thinking of switching to linux

[thesinter]

well, i have had this laptop for a couple of months now, and it came with vista. My computer runs pretty smoothly, but i would like to switch to a faster os. Also, i have heard that linux is basically virus free, witch would be great because my brother little brother is always on my comp, and it is good too know that if he ever does click on an ad i don't have to worry about my computer going to hell.

Some other things i noticed is that some of my games are not running as good as they should because vista kind of bulks it up in the background. Battlefield 1942 doesn't even start up properly because i have found out that vista doesn't support it.

So can anyone tell me if it would be a good idea to switch to linux, and tell me the benefits of it and disadvantages.

I have heard that a lot of new games don't work with linux, but are they ever updated to were they could work?

also it seems that there are more than 1 version of linux, witch one should i get. it needs to be free.

 

[CompMan]

Well Linux doesn't support to much either.
IMO I love Vista, I really do, and I would stick it out with Vista. They are gunna make more and more stuff compatible.

and did you try running Bf1942 in compatibility mode?

 

[DJ-CHRIS1]

well, i have had this laptop for a couple of months now, and it came with vista. My computer runs pretty smoothly, but i would like to switch to a faster os. Also, i have heard that linux is basically virus free, witch would be great because my brother little brother is always on my comp, and it is good too know that if he ever does click on an ad i don't have to worry about my computer going to hell.

Some other things i noticed is that some of my games are not running as good as they should because vista kind of bulks it up in the background. Battlefield 1942 doesn't even start up properly because i have found out that vista doesn't support it.

So can anyone tell me if it would be a good idea to switch to linux, and tell me the benefits of it and disadvantages.

I have heard that a lot of new games don't work with linux, but are they ever updated to were they could work?

also it seems that there are more than 1 version of linux, witch one should i get. it needs to be free.

Linux has poor computability with games, and most of your desktop software in general.

 

[mammikoura]

there are a few choises for a linux OS.
I've always used kubuntu, most people will probably recommend ubuntu. They are pretty much the same, only that kubuntu uses kde and ubuntu uses gnome. I've also heard great things about gentoo, though it can be a bit difficult for a person who just started using linux.

As for advantages, well there are a lot. Very few viruses, extremely stable and once you learn how to use everything using linux is very simple, fast and effective. But of course it takes time to learn. And that is one of the biggest disadvantages, most people are used to windows so doing things differently can be hard at first.

The other major disadvantage would be that some games don't work that well. There are a few programs, at least wine (free) and cedega (I think this costs like a few $ per month) which allow you to play a lot of games.
And usually it takes time for them to make some game work in linux, so you probably are unable to play new games just after they come out.

 

[Rubber314Chicken]

one word if you use linux: WINE...

I though linux would be good, but I was wrong... try it for yourself on a treelawn computer before you commit yourself to it, becuase it can be a pain to remove sometimes.

 

[dude_se]

just dual boot with xp if you want a better gaming experience, obviously when vista is sorted out a bit more then i might suggest otherwise.

 

[thesinter]

well so far, using linux seems like a personal preference. SO i am thinking that i will load a copy of linux onto a disk, and boot off of it. That way i can see if i like the change.

 

[mammikoura]

becuase it can be a pain to remove sometimes.

well.. deleting the partition shouldn't be too hard. Takes around 2 minutes to do, and then it's completely removed.

 

[dude_se]

just order a feww ubuntu disk or download it if you want to try. its a live cd aswell as an install one

 

[NuK3]

If you have a higher end computer (which I assume because you are running Vista) you should have a look at Sabayon linux. Its great for a beginner, it comes bundled with all your necessary software (OpenOffice.org, Firefox, GIMP, Media players, etc.) Also all your drivers are already installed, so you wont have to configure anything at all, you can just jump right in. If you want to run eyecandy (Compiz and Emerald) thats already preinstalled and configured, which totally blows away Vista Aero.

I have never even had to use the command line once with Sabayon, there is no need lol.