Is Linux Right for you?

Using Linux is like using the Windows or Mac operating systems. Windows software can't be used on Macs; Mac software can't be used on computers running Windows. The same is true for GNU/linux. You have to run software made for each system. You don't generally find GNU/Linux software in stores, you download it off the Internet. Most of the time it is free.
By the way, GNU/Linux Operating system is available for use on Mac hardware too

THE BAD
Windows games:
If you play Windows games, you may be out of luck if there are no GNU/Linux versions. Do an internet search to see if your favorite games are available for linux.
Tax Software:
The same holds true for certain specialty programs like tax software (although you can do your taxes online using Linux just like Windows or Mac users can).
Adobe Creative Software:
You also won't find Adobe Photoshop, or programs to make Adobe Flash presentations for Linux (although Adobe makes the current version of their Flash players for GNU/Linux). But there are many great GNU programs available that are for image editing, vector graphics, 3D modeling, etc...
Business programs:
The same can be said for certain business programs. Quicken does not make a GNU/Linux version of Quickbooks. But there are many database and spreadsheet programs available for Linux.

Much has changed and much is changing. One day, many of these companies may make their software available to GNU/Linux users just as they have made their programs available for Mac users.

THE GOOD
If you use your computer to view websites, watch YouTube, listen to mp3s, watch streaming TV shows or movies, e-mail, chat, make long distance phone calls, do word processing, desktop publishing, listen to and edit music and videos, Linux is fine for you. I do everything just mentioned along with photo editing, music editing and creating websites.

WHERE DO I FIND LINUX PROGRAMS?
Many basic programs are included with most Linux distributions—on Ubuntu, you simply click on the "start menu", go to applications, click the "Ubuntu Software Center" button, view your many choices and then download . . . for free.

USING LINUX
In my home office I have my Linux computer networked (wirelessly or wired) with a Windows laptop and desktop and a Mac computer. We share scanners, printers and our Internet connection.
Many Internet service providers say they support Windows and/or Mac but seldom mention Linux. But a router is a router. There are DSL boxes for Linux (although I run my DSL through a router so it's like setting up any PC). I hook up wirelessly to an HP all-in-one printer and I hook up via USB to another HP printer—the same goes for my scanner. All these computers are networked simply and share files.
I can open and edit all my wife's Word processing programs, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files. She can edit my webpages. The only thing I can't edit on Linux that she does on her Mac or PC is Adode Flash files. I can play them but not edit them.
What many people don't realize is that most things PC are compatible whether you're running Windows, Mac or Linux—It's simply the program files themselves that can't be shared.
Recently I reformatted one of my PC hard drives. I installed Windows on one partition of the hard drive and installed Ubuntu Linux on another partition. It took 3 hours to get Windows going with all the drivers and software. It took me 65 minutes to get Linux up and running to the same point of usability. This is because Linux offers better driver support. Ubuntu automatically downloaded all program updates, set my video (screen resolution), my sound, wired and wireless networking.
When I have issues or questions about how to make something work with Linux, I "Google" my question and normally find an answer in an Ubuntu forum within a few minutes.

COMPLICATIONS
Linux complications are learned and adjusted to.
When I want to buy a new printer, scanner, camera, MP3 player etc... I now keep Linux in mind. Sure, most are supported by Linux but some aren't. What software do you use? Most software I use can be found as a free download for Linux. But consider what you use and see if there are Linux equivalants.
When browsing the Internet, you may have found that some websites only work when using Microsoft Internet Explorer. Luckily this doesn't happen often because most webmasters understand that not everybody uses Windows. But it can happen. There are some Internet applications that run programs that aren't available for Linux such as Adobe Shockwave or Microsoft Silverlight. (Linux does support not quite current versions of Silverlight using Novell's Moonlight software.) If somebody writes a Internet game using Shockwave, Linux users are simply out of luck. But nowadays, more and more people write in Adobe Flash which IS supported in it's current version.
But luckily, the Internet was, for the most part, born under Unix and open source programming so, to a great extent, it has been able to remain cross-platform in its functunality.
There are times when a video is supposed to be played in Windows Media Player or Real Player but many of those formats are playable with another GNU/Linux player.
The web browser market (about 70%) is dominated by Microsoft Internet Explorer. If they had their way, everybody would have to run Windows to access information. But now, as of 4-2010, Mozilla (mainly Firefox) has been able to capture nearly 30% of the market with their fine browsers (the program you use to surf the World Wide Web). They have helped to keep Microsoft at bay and insured that we all can have access to information. Thanks to all of the open-source devotees out there.

Home