Operating systems statistics - September 2007
WinXP - 74.3%
W2000 - 5.4%
Vista - 4.5%
Mac - 3.8%
Linux - 3.4%
W2003 - 2.0%
Win98 - 0.9%
Source: W3Schools.com
This may be the land of Linus Torvalds, but as yet I see no dramatic allegiance to his creation Linux in Finland yet. I've met lots of people who have tried Linux, who have an old computer at home with a Linux operating system installed, but the world of work is dominated by PCs running Windows, and occasionally Macs (which also often feature Microsoft Office software). I myself frequently run a Linux live disk, and work or play using it instead of Windows, but Windows is still the OS on my hard disk. However, this may soon change.
"Ubuntu (official IPA pronunciation /ùbúntú/ (oo-BOON-too)) is a predominantly desktop-oriented Linux distribution, based on Debian GNU/Linux but with a stronger focus on usability, regular releases, and ease of installation. Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, owned by South African billionaire entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth.
"The name of the distribution comes from the southern African concept of ubuntu which may be rendered roughly as "humanity toward others", or "we are people because of other people" though other meanings have been suggested."
Source: Wikipedia
The developers have been working hard to make a Linux distribution as easy, or indeed easier to use than Windows has become. Those who have grown up with Microsoft will remember just how 'easy' it was to install even Windows 98 (not so long ago - let's hunt for drivers), and as for earlier editions, with their cryptic MS DOS strings they were enough to scare off anyone who merely wanted to type a letter, or, in other words, simply use a computer.
Well, I think they've done it. Praise is flowing for Ubuntu. One user reported that it took only seven mouse clicks to install the whole programme. So, what does it look like? Here are a few screen shots of the installation sequence (courtesy of Wikipedia again).
This is the first window you see.
This is the second window you see.
And here is Ubuntu up and ready to go - just fill up that desktop with your own stuff.
Here is a shot of the file browser.
Here is a shot of the applications window.
...and finally a graphics editor.
So what about Microsoft Office? Well, you don't need it. I have been using OpenOffice.org now for a long time. I have converted all my old Microsoft Office documents and presentations into OpenOffice format without a glitch, and if you need to send something to a Microsoft user, Open Office has the option to convert a copy back with a couple of clicks.
I paid big bucks for my copy of Windows XP, but there is no way I'm going to upgrade to Vista. And I don't choose Linux because it's free - I'm more than happy to pay for software that works, and I shall be making a contribution. I shall update you about my progress into the world of Linux.
TOP