Baldy’s Paradox

What is the condition of the Linux today? That is a question that I get all the time and one that is getting easier to answer every day. I always ask the user what do they want out of Linux and that cures some of the woes and worries they have. With todays options with Linux( and yes there really are a lot of them) from Suse and Mandriva available in boxes at Best Buy and other big box stores to the many of downloadable distros, the new Linux user has options.

Lets start with basics you want to surf the web and visit those “in places” like You Tube and comedy central you have the options to use Firefox or Opera or gawd forbid you what to use IE that is always a option that is avaialable to you. And what about e-mail you say well there are options there from Thunderbird to kmail and dozens in between. And with Open Office there is no more reason to fork out a large slab of that valuable cash you have horded away to get a office suite, it comes in most distros or is easily downloadable too.

But wait a second you are saying why would I take a perfect running version of Windows and trash it out by trying to install Linux just to play on the web? Well spanky today the new user has many options there again, with the common use of “live CD’s” you can just download a distro that you want to try burn it and you have Linux running on your machine and nothing was installed, yet. And for those you that want it even easier a lot of the local Lug Groups has install fests or demo days at which they hand out free cd’s with various flavors of linux on them, or you can even order one for just a couple of dollars from over at Distrowatch.

Okay if everything is so great why is windows still around you ask? Simple brainwashing, what is running on every computer you see in the stores? Yup Windows, what was the first machine you bought, yup again windows. The average user has never even seen a Mac or Linux machine up and running and that is the shame of the matter. And that is the reason that myself and others are always talking about Linux to get the word out, and not just for you but for your mother and sister and your friends. Can a average user jump right into linux without problems? Yes it can be done and with a smaller learning curve than you had when you first started with a computer. Would a linux system cure all your problems? Maybe not but it won’t hurt you and it is safer and more stable than the operating system that you are using now so why not give it a try, it is free and easy to obtain what is holding you back?

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To one and all a Happy and Safe Holiday, and don’t forget to say thanks to a vet that you may know in your area.

This tutorial shows how you can set up a PCLinuxOS 2007 desktop that is a full-fledged replacement for a Windows desktop, i.e. that has all the software that people need to do the things they do on their Windows desktops. The advantages are clear: you get a secure system without DRM restrictions that works even on old hardware, and the best thing is: all software comes free of charge. I found that PCLinuxOS is really easy to install and use, and it is a real alternative.

(Writers choice folks but it is good read, Baldy)

Source: The Perfect Desktop - PCLinuxOS 2007