Do I Even Need Windows?
So, I've been thinking, which usually leads to me doing stupid things, which could be where this is going, but anyways, do I really need Windows? This comes after Vista took almost 8 minutes to extract a 700 MB archive locking up my computer multiple time while doing it, which I would've started downloading Edgy right then an there, but it was too unresponsive to do it. Guess that's one way to keep your customers from switching. Anyways, No Vista, No XP, No WGA Crap, No Gates, No more DRM crippled OS. And no, I'm not going to go to a Mac. I'm not cool enough or rich enough or have a chipset that is compatible with OSX86. So it looks like linux for me, and since everyone else is riding the nuts of Ubuntu, guess I will too.
Let's go over the apps I use:
1. Firefox. Basically the same on Linux as it is on Windows.
2. Notepad++. Only for Windows, but used Kate during my short time that I used Suse. Pretty sure I can find one that I like.
3. SmartFTP/CuteFTP. Damn, also Windows only, but Konqueror has pretty good FTP support, and FileZilla ain't bad either.
4. VLC Player. No problem here.
5. foobar2000. Damn you Windows. Though Amarok is pretty good.
6. Alcohol 120%. Shit. Nero for Linux maybe. Maybe it can run under Wine. Not sure about this one.
7. AnyDVD + DVDShrink. Don't have an answer for this one either.
8. uTorrent. This one is a PITA. With somewhere around 728 torrents in it with a lot having custom title I would really prefer to not get rid of, this is probably the biggest reason I'm still using Windows. There is some hope though since it can run under wine.
9. Office. OpenOffice is there, though I've had some problems with it before with compatibility with MS Office.
10. LogMeIn. There's VNC, but I have the problem of not being able to forward any ports, which means I'm shit out of luck there. But I don't really need this, I kinda like using it, but really there is no need for it.
11. Python, Apache, PHP, MySQL. All good there.
12. AIM. GAIM.
There probably are a few others, but I couldn't remember them, so I must not use them all that much. Games, though I don't play them all that much, I would just use an XP install. Other things are web based, like gmail.
So, about 8 / 12 that will go over to linux easily. Not too bad really.
Now how hard will installing be. Luckily I have some experience with my install of Suse.
1. WiFi card has top use ndiswrapper and Win2k drivers, but still have those from the Suse.
2. Video card. Check
3. Partitioning and Space. Problem. With a 160 and 120 GB, I only have about 5 GB free total. I plan on installing this over one partition that I was going to use for Mac, which is full now, but can be wiped, which is only 10 GB. Now I have to split that and make it 2 ext3 partitions. Probably like 9 GB and 1 GB. Seems kinda workable. Now, if I buy a new, big SATA drive, then this is solved.
4. Codecs and all that. Automatix.
Really, if I can get the partitioning done correctly, there isn't that much stopping me, and if Vista keeps pissing me off, there's no doubt that I'll switch. I could also get rid of this 10 GB Vista partition and I'll have more space for Linux. Hooray!