For me, that attitude towards Ubuntu has recently changed. Due to some technical difficulties with my main work computer, I’ve been using my Ubuntu netbook full-time for the past few days. So far, the experience has been very positive.

What is Ubuntu and How to Get Started

For those who aren’t familiar with Ubuntu, Ubuntu is just about the most user-friendly distribution of Linux that you’ll find. It’s maintained by a group called Canonical, and they release a new version of Ubuntu every six months. Ubuntu is by far the closest thing you’ll get to a Microsoft Windows-like experience without shelling out hundreds of dollars. That’s because it’s free. Although you’ll often hear geeks and hackers extol the virtues of Linux, you don’t have to be a geek to use Linux. Ubuntu has a lot to do with that, and over the years, they’ve done an awe-inspiring job of getting Linux to work “out-of-the-box” for novice to intermediate users. After my recent re-evaluation of Ubuntu, I think Ubuntu is definitely ready for the mainstream. In fact, given the increasingly high costs of Windows and Mac software, I’m surprised more users aren’t fleeing to the land of the free (i.e., open-source). So, I’m curious to hear from you: Why you haven’t tried Ubuntu?

Summing Up

For me, it was because I couldn’t live without certain programs. But in the interceding years since I last tried Ubuntu full-time, much of what I do for work or play has migrated onto the web. So now, it hardly matters what OS I’m using, as long as it supports the Chrome Browser. I guess that your answers will likely be similar, and I’d like to devote a few groovyPosts to addressing those concerns. I believe that Ubuntu can achieve virtually anything that Windows or OS X can without an inordinate amount of hassle. So, tell me why you are reluctant or afraid to use Ubuntu–I’ll be using your feedback to cobble together a comprehensive groovy guide to Ubuntu that should get you up and running with Linux as your everyday operating system. Try Ubuntu Now for Free My main reason for not switching (as I listed in the survey) is I’m worried all the hardware won’t be supported IE: my printer, my USB mouse and my video card etc…. I don’t play games on that small box but if I were to think about putting it on my MAIN box (Ubuntu) that would probably be why I don’t run it on my main box. Games :) The only time I use or touch ubuntu nowadays is for v netbootin with 10.10 on a USB stick to secure erase my SSD when needed, every 7 months or so. While I agree 100% that those frustrations would be a dealbreaker for me, I’m not sure that casual users would encounter those issues. And that’s a very good point re: having a computer that’s powerful enough to run Windows 7. Perhaps some of our guides should be geared more towards people who want to rehabilitate/reinvigorate older machines, like your former Pentium 3. I’m noticing some sluggishness these days even on my EEEPC with a 1.6 GHZ ATOM N20 The biggest turn off for me and it is a complete deal breaker is that Windows is far easier to use and Windows 7 is just so good. I am not a complete geek and get no pleasure at all from using and learning command lines when I really don’t think they are necessary. I should add that if I were a more basic user of computers, and forgetting the command line issues, then I would use Ubuntu. But I’m not and I won’t.

  1. Drivers 2. Apps 3. Usability 4. 2 other companies own the market and they don’t like to share. I have tried them all over a 20 something year span and it all boils down to the same conclusions. IF you need to go for a good long jog right away and have a choice of putting on the old comfy runners or break in a brand new pair, which do you choose? Ubuntu would not be my choice of OS but I do love Linux and both of my kids have been using it on their home computers for years; which tells the old tale: “all behavior is learned” Without billion dollar Bill and his Apple Nemesis, we would likely all be using Linux…… Secondly, I have thousands of photos in Mac Photos, and again, many are grouped in folders. So I’d also need a photo manager that could import these and keep them intact. Show me how to do these two things and I’m in! Perhaps too tall of an order, but if Ubuntu proves to be the OS most capable of playing nicely with both ios and android devices, then I would be in! Recently I planned to upgrade from spotify to apple music but I was in a fix as my playlists would vanish. But then I found this useful tool called MusConv.com which helped me in migration of playlists. I am grateful for it. Do check it out! Comment Name * Email *

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