Linux is pretty.

I scored a refurbished Gateway computer from Woot last week, which I intend to use as a server. I was kind of excited, because although I intended to wipe the drive and install Ubuntu (Windows Vista is nowhere near stable enough to be a good server), it came with Windows Vista Home Premium. Since I have only used Vista at Best Buy and CostCo, I was pretty excited to give it a thorough try.

I clicked my agreement to numerous things I paid no attention to and Vista took a deep breath, and 15 minutes after hitting the power switch, I was up and running. Only a few more EULAs to agree to, and off we go–where?

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From PC World, detailed instructions on making the switch (and for keeping Windows on your computer, just in case), along with some compelling reasons to give it a try. (Of course, there is no reason not to throw the LiveCD in your disc drive just to see what Linux is like.)

Unlike many operating systems, Ubuntu is released on a regular, six-month cycle. Today the newest release, 7.04 is available for download. It includes easier importing of Windows data to Firefox and Evolution, better-functioning internet network management, and more.

Get it here.

A friend called me this morning because he was going computer shopping, so I was looking up the minimum system requirements for Vista. And quite frankly, they are pretty hefty. My laptop is two years old (I’m big on efficiency, not the cutting edge), and I felt like I was going overboard getting 1 GB of RAM. But 1 GB is the minimum required to run Vista Home Premium. You need half that for Home Basic, but Home Basic doesn’t have any of the sexy Aero features which is the main reason to upgrade.

So I don’t plan to upgrade any time soon. Like most people seem to be recommending, I will wait until I need a new computer. Although as things stand now, I would probably get a Mac, anyway, and run Windows through Parallels if I really needed any of my old software.

Yeah yeah, I know Linux is probably of marginal interest at best to most readers, but I have been intrigued by free and open-source software (FOSS) for so long that I finally couldn’t resist trying the free, open-source operating system. After all, Linux is good enough for Mac to use as a basis for OS X. It can’t be that bad.

It isn’t. At all. In fact, I’d go so far to say that for anyone with the slightest skill at using a computer (i.e. - can you click a mouse), and a willingness to use the web, forums, and (occasionally) IRC for tech support rather than Microsoft, it has a lot of advantages over Windows. If you are at all adventurous and looking for something different, definitely give Linux a try.

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