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Anyone want to help convert a Microsoft user...

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Dave A

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Well, here's your chance. I've had enough of running Sindoze. Its slow, buggy and generally f-ed up. So whats the best choice for a different OS without having to buy a new PC?

There are some things I require it to have though:

Cheap or Free
My BT modem drivers/setup disc says only compatible with Sindoze (vital for Internet access)
Bve 4
A movie maker, studio etc of some sort
Office tools e.g. Word
MSN messenger
An FTP client
Imagery software
Firewall
Anti-spyware
Media Player
Adobe reader or equivelent
Winrar, Winzip (anything that works with zip files)

These are the essentials that must be compatible with this OS. And I'd rather they'd be free or very cheap.

All help appreciated,

David



:D
 
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Gareth Hale

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BVE only works on Windows AIRC


Plus, Id wait, Microsoft is releasing Windows Vista in a few months time 8)


also. what is Sindoze :? :? :?
 

Gareth Hale

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We aint going down that road again :roll: ........


Im getting it and it looks a tonne better than Windows XP


How would you like a PC where you can work on it before it is fully booted up?
 

Dave A

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Gareth Hale said:
BVE only works on Windows AIRC


Plus, Id wait, Microsoft is releasing Windows Vista in a few months time 8)


also. what is Sindoze :? :? :?
Gareth, wtf gives you the idea that Vista going to be any safer and better than XP? Lets see, how many un-succesful OS's have M$ released? Hmmm...

Sindoze 3.1, 95, 98, 98SE, ME, XP Home/Pro anymore?

Sindoze Vista :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Mojo

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I got a Mandrake linux DVD free with a magazine, and that partitioned my Hard drive for me, and whenever I turn on, I get the option to load Windoze XP or the many versions of Mandrake that got installed.
 

Lewisham2221

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London Tube said:
Well, here's your chance. I've had enough of running Sindoze. Its slow, buggy and generally f-ed up. So whats the best choice for a different OS without having to buy a new PC?

There are some things I require it to have though:

Cheap or Free
My BT modem drivers/setup disc says only compatible with Sindoze (vital for Internet access)
Bve 4
A movie maker, studio etc of some sort
Office tools e.g. Word
MSN messenger
An FTP client
Imagery software
Firewall
Anti-spyware
Media Player
Adobe reader or equivelent
Winrar, Winzip (anything that works with zip files)

These are the essentials that must be compatible with this OS. And I'd rather they'd be free or very cheap.

All help appreciated,

David



:D

AFAIK, most of that kinda stuff comes with a lot of Linux distributions anyway. Anything that doesn't could probably be found by doing a quick Google search, for example searching for your modem drivers by searching for "blah de blah* linux drivers".

*where blah de blah is the model of your modem.
 

Tom B

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Gareth - don't fall in with the masses. Just because M$ promotional bumph says it's safer and looks prettier doesn't mean it is. TBH I'm fine with the W9x look and feel...

LT - must emphasise before you do anything make a backup of everything ;)

So what on your list is availible for Linux... this is from what I've seen and there's probarbly more (I'm relatively new to Linux myself)

Cheap or Free
Most distros are free, those that aren't are cheap

My BT modem drivers/setup disc says only compatible with Sindoze (vital for Internet access)
Uh-uh. Trouble is, proper modems have in inbuilt CPU; those up as only for Bindoze use some of the main CPU to do this job, which no other OS supports.

Bve 4
Nope, unfortunately not a runner (yet - I know people have been partially sucessful porting it over, and BVE2 I'm told worked a treat)

A movie maker, studio etc of some sort
Not seen one myself but do a google and you should (will) find something

Office tools e.g. Word
OpenOffice.org is availible for Linux, if you use M$ Office it's an easy conversion

MSN messenger
Gaim works with this and many other protocols. I'm not sure if it works

An FTP client
Again I've not seen anything personally but there are programs availible

Imagery software
The GIMP does lots, there's a Windoze Paint lookalike too (keeps me happy!). Dunno if PSP is availible nowadays.

Firewall
Not seen but presume so

Anti-spyware
... is needed much less than you'd think because 99% of spyware is Windoze specific

Media Player
Yep, one's bundled with most distros

Adobe reader or equivelent
Yep

Winrar, Winzip (anything that works with zip files)
Yep (equivilants)

As I say that's my experience and others may correct me. A lot of distros come with a large chunk of software to do standard things (browse, office, media, imagary) already.

Dual-booting is a good idea, I'm going to be trying it out myself on a spare machine soon... before considering anything major remember to back everything up and have original install media so you can go back to Windoze if everything falls apart during install. Also remember if you do a download you'd need a fast connection (Debian is 8.50gb of ISO files IIRC)
 
T

Tom

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I know of a friend who can help... sort of Linux "genius" you could say (not!!) :lol:!
 

Craig

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If you want to try Linux without partitioning your hard drive, can I suggest downloading Knoppix? You can boot it from CD, so you don't have to install anything. Useful if you just want to try it out or something, it's what I use when I run into problems with Windows.

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
 

Tom B

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Seconded, it's an excellent way to run Linux on any system (but I don't know if I could use it all the time - it's a bit slower and I keep saving stuff on the ramdisk and forgetting about it :oops:)
 

HSTfan!!!

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You couldn't use a live disc full time for sure! I tried to do it unsucessfully. LiveCD Linux wise I use slax, it is quite feature packed and offers the ability to back up any configuration settings or files saved on the ramdisk to the creators server which I have used before succesfully, search "slax" on google. Theres a few different versions one of which is called "Killbill" and has inbuilt WINE of which I haven't quite cracked how to use. I would recommend slax to the beginner though, it guides you through how to login and everything!
 

joeholmes

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I am going to advise you Apple Mac..

OS X 4.5.2 Tiger Edition.

Tis fast, virus free, sound system on it is super, and they look you good i want to lick them

However, there arnt free

:(
 

Tom B

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Mmm, I generally save the contents of the ramdisk to a CF card via a USB reader, but have a tendancy to forget.
 

HSTfan!!!

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joeholmes said:
I am going to advise you Apple Mac..

OS X 4.5.2 Tiger Edition.

Tis fast, virus free, sound system on it is super, and they look you good i want to lick them

However, there arnt free

:(

which I am moving to hopefully...!!! :D
 

Dave A

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An Apple Mac will be the first computer I look to when I can afford to get a new one, but until then, I guess its Bindoze all the way :cry:
 

HSTfan!!!

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you can go one step better than that! there is an x86 version of mac osx doing the rounds on the net! besides the architecture of powerpc's (i.e. mac's) are better than pc's partly because the people who design the computer are also the people that make the os.
 

I'm Insane

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Emergency post.
NEVER GET VISTA!
It is crap, anyone wanting vista, DON'T GET IT, stick with xp if you've got it, my computer has already been ruined twice by vista, the first time resulting in hard drive failiure. Vista looks better but it really isn't. Things that were simple on xp are nearly impossible to do on vista. So nobody touch vista(unless you hate your pc).
 

djw1981

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Vista doesn't even look better.....to my mind, the best looking user interfaces are on Linux. just a shame I have no idea how it works enough to run it.
 

Tom B

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*wades through the cloud of dust*

@I'm Insane - please don't dig up old threads. This one is almost three years old.
 
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