LINUX THE OTHER OPERATING SYSTEM . REPLACEMENT FOR WINDOWS

[Gregg]

Thanx for input. Once I get the standard version of Ubuntu I will have a look and report back if there is anything noteworthy. Really would like to get away from Windows..........

Oh well.

Thanx again.

[Michael Alexander]

Gregg, you pay for that broken window of yours?

[Gregg]

Yes. Mainly in blood, sweat and tears. (Uncle Billy is a hard man!)

[Michael Alexander]

Well, as a pensioner, and depending how brave you might be..... If your broken windows ever needs to be replaced, let me have your postal box and I will send you a nice new window frame...... nudge nudge, wink wink!

[Gregg]

 Oh gee, Thanx. Almost feel sorry for my recent remarks in the Shout box.





NOT!

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

http://www.linuxmint.com/index.php

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

.

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

What is Linux?

When you hear the word Linux, you may think of programmers with a beard typing obscure code on a black screen. Good news! things have changed.
The picture

Linux is an operating system, a large piece of software that manages a computer. It is similar to Microsoft Windows, but it is entirely free. The accurate name is GNU/Linux but "Linux" is used more often.

Linux is not one company's product, but a number of companies and groups of people contribute to it. In fact, the GNU/Linux system is a core component, which is branched off into many different products. They are called distributions.

Distributions change the appearance and function of Linux completely. They range from large, fully supported complete systems (endorsed by companies) to lightweight ones that fit on a USB memory stick or run on old computers (often developed by volunteers).
A prominent, complete and friendly distribution to step into GNU/Linux is Ubuntu.
Using Linux

GNU/Linux is no harder to use than Windows, and has many more capabilities. It just takes a dozen minutes to get familiar with a distribution like Ubuntu or Fedora, which come in with many programs installed.

If you need commercial-quality software to work with business documents, Internet/networking, or multimedia and graphics, it's there right out of the box. Want more than that? Linux can do – there are many hundreds of free, high quality applications you can find, install and uninstall neatly and easily.

You shouldn't assume however, that Linux is a clone of Windows. To know what to expect when stepping into it, we suggest you read our Making the switch page.
The larger picture

When you get a distribution of GNU/Linux, you also get the freedom to study, copy, change, and redistribute it – that's what makes it truly free software.

Many companies develop their own operating system based on the core GNU software: products they do not have exclusive rights on. How does the wheel turn?
Most companies make a profit by selling support and services around their GNU/Linux distribution. Corporate customers buy guaranteed security updates and assistance. Other services often include training and on-demand improvements to software.
Some companies, such as HP or IBM, contribute to Linux because they pre-install it on servers they sell.
An extremely wide community participates in the development and improvement of software, decreasing costs and improving efficiency.

In the end, individual end-users often get the software at zero cost, while corporate customers are often happy to pay for more support.

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

http://orderweb.co.za/linux/onlink.php?90046190*50+Places+Linux+is+Running+That+You+Might+Not+Expect**http://linuxtoday.com/news_story.php3%3fltsn=2010-03-24-001-35-NW-BZ-DP

[toonfandangl]

Mike S your comparison of Linux verses Windows is very true in the fact that its free but honestly I cannot see Linux being user friendly, for the mere fact that you will have to go back and start using the command prompt is not an option with many computer users.....Below this was from the internet and below that again is another example of a better system that went into the wilderness  and it was not free............... XP vs Vista I have Vista and it can be very frustrating............but that B****** Bill Gates will not get the better of me..............I payed good money...........................



Comparisons between the Microsoft Windows and Linux computer operating systems are a common topic of discussion among their users. Currently, Windows is the dominant proprietary operating system for personal desktop use (in terms of desktop installations), while Linux is the most prominent free software operating system. Both operating systems not only compete for user base in the personal computer market but are also rivals in the server and embedded systems markets.

The comparisons below reflect three families of Windows operating systems: Windows 9x (legacy), Windows NT, and Windows Embedded. Each family has its own code base and design. The focus of these comparisons is mainly on the NT family.

Linux is available for many types of CPUs: x86, x64, Itanium, MIPS, PowerPC, ARM, and others. Windows NT is available on x86, x64, and Itanium, although Itanium compatible versions of Windows are only sold as servers and x86 is being phased out  Because of the diversity of supported cpu types, Linux finds applications today in routers, set-top boxes, PDAs and mobile phones as well as in servers and desktops. Windows Embedded has a long history, starting with DOS on POS terminals. Microsoft has based many embedded platforms on the core Windows CE operating system, including AutoPC, Windows Mobile, Mediaroom, Portable Media Center, and many industrial devices and embedded systems.

Microsoft Windows dominates in the desktop and personal computer markets with about 90% of the desktop market share, and in 2007, accounted for about 66% of all servers sold (while not necessarily used)] In server revenue market share, as of Q4 2007, Microsoft Windows had 36.3% and Linux had 12.7%. As of June 2009, Linux powered 88.6% of the world's most powerful supercomputers. In December 2008, Linux powered five of the ten most reliable internet hosting companies, compared to Windows' one.

Linux and Microsoft Windows differ in philosophy, cost, versatility and stability, with each seeking to improve in their perceived weaker areas. Comparisons of the two operating systems tend to reflect their origins, historic user bases and distribution models. Typical perceived weaknesses regularly cited have often included the poor "out-of-box" usability of the Linux desktop for the mass-market ]poor consumer familiarity with Linux, while Microsoft Windows' main drawback is perceived susceptibility to viruses and malware due to its enormous market share.

