I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?

On 5/26/2017 11:30 AM, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


I had Vista on my old computer and son, who is computer type guy, could
not fix it when it slowed to a crawl so wiped it and installed Linux.

Worked fine when he did it in his home on ethernet but when I got it
home I could not get it to work on wifi. Son had no fix and I figured
computer was maxed out and bought new Win 8 now Win 10. Win 10 can be a
PITA but you can tone down a lot of intrusiveness and easier for someone
like me that is not a computer guru.

wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?

I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?

On Fri, 26 May 2017 12:46:46 -0400, Bill
wrote:

wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?

I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?
Other than a lot of time and the rest of your hair???

wrote:
On Fri, 26 May 2017 12:46:46 -0400, Bill
wrote:

wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?
I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?
Other than a lot of time and the rest of your hair???

He has been warned! : ) If he downloads Mint, then based upon my
experience, he should then head over to Oracle to download and install
their implementation of Java, the JVM. Let the learning begin... : )

Bill wrote:
wrote:
On Fri, 26 May 2017 12:46:46 -0400, Bill
wrote:

wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even
using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford
Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the
years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells
and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf
viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For
anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the
public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as
Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or
thumbs down for it compared to Windows?
I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you
won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use
Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?
Other than a lot of time and the rest of your hair???

He has been warned! : ) If he downloads Mint, then based upon my
experience, he should then head over to Oracle to download and install
their implementation of Java, the JVM.
I should add that doing this is free (the associated documentation
contains all of the details that you will need).

On 5/26/2017 4:13 PM, Bill wrote:
wrote:
On Fri, 26 May 2017 12:46:46 -0400, Bill
wrote:

wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even
using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford
Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years
to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and
whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I
have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious,
I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as
Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or
thumbs down for it compared to Windows?
I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?
Other than a lot of time and the rest of your hair???

He has been warned! : ) If he downloads Mint, then based upon my
experience, he should then head over to Oracle to download and install
their implementation of Java, the JVM. Let the learning begin... : )

You are correct according to what I've read. I just googled up
doeslinux mint work with programs I use like MS Office or free like
mozilla stuff and each had some comment on how to get these programs to
work on that OS. I would also like to be free of Microsoft but programs
are all set to use there.

On Fri, 26 May 2017 16:13:10 -0400, Bill
wrote:

wrote:
On Fri, 26 May 2017 12:46:46 -0400, Bill
wrote:

wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?
I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?
Other than a lot of time and the rest of your hair???

He has been warned! : ) If he downloads Mint, then based upon my
experience, he should then head over to Oracle to download and install
their implementation of Java, the JVM. Let the learning begin... : )

Java is not needed for ANY everyday utils like word processor,
browser, email client, music and video player, text editor. (Suggest
LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, Audacious , VLC and Leafpad
respectively, but you can find dozens of alternatives in the package
manager.

As to dists, Mint for absolute newbies (it's be something like
your ChromeBrick), or maybe PCLinuxOS

There are a lot of choices:

http://distrowatch.com/

The main thing is, DO NOT INSTALL anything other than what
your package manager offers. Installation is automatic and all
dependencies are taken care of by the manager.
Anything downloaded separately (like Oracle Java) will be a
massive security hazard, and unless you are proficient with fixing
Linux code, avoid it like the plague.
HTH
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

Shadow wrote:
The main thing is, DO NOT INSTALL anything other than what your package manager offers. Installation is automatic and all dependencies are taken care of by the manager.
Anything downloaded separately (like Oracle Java) will be a massive security hazard, and unless you are proficient with fixing Linux code, avoid it like the plague.


You don't trust Oracle, or is something else going on that I am unaware
of? One of the reasons I installed Linux (on the side) was to have a
"sandbox" to run Java applications that I don't have to trust.

wrote:
wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?
I have the "Mint" distribution. When you say "free", you mean you won't
pay any money--and you are correct about that, but learning to use Linux
will hardly be "free". Give it as try, you have your Chromebook as back
up. What do you have to lose?

alt.os.linux.mint
Good advice from good people.

wrote in message
...
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the
various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on,
but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada
features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor,
spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer.
For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public
library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's
Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs
down for it compared to Windows?


Some people prefer Linux Mint over Ubuntu.

On 05/26/2017 10:49 AM, catalpa wrote:
wrote in message
...
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the
various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on,
but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada
features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor,
spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer.
For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public
library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's
Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs
down for it compared to Windows?


Some people prefer Linux Mint over Ubuntu.



