Linux on a new machine. Mac Vs Microsoft

[Betsy Og]

Linux better than windows seems to be general overview - also less virus susceptible (for same reason would only use netscape not explorer). Is it easy for a non-techie punter to use??

Apple Mac Vs Microsoft - any pros or cons on either.

Would want to run Microsoft office as its industry standard - understand that can be done on linux - would if work on Mac???

Interested in Linux, Mac is only by the way.

 

[contemporary]

I like linux, but it does take a bit of getting used to, it depends on the non technie punter but i found I had to unlearn some of my "mircosoftisms" when i started

 

[Betsy Og]

I like linux, but it does take a bit of getting used to, it depends on the non technie punter but i found I had to unlearn some of my "mircosoftisms" when i started

Is it just different places to find programs, where the "start" is, how the screen is laid out etc etc???

I presume its point and click with a mouse - if it involved learning DOS type commandments (surely not) then that would be disastrous.

 

[Cabbage]

Currently using XP, Linux, and an Apple iBook at the moment. What do you want to do? Linux is excellent for code development or serving - e.g. webserving, mail serving, etc. XP or MacOS are probably more the thing for an ordinary domestic user. Personally, I find the iBook best for organising photos, music collections, doing a bit of word-processing, family accounts, websurfing etc. Virus-free so far ... touch wood.

 

[contemporary]

Is it just different places to find programs, where the "start" is, how the screen is laid out etc etc???

I presume its point and click with a mouse - if it involved learning DOS type commandments (surely not) then that would be disastrous.

It depends on the version of linux you go for, I use red hat, screen layout etc are different, you right click on the desktop to access floppys and cd drives for example.

best thing to do is get an oldish machine and put linux on it and have a play with it.

 

[BlueSpud]

If you dont know the answer, then Linux is not the answer...............

( I hope someone tells me this is a good line.... )

 

[Betsy Og]

If you dont know the answer, then Linux is not the answer...............

( I hope someone tells me this is a good line.... )

Am I to take it that Linux is techies only?? - which seems a bit of a shame if its supposed to be a user interface. The beauty of windows over DOS is that any eejit can point and click without needing to know how things are done.

Surely that didnt escape linux designers

 

[Gabriel]

I use Linux everyday for running weblogic servers and the like...

Have to say I don't find it the easiest os to use and I'm fairly familiar with it now. It's quicker and better to do mostly everything on the command line in linux and that involves unix commands.

Personally I find windows to be an easier system to use. Especially for day-to-day use - email, internet browsing...that sorta thing.

 

[Gabriel]

If you dont know the answer, then Linux is not the answer...............

( I hope someone tells me this is a good line.... )

BlueSpud - good line

 

[dam099]

Am I to take it that Linux is techies only?? - which seems a bit of a shame if its supposed to be a user interface. The beauty of windows over DOS is that any eejit can point and click without needing to know how things are done.

Surely that didnt escape linux designers

I believe Linux itself is a command line OS? The GUI (ie Windows like interface) is an add on (and there are several different ones).

 

[Betsy Og]

So whats the best GUI (graphical user interface) with Linux and why wouldnt everyone use one - suppose if you are techie its quicker to use commands but for a pleb, pointing and clicking easier than using commands.

The reasons I'd be interested in linux are it supposed to be more efficient and virus proof - I presume that at the stage of using software like microsoft office, video editing etc. that it is no different from windows from the users point of view - just that 'behind-the-scenes' processes done better.

If cant use software in the point & click manner then dont think for me

 

[Gabriel]

Betsy...personally I think you're barking up the wrong tree with linux for what you want.
If it's virus free you want get yourself avg, zonealarm and spybot. Keep them updated and you'll be virus free.
If you don't know much about linux and its GUIs...which by the way are awful (we use Red Hat) then I'd avoid and stick with windows.

Btw, I'm no microsoft fan or anything. Open source all the way if I can get away with it...but Linux is not user friendly.

