Ubuntu or XP Pro?

One more point.

You mentioned you don't like needing to use the command line.

I found that you can do most things without resorting to the command line.

However, it is much easier to give advice to someone by copying the commands he needs to use at the command line than by telling what buttons to click on and when.

The command line is a real plus when you need advice.

The person who knows the answer does not need to give you a lot of contextual descriptive information, telling you what to click and when, they can give you a quick definitive answer, in the form of one or more command lines.

Because of that, you get the answer. They have the time.

You may need to type a few things in, but your problem is solved quickly because the steps are clear and hard to misinterpret. The command line is usually the best way to give and get advice.

Another way to have the best of both worlds is to run Windows as a Virtual Machine in Virtual Box or VMWare Player, both absolutely free and superb. It uses less resources than running two operating systems side by side. I started off running Linux distros as VM"s in a Windows 7 host, and before too long realised that I had it completely the wrong way around and now I run Windows xp and 7 as VM guests in my Linux machine. Once you come over, you rarely go back! Pretty much everything works fine in a VM- network connections, peripherals like printers and scanners, CD and DVD's and anything else you want to use. If you do run into any strife: the community support, knowledge base documentation and plain, useful help available covers pretty much every known situation and then some.

I have been running Fedora for some time. I used to be an XP Pro bigot. I got fed up with crashes, blue screens, and finally MS asking me to register my computer and bend over to let them know everything I was doing with my computer. Enough!

I downloaded Fedora 8 a couple years ago. I'm now on Fedora12. I can't say enough about it. I haven't had any crashes, no viruses, no problems whatsoever ... well, except for when I did something stupid when I was playing around with a configuration file. With OpenOffice.org3, I can do anything I need.

As for dual boot, I ask: Why? Everyone has there favourite windoz based system they can't find an open source for (mine are Punch! Home Design, Corell Draw, and a few others).

So, instead of running WindozXP and Fedora on the same box, I installed wine (~>yum install wine) in the Fedora environment, which shows up under 'Applications' after installation. Then, open the wine foldout menu, and open Wine File, which looks/acts exactly like Windows Explorer. Then put your windowz application CD in the drive, find it in the wine directory folder (under /media/...), double click on the setup or install file on the windows-based installation CD, and it will install on the c:-drive (even though linux doesn't know what a c:-drive is) under whatever windows directory you want (usually Program Files, which wine creates for you during wine setup).

Once installed, go back to the Fedora Applications foldout menu, and like magic, there will be your newly installed windows application under the Wine/Programs menu item, ready for you to coddle, cuddle or otherwise make you feel at home (away from home). I even installed Windows Office Professional under Wine for those cases I get some files from friends/associates who haven't caught on yet that Linux/Fedora is a faster, finer, friendlier operating system (BY FAR!) This allows me to view their files, modify them or do anything else I could ordinarily do in WindozXP.

A Fedora Fanatic

Ubuntu 10.04 is way ahead of xp sp3....buddy,plz try ubuntu as it wil run fine on ur pc....i am having a similar config..

Ubuntu 10.04 rockzz

HI,

I'll add my contribution and encourage you to move toward the switch.

I agree with several of the points others have raised and I would say, first, get used to the software by running it on your Windows platform. When you're happy that you can use ALL the software you require and that the software is ALL available to run on a Linux platform then prepare for the move.

I think the hardware is a little old for new distributions but xubuntu8.04 should run well and continues to be supported. With newer hardware I have had no problems with 10.04, which runs better than 9.10 for me, but I enjoy DSL and very small footprint distributions on my older kit.

I use 8.04 extensively in the work's server installations, some of which are the same sort of spec as your hardware though, of course, I'm not running the desktop environments.

Good luck! Derek

Stick to XP, Linux or Ubuntu is not for you yet.

