Computer Costs

[th1bill]

... It has been some time now since my last rant on computers. I was working up an estimate for a friend the other day and was once more slapped in the face with the cost of the operating system that Microsoft charges. The cheapest I found a full copy of WindowsXP Pro for was $189.00 plus Shipping and the best I've found Windows Vista Ultimate for is $360.00 plus the shipping. For less than $600.00 I can build a terrific computer complete with a dual core processor but if the person wants Windows on their unit the price automatically jumps by more that two hundred dollars and that is indecent.


... Because of my age and my status in the system I have ceased to charge folks for my labor and have began to push hard the Ubuntu operating system. Ubuntu operates with the same type of point and click system that Windows users love. The huge problem with the system is the cost, it is free and people do not like free. If it doesn't cost them money they do not trust it. The biggest advantage to the Ubuntu system is the fact that one need not run an Anti-Virus or a Firewall program. Being a security freak I run both any way. Another large plus is the fact that there are thousands of programs from a complete Office (Microsoft's costs over $600) and thousands of programs available for taking the time to download them and the office apps will even save in the Microsoft native formats plus these apps will open documents and such from the Windows machines. Not only that but if you are really hung up on the MS Apps you just point and click to download Wine and the install that app inside your Wine program and it runs as a native of Ubuntu.
... Are you afraid that you will not be able to test it? Maybe you have the room or another disk you can put it on but your not smart enough to set up a dual boot system so that you have your windows system for a safety net. Well, to just test the system all you need is a Live CD and to get that you can contact me at gods-servant@sbcglobal.net and I'll burn and ship you a copy for ten dollars labor and shipping cost, the software is free. Another method, even cheaper is to go to Ubuntu.com and download the .iso file and burn your own copy. Then you put the disk into your computer, do a restart and it should boot from the CD allowing you to test the system a reduced speed because it will not write to you hard drive. These Live CDs are also the complete system for the install if you choose to install it. And now, about that dual boot system, it is cover for you by the disk. If you already have Windows on your 'puter the Live CD will automatically set you up for a dual boot of both systems.
... I can do no more than to beg you to stop tossing your hard earned money into file thirteen at MS and give this OS a try, it will cost you nothing and will, over your life save you thousands of dollars.

[Literalist-Luke]

I'm fixin' to format my hard drive over Thanksgiving anyway, so I'll take a stab at it. I'll let you know what I think. :yes: My download from ubuntu.com is in progress as I'm typing this. :thumbsup:

[th1bill]

... Just in case, if you've never written an .iso file all one need do is to write it to the disk as an image. In Nero and in K3b I just select burn CD Image and select the .iso and presto. It's a great way to save ten bucks and if you get the disk from Ubuntu, already written it is 34 dollars labor and shipping. There is also a Christian Edition for anyone that is interrested. It's listed as Ubuntu CE. If your going to go with a dual boot be sure to load Windows first. Windows will not give you the dual boot and will over write Ubuntu. They are just not nice!

[Literalist-Luke]

... Just in case, if you've never written an .iso file all one need do is to write it to the disk as an image. In Nero and in K3b I just select burn CD Image and select the .iso and presto. It's a great way to save ten bucks and if you get the disk from Ubuntu, already written it is 34 dollars labor and shipping. There is also a Christian Edition for anyone that is interrested. It's listed as Ubuntu CE. If your going to go with a dual boot be sure to load Windows first. Windows will not give you the dual boot and will over write Ubuntu. They are just not nice!I've written many iso files to disk - already had it done within minutes of downloading, no problemo. :thumbsup: But thanks for the helpful suggestions. :yes:

I'm gonna back up all my essential files (like I usually do, since I format my hard disk 3-4 times a year) and install Ubuntu clean. I'll try it for a while and poke around. If I like it, I'll keep it, because I like the idea of getting future editions for free without having to worry about paying to upgrade to Windows Vista or Windows 7 or whatever it's going to wind up being called.

Like I said, I'll letcha know how it goes. :yes:

[bdh]

... but if the person wants Windows on their unit the price automatically jumps by more that two hundred dollars and that is indecent.Couldn't agree more! ... and then the thing is full of bugs anyway and every day there are 10 new viruses for it. I'm no fan of M$.

Just one more good reason not to it and use Linux instead.

[th1bill]

Couldn't agree more! ... and then the thing is full of bugs anyway and every day there are 10 new viruses for it. I'm no fan of M$.

