Windows User
I have always been a PC user, using Windows for most of my work. The reason I use Windows is the speed with which I can get things done. Being a Computer Scientist, all I need is some Office application; support for a mix of programming languages, database and IDEs; and some matlab-like software(but,all this just for my work, I love using many other applications). I got Windows XP for free, in my first PC at home, a Compaq Presario(6 years back). I loved the speeds, the UI and the variety of applications that I can run on it. And also its open disc policy of showing what's in the disc upfront(Ubuntu mounts everything for you :)).
I used to turn off the automatic updates, switch to windows classic theme, and disable all unwanted(atleast what I feel is not required) services. Windows seemed fine and as the best technology for a dumb and lazy end-user. All those apart, I have always been an admirer of Free(as in freedom) softwares, so, I used to install Linux, play with it(mostly programming) and get bored of the lack of multimedia features(actually it doesn't lack multimedia features, its the hardship involved in getting them work on your PC[I am very lazy]), switch back to Windows.
Vista for Notebooks - Really pathetic performance
It was all fine until recently, when I got a HP Notebook with Windows Vista installed in it. It was an AMD Turion64 X2 TL-60. This technology was really cool with a nVidia GeForce graphics card, and many other cool stuffs in it. But the only problem I felt initially was that I could'nt get all the drivers for XP(if I wanted to install it) which seemed much more faster. This blackie had a 32-bit Vista installed, which I rather hated, too old an OS for a mature 64-bit processor. So I upgraded to Vista 64-bit. This one seemed to perform well for the first few days. Soon, it became apparent that Vista was having problems. It started to gorge my memory like anything, and every process had more affinity towards the processors, than they would require. Damn, it was complete wreck, now and then when I tried opening applications, and my system would let me take a nap between a few clicks. Way too low for a Tesla machine with a huge capacity(2GB and according to Moore's law, this won't hold after a few years). Soon after that, Vista started reading my harddisk even if I wouldn't ask it to do anything. It became a dumb hardworker, who is really a dumbass, works hard, says he is the most qualified, not enough to satisfy the boss even for a really petty job.
Ubuntu for the Rescue
OMFG! I had to find another solution. I had used Linux many times in the past, during my work and UG, seldomn used it , 'cause it didn't have enough applications and that I am used to doing things obtusely(as is the case with Windows users and its triumph). From a simple research on the net I found that Ubuntu had so much support and easeness. Downloaded the AMD64 version, burnt it to a DVD and made a full install in a breeze. I request you guys to not do a VMWare installation, if you want it to perform. And for the wireless driver installation, all I had to do is click the QuickLaunch-like panel which asked me if I wanted to install external drivers. Just a click and a 2 minutes wait before I got connected!!!
Driver Problems with Ubuntu
If wireless doesn't work on yours, don't give up, this is the only thing that you might want to take pains to install. This link here tells us how to install the driver using ndiswrapper : http://www.uluga.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=575750 . That link is for a specific version of HP DV series, but they have given a list of HP notebooks which are compatible with them. Even if you have a different notebook, there is so much support from the Ubuntu community. The link given above will also have instructions to install sound card, any graphic card and certain other drivers as well. Sound and graphics support comes in the default installation. So, mostly it would be the case, when you are installing the latest Ubuntu that you have everything already in place.
Once I install the wireless driver and connect to the internet, its all done. I setup my graphic card driver, by just clicking on the "Ubuntu-Update" alert just like in Windows(in the QuickLaunch-like panel), and another few minutes of wait, but this time it downloaded from the internet and installed the driver. Now, I can activate desktop effects.
Its now my pleasure to give you enough reasons to switch to the coolest Ubuntu from Windows.
11 Reasons to switch to Ubuntu from Windows:
- Ubuntu can be installed in any known Windows-compatible system(comments are welcome if I am wrong here)
- Availability of Drivers for a huge huge list of hardwares.
- You are a dumb user, like a Windows user. Everything is conspicuous even for the dumbest.
- You need not wait dumbly when your OS crashes along with Applications.
- You depend so much upon the righ-click menu in Windows(This one is what many like about Ubuntu).
- You are not confined to a specific application, and open to any application with similar functionality(usually the same and sometimes better).
- The above point re-instated, you have applications for almost everything from multimedia(GStreamer rocks, like the K-lite codec pack), disc burning, system tools, Office applications to games and Image editors.
- You DONT LIKE to go to the SHELL to get stuffs done or even if you LIKE to go to SHELL. This is where Ubuntu scores above many other flavours of Linux and equal to Windows.
- You are using AMD64, Ubuntu's AMD64 version is optimized for AMD 64-bit X2 processors.
- Top-notch performance (Minimal disk reads and optimal CPU performance).
- It is Free as in free food and its Free as in freedom(This one, certainly is for geeks).
In future posts I'll try to review softwares in Ubuntu.
