Which OS I should take

[dthscythe]

I'm sorry if this question has already been asked a million times (probably is), but I do need to ask for advice. I'm about to buy a laptop, but before I'll get totally screwed up by the Windows OS, I would like to place another Os on it. Only which one is the best, MAC OS X is nice, look's nice, it has even got windows emulation software, but I think it'll be too heavy for my system. Linux is for me one of the best there is, but there are so many versions of this OS. Furthermore I'll also wonder if I should use a dual boot or just put one system on it?
  :confused:

[Refalm]

First of all, you cannot install Mac OS X on a computer with an Intel, AMD, Sparc or Transmeta processor. You need a Macintosh for that.

I recommend Mandrakelinux for you, because it's easy to use and stuff.

[ September 12, 2004: Message edited by: Refalm / BOB ]

[worker201]

Fedora Core 2 is pretty good stuff, and independent internet support is high - it is pretty easy to find FC2 rpms.

The question of whether to dualboot or not is entirely up to you.  Do you want Windows for any purpose?  If you have some Windows games, or need Photoshop around, you should dualboot, at least until you have mastered the gimp.

Caution - not very many programs can partition an NTFS drive.  So if your computer comes with WinXP, it will be quite the chore to repartition the drive to make room for Linux.  But it is totally possible, so do whatever works for you.

[udaki]

I wonder why no one ever recommend slackware as a first time distro.Im a noob and I got slackware to work fine.For a distro that considered a closest to real UNIX its pretty easy to configure and install.

[worker201]

Slackware is great, no problems.  But it doesn't default to a graphical runlevel.  Configuring X can be kinda tough.  And most people migrating from Windows want to see gnome running right away.

[Canadian Lover]

Installing OSX on x86?
You are offically retarded...  :rolleyes:

[insomnia]

quote:Originally posted by Canadian Lover:
Installing OSX on x86?
You are offically retarded...    :rolleyes:  

Nope.
http://pearpc.sourceforge.net/
 
If you want to try Linux without any installation needed, try a knoppix live CD(it's all free    ):
http://www.knoppix.org/

Feel free to ask noob questions.  
   
   

[ September 12, 2004: Message edited by: insomnia ]

[insomnia]

quote:Originally posted by worker201:
Slackware is great, no problems.  But it doesn't default to a graphical runlevel.  Configuring X can be kinda tough.  And most people migrating from Windows want to see gnome running right away.

All true, but IMO people need to understand these things.
It's a lot easier to admin a Linux system if you know all it's basiscs.
Slackware is a hard but fast way to learn this(so is Debian).

[bedouin]

At one point I was thinking of buying an x86 laptop and installing Linux on it.  When I tried to find a PC laptop that matched the weight, battery life, size, and coolness (thermal) of my iBook I started to get ridiculous prices, and no guarantee that Linux would even be fully supported (I refuse to run Windows ever again).

When it comes to portables Apple offers the best deals.  Not to mention, OS X is the best operating system out nowadays in my opinion.  If you want to pay the mandatory Microsoft tax, fiddle with getting basic functionality out of your laptop after installing Linux, and lug around something the size of luggage -- go the x86 route.  And if you still desire Linux, Apple's laptops oftentimes make better Linux machines than PCs.

As for support, I bought Applecare for my iBook.  A couple days ago I went to the Apple Store to get a replacement rubber foot.  The guy went to the back and couldn't find any replacement feet, so he gave me an entirely new battery! (The missing foot happened to be were the battery was located).

[worker201]

I'm a big fan of the iBook myself.  And I also learned the hard way that laptops are hard to get working in Linux, especially if they have an oldschool soundchip or internal winmodems.

But I don't think you can beat the experience of installing and running a Linux distro.  Insomnia is right, everyone should learn how to edit rc* files and configure X.  But it sucks not being able to use your computer for what you want until you do learn those things.  Other Linux distros ease you into it.

