch using ndiswrapper. (I don't use windoze at all)

I'm sorry that the image server I was using had an attack. I will get the post back and running ASAP.

...but if I had a 64-bit machine I would choose the x86_64 option.

Depends how much you enjoy being a beta-tester and being in a multi-library funhouse.

It was cool for awhile but I am going to make the switch back to x86. I wanted to get away from Windows to avoid headaches, not give me more.

Fedora Core 4 came out today. You can grab your own copy at http://fedora.redhat.com/download/.

Depends how much you enjoy being a beta-tester and being in a multi-library funhouse. It was cool for awhile but I am going to make the switch back to x86. I wanted to get away from Windows to avoid headaches, not give me more.

The x86_64 option I believe gives more speed/support for 64-bit machines. It also isnt in beta, I just think they havent completley migrated every library/package to x64 yet.

Better yet check out Ubuntu (with Gnome) Link and Kubuntu (with KDE) Link This is a very nice, user friendly linux Distro. They'll even send you a free copy, or many multiples for you to share amongst your friends.

I just built out a PC for my daughter for college. Installed KNOPPIX, then Mandrake, then Ubuntu and am now (one week into it) thinking about migrating my wife over. Very intuitive, has all the apps she'll need preinstalled.

My problem is that I can't think of a good REASON to switch her from XP pro. It never crashes, it's virus free (and protected), and does everything she wants it to do. I really shoudl see how it uses HD space and memory . . . if it runs better on the same hardware I can sell it. Otherwise, why go through the effort of migrating data.

Ideas/Reasons?

My problem is that I can't think of a good REASON to switch her from XP pro. It never crashes, it's virus free (and protected), and does everything she wants it to do. I really shoudl see how it uses HD space and memory . . . if it runs better on the same hardware I can sell it. Otherwise, why go through the effort of migrating data.

While I have been microsoft free for a good many years and run Linux on my machines, my honest answer to your question is, you shouldn't. If what she has is working for her, not creating any problems, financial or otherwise, why switch her?

The computer, and it's software is just a tool. If the tool is working for you, doing the job you need for it to do, why do you need a different tool to do the same job? I am NOT a fan of windows, but I am also not going to tell someone "yes! switch to Linux" just because I happen to prefer Linux. That's just dumb. IF it's working for you, use it.

Fedora Core 4 came out today. You can grab your own copy at Link.

No thanks. Ubuntu is far easier to use and learn - and far less bloated.

My problem is that I can't think of a good REASON to switch her from XP pro. It never crashes, it's virus free (and protected), and does everything she wants it to do. I really shoudl see how it uses HD space and memory . . . if it runs better on the same hardware I can sell it. Otherwise, why go through the effort of migrating data.

Well you could try to explain to her that Linux is immune to spyware and malware and viruses bsides the need for no defragmanting the hard drive. Start up times are faster and all the software is mostly free. And Linux uses less resources than XP.

Kona, I thought you didn't have any spyware or viruses anyway?

No thanks. Ubuntu is far easier to use and learn - and far less bloated.

Kona-- I HAVE tried Ubuntu, and many others, yet like Fedora the best. I have uninstalled some software (OpenOffice.org is far worse then KOffice). I think it just is a matter of personal preference.

I think it just is a matter of personal preference.

Bingo! While Slack has always been my primary distro of choice, I have tried/used a lot of different ones. They all have their pros and cons. Personally, I hate RPM distros. But that's just me. Others love them. Go figure

I really didn't like Ubuntu much when I tried it, but liked Mepis a lot for what it was. It's as much a personal taste thing as anything else. I say use what works for you.

Well you could try to explain to her that Linux is immune to spyware and malware and viruses bsides the need for no defragmanting the hard drive. Start up times are faster and all the software is mostly free. And Linux uses less resources than XP.

Linux is immune? I remember hearing that about Macs until a friend posted this: Link
Has Linux just not been targetted? My XP system is protected via firewall, anti-spyware, and virus scan - there's no sell there. And I already own all the software my wife needs.

The reason I used Ubuntu for my daughter was that it was new hardware (for going off to University) and I didn't want to pay for OS and software. {It also makes her feel good as a Socialist using open source apps, Sheesh!}

For a new PC, a Linux distro makes sense, I guess it doesn't for a pre-existing system.

I really like Kubuntu with KDE, gives me all the features I am used to with Windowblinds. Rollup, themeing, Docking bar, Virtual Desktops, Open Office. I didn't mind Konquorer as a browser, and sudo apt-get install firefox was about as simple as it gets as install goes. The only trouble was mounting some additional hard drives. That was solved in two shakes though. Mounting them was actually pretty simple. apt-get is a really neat command.Kynaptic is a nice utility to install packages also. I have moved two of my machines to Kubuntu now.

Use BSD.

Hmm I prefer XFCE. It's much simplier and faster. KDE slows down my old laptop so much it's basically unusable.

Linux is immune? I remember hearing that about Macs until a friend posted this: Link Has Linux just not been targetted?

That's a pretty common misconception. Linux is not immune to a virus. There is, however much better system protection inherent in Linux. Firstly, a virus would have to actually be executed. Secondly, if a user does execute a virus, it can only do damage to that user's files, not the system as this would require root access unlike Windows where a virus can run rampant and destroy system files at will.

It's unrealistic to claim that "LInux just hasn't been targeted" as a large percentage of servers out there run on Linux. The truth is, the virus writer/user who has ill intent just gets more "bang for the buck" writing Windows virus.

Despite the FUD from Microsoft, Linux is inherently more secure than Windows. Also, though it may take Microsoft many months to fix known security holes, in Linux this often happens in a matter of hours as there are so many different people with access to the source code and constantly testing and developing Linux. I have personally seen cases where a security hole was discovered in the Linux kernel, emails went out over mailing lists, and a patch was available for world-wide download within 2 hours of the original email.

I hate RPM distros

I would never go with a non-RPM distro, thus why I ended up using Fedora after trying different distros. To install something, all I have to do is go to the best RPM site (http://rpm.pbone.net/) in Firefox, click on the download and boom-- it instantly installs itself, and solves the dependencies, if needed. Tarballs are the most evil thing ever invented.......