It’s taken me awhile, but I am only using Windows for work related needs with regard to my consulting duties these days. Short of that, I am now Windows free!

And this brings me to a conclusion that I have recently come to. Over the past few months, I have found myself saying something aloud that I never thought I would ever say: if you are only willing to commit a limited amount of time to crossing over to a new OS, then please don’t bother. Yeah, that sounds down right negative at first pass. But by the same token, if your existing OS is “doing it for you”, then why bother frustrating yourself with starting completely over?

I came to this conclusion with yet another “my USB wireless device won’t work with Linux” email sent to me today. And to be fair, it’s not the fault of the person sending it. Rather a total lack of understanding about how Linux devs are often forced to create drivers on their own thanks to hardware manufacturers who choose to limit their customer base. What’s worse, more often than not it is just easier to start off fresh with hardware when considering a switch to Linux. Even manufactured PCs can be problematic in the audio and onboard video dept.

The easy way to avoid any of these headaches is to simply start off fresh and allow someone else to do the heavy lifting…

-Notebook cost is a consideration : Linux Certified

-Notebook quality and full hardware functionality is a consideration: Emperor Linux(Highly Recommended)

As for myself, I am generally more inclined to keep with the DIY approach: Linux on Laptops

For the most part these days, switching to Linux on a notebook is really the only “compatibility challenge” that I can honestly say warrants much attention with regard to PC hardware in a collective sense. Yes, peripherals and access to the easy software installation can still be a crap shoot, but not so much with the right resources at hand:

-Printers

-Scanners

-Wireless cards

- Easy Software installation (alternatively, Ubuntu solves this when combined with Automatix for certain drivers and software such as codecs)

As for video card issues, you should be golden with any NVIDIA card – even the oddball ones. ATI on the other hand, can be a shot in the dark in some cases. With either option, you will need to install the proprietary drivers of course, for any 3D gaming needs. But Automatix with Ubuntu can make this fairly painless. Otherwise the GPL’d drivers offered by default should do it for you.

In the end, starting off fresh is the easiest way for the total Linux newbie. Whether it is buying an already built desktop/notebook or using some of the resources above to make existing options work for you – it can be done if you want it badly enough.

With that said, Linux is not for everyone and I make no argument there at all. I maintain a strong belief that in order to make the needed commitment to switch to OS X, Linux, Free BSD or whatever else, one has to be fed up enough with Microsoft Windows to make some changes in the way they perceive computing. I also believe that understanding that Windows is indeed more convenient, so don’t expect other options be exactly the same, is key as well.

As for the individual who emailed me earlier stating that he simply did not believe that USB Wireless would ever be available for Linux – this ought to work out of the box in Ubuntu Dapper Drake. Good luck to you.

[tags]linux,whining,windows,policeware,open source[/tags]