Is Ubuntu Worth the Time?

[cjacks]

I recently got Microsoft Virtual PC using Dreamspark because I'm a college student. I was wondering if it would be worth my time to dual boot Vista with Ubuntu? If not, what other options are out there?

[Ben]

My opinion: A big Yes.

If your a tech person, or have at least a general interest in computers, installing a running Ubuntu will be a fun adventure. Now it is different, because most very powerful add-ons and apps can only be installed via the command-line, it takes a bit getting used to but its well worth the return.

If you don't have the best computer out there, such as my Dell with 512MB of RAM, you can easily add, say a 2GB swap partition, making your machine scream along on what its got.

The customization is incredibly insane, allowing for you to skin to your likings, regardless of what those are.

In the end: I say yes, its fun, fast, easy, and is a excellent alternative to a new Microsoft build. You might want to try out Wubi (Google it). It allows you to run Ubuntu as a Windows application. If you like it, simply install it.

Cheers!

[Arpoc]

My bro's comp was overtaken by a worm so he ran fdisk, deleted everything, booted up Ubuntu and he cant stop talking about it.. He loves it more than most any other OS, talked about a few snags but whats a perfect OS?

[Ben]

Well by "perfect OS" I mean its probably one of the best well-rounded operating systems. Because Ubutu (and all other Linux distros) are free and opensource, new stuff is coming out all the time, as opposed to Microsoft systems, that when they get an update, its usually to fix a virus.

My personal favorite features in it is the customization, the speed, and availability. Now in customization, I give you my word that you will be able to customize almost anything! Heck, I've even written a guide about how to make your Ubuntu desktop look like a Mac! I'll have to post that for you.

Next, the speed. I did mention this in my previous post, but with Ubuntu, you can add swap partitions, home partitions, and system partitions. In the event of some horrible error, just restore the system part. Get it? And the swap partition acts like little RAM, very useful, speeding up any machine.

And by availability I mean a few things... First off, its free and your not going to find a better deal. Next, the main developers that make Ubuntu have really thought everything through and have come up with a solution for almost any conflict in Windows, for example: Instead of spending $300 on Microsoft Office, Ubuntu comes with the free, Open-Office suite that does the same thing.