Proponents of free software argue that the key strength of Linux is the degree of freedom allowed to the users: "the freedom to run the program [such as Linux]...to study...and change it...the freedom to redistribute copies...and improve the program, and release your improvements. An other point of view on the "freedom of choice" is that it put the burden of an founded and well-informed selection on the users shoulders. In Linux, the pure amount and complex interaction of choices on topics like e.g. distribution, desktop system, windowing system, audio subsystem, terminal application, etc. , might be to out of scope of interest and knowledge of many users . This concept is in contrast to an policy of limitation of choices and pre-selection of system defaults by the OS system designers for their users, which exist in the Window OS (and even more strict in MacOS).

Windows embedded devices are often configured without disk storage, and may be configured as a "closed" system that does not allow for end-user extension.







When home VCRs started to become popular in the UK, the main issue was one of availability and price. VHS machines were available through the high street rental chains such as Radio Rentals and DER (most of whom were owned by Ferguson Electronics, who were part-owned by JVC, the inventors of VHS), while Beta was seen as the more upmarket choice for people who wanted quality and were prepared to pay for it. By 1980, out of an estimated 100,000 homes with VCRs, 70% were rented, and the presence of three (the third being Video 2000) competing formats meant that renting was an even more attractive choice, since a small fortune (about £2000 or $3900 in today's prices) could be spent on a system which may become obsolete. By the time Betamax machines became easier to rent, VHS had already claimed 70% of the market.

Beta sales dwindled away and VHS emerged as the winner of the format war. The video format war is now a highly scrutinized event in business and marketing history, leading to a plethora of market investigations into why Betamax failed. Sony seemed to have misjudged the home video market. They believed that the 1-hour length of their current Umatic format would be sufficient for Betamax too. However, Umatic was primarily a professional standard with constant surveillance by television technicians and which did not need more than one hour length per tape. For home usage, one hour would not be enough to record an evening of primetime programming, or Monday Night Football. Therefore, consumers naturally flocked to the 4-hour "Long Play" VCRs offered by RCA and Matsushita in 1976.

Further driving the VHS format was its inherent 2 hour playback time (SP speed) - a much better fit for Hollywood movies than Betamax's 1-hour limitation. This event spawned the huge video rental business that flourished in the 1970s and 80s. Being able to watch Hollywood movies at home was a major innovation that transformed consumer habits and allowed people to see older "classic" films that had been buried in the vaults for years.


What Sony did not take into account was what the consumers wanted. Sony believed that having better quality recordings was the key to success, whereas it soon became clear that consumer desire was focused more intently on recording time and compatibility for easy transfer of information. In addition, Sony, being the first producer to offer their technology, also thought it would establish Betamax as the leading format. This kind of lock-in and path dependence failed for Sony, but succeeded brilliantly for JVC. For thirty years JVC dominated the home market with their VHS, Super VHS, and VHS-Compact formats and collected billions in royalty payments.

The video recording market was an unknown when VCRs first came on the market; as such, Sony and JVC were both developing technologies that were unproven. As a result of the desire to get into the marketplace faster, the firms both spent less time on research and development, and tried to save money by picking a version of the technology they thought would do best without really exploring all the options. This is why there was more than one format on the market and why they continued to reinvent them with longer playing times and better quality.


Remember Mike Microsoft has an army of people that get paid for what they are selling.......linux is free...........Frank

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Linux has made great strides in the last few years, no need to use the command prompt anymore.
The graphical interface is just as good as windows or better.

I payed nothing for all the software I'm using.... all legal to.   

[Mike Stenson (RIP)]

Mintlinux

[SandyB]

Thanks for  all the historical comparison Frank ... truly interesting ... and yes the comment  in essence  you get what you pay for ..   my personal tack .. anything  in life  that  is for free has a drawback  somewhere ...   or in afrikaans goedkoop  is duur koop ... I note the many  people that have downloaded  " free ' antivirus  software ..  somewhere  there is a hole punched in the system and they lose all their  intellectual input  if their PC  gets raided  or   gets trashed ...  the  long and short of  it  is that  if  one is paying , the provider has an obligation  to   provide  the service they  promised ...   ie I   took out a good  antivirus   package from trend  its valid for  3  pc's and  cost  only ZAR  450 per year ..  in a home  where  there is  more than on PC thats a bargain  I can give or sell  the two spares  to anyone  I so choose ... Trend  has protected me from the worst  attacks ,  updates each time one opens  up and is like a schoolmarm  constantly  remindingone to do a scan ...
So  While  we not always like Mr Gates   especially when   his company  falls short at times and  introduces   new software with quirks and errors . they at least  keep on supplying pathches  as they sort out the glitches ..  and yes always supply udates   to improve operasting  efficiency ..  and yes  i find the windows  system  easy to operate ...   currently on XP ... avoided  Vista  cos of the  quirks .. but understand that  the new windows 7 is a  super XP type ..  will wait and see  ,, stay where  I am  untill my  pC blows up ... ha  ha ...  my one off cost  for the software  pales  int comparison  when I  have the operating ease ...

[SandyB]

This whole  subject brings me  to  so many folk I encounter in life who are forever looking over their shoulder  at  what they  percieve they lost out on ..   ie  the bargain on  a  vehicle special ,,, or a cellphone contract etc  ,,,  its all about timing ...   we sometimes  find ourselves in a lucky spot  and score ,, I take it that the universe  was kind for that moment ... others  mother universe  not so ...   I have listened to folk when   our cellphone market opened up  in respect of being able to migrate  from one provider  to the next ....   they were like  wolves on the hunt .. prob is one has to  update  each time one  gets the percieved whim that  there is a better " deal "    to me its  not worth the bother ... stick with the contract   and then see .... makes me wonder what they do with life choices   vis  relationships  etc ,, are they  also always looking   over the shoulder  wondering  what they  lost  out  on  ... ???