What can Linux do that Windon't? :P

[jeller]

Here's the deal. A while ago I bought this extra hard drive because I do a lot of video editing and making video shorts with my friends. But lately I've been pretty inactive in the video department, and I don't really think I'll be taking up 250 GB very quickly anyway. Also from a while ago, I have this "Linspire" Linux Distro (that is a distro, right?), and I figured I'd dedicate my extra internal hard drive to Linux to get a nice little dual-boot going. But I don't know what for I'd use Linux.

So what is Linux useful for?

Thanks.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

I like it just because it's a different feel for computing. I installed it as an experiment, and it stayed that way for a while. Then I put it on my laptop, which I mainly use for web browsing (I have my laptop and desktop both at one desk, so I do all my Internet stuff on my laptop like browsing and IM'ing, and do typing or gaming or whatever I happen to be doing on my desktop). Ubuntu was a perfect fit, because Linux has Firefox and Pidgin preinstalled. It's also much more secure, that's why I prefer to browse the Internet in Linux, because spyware and viruses won't work on your machine.

You can also use Linux for things like Compiz Fusion, Wiimote/Bluetooth connections with real drivers, IBM ThinkLight notification or XMMS visualizations, testing Wine for Windows compatibility, using OpenOffice, and more. I'm not sure that there's anything you can really do in Linux that you can't in Windows, as most open-source software is cross-platform, but I like the feel of the Linux (GNOME) desktop.

For me, Linux is useful because it's enjoyable. I like testing my hardware in Linux.

 

[Greg]

One of the many reasons that I use Linux is that most everything available for it is open source. This not only means that most everything is free, but it also means that you can do whatever you want with it. Modify it, redistribute it, whatever.

 

[jeller]

I like it just because it's a different feel for computing. I installed it as an experiment, and it stayed that way for a while. Then I put it on my laptop, which I mainly use for web browsing (I have my laptop and desktop both at one desk, so I do all my Internet stuff on my laptop like browsing and IM'ing, and do typing or gaming or whatever I happen to be doing on my desktop). Ubuntu was a perfect fit, because Linux has Firefox and Pidgin preinstalled. It's also much more secure, that's why I prefer to browse the Internet in Linux, because spyware and viruses won't work on your machine.

You can also use Linux for things like Compiz Fusion, Wiimote/Bluetooth connections with real drivers, IBM ThinkLight notification or XMMS visualizations, testing Wine for Windows compatibility, using OpenOffice, and more. I'm not sure that there's anything you can really do in Linux that you can't in Windows, as most open-source software is cross-platform, but I like the feel of the Linux (GNOME) desktop.

For me, Linux is useful because it's enjoyable. I like testing my hardware in Linux.

Hm. Cool. I might install it now.

One of the many reasons that I use Linux is that most everything available for it is open source. This not only means that most everything is free, but it also means that you can do whatever you want with it. Modify it, redistribute it, whatever.

I'd probably need some programming experience to truly utilize that, though, right?

 

[KSoD]

Honestly i can say that i was a life time Windows user. Started with Windows 3.1 and have been with it up to Vista now. Then i kept hearing about Ubuntu and their new release. Gutsy. The new wave of Windows replacement OS's.

So i downloaded it. Installed it. Have used it. To tell the truth there isnt anything that cant be done in Linux that can be done in Windows. Yeah have to find the right application for some things. But other than heavy gaming everything can be done with Linux.

So now i dual boot. Linux (Ubuntu) and Vista. But the truth is unless i want to game i stay in Linux. 1 for the security knowing that there is only like 1 Linux virus out there. 2. Linux can use more of my resources since they are not being used by AV, firewall, spyware, applications and the likes.

I would suggest you at least try to dual boot with Ubuntu. It is easy to learn. Took me about an hour. After that you wont look back to often.

 

[Greg]

I'd probably need some programming experience to truly utilize that, though, right?

Not as much as you'd think. Obviously it depends on what you're modifying, but simple modifications can be easy if you've got some general Linux experience.