Once Linux is mastered, then you can go on to OSX, and use the BSD subsystem to harness the full power of the Mac.  Imagine your friends, eyes bulging with greed, when you tell them you have a version of gaim running on your iBook that is 4 versions ahead of what fink has available.  You'll be a Mac god in no time!

[dot.this]

I wanted a laptop for about $300.00. I chose an IBM ThinkPad 570. Tried many different linuxes. Knoppix, PClinuxOS, Slax, OneBase Go, and MEPIS were the good ones. There were about a dozen more that sucked. I'll spare you that list.

I chose MEPIS. Absolutely incredible. Two enthusiastic thumbs up. I think you'll agree. Runs from CD. Easy to install to HD. Autoconfigures. Everything works. It's kinda like Knoppix, but better. Winmodem support. Audacity, Xine, RealPlayer, etc. Great installer. Great choice of apps.

Get the CD at budgetlinuxcds.com, (look for "SimplyMEPIS") or download at mepis.org. Trust me on this one. Try it.

[pofnlice]

I like KDE. Of course as Void pointed out, SuSE is very KDEcentric. I move around it well, but that could be like my initial move from windows to Linux too. Windows was comfortable and familiar, even with all it's faults. I installed SuSE and used KDE (which is the default desktop for SuSE) and became familiar and comfortable with it. Windows has started to be like going to a foriegn country with no prior preperation, only general knowledge. Then I tried Gnome. I liked it alot, but I was...am...still learning Linux and decided I had all ready used KDE for a while and would switch to Gnome when I was more profficient with it.

My reccomendation...Being a recent convertee, go with a major distro like Redhat, SuSE or Mandrake. There's loads of support for them, there's loads of peeps here and at other sites that are more than willing to not only answer your questions on forums, but in real time on a messenger. The biggest help I've found so far is Void Main's site...That dude is a Linux Guru of Legendary Stature!!! He will one day be in the Linux hall of fame...as soon as there is one.

Canadian lubber - You're an ass hat. People ask reasonable questions because they want to convert and you call them a retard. Outstanding support in helping people convert. You never know, the newb you flame could end up being a developer one day who breaks the glass and makes Linux jump the marketting gap. we're supposed to help these people and provide positive feedback so they can make intelligent decisions. You're a retard does not qualify as that. Perhaps that's why you're considered a Troll at some forums? I certainly understand why the average person thinks of Linux users as some 1337 U83r H4x0r5 geeks who do nothing but hack websites and flame anyone who isn't all ready using linux...It's because they encounter butt knuckles like you.

I just have to add if I had encountered peeps like you when I thought about changing, I wouldn't have. You're attitude is counterproductive.

[ October 02, 2004: Message edited by: AmericanBastard ]

[GuruMeditation]

jeez linux is great n all, but just buy a damn ibook, the os is ready to go, easy to use and has piles of great software.

[wilko125]

slackware is very gr8, but is very hard for noobs; it took me 2 days to get into the x server, but once i got in i could access the help files easily and now im a competent user, so if you have a bit of patience then go slackware BTW slackwares generic x configuration uses a vesa driver so all you have to do is run "startx" or "kdm","gdm","xdm" in bash and your right as rain, after that just locate the user doc's and configure your xconfig file!

[WMD]

quote:Originally posted by wilko125:
slackware is very gr8, but is very hard for noobs; it took me 2 days to get into the x server,

Two days?  :eek:   If you print out the file "Slackware-HOWTO" from the CD, you can get through the install and X config in about an hour for the whole thing.

As for laptops, my dad has (well, it isn't his, but it might as well be) an HP laptop from circa 2002.  900Mhz AMD, 256mb ram, 20gb HD, Trident Cyberblade video (wtf), ESS sound, and a generic ethernet card.  XP is installed, so if I wanna use it I put in my Knoppix CD.  Other than 3D accelerated video, everything works great.  So, while laptops can be touchy, sometimes they can be great to run Linux on.