On Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:09:57 -0500, "
wrote:

CUPS (linux) in about 30 secs, about 5X faster than getting it working
on a Windows box. Even my scanner is no problem. Some experts claim
Linux now has better hardware support than Windows 7. The myth that
linux has poor hardware support is just that. A long dead myth, at
that.

My tower system won't boot to Linux. Actually, the display won't configure
properly and it's rather hard to change settings blind. This isn't unusual.

WHICH Linux? There are many many many of them out there. Some of
them..older versions...didnt do video very well on unusual cards.

Ive not booted one in hummm 3 or more years that wouldnt boot even on
old 500 mhz machines. Desktops, laptops..you name it.

Here is my mecca for Linux...

http://distrowatch.com/


Dont download anything thats not marked Distribution. There are often a
number of test versions that are used by helpers to debug the code and
whatnot.

If you will note on the far right of the screen..there are about a 100
or so versions of Linux out there..or more. One of my personal favorites
is MINT Linux..as its fairly close to Windows and works nicely with most
hardware.

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=mint
http://linuxmint.com/


Download it to DVD and run it off the DVD and see if you like it or have
any problems with it.

Of course..Ubuntu is very very popular and works very very well with
most hardware and is heavily supported. See above for running off DVD
or CD

Suse Linux is very good as well and has been well supported for many
years

http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=suse

Its my #3 favorite and is very powerful and is kept updated regularly
with new features and improvements

Now..it depends on what sort of computer (box) you are running. If I
were you..Id pick up a simple used 1.5-3 ghz desktop for $25 somewhere
along with a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and of course either a modem
or network card..and use that box to play with linux on. You will need
at minimum 512 mb memory..perferably 1gibyt or more. Easy and cheap
machine to find. I get full systems for less than $75 with Windows
already on it. and then install your version of Linux as a "dual
boot"...when the machine is turned on..it comes up and asks if you want
ot load Windows, or Mint or....etc etc.

That way you have a spare windows box and you can delete/kill,change,
update or add other versions of Linux

And of course..they are all FREE so you can play with them all you want
for no money.

Keep your windows machine that you are currently using and play with the
second box and check out all the versions of Linux.

Its a very rapidly changing world and Linux has been leading the way in
becoming easier, more powerful and simply better than Windows.

Its fascinating how good most of this stuff is nowadays. I run Windows
very seldom. Im not running Windows on this box in fact..Im running
Xandros with a converter program called Wine..which allows me to run
many many many Windows programs from Linux. Im running Agent 1.93..a
very old version of Forte Agent that Ive used for at least 11 yrs..and
it works smoothly, nicely and quickly under Wine and in Linux

If you havent run Linux in years and are basing your opinion on stuff 2
or more years older...evolution has been very very fast. Seriously.
Nothing is the same as it was 2 or more years ago.

Try it, putter with it. I think you will learn to like it a lot.

Gunner

One could not be a successful Leftwinger without realizing that,
in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers
and mothers of Leftwingers, a goodly number of Leftwingers are
not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.
Gunner Asch