I have been a Microsoft whore ever since having a “proper” PC. I have just upgraded my Mobo and chipset, Graphics card and Powersupply and am having trouble reinstalling Windows. Why am I bothering?
I have been doing a fair bit of investigation into Linux and things on the net… and I am looking at training for Linux sys admin (though I am a nub atm)
Are there any reasons to NOT download and install Ubunto? I cannot seem to see any pluses for reinstalling windows, apart from the fact I bought it. Ubuntu seems faster, looks great, is free, is looked after by a great community. I play WoW and Diablo on line and I use word processors etc, but I am struggling to see the advantages to shovelling money back into Microsofts pocket.
Sorry if this is a poor subject for a thread but I would value some opinions.
So expect issues with Diablo 3 (if that’s the version you mean)
Other than that, I can’t think of a single reason not to use Linux instead (indeed, I can think of a LOT of reasons why you SHOULD) … there are native Linux alternatives to most Windows applications, but if you’re big on Windows games, or think Linux can run Windows native apps as well as Windows (it “generally” wont) you’ll probably want Windows … or a dual boot system.
If there’s no need to keep any Windows applications, or you plan on a dual boot system (Windows and Linux) … no competition, Linux every time, and Ubuntu is probably a safe bet as far as which Linux distribution
Then I clicked the thread, and thought, ah typical Windows problems, switch over to Linux. Good thinking!
As Mark says, Windows games/programs won’t run natively but you can use WINE in order to give them that compatibility.
I can think of a lot of reasons why you SHOULDN’T install Windows, but then that would be me being very biased, which I am.
Perhaps if you listed your PC specs and hardware we could better accommodate your needs.
Ubuntu (oo-bun-tu) is a great all rounder. It pulls in the best in latest software in our Linux community, but also is great looking (debatable, just use the search bar to see). The great thing about Linux in general is, if you don’t like say the desktop environment, change it. If you don’t like a windows manager, change it. If you don’t like the file browser, change.
Linux gives you the freedom OS X & Windows never can. This is the reason people use it, and love it… Also because it’s the MOST secure OS-base on the planet that I know of and super speedy.
Ahh … BkS just made me think of another reason … hardware compatibility.
Can you tell us a little about your hardware … in particular, Which Grahpics card, and peripherals such as printer etc. you use.
But other than the “occasional” hardware issue, and Windows software compatibility … I stick by my statement, I can’t think of any other reason NOT to use Linux, indeed I’d recommend it … but then I would … I’m biased too
I would normally recomend testing it first from a LiveUSB before getting rid of Windows … but if you don’t have Windows installed yet…
Heck Ubuntu and most other distro’s are free … and you have nothing to loose … so why not give it a whirl and see
As you want to learn Linux, but you’re also into Windows gaming, I’d probably suggest a dual-boot setup as the way forward … but the choice is yours
Thank you for treating me with respect enough to answer my question without the sarcasm you sometimes get when you join forums and have little knowledge of the source material. Impressive
My rig, now, is a little hum dinger. Running an Intel i7 2600k chip on a Gigabyte z77x-d3h mobo with 4gb ddr3 1333 ram (updating ram to 16gb when I pop to shops) and a nVidi GeForce 5600 ti graphics card all in a 5 fanned Thermaltake case that is the size of a small shed lol.
From what you have said, Dual Boot seems my best option. I have also seen some info about running Ubuntoo from within Windows too. Not sure if I would like to do that but I deffo wanna get into the whole Linux side of stuff. Dual Booting seems like the way to go and, as you said, I can also just play around with it till I am ready to jump in fully.
My gaming seems to be the only plus side to re-installing Windows.
I really appreciate the time you have taken to give me your advice guys. Thanks a lot.
Your system will be more than capable of running Ubuntu at impressive speeds.
You can indeed install Ubuntu “inside” Windows, although it’s really just a virtual disk image running.
Your best choice would be to do a dual-boot system, that way you can select which OS you want to boot into on start-up.
If you do decide to go down the dual-boot road, ensure you install Windows FIRST. This is important, because Windows needs to run on a primary partition just by the nature of it. Then once you’ve installed Windows and downloaded the thousands of drivers you’ll need (:P) you can install your Linux distribution of choice.
It might be worth noting that you can install Linux from a USB stick, we call this a LiveUSB, and these are especially handy for when you don’t have CD’s/DVD’s to hand. Also a good way of testing distro’s you’d like to try out.
If your not all for the Unity desktop enviroment, and you want to keep in that Windows-esque way of doing things, like start menu on the left, programs list, etc, you may want to check out Linux Mint which comes in 2 flavours. Mint with MATE, and Mint with Cinnamon.
Best of luck, and all the best. Any problems, come back here and we’ll help sort them.
Yup, Install Windows first, it will make things MUCH easier … good luck … and give us a shout if you have any further questions, or require assistance.
