Ubuntu 9.04 x64 Review~Linux Overview

Intro
I've been using Linux since last year about this time and here is my review/overview before I switch to Windows 7 as my main OS. Linux has served me generally well and I'm leaving it for my own software compatibility reasons. But what makes me different from most people who discard Linux (I'm gonna call out an idiot guy I know, I gave him a LiveCD and he scratched it and called Linux crap and said Windows is better than Linux. Seriously what the hell?) is that I'm making an informed decision. In the short year I've been using Linux I've learned so much about pretty much everything you can imagine it's insane. I'll stop rambling though and get on with my overview.

Time line overview
2002 and below - Windows 95, Windows 98 (and SE)
Mind 2002-2007 - Windows XP (SP1, SP2, SP3)
2007-Mid 2008 - Windows Vista (SP1, SP2)
Mid 2008-Mid 2009 - Linux Mint Daryna, Ubuntu 8.04 (8.10, 9.04)

My reason for switching
To Linux - I hated how closed Windows had been in all the time I've used it. I hated feeling insecure when I went on-line, I hated feeling trapped within the same daily routines (software wise) and problems. When I first heard of Linux I thought it might be cool to fool around with on an old machine but it wasn't for installing and using it as my OS on my computer. After numerous problems with Windows and hearing about Ubuntu Linux I decided to give the Live-CD a try and pretty much liked it. I was willing to compromise a few things for the new experience, for a week or two I dual-booted and then switched it over to the main OS on my computer. At the time I also installed it on an older machine which I installed Linux Mint on for ease of use. After getting fed up with Linux Mint's problems with my screen resolution I went ahead and switched to Ubuntu 8.04 and liked it much more than Linux Mint or Vista.

To Windows - Most will ask if I love Linux so much then why go back to Windows? I've been fiddling and fooling around with my OS like any good geek and I loved it, and when I didn't want to fiddle it was so easy to configure I could configure with my eye shut and feel safe. I made some trade-offs though, like no Google Chrome support (recently got released), no CoreAVC (video playback enhancement tool), no Viruses (plus), a lot less software compatibility and not being shut out of what was going on with my OS. I could actually fiddle with and break my OS (of my own will) instead of it failing on me. For the most part the trade-off is still worth while, knowing what is put into my OS makes me feel safe ever time I boot up and proud to state my OS to anyone who hasn't a clue. All in all I'm switching back to Windows, maybe just for a few months/years until Linux for the desktop matures a lot more. I'm still going to run the latest versions of Linux in a virtualbox in Windows though.

Things I liked about Linux
I absolutely loved the software repo's, not to mention all the software I need is pre-installed it's like going to a free spa! There is always an alternative for what I use and everything feels pretty snappy and quick. If I enable Compiz then I can trip out over how wicked my desktop is. It made me aware of what being open can do, how powerful open source software is and how idiotic and closed minded I was (and how many windows users still are). What I didn't like however was the occasional quirk that came out of nowhere, especially in 64bit and the latest Ubuntu distro Jaunty Jackalope. It's a minor turn off though.

Conclusion
Basically a guy uses Linux after being a long time Windows user and loves it but has to eventually turn back to Windows for a period of time but will never forget what he learned by using Linux. What a summary.

 

Excellently written and balanced post.

 

Awesome post and very honest

Will be sorry to see you go, but that's the way it goes and I can understand why - its the same reason that I will always have one machine tied to Windows and will never ever be without it

 

A clear and concise review, however I would point out that a criticism of Linux is just as valuable as the praise for it.

 

Thanks for the good words guys, I've been writing guides for years, if I didn't know what to do it right this late in the game I'd be lost.

 

There's no Ubuntu 9.04 x64 review here.

 

This was more of an overview of Linux in general than a review of Jaunty x64, unless the review is to come later...
Where did you get you avatars?

 

Sorry to hear that.. I've been using 7 for a while now. And it really seems MS is getting their act back together again. With 7, Natal, the 360, etc. I just find myself booting more and more into 7

PS. I'd like to know why there's this sudden trend of that cartoon avatar

 

Nice and simple and to the point

As for the avatars I think it comes from here...
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=387399

 

I've been gaming a lot in windows lately, but it's nice knowing that Slackware 12.2 is still on here for most other things. I can't wait for Windows 7 final, as Vista has got to GO from this machine Don't be a stranger Calvin.

EDIT: Calvin, do you feel you've gotten bored with Linux? I got that way with Ubuntu, that's why I've fallen head over heels for Slackware.

 

No, I don't really feel too bored. Kinda feel like trying Arch out though. But that's not why I'm switching to Windows.

 

Arch is great. Try it out. You'll have 100% help from us Archies

 

I like your initial guide. I personally feel that if you want to learn Linux, use a distro like Fedora. Ubuntu does everything for the end user, hence making us lazy, where as Fedora forces us to tweak to get it right. As far as Google Chrome, their data mining practices scare me. I will stay as far away from Chrome as possible.

 

Getting everything done for you, it must be hell ....

 

It's like day 3 or 4 for me on Windows. I'm loving how smooth flash works, Windows 7 is the easiest and smoothest windows ever. What I hate is how Media Player Classic works, I really prefer SMPlayer but it has to disable Aero to work. =\ I enabled directx3d to go around that. Loving Chrome, but feeling a little worried over Google's data mining, thinking about switching back to Firefox if I can customize it to be like Chrome. Currently just short of it by an extension that overlays the tab bar with the titlebar. Might switch back to Ubuntu (Intrepid Ibex) because Windows works funky. =\

 

Windows 7 keeps on dropping my wifi! Grr, gonna see if I can switch to OS X.

 

I'm pretty sure that the wifi dropping isn't as OS problem, but a firmware or software one

 

Oh cool thanks for the info, gonna switch back to Ubuntu today though. Can't stand Windows 7 at all.

 

Win7 gave me a headache. I don't think u can go back from Linux after you've been using it for long enough... it just feels so right.

 

I've been playing around in Windows for the last 2 days....already, I'm BORED silly.....back to Slack.... It's all about enjoying your experience on the computer....

 

Nice review. If only I could enjoy it too.

 

Dang, never fixed that boot problem on ur mac?