OT help with new computer

Am getting a new computer. What are the pros and cons of the Linux OS?

KEH

pros: less subject to malware ,viruses etc
cons: not as easy as a windows variant. need some thought on setup.if all doing is browsing the web fine and if you want to do more multimedia type stuff there is a learning curve to putting it together. not every thing you can do on win is avail to linux.

I have both.
Linux has a lot of advantages, but unless you have a friend or some one to help in time of need, you better stay with windows. XP, not Vista.
Ubunto linux, (free) which is very fool proof, can be installed on the same drive/computer as Xp, so that you have a choise when booting. A good way to try.
Then there is Apple, if you have the money.

Yep pretty much.
If you are not somewhat of a PC geek then LINUX is not for you. Also if you do games it is a no no.

Get one with windoze in it , and you can always cheaply go to linux later if you want. but to buy windows outside of a PC purchase is expensive.

Just a Quasi geeks opinion though.

If you have to ask, it's not for you.

Pro: It's cheap. But most likely the P.C. you're buying has the cost of a Windows license already built into the price.

Con: It's quirkier, primarily developed by hobbyists, and many sub-systems are not as mature as with Windows or OS-X.

Thanks a lot for help. It's sounding like it's not for me, but I like the option of having both os on the same system.

KEH

Linux has come a long way in the past couple of years. If all you want to use the computer for is web browsing it will work fine. But almost any software you would buy off the shelf will be for Windows.

And there's not much savings in getting a computer without Windows, Dell pays Microsoft less than $50 per copy to install it on a new PC.

You can try Linux with one of the "Live" distributions. Usually you have to download and burn your own CD, but you can buy one cheap too. Stick it in the drive and reboot, the computer will come up in Linux; shut it down and Window will never know the difference. Here's one to play with if you want to try.
Puppy Linux

Ken,
Apple is not expensive for a fool proof system, unless you are buying a box store "special". Ever hear the Apple commercial that says "IT JUST WORKS"

I won't ever buy another PC. Get a Mac and forget it. Great service. And Windows Vista is a joke. My next one will be a Mac. I'm running XP now with all updates and when I decide to junk this, it WILL be a Mac.

My wife just got a new PC at school and has already gotten rid of Vista and installed XP.

KEH,
No matter what coloken says if you want 2 systems go Apple, you will soon find yourself spending more time with OSX and less in windoze. It is very nice not to have a system crash or continually be plagued by viruses.

I suggest a mac also. When I push the on button it's ready to go in about 15sec. My pc at work...turn it on go make coffee, toast a bagle... when you come back it'll almost be ready.

I have used Linux exclusively on my home PC for over ten years.

Pros: Very stable, no need to buy extra software just to make the thing work (such as virus protection and firewall software). The price is right, and almost any application you might want is available for free, with the exception of games.

Cons: Some understanding of UNIX is needed, even with the newer distributions. Some of the software is a little clunkier than the commercial equivalents. For example, the most popular office application, OpenOffice.org, doesn't have all the features of Microsoft Office. (It is also free, while MS Office lists for several hundred dollars.)

Probably the biggest single issue with Linux is hardware support. Pretty much any hardware you have that is at least a year old will be fine. But newer hardware can be iffy. Most hardware manufacturers still see Linux as a niche market and won't spend the time and money to make sure their stuff will run under Linux. This leaves it to hardcore Linux users to write the device drivers required to make new hardware run.

A have almost twenty years of UNIX/Linux experience, so Linux is a much more comfortable environment for me than Windows. At work I switch back and forth constantly from my Windows laptop to my UNIX workstation. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. At home I will never go back to Windows. Although XP is not too bad of an OS, any of the Windows releases prior to Windows 2000 were absolute garbage and should never have been shipped to customers.

My recommendation to you is this: Download a "Live CD" and check it out. Knoppix is a very good "live" distribution; just plug the CD into you PC and boot up. This will give you a little exposure to Linux so you can see how it behaves. And if you have a friend who has a little Linux or UNIX experience and is willing to help you out, go ahead and install Ubuntu Linux. You may decide that you don't need Windows after all.