Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Small Space OS for Less: Ubuntu

ubuntu


So I’ve been off Windows for several years now — I have a Mac. I am not going to spend time telling you to pitch your PC and buy a Mac, although I do love mine. It just works; there are seldom issues of any sort with my Powerbook. I do have one issue with Apple — cost.

The prices of Apple computers are somewhat over the top. At the time I am writing this, the cheapest laptop you can get from Apple is a grand. If you actually want a laptop with a video card, the lowest price point is two thousand bucks. These prices are double to comparable Windows machines.

Vista is just bad and Macs are too expensive, but there is a dark horse in this race, Linux. Linux has been quietly improving over the last several years and now looks more like a viable contender for some serious desk to market share.

In the last several weeks I have noticed at least two magazines at local bookstores enticing computer users to switch to Linux. Specifically to Ubuntu 7.10 “Gutsy Gibbon.” Ubuntu is a highly polished, not just for hackers, flavor of Linux. It is by far one of the easiest installs out there. It’s free and there is a wealth of free and ever-improving apps out there.

One of the coolest features is the ability to install it alongside other operating systems without damaging the other. It’s a great way to safely test the free software movement water.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

ubuntu is releasing every half year (april.04 and october.10)new version of their operating system
so now there is 8.04 Hardy Heron, with some cosmetic changes
and with 8.10 their are promising bigger cosmetic changes with interface so i am going to wait

btw. i still have ubuntu 7.10 as primary system, because i am lazy to upgrade to 8.04, and than watching this afterupgrade mess, i will wait to 8.10 and some bigger hdd to my laptop