Hey Matt,

Great post. To be honest, I think Ubuntu has finally reached the point that I can say it’s safe to leave Windows behind. I think Ubuntu is great and watching it evolve over the years has just been amazing. I would just make sure that everything I typically do on Windows I can also do on Ubuntu with enough ease to not be frustrated by daily tasks.

Let us know what you decided to do!

Javabeans

Hmm… The choice is yours. Personally I chose Vista over Ubuntu for a few reasons.

1. Ubuntu’s power saving features including stand-by were very questionable. It would almost always go into stand-by. Rarely did it come out of it.

2. Linux had zero modem support and I sometimes need it.

3. I like to play games… I know there are options to play games in Linux but honestly Windows is where its at for gamers. MAC is closer to gaming then Linux is.

I could go on but the choice is yours. What do you like best? If you just browse the net, talk with messenger software, irc chat, email, whatever Ubuntu would be just fine for you. However if you like to go to a store and buy lets say that newest and greatest PC game. Well… you might as well stick with Windows and get use to it..

Did you try a clean install of Vista? That often helps speed things up as Dell, Gateway, HP, ETC load up their machines with junk. Second you might want to upgrade to 2GB of RAM. It can’t hurt and Vista will thank you

good luck with your decesion, let me know what you decide :^)

TheDub

My advice is to partition your HD and Dual boot. If your not comfortable with a command line, IMO the switch to linux will be a lot tougher on you. But it would be a great learning experience if you’re willing to put in the time. Good luck!

I would recommend setting your system up as a dual-boot system (it’s very easy to do through Ubuntu). Start each day on Ubuntu and see how often (if ever) you need to switch to Windows and for how long. If it is rare, then go ahead and make the switch.

The biggest issue most people have is software availability. Most people can get everything they need on Linux, so it shouldn’t be a problem. The biggest issue I’ve had, which is why I’m still primarily on XP, is Bible study software. There is some available for Linux (and Mac, for that matter), but it is nowhere near the quality you get from Windows-based packages. For many people, that won’t be an issue.

In any case, I think the general consensus is still that you would be better off with XP than Vista. But if a non-Windows OS is compatible with all your hardware and can meet all your software needs, then don’t be afraid to make the switch.

I do have a clean install of Vista, and I have two sticks of 512 in my laptop so I am not going to buy two more 1gig sticks, money is kind of tight in college