Switching to Ubuntu Desktop

Posted on December 15, 2008
Filed Under Venture News |

My old PC has suffered a series of hiccups caused apparently by some Windows XP conflicts and finally died in my hands. I had either to buy a new desktop or try to re-install Windows and all programs. Instead I downloaded and installed Ubuntu 8.10.

The installation is pretty straightforward and fast. It takes about 30 min and includes all packages that come with Ubuntu, like Open Office, Mozilla Firefox, etc. A first pleasant surprise was understanding that I don’t have to install any drivers for cable modem, printer and scanner. Ubuntu has all drivers built-in. Ubuntu detects all hardware automatically.

Old habits die hard, it was somewhat a hassle to switch from Microsoft Office to Open Office. I use Gimp for image editing and Scribus for desktop publishing. If you badly need some MS Windows program, there is a fair chance that it will run under Wine emulation package. Nice feature of Open Office programs is built-in export to pdf.

In feature-by-feature scoring MS Windows will outrun Ubuntu but for home office or small business Ubuntu is definitely a viable choice with many merits. It just requires some determination to switch and learn the ropes.

Sphere: Related Content