Just one more good reason not to it and use Linux instead.
... Very solid advise. I was a Windows software beta tester for better that ten years because I wanted to see the system improved but I am today, even though being a Windows Guru for many of my friends, solidly converted to the Ubuntu flavor of Linux. My greatest hold-up on conversion was my fear of not being able to use e-Sword and as soon as I did the double boot thing I discovered just how serious Linux people were about being diversified and found esword4linux.
... When I ran Windows I spent every Saturday afternoon scanning and cleaning my Operating system to avoid the incredible problem with system contamination. Because of this single problem I have built more new Windows 'puters for customers than for any other reason and if you lump most of the other reasons together and include hardware failure, System Contamination is still the number one reason for a new computer. For better than a year I have been running Ubuntu and for the first six months I did not run so much as a basic firewall and yet I had Zero attacks on my system even though I am connected via DSL and now 0ften walk away and leave my unit connected to the internet for hours without any attention by myself or others.
... With Wine and other immulators and virtual machines there is no Windows software that, either will not run on the Linux System or that will not run on it soon because as soon as it comes out folks around the world go to work adapting it to Linux. And with almost two hundred flavors of Linux and most of them totally free, "What's the hold up?" But then that is a rhetorical question, we have all paid the robber and we qll know his identity is MS.

[newvalor]

I have been working with Linux for the better part of a year and I love it! I'm a tinkerer, so the control that Linux gives is absolutely fantasmic. I use Ubuntu as well. I have tried Kubuntu, but I didn't like the gui. I definitely like gnome better. I love wine... though I only use it for a couple of games. Every other program I use I run directly on Ubuntu. The latest version has drivers for all my hardware. Plug and play for my printer!

[bdh]

... there is no Windows software that, either will not run on the Linux System or that will not run on it soon ...You gotta love Linux.

What I don't get is

1. Linux is 100% free, M$ costs a fortune.
2. Linux doesn't get a virus every 5 minutes Windoze does.
3. New versions, like Ubuntu, are every bit as easy to install and use as 'doze
4. All the major Word/spreadsheet type applications are available FREE for Linux
5. Emulators like Whine allow one to run virtually any M$ app if Linux does not have it.
6. It is about a bazillion times more secure than 'doze
7. It does not support .NET (which I regard as a huge plus!)
8. For web applications Linux has PHP and Perl -- both way more stable and secure than ASP (not to mention sh, bash, awk python and many more).
9. It comes standard with MySQL. M$ requires ACCESS or MSQL - both cost and the latter costs a fortune and both are clumsy, unstable and closed source.
10. Virtually ALL Linux applications are free. Almost NO Windoze applications are free.

There are probably a lot more points but these are the ones that come to mind.

... Yet almost ALL desktop PC's have Windoze installed; A cumbersome, expensive, clumsy poorly written, highly insecure OS that should have been put out to pasture years ago (sorry, I'm r-e-a-l-l-y not a 'doze fan).

Just wish everyone out there would get the big picture and switch.

[newvalor]

I have to agree with you Bdh!

My top Programs:

E-mail: Evolution
Office: Open Office
Graphic Design: The Gimp
Disc Burning: Brasero
Music: Amarok
Movies: Mplayer, Gxine, Kaffine
Internet: Mozilla, and many other web browsers to choose from
Command Line: Terminal
Virtualization: Virtual Box
:bounce::rofl::cool:

These are just some of basic programs I use on a daily basis... and they are all free and compete very well with their copy righted expensive counterparts very well.

[tt1106]

I'm sold. I'm going to install it on my box tonight!

[th1bill]

I'm sold. I'm going to install it on my box tonight!
If you are going for a dual boot be sure to install ntfs-3g. With that installed you will find that if your running WindowsNT, Win 2K, WinXP or the terrible Vista that all your files can be easily accessed, worked and modified from Ubuntu. I am currently running Verwion 8.10, Intrepid and those of us here will all be happy to assist you and I'll begin by telling you to join the email list for Technical Assistance and you'll be amazed at the assistence that is available and all of it is free.

[newvalor]

Its true there are extensive documents on Ubuntu's main web site that tell you tons of information plus Ubuntu Forum's is a fantastic source of information! And always remember that google is your best friend :)

[Ascender]

K,

so I download UBUNTU on my XP pro machine as a dual boot, now I want to access my files -- How do I do that? :giveup:

[newvalor]

This might help:

http://www.obharath.net/blog/2005/10/05/reading-files-from-windows-partitionntfs-on-ubuntu-linux/

[th1bill]

K,

so I download UBUNTU on my XP pro machine as a dual boot, now I want to access my files -- How do I do that? :giveup:
System>Administration>Synaptic Package Manager and in search type [ntfs-3g]
as soon as it appears click on the logo and select Mark for Installation. Next click install, click install in the new window and wait for it to finish. I seem to recall that you now go Places>[the new [size] media] bookmark beneath Computer. It has been quite some time since I did this but I recall that the shortcut will also appear on your desk top.