I run Kubuntu at work and OpenSUSE at home. Unless you're a geek, the
desktop is what matters. I prefer KDE, hence Kubuntu. Ubuntu went down
the Unity rabbit hole following Microsoft. It went over so well they're
dropping it.

Mint is based on Ubuntu but uses the Cinnamon desktop by default.
Cinnamon is a child of GNOME and built with Gtk+. You can use other
desktops but in my experience with various distros, trying to graft on
another desktop can result in sort of an unstable mess.

The other thing to take into consideration is the degree of ideological
purity. not using proprietary drivers is pure and so forth but can also
result in stuff not working. I ain't pure. I don't lose sleep if NVidia
releases a driver that isn't Stallman Pure Open Source GPL as long as it
works. After a fwe go arounds with reverse engineered LexMark drivers
because LexMark doesn't do Linux and your purity slips. Along with your
desire to ever buy a LexMark printer.

As the OP probably has gathered the problem with Linux is sort of like
if someone says "I don't like GM cars. Are there any other cars out
there?" and the answer is "Ford." There are big Fords, little Fords,
trucky Fords, fast Fords....

writes:

I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using
the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and
so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit,
restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a
decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small
Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my
little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's
Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or
thumbs down for it compared to Windows?

Thumbs up.

Fedora user here.
Compared to Windows, lots of things work better.
There are thousands of free applications you can easily install.

It's free to try and easier to understand which is another
kind of freedom.

Most new Linux users start with Ubuntu.

--
Dan Espen

On 05/26/2017 08:10 PM, Dan Espen wrote:

[snip]

Most new Linux users start with Ubuntu.


I did, in 2010. Then, when they introduced Unity I really didn't like
that GUI and switched to Lubuntu, which is the same but a different GUI.

For most problems, I found solutions on the web.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"It was well known how profitable this fable of Christ has been to us."
- Pope Leo X (as reported by Rev. Tavlor in the Diegesis)

wrote:
....
I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?

certainly give it a try.

i've been running Debian for many years and Ubuntu is
based upon Debian, but is supposedly easier to use.

there will be a learning curve, but if you have time
i consider it time well spent. i like puzzles instead
of watching tv anyways...

i can't even remember the last time i booted my
other machine which has win98 on it, the battery has
probably died by now (it also has Debian on it).


songbird

On 05/26/2017 11:30 AM, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


I prefer Linux Mint but still have to use Windows to do certain tasks
like updating my Garmin Nuvi maps.

On 5/26/2017 10:30 AM, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


Linux Mint on the TV computer... windows7 here, rasperian on a market
tracking Raspberry pi 2, Vista on a laptop that will soon be Linux Mint
or maybe duel boot to Mint. I've put Linux Mint on other computers for
friends and set it up so they can easily use it. Once you get it
down... you'll be glad you did. Google and Youtube is your friend... go
for it. You can put Linux on a USB and boot from that to try it out and
learn the ropes then install it if you think it will work for you.

On 5/26/2017 10:30 AM, wrote:

I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

Try any Linux or BSD distrobution. You only know Windows cuz all yer
friends/associates can give you advice on that particular OS almost
instantly. You were NOT born with an inate knowledge of Windows. You
jes think you were. Immerse yerself into Linux. It's the only way.

nb

On 27 May 2017 23:05:46 GMT, notbob wrote:


On 5/26/2017 10:30 AM, wrote:

I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

Try any Linux or BSD distrobution. You only know Windows cuz all yer
friends/associates can give you advice on that particular OS almost
instantly. You were NOT born with an inate knowledge of Windows. You
jes think you were. Immerse yerself into Linux. It's the only way.

nb
Linux is a "religion" to some.

On 2017-05-28, wrote:

Linux is a "religion" to some.

Not I! I'm pretty much a Linux non-zealot. I jes got tired of
having my Windows boxes hacked, so changed to Linux (I still have one
XP netbook, which I rarely take online).

Better? Of course. Never been hacked and I have a choice! With
Windows, you have no choice. It's as simple as that.

nb

On 28 May 2017 00:11:13 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2017-05-28, wrote:

Linux is a "religion" to some.

Not I! I'm pretty much a Linux non-zealot. I jes got tired of
having my Windows boxes hacked, so changed to Linux (I still have one
XP netbook, which I rarely take online).

Better? Of course. Never been hacked and I have a choice! With
Windows, you have no choice. It's as simple as that.

nb
Never been hacked and I've been using windows since Windows 2. It's as
simple as THAT.
I started usinf Windows on my own computer with Windows for Workgroups
3.1?.

On 05/26/2017 08:30 AM, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


Damn!! I missed this post!!! And everyone else had
a lot of constructive stuff to say too! Not fair,
not fair, not fair! What ???? I heard that! Life
is unfair ??

