Explain: Linux/Ubuntu/Open Source Programs

[ImaanSeeker]

I am unfamiliar with linux and all these open source apps.

I was wondering the pros and cons of running these types of OSs and apps as opposed to the traditional Microsoft programs.

I personally use a laptop only to surf the internet, word processing, sometimes excel, listening to stuff and thats it.

What road should I take?

[.: Rashid :.]

I am unfamiliar with linux and all these open source apps.

I was wondering the pros and cons of running these types of OSs and apps as opposed to the traditional Microsoft programs.

I personally use a laptop only to surf the internet, word processing, sometimes excel, listening to stuff and thats it.

What road should I take?

Take Linux :D

OK, basic advantages of using FOSS software:


Its free (you don't have to pay £100 for MS Office or £200 for an upgrade to Vista or whatever)
It'll run on lower end hardware, so you don't have to upgrade so often. Again, saving yourself £££ (you can tell I'm bangali already can't you :outta: )
Rasulallah :saw: said that "knowledge is the lost property of a believer, wherever he finds it, it is his". This is the basic philosophy behind the FOSS movement (even though they don't know it :p) I feel quite strongly about open source and so have "ethical" reasons for using free/open source software (I'm such a geek :smack: )
Its very secure, so you don't have to worry about viruses, adware/spyware/malware or anything like that
Next level composite desktop effects (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_ImW0-MgR8I) (youtube video - warning, awful music :smack:)
Ubuntu Muslim Edition ;) (www.ubuntume.com)
Freeeeeeeeedoooooooooooom :freedom:


Cons:


Limited number of games
If you need to use specific programs for your work e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Imageready, Illustrator, 3D Studio Max or whatever, then Linux probably isn't for you.
You need to be open minded and patient
As soon as you install it you transform into an uber-geek :nerdbro:


-Rashid

[Mace]

Compared to MS nonsense, you have improved stability and performance.

You have considerably more diverse and powerful tools once you learn to explore.

FOSS is cheap without stealing.

FOSS software improves at a pace that MS just cannot match any more and hasn't matched in a long time. Because there is real open competition among the tools, developers, and the companies involved.

Having said all that, I think the best of both worlds for many users is OS X, with all the support and ease of use and still most of the power of FOSS. For people who don't have time to fuss with Linux, OS X on Apple hardware requires very little work.

[LostInThought]

Can macs run windows software without installing a vm or without installing a windows os on their hardware?

What I mean is, if I have the latest mac os, can it run stuff like visual studios and play windows games?

[Mace]

Can macs run windows software without installing a vm or without installing a windows os on their hardware?

What I mean is, if I have the latest mac os, can it run stuff like visual studios and play windows games?

Not natively. It's a completely different operating system of course.

But there are two pretty good VM solutions, Parallels and VMWare Fusion. Both have great performance and do some neat tricks to make running a VM pretty seamless (Windows Apps get windows on the Mac desktop, on the dock, seamless opening of docs from the Mac FS, etc.)