IS there a new kid on the Block: Windows 7 vs Ubuntu 10.04

http://www.channelpro.co.uk/advice/6103/windows-7-vs-ubuntu-1004?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=obr2012011

at last it appears there may be a linux operating system to rival windows 7.
the biggest thing going for linux seems to me to be it's ability to not crash at regular intervals and it can also get away with running on less well specked machines.
I would be keen to hear if anyone has tried this particular OS yet and how they got on.

I use linux most of the time. Ubuntu 10.04's a bit old now though, 11.10 is the latest version. If I was starting over I'd go for linux mint 12, which is a derivative of ubuntu but probably more familiar and easier to use for a windows user. Having said that ubuntu's very user friendly.
Check out......http://distrowatch.com/

56kevins wrote:I use linux most of the time. Ubuntu 10.04's a bit old now though, 11.10 is the latest version. If I was starting over I'd go for linux mint 12, which is a derivative of ubuntu but probably more familiar and easier to use for a windows user. Having said that ubuntu's very user friendly.
Check out......http://distrowatch.com/

the pros seem to be A: its free and be unix seems to be more stable. the cons of course it does not run MS office.

Tbh MS office is not something I ever use. Linux has a similar application called Libre Office, I don't know how that compares to MS office tbh, but most linux apps I've found are better than microsoft. What I usually do is d/l a live distro then try it out before I install it. Or if you have virtualbox installed try it on there.
You might even be able to run MS office under wine....not 100% sure though.

56kevins wrote:Tbh MS office is not something I ever use. Linux has a similar application called Libre Office, I don't know how that compares to MS office tbh, but most linux apps I've found are better than microsoft. What I usually do is d/l a live distro then try it out before I install it. Or if you have virtualbox installed try it on there.
You might even be able to run MS office under wine....not 100% sure though.

agreed there is a lot in the office suite that most people would rarely if ever use and I stopped upgrading at office 2000 anyway, but it is still the biggest selling business software and as such is something serious users need.
the only thing I would miss is Access as I taught myself how to program with that and can usually get it to do what I want.
I also have lots of access databases that I use regularly and the thought of having to rewrite them in another system does not appeal to me at all.
Of course I am sure there would be other things I miss after having been a windows user since day one and a dos user before that. Although my first PC had Dr Dos on it and came with a form of windows. Thankfully windows came out shortly after I got that machine.

I have only ever dabbled with unix and not really got into it at all. I want a wimp interface to do all the tedious stuff in the background.

My only real use of unix came with my Tivo box which before the removal men lost it had been running non stop for about 6 years with only a handful of reboots in that time. I wish I could say the same for any windows machine I have ever owned, although now with windows 7 blue screens of death are pretty much a thing of the past. Apart from when they are not.