Linux is technically superior to Windows, and not by
a little, but by a lot. Now a days it is as easy
to use as is Windows too.

Check our the Live DVD's and see which one your like. KDE
was what Windows 7 was based on. Xfce is very sparse and
fast (my favorite), Gnome is weird for the sake of
weirdness (but some really love it).

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications. There is no
Turbo Tax, No Quick Books, No M$ Office (you can get it
to run under Wine), yada, yada, yada.

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Your choice.

On 2017-05-28, T wrote:

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications.

Nonsense.

There is no Turbo Tax

GNUCash

No Quick Books

If I don't know what it is, so why woudld I care?

No M$ Office

Open Office, Libre Office, etc

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Yes, Winblows has more sophisticated applications (a term replaced by
"apps". cuz today's kids cannot express 4 syllables), but they are all
proprietary. IOW, they cost $$$$.

Yes, Winblows has more "accepted" applications/programs, but only cuz
stupid ppl are willing to spend $$$$ to solve their problems. I find
it hilarious that kids, today, can type faster with their thumbs than
I can by touch-typing on a regular keyboard, yet they are terrified of
the command line (CLI). WTF!?

nb

On 05/27/2017 05:38 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2017-05-28, T wrote:

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications.

Nonsense.

There is no Turbo Tax

GNUCash

No Quick Books

If I don't know what it is, so why woudld I care?

No M$ Office

Open Office, Libre Office, etc

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Yes, Winblows has more sophisticated applications (a term replaced by
"apps". cuz today's kids cannot express 4 syllables), but they are all
proprietary. IOW, they cost $$$$.

Yes, Winblows has more "accepted" applications/programs, but only cuz
stupid ppl are willing to spend $$$$ to solve their problems. I find
it hilarious that kids, today, can type faster with their thumbs than
I can by touch-typing on a regular keyboard, yet they are terrified of
the command line (CLI). WTF!?

nb



Wonderful list!

I adore Ink Scape and PDF Studio.

Please note that GNU Cash DOES NOT do inventory or payroll.

On 2017-05-28, T wrote:



Please note that GNU Cash DOES NOT do inventory or payroll.

Like I know!? I'm retired. I don't do that silliness, anymore.

Linux is NOT the end all/be all OS. It gives you a choice, which
Microsoft/Apple do not. That's my primary point.

nb

On 05/27/2017 05:57 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2017-05-28, T wrote:



Please note that GNU Cash DOES NOT do inventory or payroll.

Like I know!? I'm retired. I don't do that silliness, anymore.

Linux is NOT the end all/be all OS. It gives you a choice, which
Microsoft/Apple do not. That's my primary point.

nb


That is what I love about Linux too. It is wide open
and the innovation is constant.

Apple is the worst when it comes to the vendor lock
in straight jacket.

After Frankenstein (w8) and Son-of-Frankenstein (W-Nein,
oops, ten) I can't really say what M$ is thinking. I
just wish they smoke a better brand of banana peal
when they think this s*** up.

On 28 May 2017 00:38:03 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2017-05-28, T wrote:

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications.

Nonsense.

There is no Turbo Tax

GNUCash

No Quick Books

If I don't know what it is, so why woudld I care?

No M$ Office

Open Office, Libre Office, etc

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Yes, Winblows has more sophisticated applications (a term replaced by
"apps". cuz today's kids cannot express 4 syllables), but they are all
proprietary. IOW, they cost $$$$.

Yes, Winblows has more "accepted" applications/programs, but only cuz
stupid ppl are willing to spend $$$$ to solve their problems. I find
it hilarious that kids, today, can type faster with their thumbs than
I can by touch-typing on a regular keyboard, yet they are terrified of
the command line (CLI). WTF!?

nb
There's just about as many "free" and "open source" stuff for Windoze
as there is for Linux.

On 2017-05-28, wrote:

There's just about as many "free" and "open source" stuff for Windoze
as there is for Linux.

Something I learned many years ago!

FACT: Young Turk programmers, all taking college level CS courses, have
to prove themselves by creating/developing a program (application,
app, etc). They then offer it for free, online. I usta get all my Windows
"freeware" from online Windows repositories. Then, after awhile, if
the app is successful (mIRC), they start charging $$ for it.

Linux licenses are typically "copy-left" programs. Look it up!

nb

On 28 May 2017 01:21:52 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2017-05-28, wrote:

There's just about as many "free" and "open source" stuff for Windoze
as there is for Linux.

Something I learned many years ago!

