ubuntu 12.04 and linux mint
 

a few years ago i downloaded ubuntu 10 through wubi and ever since linux has been my go to O.S ever since now i knew about linux mint was a stripped down version espesialy for low end computers/netbooks but with the new cinnamon front end is it worth me downloading it

It all depends on your need what you need, kinda environment you're comfortable working with. Give that cinnamon a try.

Mint is not a stripped down version of Ubuntu, it is a version with added features aimed at ease-of-use.
Only you can say if it is worth for you using it, so just give it a try.

Thought it was years years ago when it was the preferred linux version on net books because of the low speck

linux-mint is based in ireland and comes with patented software installed by default like libdvdcss, adobe flash, mp3 codec and various mpeg video codecs.

Personally, I prefer Mint to Ubuntu sice it seems to do what Ubuntu tries to do but seems to fall at the last hurdle -- I think the patented non-free stuff in Mint makes it easier to use out of the box whereas Ubuntu requires some "messing around" to get things like wireless and DVD playback going. I use XFCE though so the Unity Vs Cinnamon debate doesn't matter to me.
Having said the above about installation I now use Debian as I found it requires no more hassle to install than Ubuntu and not having a couple of the helpful Ubuntu features made things more straighforward.

Ubuntu's quality control is poor. I also dislike the fact that Canonical seems to be another Starbucks or Amazon: offices in London, but all the money passed through the Isle of Man, where I think they pay 10% tax.

So much love for Ubuntu I see.
Anyway,Linux Mint is aiming to users who have no much experience installing a new OS, therefore it comes with everything a user needs in a computer. Ubuntu nowadays also offers to install all these packages at installation time, it also offers you to update all the packages in the install CD to the latest version in their servers. so I think is good too.

When I was introduced to Linux by friends; Ubuntu was the distro I was introduced to and I liked it so much I immediately wanted to have it installed in my PC. a year later Mint came out it was by no means light weight nor had low specs but I thought it was just Ubuntu with a different theme and it wasn't going to offer anything new that I already didnt have so I never got to try it.

So I think Ubuntu is doing a great job at converting people to Linux and I am thankfull for it.

Good luck to you

Quite a coincidence. I just happened to be researching Mint today and download it today. Have not yet tried it.

I hope that there will be an interesting discussion concerning Mint versus other distros, specifically Ubuntu.
The "upgrade" from Ubuntu 12.04 to 12.10 was a major headache.

talking from pharmacist point of view:
I am looking for a distribution which is
-easy to use
-easy to configure
-works out-of-the-box
-stable
-of high quality
-of high popularity
-being outdated after a very long period of time (at least 5 years)

it seems the Mint is the candidate..ubuntu has many bugs and not easy to use like before because of Unity..Debian is very stable and lasts for a long time but difficult to configure and needs a lot of learning..causes headache if dealing with propietary codecs or drivers..fedora is outdated every years..suse is difficult but comes with EXCELLENT Point-Of-Sale support which is critical to pharmacy business.No way to use Slackware.we are not geeks..so again Mint is the candidate
Correct me if I am wrong..waiting for your opinions

kareem,

You're right Mint would be fine.

Why do you list high popularity as a criterion? It has no bearing on your needs and preferences. A system either does or does not do what you need it to do. How many other people like and/or use it is irrelevant. Use what you like, not what I like.:)

I've heard people say Mac is better but they stick with Windows (because of price) and because it is used more.

I've often seen it claimed that the more users a distro has, the more likely you are to get help when you have a problem.

In my observation, this is not really true. If you have a problem due to incompatibility between the distro and your hardware, then a "big" distro is more likely to have someone who's had the same problem and solved it. But you won't get much help if most of the distro's users are beginners (e.g. Ubuntu). And with those which have small communities, you find the developers answering questions at the forum (e.g. Fuduntu, Salix).

I did a quick test with Mint, and it was successful. The screen seemed brighter and crisper than Ubuntu, probably because Mint used "cold" colors versus Ubuntu's "warm" colors. Based on a quick read, Mint seems to be more open source focused than Ubuntu. Which is a major plus. Ubuntu seems to be developing a "sales" relationship orientation. Which is a negative. Well they (Ubuntu) have to make money, so that is the "cost" of having a free operating system.

Amazon.com has two books on administrating a Mint system.
The Linux Mint Beginner's Guide (Computer Beginner's Guides) [Kindle Edition]
Linux Mint System Administrator's Beginner's Guide [Paperback]

I will keep exploring the Mint option. If Ubuntu doesn't fix a couple of issues with release 13.01, that will be a powerful motivator to move to Mint. For now wait and see.