As Vista continues to *WOW* all of us Window users many of us are deciding to move to other operating systems like OS X, Ubuntu, and the other 5,000 forms of Linux. We are simply doing this to get our daily routines done without worrying about the BSOD and whether or not or printers and fax machines will work. Recently I made the half trip to Ubuntu Linux on my laptop, saying half trip because Vista is still installed, the reason for this? I own a Zune. Upon entering the world of Linux for the first time there were a few things that I noticed was different then Windows. So here goes my top 5 tips for moving to Linux,

5. First off make sure you can live in a non-windows world. Lots of times people move to Linux just to move back to Windows because they didn’t realize there software wouldn’t work natively with Linux. Now there are ways around this thanks to a program called “Wine”, which basically that lets run programs built for Windows run inside Linux, kind of like Parrales for OS X.

4. In Linux there will be limited commercial support, so learn to love your neighbors :). If you run into a problem most times or not there won’t be a tech support number to call for help, thats where Google comes in. The easies way to fix a problem is to just simply search for it, most times you will find your answer if you don’t then well good luck!

3. Make sure you find the right version for you and your needs. There are literally thousands of variations of Linux out there to choose from, some are built to do everyday tasks and some are built for power users, so choose wisely. If you are moving from Windows then I suggest Ubuntu, its easy to use and has a Windows feel about it, but you can choose any version you like.

2. Do your homework before you install. Google and make sure that all of your hardware will work for the Linux of your choice. Take me for example my wireless card at the time was not supported by Ubuntu so I had search around and find a proper solution so that my card will work properly before I even thought about installing it.

1. Try a Live CD before you install the darn thing! See if you like the world of Linux first and most importantly if all of your hardware runs fine on it. I know some people where so mad that their wireless cards did not work natively with Linux and ultimately had no choice but to go back to Windows because try to fix this problem was above them. So before you install just try it out! It doesn’t hurt

So if you are planing on making the jump then please take my advice into consideration and just research it for yourself. If you have any other suggestions or advice please leave them as a comment and we can help you or you can help us!

Tags: ubuntu linux, linux, windows vista, os x leopard