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Ubuntu/Linux

folly
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎10-02-2008

Ubuntu/Linux

Hi
I'm thinking of buying a new computer with Ubuntu/Linux installed instead of Windows. Does anyone have experience of the operating system? I would appreciate any advice you may have to offer.
Many thanks
Mike
18 REPLIES 18
gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Yes ...
I would say its probably the most user friendly distro of linux i've come across and I currenty run this on my main PC. I would suggest downloading the live CD from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu
If you pop it into your CD drive and reboot, it will boot into ubuntu imediatly and you can give it a wherl and then install to your hard drive if you decide to..... that said, I don't think there is a plus side to buying a PC with it already on IMO as you can download it for free and install it on any machine.
It also has VERY good hardware support for just about everything including the most obscure wifi cards, so no messing about with drivers.
It usually just works, straight out of the box and installing new programs via the apt GUI (Graphical user interface) is a breeze
I rekon the only problem you will come across is installing javaVM and Flash player but with a bit of google expertise even thats easy to sort.
Hope that helps.
P.S. It's debian under the hood
folly
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎10-02-2008

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Thank you Gary.
I shall give it a try.
Cheers,
Mike
orbrey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 10,540
Registered: ‎18-07-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Just to point out, there is a fairly large plus point to buying it pre-installed and that's that it's a lot cheaper than windows. The only way it would be cheaper is to buy your hardware without any OS installed, if possible. The ubuntu install is pretty friendly.
Hope that helps,
gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

I've not really looked into it that much ..... can you really get the hardware a *lot* cheaper by buying it with ubuntu pre-installed?????? >>
*Goes of to google to investigate*
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Ubuntu is strongly recommended.
At least you won't need to worry about all this virus checker nonsense  Grin

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&oc=N025U501&s=dhs
You see .... I don't think thats a very good spec for the price, all your saving really is the hassle of installing ubuntu if your fairly novice with PC's.
gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Arrgh I don't get it!.... You can get a much better spec laptop if you have vista for only £60 more..... in components it would cost more than £60
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?reconfigure=true&vw=list&cart=ActiveCart&id=ace...
I just don't get it! .... do you get brownie points for choosing an MS system???? Im guessing so!
Ok Orbrey, your right-ish, gimme some humble pie.
EDIT: What I mean is that they can probably cover the hardware costs better if you choose vista yet if you choose ubuntu you get a lower spec laptop at a lower price................................. actually, nothing adds up anymore  Huh
Can anyone explain what i'm missing?
Anyway, getting back on topic - Ubuntu. its good!  Roll_eyes
orbrey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 10,540
Registered: ‎18-07-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

I dunno... from searching it's certainly a challenge, geting a PC without some form of wimdows installed. I did find somewhere the other day that does bespoke laptops and you can have them with either windows, pre-installed linux or no OS at all but unfortunately can't remember what it was called. If I come across it again I'll update this thread.
Sorry Gary, it wasn't intended as a challenge and I didn't have any specific examples in mind but I must admit, I'd like to know too.
gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Didn't mean it as a challenge mate... just observation, sort of, omitting sheer confusion over dells business model.
So anyway, back on topic then  Wink
EDIT: Can we have spell check with the next skin?
pierre_pierre
Grafter
Posts: 19,757
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

dun no mate i use Fyrfox thats goot a good spell cheker built in
gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

FryFox FTW  Cheesy
VileReynard
Hero
Posts: 12,616
Thanks: 582
Fixes: 20
Registered: ‎01-09-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Quote from: orbrey
I dunno... from searching it's certainly a challenge, geting a PC without some form of wimdows installed.

Does it have to be a laptop?
I got my PC from http://www.arbico.co.uk - they let you choose a version of Windows or no OS
Installation of Ubuntu is very easy (only one reboot).

"In The Beginning Was The Word, And The Word Was Aardvark."

gary
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Good point. I was just using laptops as an example as laptops are the only things i've seen about with ubuntu pre-installed.
Not applicable

Re: Ubuntu/Linux

Quote from: Gary
Can anyone explain what i'm missing?

Yeah, Microsoft sell OEM OS's a lot cheaper than they sell retail copies of the same thing. Couple into that the sort of discounts that a huge assembler like Dell will get on the OEM OS, and you can start to see why there is little price differential.
Another example is a recent 'business deal' that Dell were offering - you could get a relatively highly specified PC with widescreen LCD monitor running Vista Business for a couple of hundred pounds - the promotion was part funded/subsidised by MS, you were limited to 5 machines per business. Whilst you could upgrade the machines, they wouldn't allow you to "upgrade" to XP Home as the point of the offer was to get businesses trying Vista.