Monday, March 3, 2008

Linux vs. MicroSoft

What to do? I will probably be wondering that all month long.

At the end of March my daughter and son-in-law and their three year old will be visiting! That's exciting! But once they arrive I will have to have made up my mind.

My son-in-law, Mike, is, at least in my opinion, a computer genius. He is responsible for the fact that the system I use on my computer is Linux, rather than MicroSoft. I love my Linux! It is far easier, faster, cleaner, all kinds of good stuff, than MicroSoft. I would really hate to give it up.
I really hate MicroSoft. BUT....

It seems that everything in the world of electronics is geared to MicroSoft. My camera, printers, just about anything you can name, no longer comes with a nice, easy to follow paper user's manual. It comes with a user's manual on a CD which must be played through a computer and is compatible only with MicroSoft. Many videos and some very interesting sites on the web are not compatible with Linux. Or, if they can be made compatible, I can't figure out how to download them. I am not very computer literate, and Linux language (or Simply Mepis) is still a mystery to me. Oh, let's face it - so is MicroSoft language, but everything Linux begins with the letter "k" so it looks more mysterious.

I won't do anything that will prevent me from handling my photos differently than I am doing now.
That would be a deal breaker.

Mike will bring what's needed to convert me to MicroSoft if I decide to go that direction. But should I do that? Can I bring myself to abandon my beloved Linux? I have 25 days to decide.
Tune in next week, and learn whether I have made up my mind.

10 comments:

Dianne said...

My gut instinct is that you're going to need to bobbie and trust me I empathize.

Some of my work software is DOS based and runs on a UNIX platform and the tricks I have to perform to get things to run!!

Damn U Bill Gates!

I've been looking (and wishing) at new cameras but the idea of changing my Kodak dock, installing new/more software makes my head spin.

bobbie said...

Thanks for your input, Dianne. (You're always right there for me!) I'm afraid you're probably right. I just keep clinging to the hope. At Mike's job they have about half and half. The MS ones crash all the time. Linux, never!

Shelly said...

Ladies, someday I hope to speak computerese like you...this coming from the girl who was struggling with links...sad but true. Baby steps, I know.

bobbie said...

Oh, Shelly, that makes me laugh. I know so little computerese it is pathetic. I know exactly the particular things that I use every day, and not a thing more. My son-in-law is very patient with me, but one of these days I'm afraid he'll throw up his hands and give up on me.
Baby steps are fine. l They get you where you want to go.

Anonymous said...

Bobbie - Thanks for your comments on 'Viridis.' This discussion is in a technical realm, far above my level of comprehension. I am just a country bumpkin, not on the 'information super-highway,' but on some back country dirt road. I am, and will always be, an APPLE girl.

I love my Mac and all that it, quite straight-forwardly does. Their instructors are great... I schedule training sessions (1-hour each with a personal trainer/up to once a week - @ $99 per year), as needed.

I'm headed back, next week, with a fistful of questions, that I couldn't seem to solve on my own. For all the projects I'm involved in, my Mac is perfect... and, yes, I realize I'm in the minority. But, for this retired instructor of horticulture, it's 'an Apple a day!'

Seriously, good luck with your decision... Deb

bobbie said...

Thanks, Deb. I know nothing about Apple. My experience with Linux has been so great, I just dread the thought of returning to MicroSoft, but it looks like I'm probably headed that way. Unfortunately, my previous experience with MS and trying to deal with "help" from Verizon was very frustrating. That means that I'll be on the phone to Mike in CA more often, asking for real help if I go that way.

Minnesotablue said...

Bobbie: I gotta tell you it's all greek to me. I just turn my computer on and hope it works.

bobbie said...

That sounds like me most of the time. And isn't it a bummer when it doesn't?

Unknown said...

Speaking of computer woes, I noticed you have a slide show on your blog from flckr. I've had nothing but problems getting blogger to show my slides from flckr. The photos upload to flckr fine but when it comes time to get onto my blogger page, it refuses to do anything. Any suggestions?

bobbie said...

Hi sphinx. If you click on the bottom of my flickr badge, it will take you to where you can make your own. First you'll want to put any photos you want on it, into a separate set. You also get to choose your own colors for background for printing, outline, etc.
On my own blog site, the badge doesn't work. It changes pictures once, than quits. Never moves again. But I'm told that it works fine when viewed on other blogs. Good luck with it.