With the release of Breezy Badger the next instalment of Ubuntu Linux drawing near (Oct 13th) I released I had been using Linux/Ubuntu for around 9 months. So I thought I'd do a fairly quick review of the experience of moving from Windows to Linux.

After installing Ubuntu on my computer I found Ubuntu simple to use and could easily navigate around the system. However I was not comfortable with it as I am a power user. There were many more advanced things that were unknown to me such as networking. I had no idea how to go about doing such things and so whilst the operation was easy I was at home with the OS. It is difficult to get used to Linux having used windows for over 9 years coming from an OS where you have your favourite programs and a good working knowledge of it into an OS where every program (except Firefox and Thunderbird ) is new to you along with the operation of the OS. This is by far the most off putting thing about the move. The presentation and general feel of Ubuntu and the great applications it is presented with are far superior to anything Windows will ever offer but I had hundreds of questions that needed answering.

It's difficult to remember that you are moving to a new OS and that you do have to learn thing again after being accustomed to not having to learn anything new for so long. After a week I was beginning to get comfortable with the system and it's workings, already I was amazed by what it could do and how good all this open source software was. After a month I was pretty settled down with Ubuntu. It was now clear that I would not be moving back to Windows, after all, how could I? I had just discovered something that made computing fun again, something new, something free and something much better.

Linux was the best thing that happened to the computer side of me since I found my Dad's Acorn Electron and first got interested in computers. It opened a whole new avenue and presented me with the chance to learn so much more and I have.

Of course there has to be a downside to this and the downside is that not everything is straight forward to install and not every piece of hardware is easy to set up. Who's to blame for the hardware? The manufactures as they are incredibly unhelpful in providing specifications and details of the products but even with this huge hurdle hardware support in Linux is still great and in some cases better than Windows.

To conclude, since I'm quite obviously not just an average computer user but someone who has a great interest in computers as a hobby Linux suits me perfectly. For those who simply use computers but are not fanatics Linux is very close but perhaps not yet ready for them. It's true my whole family use Linux including my sister of nine years of age but they are infrequent computer users, they would not know how to or should not need to install hardware and so for them Linux is just as easy as Windows to use. For the user that used to installing hardware but that's as far as their knowledge takes them Linux will be a challenge.

Even with it's pitfalls, I would not swap back to Windows even if it were free (and indeed it is as I am a member of the MSDN AA through my Uni). My only regret is that I did not get into Linux sooner as I'd have an even greater knowledge of computing by now

2 Comments

Location: Joined: 01/12/08

Hey Deus, I just got it running today! I really like the feel of it, the smoothness and ease of use is what is really attracting me. Still trying to work with the package manager and whatnot, but I'll figure it out. You were right that it is awesome. And I can see why so many people like it, it just stays at the top of the charts at DistroWatch. Thanks for informing me about it back in the spring, I would never have found this awesome distro (or Linux for that matter) without your advice!

Chris Location: West Midlands, UK Joined: 24/03/05	Glad you like it Godzilla, just email me if you have any questions

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