Best Newbie distro that is similar to Windows 7 in look and feel
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I used to like it when KDE would let you change the theme to mac or windows. I could put it on my desktop and no one would know I was using linux. Wonder if you still can change the theme? Suspect you can even if a third party theme download.
There is a Windows 10 theme for KDE Plasma 5 on the kde web site here:
I wish I could find something with the look and feel of DOS 6.22.
I may have an honest-to-goodness DOS 6.2.2 floppy lying around if you're really desperate.I can guarantee you it has the exact look and feel you're looking for
I'd recommend Linux Mint XFCE for a newbie to Linux, it's based on Ubuntu and uses the same package manager, and the XFCE desktop is simplistic and easy to use. You won't find something that will be exactly like 7 in terms of design, but Mint+XFCE something that will make the transition to Linux fairly easy. ^^
Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, GIMP, etc. will make reliable alternatives for some Windows software.
Personally,I fell into this trap at first.I even kept my Windows 7 HDD on the shelf for a couple of months,and tried a bunch of windows-like distros on a new SSD.I eventually found that plain old Ubuntu 16.04 worked best for me.On the software side,it took a while to find Linux software that worked for me,but this is a matter of trial and error.If a certain program doesn't do the job,try another.There are lots of tutorials on Youtube and elsewhere,or just keep trying different programs.One example:in windows I really liked Adobe Lightroom.I eventually found that a combination of Gthumb and Rawtherapee did the job for me.Linux programs tend to be more specific,and therefor you may need two or more programs to get the functionality you need.Just keep playing with stuff til you find what you need.By the way,that HDD with windows on it never did go back in.It's in some guys Playstation now(no more windows on it).Don't give up.
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