LinuxQuestions.org - how to get started to give Linux a try

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay73

Sorry, that was no offence intended. And I do see your point about people being intimidated by having to switch to an all new environment. In fact, it's one that is made quite frequently and not without reason. I have to admit that there are still a small handful of programs that I would like to see ported to Linux but unfortunately,opening up applications to Linux is not something that the open source community should do - if they did, they would be breaking copyright rules... Until software vendors wisen up and realize that they are ignoring a wholly new market by writing for MS only, this will remain problematic. And there is little computer users can do about it except In the meantime, peopel will have to see how they deal with it. Some will dual-boot, others will go one way or the other.

btw, it appears grabIt will run fine on Linux if you use Wine. Wine is a great solution but it simply won't run everything.

No offense taken! :p I just wish that they could market Linux in a way that would entice more Windows users to switch and not scare them off.

As for using Wine, that's exactly what I would like to do, but I haven't found any books on how to set it up or any other tutorials other than Frank's Corner, which is good but not as convenient as being able to sit with a book and read a step-by-step in depth.

I'm very comfortable with the Windows Registry and have been an experienced user for quite a long time, so learning a new OS is going to take some effort. If I can work with Linux without needing to get 'under the hood", it will make switching even easier. SUSE and Ubuntu seem to be capable of that, from what I've seen, but I'm sure there will be some things that will require more to do than click and drag...

I really think that developers should put some focus on getting a setup built in for many Windows programs to run out of the box if they want to get MS users to be brave, otherwise there is a lot of wasted potential here. I'm sure the majority of us MS users have at least a half-dozen programs that they don't want to lose (like me). If we can't find an equivalent in Linux, at least being able to run the ones we have would make all the difference.

I've gotten so sick of the MS monopoly that I'd love to see them really sweat at the thought of losing users in droves...:D There really needs to be some healthy competition in this area.

I read recently how the UK are really getting ripped off with the cost of moving to Vista compared to the US, and the cost of Vista here is bad enough as it is. NO OS should cost that much to buy, IMHO, especially when you have something as advanced as Linux that can do a better job for no cost at all to most people, and a reasonable price for those who need to pay for it.

I'm glad to see Linux making a dent, however small it might seem, in the MS market.