I’ve been trying to sell my old PC for a while, but to no avail – the last time I tried on Craigslist I was met by an army of scammers, so since then I’ve kind of kept it all boxed up and useless in the corner.
As of late, though, I’ve been reading a lot about Linux through some of the tech blogs I visit, and so I figured that now would be as good of a time as any to give it a shot – if nothing else than just to get rid of Windows once and for all and make the world a better place in the process.
After downloading and burning the Ubuntu 8.10 .iso off of the Ubuntu website, all it took was half an hour to erase the Windows partition and replace it with the Linux OS, and after fiddling around with it for about a day I was fascinated by how clean and versatile it was, contrary to my preassumptions.
One of the things that really caught my attention, though, was the Graphic User Interface that was possible after installing the Compiz Fusion plugin. One of the first things that won me over to the Mac side was how brilliantly visual the Tiger (and now, Leopard) operating system was, so seeing the stuff that was possible with Ubuntu really blew me out of the water.
Determined to show the possibilities to my friends, but not wanting to put them through demo videos with shitty music, I went ahead and filmed a bunch of the little flashy interface shenanigans that I discovered during my day of Linux experimentation. With that being said, here it is:
Music: “Tropicana” by Ratatat (iTunes)
All in all, the Linux experience was a lot more user-friendly than I expected, and I’m really impressed by how the system works, both in terms of its very light-weight, fast handling, as well as its open-source approach that encourages constant development and exploration by those in the Linux community.
My only real beef with Linux is that there isn’t yet a solid HD video editing platform for it – nothing close to Final Cut Pro, at least. When the day comes where such a thing is in existence, though, I might very well give up my Apple for a Penguin.
P.S: I’m still trying to sell my old PC. If you’re looking to get a computer or know of someone who does, do contact me as soon as you can. I’ll probably be putting up the specs for it soon, so if you’re interested then do keep on the lookout for that.
I have used , both Linux and Windows on the same Pc . Works fine , but I would say Linux is much better and SAVER . I normally use Ubuntu to format my harddrive when I reinstall windows.
best regards,
-Robin
I have used Ubuntu OS for about half a year now, and it works really well. Music plays well, I can watch movies, surf the internet, and…wait for it…. I can even check my mail! =| And it looks fancy. But like Erik and Kev pointed out. It doesn't really support editing programs. There is something fancy called Gimp here, but nah. I don't like it. So the way i fixed that problem was by installing XP in a Virtual Machine, and there I edit my movies and pictures. So..It works. =)
-Stein
Correct me if I've misinterpreted you, but isn't Gimp more of a Photoshop equivelent?
-Kev, The Virts
It is. But thats still an editing program isn't it? It's just that its for photos instead of moving pictures. Gimp edits photos.
-Stein
Yeah, figured. From what I read, though, it's pretty much on par with Photoshop, at least very well for being freeware. Perhaps it's just the interface that doesn't tickle your fancy? I haven't toyed around with it much so I wouldn't know.
-Kev, The Virts
Well, the color, brightness and contrast editing is good, but when it comes to text and painting and moving selected things around.Eh.. It simply doesn't work. You can't move the text around to see where you would like it the most, and you can't spin it around and stuff. So it's very limited, just as a lot of other free editing programs are, but there is one which is pretty good. Paint.NET, which…isn't compatible with Ubuntu. Yet.
-Stein
Ah, I see. Guess I'll have to say the same thing I used to say about my old tutorials.
"What did you expect? It's free."<i/>
-Kev, The Virts
Ah, I see. Guess I'll have to say the same thing I used to say about my old tutorials.
"What did you expect? It's free."
-Kev, The Virts
Good one. Haha.
-Stein
I know, I used to use Paint.net and was bummed when I found out that it wouldn't work on linux systems. I'm really thinking about using a virtual machine for my photoshop and getting a linux for everything else.
Yeah, that's a good idea. It might be a little inconvenient since you have to wait even longer for Photoshop to start up than it normally does, but hey – at least you won't be getting any insane viruses anytime soon.
-Kev, The Virts
Yeah, I know what you mean. My PC's get more viruses than a wh*** does in her whole life.
I guess that would make me a Mac Daddy, wouldn't it?
-Kev, The Virts
Yes, it would!
I was never a big fan of Linux but I never knew there were so many cool stuff that can be done on it, I knew of a few only… I'm thinking of changing my OS after watching this… but nah haha since it'll be alot of hassle for me… I'm too lazy and my dad probably will slay me. Oh btw… does running Linux need alot of RAM? Maybe I'll try it with a Virtual Machine…
-Claudia
Linux doesnt need a lot of RAM. It needs less then Windows (Those suckers).
And also, instead of running it as a Virtual Machine, try download the Ubuntu ISO file, burn it out, and Install the *Install Ubuntu inside Windows* thing. That way you can try it out and see how it works and looks, and if you don't like it, just delete it afterwards. ;o)
-Stein
Yeah, like Stein said, one of the coolest thing about Linux is that you can try it out inside of Windows instead of having to format your hard drive and installing it over again. I finally got down to trying Ubuntu since I no longer had any use for my PC and I had my Mac to fall back on, but if I knew that I could demo Linux without affecting my OS at all I would have tried it a lot sooner.
And yeah, it doesn't use as much RAM either. I'd recommend checking out this web page dispelling some of the common myths about Linux, so you can get an idea of the facts instead of treading forward with misconceptions like I did.
