I recently replied to a friend's question about Linux as a personal operating system with the following:
As for using Linux, I have used it off and on for years. I always give it a try and then put it away saying to myself that it is almost ready for prime time. Presently I am running a distribution called Kubuntu version 7.10, code name "Gutsy Gibbon." I use it in a familar Windows appearing desktop so there is nothing alien or strange about what I see. My impressions are that it is ultra stable, has very little disk activity or overhead when running, and of course no viruses. I can only say that I often forget that I am using Linux instead of Windows. Since I do a lot of flight simulator flying and development work I have to have a Windows box for that. So, my system is presently setup as a dual boot system in which I can choose to run either WinXP or Kubuntu Linux. My laptop is setup a bit differently. I have it running as primarily a Kubuntu Linux machine which uses a package called Virtualbox to run an actual legal installation of WinXP inside Linux. This works amazingly well for the few applications on my laptop that might need WinXP. Now, this is the strange thing, WinXP seems faster and more stable running inside Linux using Virtualbox. I cannot explain that.
My impressions after a few weeks of running Kubuntu Linux for a couple of weeks as my primary desktop OS are:
1. There is much less overhead while using the system. No spyware scanners, virus scanners, or other heavy overhead addons are required. The system runs quieter and smoother.
2. Managing files and ftp accounts is light years ahead of Windows. The file manger has a wonderful graphical interface and serves as the system file manager and ftp package and is quite seamless.
3. The work environment is familiar and comfortable. In fact, it can be tweaked to look and behave exactly like Windows if need be for people who would probably not know the difference for daily usage.
4. Installation of the software to get it running was automatic and painless.
5. It appears that in 99 percent of the cases the network settings are detected and installed automatically. My connection to the internet just worked after install. No setup needed. Very cool.
On the down side:
1. Setting up peripherals and in particular a networked printer required me to dig into my old Unix skills and do a lot of research on the Kubuntu forums for answers. My impression is that if the printer were connected directly to the system it would be less of a problem.
2. Laptop wireless connections were a bit problematic for me. I don't know if it was because of my wireless network here at home or because it is a quirk of Linux. I know I have read of this problem for years. I finally found a small utility which when installed solved all of my problems.
3. There are many freeware software equivalents in Linux that do the same things as Windows apps. Some are much better. But, they require a bit of searching and some technical knowledge to setup.
4. One of my favorite hobbies is using Microsoft's flight simulator and there is no equal in Linux. I have tried them all Flightgear, X-Plane, etc. but I still find I need to have a Windows machine for that hobby. I am a licensed pilot who no longer flies real planes and I entertain myself with flying the sim and developing scenery for that package. See http://www.fs-freeflow.com/
My impressions after a few weeks of running Kubuntu Linux for a couple of weeks as my primary desktop OS are:
1. There is much less overhead while using the system. No spyware scanners, virus scanners, or other heavy overhead addons are required. The system runs quieter and smoother.
2. Managing files and ftp accounts is light years ahead of Windows. The file manger has a wonderful graphical interface and serves as the system file manager and ftp package and is quite seamless.
3. The work environment is familiar and comfortable. In fact, it can be tweaked to look and behave exactly like Windows if need be for people who would probably not know the difference for daily usage.
4. Installation of the software to get it running was automatic and painless.
5. It appears that in 99 percent of the cases the network settings are detected and installed automatically. My connection to the internet just worked after install. No setup needed. Very cool.
On the down side:
1. Setting up peripherals and in particular a networked printer required me to dig into my old Unix skills and do a lot of research on the Kubuntu forums for answers. My impression is that if the printer were connected directly to the system it would be less of a problem.
2. Laptop wireless connections were a bit problematic for me. I don't know if it was because of my wireless network here at home or because it is a quirk of Linux. I know I have read of this problem for years. I finally found a small utility which when installed solved all of my problems.
3. There are many freeware software equivalents in Linux that do the same things as Windows apps. Some are much better. But, they require a bit of searching and some technical knowledge to setup.
4. One of my favorite hobbies is using Microsoft's flight simulator and there is no equal in Linux. I have tried them all Flightgear, X-Plane, etc. but I still find I need to have a Windows machine for that hobby. I am a licensed pilot who no longer flies real planes and I entertain myself with flying the sim and developing scenery for that package. See http://www.fs-freeflow.com/
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