--- In [email protected], "papasmurf" <papa.smu...@...> wrote: > > A BIG THANK YOU to all you folks who took the time to answer my info request! > Have MUCH information to digest and learn! > 'New' dual core tower will, hopefully, arrive in 2 weeks. Might have local pc > repair shop wipe h.d. in this pc to start Linux with a clean slate. > Question: Whatever happened to a program I remember, called Linspire? > I understand t'was supposed to mimic Windows screen layout, so folks learning > Linux would be less intimidated. > Am going to pursue suggestion to locate a local Linux club or working group. > THAT might be BEST thing I could do! > TTFN.....OLD Tom aka papasmurf in NH > P.S. Am life-long HO model railroader[alas, have no layout right now] > and wife/yours truly have old Goldwing sidecar rig; ride it all over New > England area as much as we can[just celebrated our 50th Anniv.]. > If you feel intimidated by the thought of distro's that don't look like Windows, get over it! lol, and *totally* being facetious here. In a sense, all distro's that use GUI's look like Windows, which is to say that they have icons that can be clicked on to open the application. You will most probably feel pretty comfortable with any Ubuntu or Ubuntu-based distro, but that's not to say that there aren't hundreds of other distro's that will be comfortable. I use Linux Mint (derived from Ubuntu) which was recommended to me by Loyal when I got my Dell (see other post) and it, in my opinion, is the best distro to begin with, perhaps even to stick with. It's very attractive ("eye-candy"), it recognizes most hardware, and there are thousands of applications you can use with it. Ubuntu, per se, a bit less so but still an excellent way to start. You may want to start out the way I did...go to the library and get a copy of "Linux for Dummies" or one of the other "Dummies" or "Complete Idiot's" guides which have the CD or DVD included and just dive in that way. Be sure to actually read the book, though skimming is OK as long as you pay attention to the warnings, usually marked with an exclamation mark if I remember correctly. My first experiment with Linux was with an old desktop that came with Windows ME. I used a "Dummies" book which came with an OpenSUSE disk. Probably not a good distro to start with, though the only problem I had was when I installed every available package, thereby overloading a (supposedly) 128 meg computer with about 1 gig in the harddrive which still had ME on it (I had it set up to boot either system). ((At this point I would like to explain that I am semi-diagnosed as Adult ADD and prone to having a cocktail or three on my nights off from work, hence the occasional ramble or rant.)) Anywho, you have made a great decision to give Linux a try, even if for some reason you don't stick with it (unlikely). As you've already gathered, you will have problems with some software or hardware that Windows (or Mac) have a grip on but there's often a workaround or a decent, sometimes superior, Linux application. Worst-case scenario, you have Windows available in a duel-boot configuration or in a virtual machine. Most likely you will be able to do anything you want/need. Good luck, Mark Reg. Linux User #494945 P.S. I like four wheels...fantasy car is a '68 or so 427 AC Cobra, though a '68 Shelby GT 500 with a supercharged 427 Cobra Jet and .411 Posi would be ok.
------------------------------------ To unsubscribe from this list, please email [email protected] & you will be removed.Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LINUX_Newbies/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LINUX_Newbies/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
