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I'm beginning my experiment with Linux and other OS's.

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superboyac:
Well, after havng it on my mind for a long, long time, I'm finally experimenting with a Linux installation.  For now, I've gone with openSuse because Zaine raves about it so much.  I just installed it, so I don't have much to say at this point.  It was a pretty painless and fast install.  But if I remember correctly, Windows 7 was pretty easy also.  Anyway, so far so good.

Now, first thing to mention is that it is fast.  There is no hint of the sluggishness that I'm used to with Windows.  Again, I have no technical stats to back this up, this is all on personal feel so far.  In defense of Windows, on my latest computer which is really nice and powerful, I don't really have any problems with sluggishness.  However, my whole gripe with Windows is that it needs way too powerful hardware to do what it does.  Anyway, this is something I'm sure I'll have more to say on as I go along.

My primary reasons for doing this is the following:
--My love/hate relationship with Windows.  I've always been a Windows geek, so I'm attached to and love all the software I use.  But I hate how you have to be constantly tweaking it and taking care of it to make sure you have no problems.  If I wasn't the person that I am, my computer could quickly degenerate into a sluggish, chaotic mess that would run into issues every other minute.  I'm older and busier now, i don't have time to indulge all my geek desires.  And no matter what anyone says, I strongly feel that for the power of any given pc's hardware, Windows makes very poor use of it.  I feel like with what this current computer has, everything should be so fast that it's blinding.  But of course, it's nowhere near that.  Don't get me started on 5 year old computers.

--I'm just curious what involved in the Linux world.  I don't know jack about it at this point.  The visual feel of opensuse certainly looks familiar to me, so I'm able to get around.  I don't quite understand the idea behind files, folders, executables, etc. at this point.  It all looks normal and Windows-like.  That's all I can say.  I know, not very deep.

Zaine, my cloud computing experiment is not far behind.  Although, I'm not a big fan of doing things on the web.  But I'm wondering if there is still a place for it in my life for the less important things like communication, accessibility from everywhere, etc.  It's just that I want all my files locally and I want to control everything locally, or have it backed up locally.  I don't know yet.

40hz:
I should let Zaine say it first, so I'll just say: +1 with zridling for when he does! :Thmbsup: ;D

cyberdiva:
Hi, superboyac.  Your message really resonated with me.  I too have been very frustrated with Windows' sluggishness, vulnerability to malware, and wastefulness (in terms of how many resources and how much power one needs to get it to work well).  However, in spite of having heard good things about Linux for quite a while, I've never given it a try.  Yeah, I'm a coward, but it's not just that.  There are two other reasons for my staying with Windows.  One is the software.  I love the wealth of programs available, the number of people who use them and can thus be of help, and the fact that many of the programs have documentation I can understand.  I can't imagine giving up programs such as Linkman, Directory Opus, Clipmate, and HyperSnap, to name just a few.

In addition to the software issue, there's also something about the Linux world that really puts me off.  When I read explanations of how to do something in Linux, I tense up.  The terminology, the assumptions about what a user knows and is comfortable with, seem very alien.  They remind me of the experience I had back in the early-to-mid '90s when I was doing most of my work on mainframes and was trying to read man pages to understand Unix.  With enough work and patience, I could often decipher what I needed to know, but I hated it.  Perhaps if I immersed myself in Linux for five or ten years, I might eventually feel more comfortable and capable, but frankly, I just don't think it's worth it--life is too short.

Anyway, I'll be following your experiment with great interest and admiration.

Shades:
The lack of a decent file-manager similar to Directory Opus is my main reason for not jumping ship. Most of my time spent on a computer is more or less on anything except playing games.

But file-management in the linux GUI is like going back into the stone age...to a similar level as explorer in windows. Although Midnight Commander is a very reliable app and makes file-management a lot easier than any GUI solution, it is still not even close to the level I am accustomed to with Directory Opus.

Having said that, I do use several Linux servers in my setup and although they can be harder to setup initially, but are more reliable and their maintenance is a lot less problematic.

So good luck on your travels in Linux space, superboyac.

4wd:
... it is still not even close to the level I am accustomed to with Directory Opus.-Shades (December 20, 2009, 04:09 PM)
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If you don't mind going back to DOpus' Amiga origins you could try Worker.
From the Directory Opus 4 Research Project:
Worker  is a pretty accurate clone of the original Amiga DirOpus. It nearly looks and feels like the original. Distributed under the GPL.
--- End quote ---

I'm beginning my experiment with Linux and other OS's.

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