Linux (Ubuntu Flavor)

Linux (Ubuntu)
Manufacturer (Developer): Canonical Ltd.
MSRP: FREE!

I won't get into the entire background of Linux of Ubuntu as you can read just about everything you want to know as far as that goes at the Wikipedia Ubuntu article. That and there are far too many features for me to discuss to hit all of the basics.

Ubuntu is a 'flavor' of Linux which a completely free-of-charge operating system. By making use of non-proprietary filetypes such as Ogg Vorbis for audio instead of MP3 the OS is free and so are tens of thousands of programs to enhance your experience using Ubuntu.

I was tired of my PC not working as it should under Windows. Programs not responding then crashing, my PC taking 5+ minutes to boot up, constant virus corruption despite running several anti-virus programs and countless other problems. I had been thinking of switching to Linux for years but was unsure about it. 2 months ago, after much research, I decided to go to Linux and picked Ubuntu which is one of the most popular flavors of the OS.

You can download the Ubuntu OS .iso file from the official Ubuntu site and burn it to a boot cd. A great feature is that if you want to test the operating system before committing it to your harddrive you can actually run the operating system from the cd with it in your CD-rom/DVD-rom drive. Please note that since everything is running from your CD drive that it will run a little more slowly than from your harddrive.

If/when you decide to load Ubuntu on your harddrive you have several options. Two of which are: you can load Ubuntu and have it delete Windows off your harddrive and run solely with Ubuntu. Or you can load it alongside of another operating system. With this option a black screen pops up whenever your computer boots up and shows each OS choice on your harddrive. You then select which one you want to use and your PC will boot up using that OS. I decided to do a dual boot just in case I have a program that absolutely requires Windows to run then I can boot to Windows then reboot to go back to Ubuntu. But to make that story shorter...I am just about to remove Windows completely from my system.

I'll make it known that my PC's specs are dramtically lacking at this time but with Ubuntu my system can barely feel it. Boot up time has dropped from 5+ minutes to approximately 15-20 seconds. Each launched program is ready for use in mere seconds. It breathed new life into my PC which Windows had lead me to believe I would have to scrap soon.

Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment which makes it a fairly easy transition from a Windows system to Ubuntu. Gnome itself is completely free software which is why it is used with Linux and it keeps everything very user-friendly and unparalled control over content, programs and data for users and developers. And when developers have more control then we, the users, benefit from it as well.

The desktop itself features a small bar at the top and bottom. By default the 'system tray' date and clock are located on the top bar while the bottom bar which will have the icons for open programs, a button which allows you to minimize every window (yes, still refered to as a window which isn't because that's what Microsoft wanted to call them) with a single click of the button, a trash can button which allows you to view/empty your trash can (of course the equivalent of Windows' Recycle Bin) and a feature which allows you to basically have two different desktops you can switch between at will. I haven't used that feature all-too-frequently but it sure is there for when I want/need to use it.

Because Linux is open-source it means that it is free and users are allowed to distribute the code for free but they are allowed (more like encouraged) to hack the code. To improve the code. To add more code for more funcionalities. And this leads to non-programming users such as myself to benefit from even more awesome features which can be downloaded for absolutely no cost!

There is that breed of computer user that believes that all information and code should be available for free. Those users that also have programming skills will spend their personal time creating new options, features and functionality which they will then offer for free.

I use programs on Linux which make available all of the high-end features that Windows-based programs will charge upwards of hundreds of dollars for you to use. I've found comparable if not better programs available for Linux for absolutely free! Linux has a small program that searches for available add on programs/features which are placed into categories. You can select as many as you want, click a button and the program will download all necessary components that your system may not already have on it which are needed to run that program.

That program was added because one thing that kept Linux usable only for the computer-savvy and programming knowledgeable as different packages had to be downloaded (you had do know what they all were and where to get them), where to put them on your system, know how to use a terminal to 'activate' the package on your system and then the program was ready to use. Now you simply click a couple buttons and it is all done for you.

And another thing that drove me from Windows was that all of my external drives were throwing up errors. My brand new USB2.0 DVD/CD Rewriter would write to a disc but then couldn't verify the data after the burn. And while testing to see if they would still work in the cd player/dvd player and the player would only read ERROR. My digital camera couldn't get my images to my PC and have the files be readable. Now with Ubuntu I plug in an external device and a icon for it will appear on the desktop which will allow instant access to that drive. The icon stays until you send it to the trash and/or remove the drive from the USB port. Now my DVD's and CD's burn quickly and correctly every time. Windows' supposedly superior plug-n-play seemed to have gotten outplayed.

A great security feature of Ubuntu (and most, if not all, Linux distributions) is that you are prompted for the administrator password for any changes to the system that require administrator-level access. When adding new programs and setting up new packages you will be prompted for the administrator password in order to make the changes to the system. Therefore any virus/trojan/malware that would try to make changes at the deepest levels of your system will not run because they cannot do this in a covert manner.

So how does a company that releases an operating system for free make money, you ask? Quite simply they sell their customer support. I've had to remind people that groaned that support wasn't free from the company when it generally is from Windows. That is because you've already paid Microsoft somewhere around $200+ dollars. You paid nothing for the software. So you would still save money even if you bought their support.

But luckily since most Ubuntu users believe in the code of all things available for free you will find ample support online for any question you might have without being made to feel like a moron. The people are thankful for a free operating system that works and they want the experience to be just as enjoyable for all other users that may not have as much knowledge at the start.

So in summation: if you like an operating system that is fast, secure, safe with extreme functionality then you've stumbled upon a goldmine. There are so many features which I couldn't hit due to the need to eat and occasionally take a walk outside but I tried to hit as many of the most important ones that I could. You would find out very quickly just how useful it is for you.

Welcome to the wonderful world of (Open Source) free!