I’ve just switched my laptop over from Windows to Linux Ubuntu.
I’ve worked with Linux systems for many years so I’m not a newcomer to Linux.
Mostly though these have been server systems and not desktop computers.
Like the majority of people, I used Windows for my desktop PC and laptop.
So why the switchover from Windows to Ubuntu?
Switching from Windows to Linux Ubuntu
I’ve never been a big fan of Windows for the desktop.
It’s slow, bloated, takes an age to boot up, is high risk when it comes to viruses. And of course, it’s produced by Microsoft, who, as everyone knows is the Anti-Christ of Computing. 🙂
It was also a desire to minimize my computer system and desktop. Ubuntu has a really smart graphical user interface, which makes it a pleasure to use. It’s also simple and straightforward. Â Linux systems tend to be complicated and require you to know how to use complex shell commands.
Being an IT person I’m well familiar with Linux and Unix shell commands. But for running my business I don’t want to spend my time functioning as a Linux system administrator. I have other more important things to do.
Ubuntu is completely different to most of the other Linux systems out there. In practice you hardly need to use any shell commands for most things. Ubuntu is Linux for the common man, Linux for the rest of us.
Among the other things I like is the really fast boot up time.
As well as the information line at the top right hand corner of the screen, which displays things like date, time, network and battery status, Dropbox information, the audio controls, and other stuff.
There’s no menu system to have to navigate like in Windows, just a graphical icon display column called the “launcher”. This makes starting applications really easy.
Installing Ubuntu was amazingly simple, fast and straightforward. Plus, the system is updated and maintained online by the Ubuntu company, with all updates automatically sent to your computer (you just have to confirm that you want them installed).
Ubuntu has a large repository of free open source software for download and installation – which is also child’s play. They also offer a free cloud storage system called Ubuntu One, which provides you with 5 GB of free cloud storage. More storage is available for a fee should you need it.
One of the things Ubuntu doesn’t do and which I need to use is GoToWebinar. For this I have to power up my Windows partition which I’ve kept on my laptop for this eventuality.
All in all, I’m really pleased with Ubuntu.
So if you’re looking for a system which is simpler and more efficient to use than Windows, but you don’t want to get bogged down in Linux complexity, then I’d recommend taking a look at Ubuntu.
You can try Ubuntu before committing by using a live CD version.
What’s more, Ubuntu is free for anyone to download. It also has a great support community.
Check out the Ubuntu website at www.ubuntu.com
Image: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