FACT: Young Turk programmers, all taking college level CS courses, have
to prove themselves by creating/developing a program (application,
app, etc). They then offer it for free, online. I usta get all my Windows
"freeware" from online Windows repositories. Then, after awhile, if
the app is successful (mIRC), they start charging $$ for it.

Linux licenses are typically "copy-left" programs. Look it up!

nb
Who gives a hoot?

On 5/27/2017 5:58 PM, wrote:
On 28 May 2017 00:38:03 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2017-05-28, T wrote:

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications.

Nonsense.

There is no Turbo Tax

GNUCash

No Quick Books

If I don't know what it is, so why woudld I care?

No M$ Office

Open Office, Libre Office, etc

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Yes, Winblows has more sophisticated applications (a term replaced by
"apps". cuz today's kids cannot express 4 syllables), but they are all
proprietary. IOW, they cost $$$$.

Yes, Winblows has more "accepted" applications/programs, but only cuz
stupid ppl are willing to spend $$$$ to solve their problems. I find
it hilarious that kids, today, can type faster with their thumbs than
I can by touch-typing on a regular keyboard, yet they are terrified of
the command line (CLI). WTF!?

nb
There's just about as many "free" and "open source" stuff for Windoze
as there is for Linux.

If you live in a vacuum and are willing to live with whatever you get with
linux, you're good to go. But don't expect your peeps to change the way
they do things so they can stay compatible with you.

On Sat, 27 May 2017 19:49:56 -0700, mike wrote:

On 5/27/2017 5:58 PM, wrote:
On 28 May 2017 00:38:03 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2017-05-28, T wrote:

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications.

Nonsense.

There is no Turbo Tax

GNUCash

No Quick Books

If I don't know what it is, so why woudld I care?

No M$ Office

Open Office, Libre Office, etc

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Yes, Winblows has more sophisticated applications (a term replaced by
"apps". cuz today's kids cannot express 4 syllables), but they are all
proprietary. IOW, they cost $$$$.

Yes, Winblows has more "accepted" applications/programs, but only cuz
stupid ppl are willing to spend $$$$ to solve their problems. I find
it hilarious that kids, today, can type faster with their thumbs than
I can by touch-typing on a regular keyboard, yet they are terrified of
the command line (CLI). WTF!?

nb
There's just about as many "free" and "open source" stuff for Windoze
as there is for Linux.

If you live in a vacuum and are willing to live with whatever you get with
linux, you're good to go. But don't expect your peeps to change the way
they do things so they can stay compatible with you.
And I double dog dare you to run a large commercial insurance
brokerage using linux on the desktop!!!! Even try running a decent
sised manufacturing and distribution business running Linux on the
desktop, in HR, Shipping and recieving, packing, and shop floor
inventory and BOM apps, including EDI with all your customers across
North America and world wide.

On 2017-05-28, mike wrote:

your peeps to change the way.....

WTF are "your peeps"!?

Damn kids......

nb

On 5/27/2017 5:38 PM, notbob wrote:
On 2017-05-28, T wrote:

Linux's downfall is the lack of applications.

Nonsense.

There is no Turbo Tax

GNUCash

No Quick Books

If I don't know what it is, so why woudld I care?

No M$ Office

Open Office, Libre Office, etc

So it depends, a crappy OS with five different apps to
do everything and gets infected with the turn of the wind
or a technically elegant OS with sparse amount of apps.

Yes, Winblows has more sophisticated applications (a term replaced by
"apps". cuz today's kids cannot express 4 syllables), but they are all
proprietary. IOW, they cost $$$$.

Yes, Winblows has more "accepted" applications/programs, but only cuz
stupid ppl are willing to spend $$$$ to solve their problems. I find
it hilarious that kids, today, can type faster with their thumbs than
I can by touch-typing on a regular keyboard, yet they are terrified of
the command line (CLI). WTF!?

nb

Try comparing apples to apples. Have one of your kids configure GRUB
and see how fast they type. They don't like CLI because they
have no idea WHAT to type and could care less.

Copy a file with a complex file name from one directory to another
six levels of directories away, using the CLI. I'll do it with a mouse
and we'll see who gets it right first...there, I'm done.
CLI has limited utility and even that's because nobody bothered to
write a user interface for it.

GUI encapsulates the entire set of command line options and source/targets
right there on the screen. You don't have to remember some
oddly-named parameter that works differently from the same parameter
used with another command. You don't have to know or care whether
you have grub1 or grub2 or legacy grub or...It's all right there on the
GUI screen for the exact version you're calling.

On Sat, 27 May 2017 19:46:57 -0700, mike wrote:

You don't have to remember some
oddly-named parameter that works differently from the same parameter
used with another command.