Or you can bug the developers until they fix it

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

Honestly i can say that i was a life time Windows user. Started with Windows 3.1 and have been with it up to Vista now. Then i kept hearing about Ubuntu and their new release. Gutsy. The new wave of Windows replacement OS's.

So i downloaded it. Installed it. Have used it. To tell the truth there isnt anything that cant be done in Linux that can be done in Windows. Yeah have to find the right application for some things. But other than heavy gaming everything can be done with Linux.

So now i dual boot. Linux (Ubuntu) and Vista. But the truth is unless i want to game i stay in Linux. 1 for the security knowing that there is only like 1 Linux virus out there. 2. Linux can use more of my resources since they are not being used by AV, firewall, spyware, applications and the likes.

I would suggest you at least try to dual boot with Ubuntu. It is easy to learn. Took me about an hour. After that you wont look back to often.

I agree, though I was like 5 when we got Windows 95 (our first home computer) and I'd been with Windows ever since. One day my friend said (jokingly) that our school should switch to Linux, I questioned him "why?", because I knew Windows and liked it, especially XP. Then, one day, I was looking for Linux for my PDA, but came upon Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu. I had used lightweight distros before (back in the days of Dial-up, all I could afford to download was Feather Linux, which took a week or so of all-night downloading) and didn't like it because it couldn't compare to Windows.

But Ubuntu looked really good from the screenshots, and we had cable by then, so I downloaded it, just hoping to try the Live CD. When I did, I liked it so much that I pulled a 5GB hard drive out of my old HP computer and put it in my good computer, formatted, and installed Ubuntu (6.06). Since then, I switched hard drives a few times, but kept a place for Ubuntu, and now I dual-boot on everything.

I do agree that Linux's strong points are it's immunity to all Windows (which is pretty much all) viruses and spyware. I like the GNOME GUI and the high customizability of it. I really like Compiz, but I didn't have that early-on because up until 7.10 came out, installing Beryl was a complete mess, but now that Compiz is simple, I love it. I also like OpenOffice (use it in Windows too) and Pidgin (much better than the ad-spamming official IM clients). The other thing I really liked early on about Ubuntu was the awesome 3d screensavers (Euphoria was my favorite), but later found that they're for Windows too. For a newcomer to the desktop OS scene, Ubuntu is incredible, and at the rate Microsoft continues to fail, it may become the winner, but it has to gain commercial support (and someone needs to make an InstallShield-like auto-installer system for stuff not in the repositories) before it goes mainstream.

 

[Schecters]

Yeah, I don't know much of anything that can be done on linux that can't be done on windows. But it's the freedom that comes with linux that makes it awesome. Everything is free. You can customize like no other.

Ubuntu is what I use. Their online community is incredible. If you have a problem, they will at least try to help you fix it. I honestly tried ubuntu out just cause I was curious. I ended up liking it a lot. You will need some time to test out what works, and get your system set up, but you would need that with any computer. It's a nice change of pace, and a fun learning experience.

 

[KSoD]

Yeah, I don't know much of anything that can be done on linux that can't be done on windows. But it's the freedom that comes with linux that makes it awesome. Everything is free. You can customize like no other.

Ubuntu is what I use. Their online community is incredible. If you have a problem, they will at least try to help you fix it. I honestly tried ubuntu out just cause I was curious. I ended up liking it a lot. You will need some time to test out what works, and get your system set up, but you would need that with any computer. It's a nice change of pace, and a fun learning experience.

I have to fully agree. I also tried Ubuntu out of curosity and have not looked back. Yes i have a Dual boot setup with Windows but unless i have to go into Windows for some Beta Testing and bug finding i dont bother elaving Linux.

Plus after jsut finding the Emerald Theme Manager Linux is so much easier to customize. With the simple sites like gnome-look and compiz-themes it just makes life so much easier to make it lok and feel the way you want it.

I personally have not tried the Ubuntu forums cause i have another friend who has helped me all this time. But i will be sure to check them out if i ever stumble across something that i can get help on.

 

[horndude]

isn't so much what can you do but what it does better

automation

networking

*its a true multiuser system- this is something windows xp is not

nothing in it is hidden or super hard to understand, the entire source code and documentation for it is free and readily available