windows user wanting to migrate to linux
 

I am currently a windows user wanting to migrate to the linux world for several reasons. I'm tired of worrying if my windows pc is going to crash and take my data with it, which has happened several times. I am tech savvy and I am an excellent windows software troubleshooter. I'm not sure if this qualifies me as a linux user but I am willing to try. I want to buy the lindows 4.0 pc to get introduced to linux. I am new to linux so any criticism would help but try not to flame me for wanting what I think is probably a great move. I don't play a lot of games on my pc some not a lot, but I really need it to just work. I use office products but I am tired of the expensive upgrades I keep having to do. Please can anybody give me some help.

Enhancedcrash

I'd actually suggest before diving in and buying a Lindows OS, and if your tech savvy and really want to learn Linux, don't use Lindows. It would be a waste of money really and there are much better options out there to start out with per se.

I'd suggest maybe Redhat or Mandrake to start off with. You can even download for free and then if you like contribute to them in other ways as its always a nice gesture to help these Distributions out, etc.

If you don't play games, migrating to Linux shouldn't be a problem at all really. There is just about a counterpart application in Linux for every Windows application.

Not sure what else to tell you without any other questions, I say just go for it. And with Linux, you won't need to upgrade so often and or mess with the silly licenses and such.

Cheers.

Well, windows crashes a lot, but installing unknown hardware in linux (like tvcards) are often very hard, i speak here in knowledge ;)

But linux, it's an good option against windows, i ur dutch i recommed u to buy PCM :) it has an nice article of linux software :)

I went from using windows to Linux Redhat 9.0 and am loving it. apparently is one of the easier ones to start on. and it is easy dude.and if you ever have a Q. come on here... ive had a few Q's answered real quick with a search.
Just remember It a very 'hands on' OS. and there is alot to be done in the command line... but command line is a very powerful tool in linux.
Any time a problem comes up... dont give up. learn about it, and konqure it!
Oh and check out www.winehq.org
It may be a little hard for ya to set up straight away, but it is an Applcation layer, of sorts, that allows windows apps to be run on linux.
It is not an emulator but intergrates the windows app into yur system! :) cool for us newbies who still need a little windows flexibility.

Neither would I buy Lindows.

What I would do is what I did to test the waters after many many years od Dos, 3.1, w95 and w98.

Get a hold of a Knoppix CD. This will allow you to run Linux from a live CD, it will also show you what you can expect to work on your machine, and what does not. Use this for a couple of weeks, you will know within those two weeks whether or not Linux is for you or not. Disregard what others say about speed being slow via the CD, that does not matter in this trying out phase.

If you like Linux, which I bet you will do, then you have a few choices. One is to do the Hard Disk install from Knoppix CD, which will give you a fully working Debian Linux, that would be a very good choice.

On my part, I was also offered a SuSE V8 package which I took and was not happy with on my laptop, and then I purchased 8.2 which I am more than happy with on both desk and lap.

The choice of distribution is yours! I can tell you either Debian or SuSE are good enough for me as a newbie to Linux to move to from windows.

Hope this helps you to decide.

I would also try Knoppix for a week or so. I found that it works very well and shows alot of power.

I however have another computer which is my multimedia box which i will be installing some sort of linux disrto on. I have not yet decided and have tried many diffrent distros. It is esentall for me to have a pc with windows on it beacuse of my job (pc tech).

Another recomendation would be to install linux on another pc and force yourself to use that pc for a while.

I would advise you taking to Redhat just like me. I fully joined the Linux community last month. So far so good :)

I would have to agree with the most of the posts so far, don't get Lindows and try Knoppix. It won't take you long to decide to switch for good.

I made the switch to Linux a few months ago. I did a dual boot in case I need to go back to windows to do something I couldn't in Linux. I don't think I've booted to Windows except to play games for a while now. I choose RedHat for my distro.

i did that, but had an working winblows pc next to it to make school docs, but in this coming week i gonna install debian on my primary computer.. so it has to force me to use it :)

but i already tried many things (like xchat, amsn and some servers like apache, glftpd samba.)

I really like linux, and i am growing to work with it each day... each day i find new ways to make it work eassier :)

And to be ontopic... Force yourself to use linux 4 a while, and search as many info as u can get about problems with installing software / hardware... i like it to solve my problems.. it makes you feel good :) and don't be dissapointed that some things don't work 4 the first time, u remember when u started with windows?! everything is new, and that is linux 4 u also.... So try to use it, and compare it with windows, many futures ain't possible in windows (like editting the source and many other things) And it makes more visible what a computer can do for you :)

good luck!