I don't know A LOT about computers, but I'm always willing to learn and I've never messed around with Linux before, I have a spare computer in my house which I would install it to, so if I f'ed up anything or something, it wouldn't matter too much, I'd just do a quick format and everything would be fine

So, what do yall think? Should I play around with it? Someone shine some light on me, I'm a little lost when it comes to OS's past M$, hehe

I have recently found an interest in Linux and would like to know more about your experiences.

at my previous contract site, i had a sony laptop they gave me, that i put linux (only) on. it was p3-500, 128 megs of ram (which, granted, is nice for a laptop), and everyone knows that laptops are not known for their pci bus thruput. anyway, long story short, this little laptop after 60 days uptime, was still faster and more responsive than any computer i have or have ever owned. (and belive me, what im using now is EXRTORDINARILLY more robust hardware wise, and its a dog in performance, even in windows, compared to linux on that little laptop).

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Is the responsiveness something quantifyable? You can download MP3s faster because of the "more robust networking code" of Linux? Your typing speed in StarOffice Writer is faster than in "M$ Wurd?"

The question, posed to "Mike64" was "Why learn Linux when his computer was working fine to begin with and why is it 'M$' but not, say '$u$E' Linux?" The answer to "why learn Linux" was "because a friend gave it to me and I had spare time."

Mike64, what about the whole "M$" thing? Are you concerned about Microsoft having too much money? Is there a monopoly with Microsoft Windows? Is it just that you've seen websites and posts call Microsoft "M$" and you're just going along with it?

I'm a man of many words.

and while most poeple say "give it a go and see how it turns out for you" or "hey when you do try this or that" or "man, it sure is neat doing different things, and your prolly going to like it"

you prefer to say "hell no dont!!"

i just cant see how he could be encouraged by anything you say.

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I primarily work in M$ as everyone that knows me is aware of. I own a legal copy of every OS M$ makes and most of their software. I use it at work exclusively as it is much easier to administer a Windows 2000 Domain when you are running Windows 2000.

I use it at the tango parties simply because I know it well and in the event of a downed server, I can bring the Win2K box back online faster (Admiditaly that is only because I know it better)

Personally, I am dabbling in Linux. I have tried a couple distros and I must admit that Mandrake is my favorite. I too have more than a decade of experienve with computers (nearly two actually) and pull much from my pre-windows days when working with Linux. I like that. It gives a new freshness to an old thing.

I am learning Linux simply because I never have. Unix and Unix-like operating systems make up the vast majority of high end business grade servers. It would make sense that myself being a computer professional ought to have a good working knowledge of them at the very least.

I cannot give you any personal evidence as dlp.sharez.jek can as he most obviously has used linux for a number of years. What I can tell you is that if you are truly a computer geek then to ignore Linux altogether is iresponsible.

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Texas Area Network Gamers organization
http://www.tangolan.com

i totally agree with the "ignoring/irresponsible/true geek" remark. in the same spirit, even tho i prolly do more than my share of slamming, i do intend to buy a high end mac one of these days. no matter how much fun we make, and no matter how hard M$ tries, that shop has not closed its doors. that leaves one of a few conclusions:
1. people are just stupid (?)
2. apple users are (mostly) elite grahics hackers/gods that most of us do not know.
3. (or) some other part of the equation that we dont see that they are obviously doing VERY correctly.

there is also the encouragement that with solid unix experience, basic programming skill, moderatly solid scripting skill, there is no reason you cant walk in to [anywhere that runs unix, and of course based on company size] and get an entrylevel unix admin job for $50,000. (and that info i pulled from a guy in my office who used to just that, for significantly more $)

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The real question there is why do you own a computer. My in-laws primarilly do video editing. For them, the Mac was the best choice. For others (Like me) I quicky get frustrated at it's inability to perform as I expect when gaming and networking.

Mac networking, quite plainly is a nightmare.

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Texas Area Network Gamers organization
http://www.tangolan.com

NEVER have I told "Mike64" to "not try" or "don't do" something. I asked for his thoughts on why he would go so far out of his way to learn a new operating system that is, as the Linux user said, is geared for the "computer geek" (as when he agreed with Scooby's post).

The attacks come in from the Linux partisan: "You're too dumb to understand how good Linux is." "You don't understand how good Linux is so you hate it." "You're discouraging people from doing what they know is right." "You're a mean-spirited, close-minded cad who cannot be progressive in his thinking and therefore will never truly understand the majesty of Linux."

Nice deflection. Change the debate from a list of empirical evidence to an attack on question, appealing to the emotional side of the argument so as to get "the people" behind you.

The hypocrisy in that is that tech and news websites worldwide refer to the "Linux community" where the gentle, educated hacker works together with all peoples of the world in harmony. Point out that the Linux utopian ideal has some gaps in logic and you'll hear the gentle hacker spew stuff that would make Charles Manson say: "Damn, dude. Take it easy!"

Give me a break! I don't want any more of this smokescreen and the American people don't want it either! Will someone please answer the question: Where's the benefit to having Linux as it is right now for the average consumer and how is getting the average consumer to go to all this open source/free software going to spur a sagging tech economy?

no one ever said linux was for the average consumer.

we also have not specified or determined that the he is an average consumer, nor have we limited mike64 from becomming or declaring that he will be, a geek that would be a probable suspect for wanting to learn something like linux for his own benefit.

let him! let him try it! geez dont be discouraging!

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I'm Iresponsible! nooooooooooooooooo! Actually, I share my comp with my family and cannot hose it or 3 other people get very very mad at me. Fiddling with OS's imho is the quickest way to hose a comp. =) That or the bubble gum machine mix up incident with the floppy drive...

In most cases, I lend an ear to your posts because you have shown to be a logical, methodical person who thinks about what they say and the consequences. Over the past few days, you seem to be showing more opinionated objection than logical fact.

You are corect in stating that no one has ever given you hardcore evidence as to why you should fromat your harddrive, go to Linux and never look back. This is because there is no such reason just as there is no reason that dlp.sharaz-jek or any of the ohters should format their harddrives, go to Microsoft and never look back.

As you like similes, compare a user's choice of OSes to their choice of, I don't know, deoderant. Why is there not one brand of deoderant for everyone? The answer is simple in the fact that there as many opinions, needs and chioces as there are people.

What I don't understand is why you have dificulties with people that do not share your opinions. You expect them to defend their opinions with hardcore facts. The reasons (facts) I use Linux is completely irrelevant to why you (should/should not) use Linux.

The question "Why use Linux" is a very valid question. The response "Your reason does not fit my needs" is a valid response. To vigilante against Linux because you personally have no use for it is an invalid venture. Your vigilante against Linux (that is how it is being recieved) is why you feel that an attack has been leveled by the Linux community. You can't kick around in a snake pit and not expect to be bit a few times.

To blatently answer your question, there is no benefit for the average consumer to go to Linux right now. Where ever did you decide that there was? If there was, there would be a Linux version of AOL!!

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Texas Area Network Gamers organization
http://www.tangolan.com

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Got LAN??