[jackwarr]

Man, do I ever agree with you guys. Linux is great! Made the jump to Ubuntu a few months back on one of my spare machines. Now it's my main machine. One of the original points made in this thread is true -- people don't trust free. They've got no idea what they're missing.

By the way, can anyone suggest a good GIMP tutorial? Their online manual is okay, but it's awfully hard to sift through.

[th1bill]

Man, do I ever agree with you guys. Linux is great! Made the jump to Ubuntu a few months back on one of my spare machines. Now it's my main machine. One of the original points made in this thread is true -- people don't trust free. They've got no idea what they're missing.

By the way, can anyone suggest a good GIMP tutorial? Their online manual is okay, but it's awfully hard to sift through.
Sorry but I'm still running Serif's Photo Plus on my VirtualBox while I learn Gimp myself.

[orange]

I wish I had time for all that.... I refused to use Microsoft, because I always crash it. I work with a lot of simultaniously open files.
I use windows os in my 8-5 job, not not at home. Everyone else at home uses Microsoft, I use mac.

I have my mac almost 4 years now and it has never crashed, nor I had even a single problem, or a virus.
Meanwhile my other home computers, and work computers have crashed, had viruses and even had to be rebuild total of 5 times, 3 of them were replaced in these 4 years in full or their major parts.

I paid more up front buying mac, but the cost of ownership, not counting the downtime and aggravation that windows OS computer gives you, is so much less the owning windows os.

At one point my mac was only computer oparating at our house for weeks, other 4 windows computers where crashed, meleted down or dead with virusses , and my husband still could not agree that mac is far better computer then windows :B :lol:

[th1bill]

I wish I had time for all that.... I refused to use Microsoft, because I always crash it. I work with a lot of simultaniously open files.
I use windows os in my 8-5 job, not not at home. Everyone else at home uses Microsoft, I use mac.

I have my mac almost 4 years now and it has never crashed, nor I had even a single problem, or a virus.
Meanwhile my other home computers, and work computers have crashed, had viruses and even had to be rebuild total of 5 times, 3 of them were replaced in these 4 years in full or their major parts.

I paid more up front buying mac, but the cost of ownership, not counting the downtime and aggravation that windows OS computer gives you, is so much less the owning windows os.

At one point my mac was only computer oparating at our house for weeks, other 4 windows computers where crashed, meleted down or dead with virusses , and my husband still could not agree that mac is far better computer then windows :B :lol:
... That's great but you seem not to have read the original post because you qualify your comments with something to the effect that you wish you had the time when time and money are not factors at all. The learning curve is so shallow as to be almost non-existent. Anyone that can operate a windows or a Mac can operate a machine with Ubuntu operating it. I don't wish to be insulting but your post assumes that we have posted false statements when bdh and I promised a painless transition, honestly, we told the truth and except for both of us being members of this forum we do not know one another.
... You seem rather proud of the idea that your Mac was the only running system for a time at your house but wouldn't it be better if all the others were running a free OS that never froze up or became contaminated?

[tt1106]

If you are going for a dual boot be sure to install ntfs-3g. With that installed you will find that if your running WindowsNT, Win 2K, WinXP or the terrible Vista that all your files can be easily accessed, worked and modified from Ubuntu. I am currently running Verwion 8.10, Intrepid and those of us here will all be happy to assist you and I'll begin by telling you to join the email list for Technical Assistance and you'll be amazed at the assistence that is available and all of it is free.

I am a moderately skilled computer person. Probably a little better off than many. I have always supported open source and have been using Blender and Gimp for quite some time. So I am very pleased so far. Thanks so much. I did dual boot and everything is working fine.
I had a clean install of Xp, So, I just started over.
I have always wanted to try Linux, so this was a no brainer.
Intrepid is running great. No crashes, hangs, or anything of the kind.
I use youtube fot alot of my sunday school material and WinFF, and Clive are working fantastic for me.
Thanks again. Sorry for the gushing.

[th1bill]

I am a moderately skilled computer person. Probably a little better off than many. I have always supported open source and have been using Blender and Gimp for quite some time. So I am very pleased so far. Thanks so much. I did dual boot and everything is working fine.
I had a clean install of Xp, So, I just started over.
I have always wanted to try Linux, so this was a no brainer.
Intrepid is running great. No crashes, hangs, or anything of the kind.
I use youtube fot alot of my sunday school material and WinFF, and Clive are working fantastic for me.
Thanks again. Sorry for the gushing.
Go ahead and gush, I quit wearing sock anyway so your in no danger from me. Anyway, if you ask bdh he'll tell you that I have been gushing for quite some time now over Ubuntu.:rolleyes: