Good Linux Product

[#1]

Quote from: purleigh

I think that is a bit over dramatic ! Going to the "Software Centre", finding the "Gnome Desktop" and hitting [Install] ,  isn't going to be a huge challenge ! Knowing where to look on the login screen for choosing which desktop you want to run this time, is only slightly trickier !

What happens when it says missing dependency, or this will overwrite xyz? Maybe not for Gnome desktop but it has been known. Also as you say they user has autologin enabled and gets the same desktop as before - will they know to look in the login screen if they even see it? For a complete newbie it is better to choose the desktop you think you want rather than install a new one.

[#2]

Quote from: BenG

Hi I have a laptop that come with windows vista , but was thinking of having a go at Linux, What will be the best one for me as I am only starting out with linux I had a look on the net but there seems to be loads of Linux os's you can download but I am not sure on the best one. any help be good thanks,

Shifted to Linux about 6 months ago and never looked back, Using Mint 13 Cinnamon and am well pleased with it.
I Would never consider going on the internet using windows although I do have a dual booting option as several programs I Have only work with Windows.
Amazing that so much good stuff is free and in most cases gets updated.
As others have said which version of Linux you use is down to personal choice and they can be tried direct from CD without being installed.
There are many support forums should you get stuck with anything and I find most people are very helpful.
Let us know how you get on

[#3]

To the OP, I have now been using Linux for a few years and found it a great operating system. It will have its sort falls in certain areas I have no doubt but most of them can be got round. I personally use Ubuntu 12.04 because I like to use stable releases. A few of the people who frequent this board are seasoned veterans and enjoy working with computers where as I just want as little hassle as possible. From what I hear about vista (never tried it) but it is supposed to be a very unreliable platform. Linux on the other hand is generally very reliable, runs faster (no need for firewall or AV and safer for browsing the internet arguably. I feel your laptop will benefit from using it. Which ever you choose is your personal pref. Mint and Ubuntu are the most common plain user ones at the moment. They are pretty much similar other than as other people have mentioned have went off in different directions with how they look.
Ubuntu has went down the route of something a bit windows 8ty that would look ok on tablets, phones and computers where Mint is an old skool desktop pretty similar to xp and 7 and all previous windows OS.
Try them both from the Live CD and see which takes your fancy and seems more comfortable for you to use as a user. Ubuntu can be changed from the "New Look" back to something more Minty or something you are more familiar with as a Desktop but if you don't want the hassle just go Mint. Because it's free you can change your mind later once you get the lay of the land. Installing takes no time at all.
 

[#4]

Another plus for Mint over Ubuntu is that it will play virtually all media (avi/xvid/dvd/etc) from the live cd, where as you have to faff about with Ubuntu to get it playing them. Depends on what you want to do with the l/t.
Personally I switched from U to M about 5+ years ago, and see no reason to switch back, I HATE Unity  If I wanted a mobile OS then I would use Android/Chrome OS.

[#5]

Quote from: BenG

Hi I have a laptop that come with windows vista , but was thinking of having a go at Linux, What will be the best one for me as I am only starting out with linux I had a look on the net but there seems to be loads of Linux os's you can download but I am not sure on the best one. any help be good thanks,

Get a couple of RW DVD's and download several Linux's - these can normally be run [in an extra slow mode] without affecting your existing hard disk.
Then think about installing the one you like most.
For each one, check that networking and sound work properly.

[#6]

Quote from: Hairy

Quote from: picbits I only really use Windows now for browsing and messing about in. That is just wrong, using a M$ machine for browsing , what you want malware on it

Hrrmph !...    I have been using Windows for years, and rarely have had any malware.... looking back over the past 5 years I have had none.... I use Malwarebytes about every two months, when / if.... I remember to do it.... update it first, then run it..... never found anything in FIVE YEARS... so your statement is a little tongue in cheek, methinks 

[#7]

Depends on the sites you visit, but 100% sure you are more likely to get malware on an M$ pc than a Linux one. & you don't need to run a Virus scanner or malware scanner on a Linux PC.

[#8]

Quote from: shutter

Hrrmph !...    I have been using Windows for years, and rarely have had any malware.... looking back over the past 5 years I have had none.... I use Malwarebytes about every two months, when / if.... I remember to do it.... update it first, then run it..... never found anything in FIVE YEARS... so your statement is a little tongue in cheek, methinks

You could use Linux and never get any malware.

[#9]

My memory isnt as good is it should be... hence my term "rarely".... I cannot remember ever having any malware... I "may" have done, but it must have been so insignificant that my memory deems it unworthy of recall!! ! ! ! ... . so , I shall rephrase that statement, and say I have never had any malware..... (that has caused any problems) since I started using windows 3.1 on floppy discs.
Linux is for geeks who have the time an inclination to mess around with things to get them working... Windows is for people who want to get on and use the computer as it was intended.... !.. 
so enjoy your Linux,......... and I`ll enjoy getting on with  my life....