Ubuntu uses less than 350 MB of RAM, and no Windows can do that ;-)

You should ask yourself what software you need to day-by-day work, fun, etc., and if you are up to experience something that it's NOT a "free windows", it's a whole different system!!, with a lot of pros (freedom, hundreds of open-source and free packages for everything you may want, no spyware, no checking every corner of your system for "un-legitimate" versions of the OS or the office package, etc.) and maybe some cons (you may not find the "very exactly" substitute for some very specific program you were using in windows; maybe some professional software or games you have already purchased won't run as good as in windows inside Linux... even though Wine is quite good!; some sites are optimized for other explorer :-( etc.).

My suggestion based on my experience: go to GNU/Linux! Choose your distribution based on your taste (experience it! there are free boot-CDs for almost every Linux distro and you can download a few, 2 or 3, try them and choose freely and for-free :-D !). Then, for the things you really do not have an optimal choice, or one that make you comfortable, install a (non-pirate!) version of Windows inside a Virtual Machine (using VirtualBox, VMWare, etc.) and use it for the exceptional software you may need. I think for the rest of the day (work AND fun), you can live comfortably in Linux.

I have been using M$Windows since the 80's (Win 3.1) until now (Win7 64 bits), and for the past 5 years I have been playing in the shore of GNU/Linux, using it partially, getting to know it's logic, etc. Now my machine has a full 500 GB HD with only Poseidon Linux 64 bits (based on Ubuntu LTS) and I am perfectly fine. From OpenOffice to Gimp, from Firefox to Amarok and Media Player, I use it all day and are enjoying a SO that uses less RAM, updates everything (not only the SO and the office!) when needed, do not crash and I don't have to pay it.

Good luck!

If every game had worked flawlessly on Ubuntu, or any other Linux for that matter, i would have chosen Linux as my main OS in a heartbeat. But since i play games quite often, it would be a pain having to switch over to Windows every time i felt like playing.

If you don't have alot of childish tendencies, choose Linux! :)

Making a transition from Windows to Ubuntu is more an issue of what application packages you are using than the OS itself.

My advice to anyone using windows is to make a transition to multi-platform (free is generally better) application software first. Get used to the software you will be using under linux while you are still under windows.

For example switch from using IE to Firefox, outlook to thunderbird, ms office to open office and so on, and use them under windows. Once you are accustomed to them under windows, the transition to ubuntu is pretty transparent.

The first time I used Ubuntu there was a lot more research and tracking things down. Things like 'why won't youtube work' missing codecs for music and video files and so on. This time, I install ubuntu, point the music player at my collection of music files, when it doesnt have a decoder for a file, it asks if you want to install it, when you press yes, it does the rest.

Installing Ubuntu is far easier and smoother now than installing XP. In fact, it's easier to switch from XP to Ubuntu, than from XP on one machine to XP on another.

One could argue that what I'm saying is subjective, so I will quantify a bit. I helped someone buy a computer system for her new business. It took me 2 days to get her system set up and running smoothly, with application software, virus checking, firewall etc. Right after that I set up almost the identical collection of applications with Ubuntu 9.1 on similar hardware.
That took me 1.5 hours. A 10 to 1 ratio in man hours.

Next time someone asks me for help, I will only help if they are open to trying Ubuntu so that i can save a day and a half of of my own time and have happier end user right away. Then an ecstatic end user when she discovers she needs an extra piece of software and finds that synaptic will install it for her at the push of a button, and for free.

I've had Ubuntu installed for over a year now. Although I like it much more than XP, I still needed XP for software\hardware that isn't compatible with Ubuntu. My option was to either dual boot or get a separate machine. I decided to get a separate machine. I have my Ubuntu on my souped up machine and I got a cheaper refurbished machine for my XP (about $230). This was doable as I had a non-oem XP disk. Otherwise, if I didn't I'd had to use the cheaper one as my Ubuntu machine. I also bought a Belkin switch so that I can switch PC's if I have them on at the same time.

I use Ubuntu for 95% of my task including connecting to work from home. The one hardware that I couldn't use Ubuntu for was a Canon Scanner. Most software I can use Wine under Ubuntu such as Adobe photoshop and Quicken 2008. Games I haven't had too much luck with so I needed windows for that.

I'm currently running Ubuntu 9.10 but i've been hearing good word on 10.4. I had originally started on 9.04 and upgrading was a breeze to 9.10.