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Ubuntu as a Windows alternative

I have been an Ubuntu user for about two years (at home and work) and never regret the day I made the switch. The Ubuntu operating system has come a long way and is user-friendly enough so non-geeks can use it too. With easy software installation, updates and upgrades.

The only reason I still have Windows is because my cheap webcam does not have a linux driver. I will admit that some Linux applications can be better, but the Linux advantages far outweigh the negatives.

I encourage you to give Ubuntu a try! Get a free cd or download the latest version. You can try Ubuntu by booting from the cd -  just a simple reboot and you are back in Windows (unaltered).

Here is a list of applications I regularly use with in brackets the Windows software equivalent.

Internet

  • Firefox as a web browser. Eagerly awaiting Google Chrome for Linux. (Internet Explorer)
  • Google web client with Offline (Google Gears) option enabled as email client (Outlook)
  • Other email clients I have used in the past: Evolution Mail / Mozilla Thunderbird
  • Skype
  • gwitter as (basic) Twitter client. I prefer SocialOomph for posting messages.
  • Empathy and Pidgin support most chat networks.

Office

  • GnuCash Finance Management (Microsoft Money / Quicken)
  • Open Office (Word / Excel / Powerpoint)
  • Striata reader for bank statements

Photos and Graphics

  • Google Picasa – The best software for basic photo editing. So easy to use! F-Spot Photo manager is an alternative if you really need one.
  • Gimp – For advanced photo editing (Adobe Photoshop)

Sound and Video

  • Avidemux and OGMRip or Handbrake (dvd transcoding / conversion)
  • Rhytmbox music player with Apple iPod support. I like to press Ctrl L to see the lyrics of the current track (iTunes)
  • gtkpod iPod Manager (iTunes)

Other

  • Ubuntu One – 2GB of free personal storage space
  • Sun Virtualbox – with a Windows XP virtual machine for when I need to run Linux and Windows at the same time.
  • CrossOver for when you MUST have some Windows software
  • NO virus checker to slow down your pc!

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This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 12:56 pm and is filed under computers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Ubuntu as a Windows alternative”

  1. That’s an impressive and yet simple list to help out the newbies. Kudos for this post.

  2. Thank you. Glad to hear you liked it.

  3. For me, the best operating system is Linux because it rarely hangs.*~’

  4. with regards to PC operating system, i love Windows XP and Linux”`;

  5. I still have a dual boot (Windows XP/Ubuntu). Only use XP for Skype because I do not have a driver for my webcam. I had Windows 7 on a work laptop and after about 3 weeks could not handle the slow response anymore and installed Ubuntu with Crossover for MS Office.

  6. the best operating system is always Linux, after Linux it is Windows XP. Vista sucks`-*

  7. Linux is still the best when it comes to stability and Windows for ergonomics”;`

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