Gize,

I don’t know if you ever tried (or had an urge to try) Ubuntu Linux.  I installed it a year or so ago, and was massively (sorta) unimpressed.   It definitely showed promise, but the installation was a PITA, and the interface just wasn’t quite ready for prime time.  You had to download an ISO, burn it, then install — blah, blah…

A couple of days ago, I read about WUBi (on Lockergnome, of course). Ever willing to try something new, if it’s not too much trouble, I downloaded the installer, clicked on the default setting, and went off to read some Janet Evanovich.  Then I went to bed.  (The installer downloads a 600+ MB ISO file, and the servers were running slow that night.)

I promptly forgot about the whole thing.  This morning I decided to reboot, and lo and behold!  I was given the option of automatically booting into XP Pro, or into Ubuntu.  Sumbitch!  I selected Ubuntu and hit “Enter.”  Stuff happened.  Finally I was asked to enter a username and password.  I did.  BINGO!  A Linux desktop appeared.  I have a dual-boot machine, with — literally — four clicks including running the installer.

This is so friggin’ easy that there’s no excuse for not trying out Ubuntu any more.  After some tweaking and importing a few Firefox extensions — oh, BTW, it comes with Fx 3 and OpenOffice — I had essentially the same basic setup I have with Windows.

Except… it’s quick.  It doesn’t talk back,  It does as it’s told, and it’s altogether acceptable, in my book.  I don’t know that I’ll ever migrate completely to Linux but, on the other hand, I know I’ll never run Vista (already threw away a free disk), have my doubts about Windows 7, since it will run on the same core as Vista and presumably have most of the same problems, and a Systemax PC or Asus laptop is a helluva lot cheaper than a MacAnything.  If I can learn to get by without my legacy Windows programs … hey, you’re never too old to teach yourself new tricks!

Incidentally, Hardy Heron kicks butt compared to Wistful Weasel or whatever the previous Ubuntu build was called.  I really think this thing’s ready for prime time.

Dad