It's a pretty exciting OS since it's constantly being developed due to its open source nature, which is probably why you get cool stuff like Compiz Fusion instead of a latecoming Mac OS X ripoff.
-Kev, The Virts
Awesome… I'm going to try it!
-Claudia
oh wait wait… so if you download ubuntu desktop and install it… when you start up, do you start up with windows or ubuntu? And… if you don't want Ubuntu anymore… you delete the file…?
From what I've read, it's pretty much as if Ubuntu is an application that you're running off of the CD you've burnt. If you're done toying around with it and you decide you don't like it, all you have to do is shut down your computer, eject the CD, and when you start up your PC again it'll be just like the way it was before.
If you're interested, there's a pretty detailed, step-by-step article here that should address any questions you have about trying out Ubuntu.
-Kev, The Virts
Awesome! Thanks Kevin!
I have installed and tried both Hardy Heron and Intrepid Ibex, and I love working with it. The fact that the major softwares I use won't work without much fiddling made me go back to XP though. I made a few posts about it:
http://www.virtualerik.com/blog/?p=191
http://www.virtualerik.com/blog/?p=192
http://www.virtualerik.com/blog/?p=563
This comment will probably be put in moderation que with all those links.
Anyway, I hope companies will put out Linux versions, as they see the trend go up. Having to use WINE to get my major programs to work feels dirty.
Good posts there, Erik. Those were also some of the reasons I hadn't tried out Linux earlier – even though I hated Windows' instability and chunkiness, there were just all the compatibility issues that hadn't yet been worked out at the time. As of late, though, it seems like the open source community has been charging ahead to get this fixed, and it's fascinating to see how some of its free software is on par with some of the other, high-end paid software. Now if only they'd put out a decent editing program…
Oh, and about using WINE to get your important work done… I don't think you're alone.
-Kev, The Virts
Good posts there, Erik (especially the one with the Firefox analogy, spot-on!). Those were also some of the reasons I hadn't tried out Linux earlier – even though I hated Windows' instability and chunkiness, there were just all the compatibility issues that hadn't yet been worked out at the time. As of late, though, it seems like the open source community has been charging ahead to get this fixed, and it's fascinating to see how some of its free software is on par with some of the other, high-end paid software. Now if only they'd put out a decent editing program…
Oh, and about using WINE to get your important work done… I don't think you're alone.
-Kev, The Virts
I keep seeing people talking about Compiz Fusion, but what I really like are the tiling WMs like dwm.
To be honest I don't have a clue what the entry or a single comment here meant, but I just youtube'd ratatat and that is a SLU of more great music to buy. thank you.
Linux is an operating system, kind of like what Windows XP/Vista or Mac OS X is. In essence, it's the structure that determines the way your computer operates, as well as the user interface that is employed.
So while the Windows and Mac operating systems dominate most of the market share (in that order), an interesting third party as of late has been the Linux OS, thanks to its open source (read: free) nature and its increasing ease of use. More on Linux here.
And yeah, Ratatat is probably my second favorite band right after Metric. I got to see them live at the Music Box back in October (which, incidentally, is where I saw my first concert with Metric), and it was certified AWESOME. With the exception of some of their remix work, I could probably listen to their stuff for days on end – if you look at my iTunes library play count you'll find Ratatat, Classics and LP3 in the most-listened-to section.
Oh, and fun fact: Tropicana, the song in the Ubuntu video, was also used during the ultrasound segments in the film Knocked Up. Awesommmmeee
-Kev, The Virts
P.S: (I think you meant 'slew'. Unless, of course, you meant 'Super Large Units', in which case that's fine.)
Nice. Unfortuneatly I never saw Knocked up; which is wierd because I've seen all the other hundreds of movie's released recently with the same guys in it from Seth Rogan's old cancelled tv show (who'm most of were in Superbad). And I meant slew, just wasn't sure if it was slew or sleugh, it that second one is even a word and I'm just an idiot. O ya while I'm talkin about Seth Rogan movies Role Model's was :P
Yeah, a lot of people from Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks tend to show up in the Apatow/Rogen comedies – not necessarily a bad thing, since most of them are pretty good at milking laughs. "Why fix what ain't broke?", as they say.
I didn't enjoy Role Models as much as I thought I would – not just because it didn't really bring anything new to the table, but also because Louis CK only had about 3 minutes in the film altogether – a huge waste of talent in my opinion.
-Kev, The Virts
SO how much is this PC you are selling?
I'm planning to put it up for about $500 to $600 USD. It's a 3GB RAM with a 19" screen and about 350GB of hard drive space.
If you or anyone you know is interested in buying it, just let me know at kevin@visualmadness.com.
-Kev, The Virts
wait. im confused:
what exactly is linux os? it is kind of iike 'mac software for pc?'
Sort of. It's an operating system like Mac or Windows, just that it's openly available for free online, and constantly updated by developers around the world.
Wikipedia has a great article explaining what it is, check it out here.
-Kev, The Virts
Just found out a cool program called Wubi http://wubi-installer.org/ it's basically a program that enables you install ubuntu without wiping your whole system and replaceing it with ubuntu, booting it through a cd, or even partitioning your hard drive! It'll allow your computer to dual boot. If you ever get tired of ubuntu, just uninstall Wubi, and it's gone. :D
Awesome, didn't know that! Will give it a try, thanks for letting me know :)
-Kev, The Virts