That's what help and man pages are for, there are usually more
options than you will ever find in a GUI program.
Though the GUI is faster for normal users, the command line is
far more powerful. For example, I would never use a GUI to encode
video. It's too hard to get the end result I want.

BTW What's the GUI for turning Win 10 telemetry (datamining)
COMPLETELY off ?
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On 05/26/2017 08:30 AM, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?



Here is a nice list of alternative software for Linux:

http://alternativeto.net/platform/linux/

On Friday, May 26, 2017 at 10:30:13 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer.. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


I have an old laptop that I'm going to try loading True OS formerly PC-BSD on. It has Ubuntu on it now but I want to play with something else. I had PC-BSD on a desktop some years back and I liked it. I'm interested in how the OS has matured. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=trueos

https://www.trueos.org/

[8~{} Uncle OS Monster

On Sat, 27 May 2017 21:43:46 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Friday, May 26, 2017 at 10:30:13 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


I have an old laptop that I'm going to try loading True OS formerly PC-BSD on. It has Ubuntu on it now but I want to play with something else. I had PC-BSD on a desktop some years back and I liked it. I'm interested in how the OS has matured. ?(?)?

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=trueos

https://www.trueos.org/


Devuan has been finally released. It's basically Debian
without the controversial systemd

I'll wait to see how it fares, and replace my Debian with it
if there are not too many glitches.

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=devuan
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On 5/30/2017 2:00 PM, Shadow wrote:
On Sat, 27 May 2017 21:43:46 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Friday, May 26, 2017 at 10:30:13 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?


I have an old laptop that I'm going to try loading True OS formerly PC-BSD on. It has Ubuntu on it now but I want to play with something else. I had PC-BSD on a desktop some years back and I liked it. I'm interested in how the OS has matured. ?(?)?

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=trueos

https://www.trueos.org/

If you have an old laptop, determine whether it supports PAE and download
the correct version of the OS.


Devuan has been finally released. It's basically Debian
without the controversial systemd

I'll wait to see how it fares, and replace my Debian with it
if there are not too many glitches.

https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=devuan
[]'s

On Friday, May 26, 2017 at 10:30:13 AM UTC-5, wrote:
I can no longer activate Windows XP on my desktop computer, even using the various go-arounds offered on the net. I can afford Windows 10 and so on, but I have given too many hours over the years to its Regedit, restore yada features. I do not need bells and whistles. I need a decent word processor, spreadsheet, pdf viewer. I have a small Chromebook as my second computer.. For anything serious, I can use my little Chromebook or go to the public library.

I am ready to try a free alternative operating system, such as Linux's Ubuntu.

If you use a free operating system, can you post your thumbs up or thumbs down for it compared to Windows?

I use Ubuntu Mate.

Excellent O.S.

Andy

Thank you everyone for your input.

At present the biggest barrier for me for switching to a Linux OS is that:

-- my computer cannot boot from a memory stick or thumb drive.

-- my computer can boot from my CD-Rom drive, using a CD-R disc.

-- A CD-R disc holds only 700 Megabytes. Xubuntu OS (for one) reguires several Gigabytes. I have not tried to download the installation files for Xubuntu onto a CD-R yet but am concerned there will be problems. Will multiple discs work as I download the Linux Xubuntu system for installation? Comment with suggestions as interested.

-- I think the rest of my hardware is fine. The CPU is an x86 but okay, per what I have read, for Xubuntu.

-- I re-loaded my Windows XP and have another 30 days or so before the activation problems kick in again. I believe the reason I cannot bypass activation is the wpa.dbl file sees too much new hardware. So Windows XP thinks I am trying to unlawfully load the software on a second computer. Which arguably, given all the hardware change-outs I have done on my beloved old 2006 workhorse desktop could be said to be fair. Over the years, I have installed a few replacement mobos; new power supply; new RAM; new SSD; new CD-drive..

-- I have decided to continue to pursue a Linux OS. Just gotta get past the hurdle of how to boot it up to try installing it. Why am I doing this? Because my loathing for Microsoft has become a near-religion. I wonder if Microsoft's refusing to provide support for Windows XP after a certain date really passes legal muster. I wonder whether, if push comes to shove, maybe Microsoft is obliged to provide a patch for the activation situation.

-- The ultimate hypocrisy: I have owned stock in Microsoft for around a decade. It has done well. It's clear to me it will continue to do so. Plenty of sheep out there. Let's see if I end up re-joining the ranks of the sheep.

-- If I get a Linux system running, I plan to use OfficeLibre for my word processing and spreadsheets. My local public library offers this on its computers. I think its fine.