A question to the readers.
What Operating System is the computer you’re using running on? Windows, Mac or Ubuntu?
Chances are it’s Windows. As popular as Mac may be getting, at the end of the day Mac users are but a very small percentage. There’s another operating system that quite a decent number of people use as well, but it’s generally unpopular because it’s not a “Brand-name” like Mac OSX and it’s rarely distributed with computers.
The operating system I’m talking about is the Ubuntu.
I’m going to skip all those technical details because after all, that’s why they’re called “technical details”. This isn’t a tech-focused site anyway.
Ubuntu’s an open-source operating system, meaning it’s not meant for profit and people are free to edit and change the system so that it better suits them. It’s because of this that there are many variations of Ubuntu floating out in the market. Some of them come packaged in a computer, some are geared towards education etc. I’m not too sure about this, but I was told that there are no viruses for the Ubuntu Operating System as well.
As far as I know (and I’ve read quite a lot) the Ubuntu OS is generally quite performance efficient. Meaning your computer will probably perform quite fast with it. The downside to Ubuntu is that there are a number of softwares that are not supported on it such as iTunes. Most games do not run on it as well even though there are workabouts using W.I.N.E (acronym for Wine Is Not an Emulator). That’s another software for another day.
Today I received my free copy of Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS (Long-Term Support) Desktop Edition. I ordered the CD online about 3 weeks ago and received it today. I’m hesitant to replace WinXP with Ubuntu because I’m used to XP. But I’d like to test it out and see if it’s suitable for me.
Which brings me to why I ordered the CD to begin with. I can boot from the CD (meaning starting my computer using the CD’s OS instead of my HDD’s WinXP) and just try it out. When I’m done and want to return to WinXP I just restart. No changes done at all.
I plan to try that soon. I just got the disc and have been busy with other things so I’ve not gotten around to testing out Ubuntu yet. After I’ve tested it out I’ll be sure to write a post on it. So for now, just an explanation of sorts about Ubuntu.
For those interested in getting Ubuntu to try it out themselves, check here for the disc image version or here to order it online for free (shipping is free too!)