Ubuntu: GNU/Linux Comes Of Age
When a friend of mine recently told me that he had decided to drop Microsoft Windows in favour of a new operating system called Ubuntu, I began to take a harder look at Linux. Why? Well – for one, this friend was a devout Windows fan and for two – it was time for me to revisit Linux after a pleasant experience some years ago with Mandrake 9.0.
So after a quick look at the Ubuntu project and some of the very noble goals of the community – I downloaded the latest release (Edgy Eft). I had found myself a used IBM NetVista off-lease corporate workstation with only 256MB of RAM and a run-of-the-mill Pentium 4 processor for the experiment.
The installation was remarkably simple. Getting the old machine to recognize my network was a snap (Mandrake was a little trickier as I had to re-configure my network card every time I booted the machine), and with Firefox up and running a few seconds later – instant workstation.
The operating system runs a complete suite of office productivity software and all the web authoring tools I really need. And the machine is performing better than just about any current newer Windows-based workstations (purely based on my observations – don’t ask me to substantiate this). Not bad for under $200 CAD.
This proves that very often technology (the Pentium 4 workstation in this case) is made obsolete only by economic cycles rather than hardware or software limitations. I think that Linux is very nearly ready for prime time.
June 4th, 2007 at 12:59
I have also made the step from windows to ubuntu/linux a couple of month ago and do not regret it at all
Linux offers everything a webdesigner need : inkscape & gimp work perfect, and linux also provide a better alternative for Dreamweaver than Windows : quanta+
It might be time to try linux!
July 24th, 2007 at 18:01
Sitting around bored and figured I’d check out your site. Nice Linux byte. I’ve played around with Ubuntu/SimplyMepis/Gentoo and a few others. Linux is very powerful and the options are unlimited. It comes with everything you’ll ever need and drivers are pre-configured up and running right outa the gate. (Suse, Ubuntu) Regardless though of what the Microsoft haters say – Ie, individuals like Tim Pointon, Microsoft os.s” are far more reliable, less glitchy, smoother, and obviously more user friendly. (Althought the latest crop of linux distributions are becoming extremely user friendly).
Linux is INCREDIBLE. the most prominent example of freeware software available. Ubuntu for example, right outa the gate all drivers are configured, internet is up and running with firefox, they’ve even added support, propriatery? drivers for graphics cards. Still, it simply can’t compete with Windows. Use it for a few weeks and anybody with common sense (ungrudged against Microsoft will understand!
Great site Scott. It puts mine to shame. Check it out, this is what good old AcneInc from HTML class did for me.
http://www.geocities.com/ryan_sledder
I need to register/buy a domain, I know!
Take care!