I decided to take the leap and go for a non-Microsoft Operating System. I was just fed up with Windows, and the price they want for a legitimate Windows 7 is stupid! No product is worth that much, regardless of what it does, so I decided to look around for a comparable Operating System that would do everything I need. I made a list, and a new OS had to be able to do these things.
Browse the internet, download via torrent sites, use Open Office, have some fun games available, be able to use iPod with it, be able to rip CDs and be able to use my printers and other devices. Although all this sounds as if it should be possible, let me just say that Windows 7 had trouble finding drivers for my equipment, and it took me days of research to add my Photosmart printer!
I took the plunge with Ubuntu 10.04. A great version of Linux that you can try out by running it as a "LiveCD" - it won't install to the hard drive, you can run it off the CD! After just 10 minutes of using the LiveCD I decided to install Ubuntu onto my PC, alongside Windows 7, and it was the best move I ever made. All the drivers were found instantly and everything went smoothly.
The great thing about Ubuntu is that it is also highly customisable, and after a short while it looked and run brilliantly. Downloading software is a breeze through the software centre, and using the inbuilt applications is simple. The whole Ubuntu experience seems much more intergraded than Windows, and overall I have been finding it a pleasant experience.
For now I will keep my dual-boot system, but in the future I will never buy another Microsoft Operating System again. Ubuntu does all the average user needs and a lot more. I'll keep this blog updated on my progress of using Ubuntu.