[#10]

Quote from: vilefoxdemonofdoom

Quote from: shutter I use Malwarebytes about every two months, when / if.... I remember to do it.... update it first, then run it.....

I don't do that and I don't spend my time reading EULA's...

[#11]

Neither do I... never read one since Windows 3.1  still alive and kicking... 

[#12]

Quote from: shutter

Linux is for geeks who have the time an inclination to mess around with things to get them working... Windows is for people who want to get on and use the computer as it was intended.... !.

I use windows most of the time on my PC and, now and again, run a virtual machine with a Microsoft OS
At about the time I switched emphasis from MS products to Linux, I could not use my "dial-up" modem (it had worked with 98SE, but not with XP); Linux gave it a new lease of life, though it was never used in its fallback role for internet access and only a few times in FAX mode

[#13]

Quote

Linux is for geeks who have the time an inclination to mess around with things to get them working...

To be fair on both systems, when I started using Linux I tended to try and mess about with it but now I don't bother with it at all really. It is being used as a computer is intended. It's great for everyday family use. The messing side of things isn't really down to the OS it's down to the lack of support for the OS. Due to some of the bigger players in the software market not supporting Linux people then have to make things work themselves. If you just want the bare bones surfing, email, office docs, draw etc Linux works right out the box without any need for much messing. As for malware and things I work away quite a lot so I feel safe that nothing can get into the system without me allowing it. For the apps that I need windows wine pretty much will run the majority and I also have a virtual machine with a copy of XP installed for the ones that won't. I wish I didn't have to do this but that's the reality of it, again, that's not down to the OS but lack of support. It's fair to say though the apps I'm trying to run that need the VM are quite new and have as many problems running on a windows system as they do on Linux. In fact, running windows software in a clean XP VM without loads of other things running works out better. Windows software suffers problems when they have conflict with other software so keeping the amount of apps down to a minimum makes it less problematic. I also spend less time keeping the system running smoothly and have no need to be checking for updated drivers.
On the other hand, I have two xp systems that I can only remember getting maybe a handful of warnings about malware that the AV picked up and solved but that is probably down to me not been stupid enough to open an email with an exe. file in it or surfing dodgy sites. Linux is more fire and forget for everyday use. Every now and again I clean out the browsers and run an update. My linux system has never let me down in all the years I have been using it other than when I've broke it through messing.
Biggest difference I suppose is Free, my machine at home was a top spec about 10 years ago. I would have probably bought four operating systems by now if I want to move with the times. It's only now that my machine is starting to get it's nose forced out but that again is by software developers. Flash, my cpu and linux just aren't getting on on my machine at the moment because of the lack of SSE2 support for my cpu but it's also fair to say that Windows 8 doesn't support it either so it makes little difference.

[#14]

I think also that you would have had to upgrade the pc to run those 4 OS updates as well, at least a graphics card & ram update, and probably a new pc by now tor the new one.
As I have said before I got this (my MAIN pc) off freecycle, a Dell Dimension 9200, about 4 years ago. The previous owner kept the hdd out of it, and said it was TOO SLOW. I fitted my HDD's and later upped the memory to 4Gb but only because I was using a lot of memory hungry apps. I switched to it because when I did a bench mark on it, it was FASTER than my then main pc 
I doubt it would run the latest 2 versions of M$ but is quite happy with Mint 14 (and will be running Mint 15 when it is released next month).
I just fitted a new graphics card but haven't really noticed any difference other than the quality settings on Civ V can be upped a bit more 
I have a BRD burner fitted for backup and it will happily write BRD disks at 10 speed (23Gb in <20min)
As to malware I had a call from a neighbour who was panicking 'cause his M$ pc had been infected with the police malware (or whatever it is called) the one tat claims to be from the police and you have to pay a "donation" of £100 to remove the screen, it even switched on his camera on his new laptop and was displaying his pic on screen claiming he had been a naughty boy. Now he uses the pc for email/browsing and music generation and is not very computer literate otherwise.  Now this would NOT have happened if he had been running Linux.

[#15]

Both the systems at my office were very old machines that were destined for the tip. One has 9.10 on and 10.04 dual booting with xp. Both run as sweet as nut, my estimator once he got over the initial shock prefers linux once we found alternative software or put VM's on and in fact then put ubuntu on his brothers pc who is totally computer illiterate because it saved him loads of phone calls about problems.
Both are networked and we share a printer, the I.T costs for this set up would probably have run into four figures so as a business it gave me more cash to spend on more important things. My only investment was two new HDD's because I'm comfortable that if the other ageing stuff goes bang I can run the live CD and get everything back. Important stuff is kept in cloud storage as well as a belt and braces approach.
We have run like this since 2007 and not had any issues with our entire I.T infrastructure   not bad for £150.00 ish