 

[Cabbage]

Or consider getting yourself an Apple Mac. Very nice interface. Runs Microsoft Office. Virus-free and excellent for video editing.

 

[michaelm]

If you dont know the answer, then Linux is not the answer...............

( I hope someone tells me this is a good line.... )

I think this line sums it up nicely. Betsy Og: if you have a broadband line then running XP Pro with service pack 2 pulling automatic updates along with a firewall and regularly updated antivirus software should be ok however I suspect you should be looking to buy an iMAC (or iBook/PowerBook) with MS Office preinstalled and a three year warranty and forget all that Linux/Windows stuff.

 

[dam099]

As a Windows user I would echo the view that is better suited to you than Linux, if you really fancy a change I think the Mac is a much better alternative given your apparent level of PC knowledge. I am fairly PC literate (but not a trained techie though) and have tried Linux twice and could not get comfortable with it, I have never worked with Mac other than 5 minutes using iTunes and looking at photos on a friends iBook but in that short time it seemed much more intuitive to me than Linux ever did.

BTW I am not sure anyone answered your question on Office completely, Linux does not have a version of Microsoft Office, there are Office suites available (StarOffice/OpenOffice) which supposedly can read and write MS Office files but there could be some incompatibilites with some features. Microsoft do a version of Office for the Mac so I would expect it is more (not necessarily completely though) compatible with the Windows version. If having Microsoft Office is essential then you are definitely looking at sticking with windows or getting a Mac.

 

[Betsy Og]

Ok , so feeling a bit techie thick, but sure we cant be masters of everything.


So a Mac will run MS office and is fairly user friendly. Why is it better for video editing?? I thought that would depend on how much memory the machine has or its 'clock speed' (which I gather is how quick it is to churn things out).

Presumably a Mac is made by Apple and thats that. So it is therefore dearer than other machines since you have Dell, Compac, Toshiba etc etc. competing for your standard PC market.

Will be going for laptop - just for the practicalities of things, probably with external DVD burner - since this swopping discs things is a bit of a pain if doing any few at all (making own discs, not pirating - I hasten to add!!!).

Any other thoughts?? - I take it Netscape is the safer browser to have virus wise.

 

[machalla]

My own opinion on probably the best Linux distribution to use is Mandrakes latest one (for a new user the best I think). They have changed the name to Mandriva. You can probably pick it up off the front of some of the recent pc magazines or else if you have BB just download it. Theres nothing to stop you doing a dualboot system to see which you prefer (windows and linux on one machine).

www.mandrake.com

Its an easier install than windows, comes setup by default for a basic user and pretty much just works.

Frankly I don't think at this point that most Linux distrubtions will suit any non-techie type except for those who have a specific set of requirements (email, web-browsing, Multimedia, Office type apps).

It is ideal for users who will use it for basic stuff and it is "relatively" invulnerable to the usual virus/security issues.

Openoffice is very compatible with office documents and spreadsheets (apart from very specific coding in the excel sheet which does something out of the ordinary). I use it more often than I use MS-Office based stuff and it does the job fine. I think there is a version of openoffice for the mac also.

Linux runs 2 alternative desktop solutions (ok theres more than that but the 2 main ones) which are KDE and Gnome. KDE is more of a "standard" windows experience while Gnome is more mac like (in my own opinion).

Mandrake Linux runs KDE as its default desktop.

Its hard to know what would be most suitable for you but if you don't want to run windows its a good starting point. I think its unlikely that you will buy a laptop without an Operating system installed and most likely this will be windows (you pay for the license usually in the cost of the machine). The mac laptops are usually much more expensive in my limited experience with them. Usually pretty but underpowered compared to their x86 counterparts.

Regarding browsers on windows. Firefox is the current premier browser out there. Microsoft will be launching IE7 sometime later this year and have borrowed heavily from what Firefox already has. Also IE7 will only run on a windows XP machine. So if you've not got XP then you are as well off getting used to using firefox anyway. Firefox also runs on linux.