Re: Linux Question
- From: "Tad Perry" <tadperry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2007 14:28:08 -0800
"Paul Popinjay" <Popinjay@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:jNR8j.5990$fl7.3485@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm a total noob to Linux. Can anyone here help me just a little?some advice, and
I've got it installed. Two questions.
#1 - How do I connect to the internet? I'm lost. I tried to search for
I don't get it. Like I said, I'm a noob.
Pick a web browser and install it, make the necessary network settings and
use it. Same for an e-mail app. Some for a newsreader if not integrated with
e-mail.
#2 - Now that I have it installed, what do I do with it? This is aserious question. I
am wondering why some people like Linux. I can't run the same programs onit. Can anyone
tell me a few good reasons to use Linux, and then maybe a few reasons notto.
The potential reasons for doing so are that there is a lot of freeware
available to take the place of expensive applications. So if you want a word
processor, you go download a free one. If you want a spreadsheet app, you do
the same.
The main reason not to is starting to disappear. For instance, usually there
is a file format compatibility problem between apps for Linux and Windows.
I.e. the available word processors may save in a different file format and
cannot be used by people locked into Windows. But this is becoming less of a
problem as standardization of data formats proceeds. Right now, Microsoft is
pushing Open XML. The end result will be that all word processors can save
to an XML-ish data format which all other word processors can then open.
If you wanted to send your document file to some company in the past, they
would say: "Hey, we can't use this. We don't have anything to open it." but
before long, you will be able to export that data to the format they use and
they won't even know the difference.
Once it becomes possible to share your data files with Windows users, while
paying little or nothing for software, the choice becomes obvious. Even now
I believe there are data conversion programs out there for most of the
common cases.
Still, for 100% compatibility and no problems with sharing, you'll need
Windows to deal with Windows people, but for the common user, workarounds
will always appear, including the ability to run a Windows emulation on top
of Linux that allows you to run all the same apps anyway if you really need
to.
One of the biggest pluses is that Linux is more robust in terms of security,
and even without the security, it is not a platform that is generally
targetted by viruses anyway, so that's one less headache for the security
minded.
The one remaining reason NOT to is what you're running into: You have to
really know what you're doing to get it all working. With Windows, you go
out, buy a computer, and there it all is. Usually it's going to work right
out of the box. With Linux, you're going to have to resolve all kinds of
technical issues yourself every once in awhile. Still, there are Usenet
groups out there where some guru can probably answer any question you have,
so even this issue is not so bad if you're willing to learn.
Here's some groups you can subscribe to that may be relevant, or that will
at least lead to what you need:
alt.comp.linux
alt.comp.os.linux
alt.binaries.linux
tvp
.
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