Everyone knows the horror stories that Linux is the operating system for the harsh administrators of the old school, who spend long nights in the company of an ancient system unit, a dusty “puzaty” monitor and a huge stuck round enameled mug of vanishing coffee. And many people remain faithful to Windows not because of love, but because of their habit. At the same time fearing the "Penguin" and the cold and ascetic "nature" that surrounds it. Not wanting to control your computer through the command line, as in antiquity. A real discovery for many is the news that Linux has long ceased to be frighteningly unfriendly. Suffice it to say that Android’s universal favorite, to whom experienced experts promise eternal domination, belongs to “linux-like” platforms in order to dispel the last bit of doubt that with Linux, the average user is on the way.
The only alternative to Windows in the mass consciousness was and remains the “Macintosh”. But its price is so high that it makes many people think about other, less expensive solutions. It is here that people remember that the world is full of completely free operating systems that can be installed on any computer. And they are surprised to find out that Linux not only cares for the wallet, but also has a lot of other “penguin” advantages and is deprived of the disadvantages that it is endowed with by rumors prone to exaggeration.
And here came across the gorgeous article by Matt Smith, “Will Ubuntu Become a Home for Windows 8 Users?” On the pages of the famous Digital Trends resource. This multifaceted material gave reason once again to reflect on how fragmentary sometimes knowledge of high technology. How often they are based on many years as outdated information. These reflections formed the basis of this review.
First of all, it should be recalled that Linux is not the name of any particular operating system, such as Windows or OS X, which until recently was called Mac OS X. This is a great many completely different operating systems, united by a common idea. Among them there are those that it’s better for the average user not to approach. Anyway, he will not deal with it. But there are also very friendly members of the "penguin" family. A prime example of such a system is Ubuntu Linux.
It is developed by Canonical with the active support of the developer community. Ubuntu is considered the world's most popular Linux distribution for desktops and laptops. Could not get a computer education user to cope with it? The answer to this question is obvious: yes. And below we will look at this operating system from all sides so that readers will have no doubts about the fact that there is an alternative to Windows on our planet.
Installing Ubuntu Linux won't even make a newbie
In the past, installing Linux was a daunting task, which only a wise computer expert could do. It has nothing to do with Ubuntu Linux.
The user downloads Ubuntu from the official website. At the same time, he will have to make a “difficult” choice between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the operating system.
Creating a DVD or installation flash drive from a downloaded ISO image is done using third-party utilities, but the site tells you how it is done.
Install it the same way as any other modern operating system. The installation process takes about twenty minutes (of course, depending on the computer). Those who can install Windows themselves will not experience any difficulties with installing Ubuntu. Except, perhaps, psychological. “It's Linux!”
During the installation process, the user will answer a few simple questions from the installation wizard and the post-installation setup will begin. Ubuntu will automatically detect the hardware and install the appropriate drivers. Alas, although the Ubuntu driver base is already quite large, in terms of device support, this system is still inferior to Windows. The greatest difficulties may arise with the old "iron". Finding drivers for them can be a daunting and even completely unsolvable task.
For example, it was impossible to find the appropriate driver for the Acer laptop's wireless module; Matt Smith failed. And without this driver, unfortunately, Wi-Fi does not work.
It is important to note here that all these difficulties and incompatibilities are not such a frequent phenomenon as is commonly believed. On a modern computer, most likely, everything will work fine.
Office right out of the box
Both Windows and Ubuntu have a set of embedded software. Having installed Ubuntu, you will immediately find the LibreOffice office suite (with support for the usual Microsoft document formats), the Firefox web browser and the Thunderbird email client. Back in 2009, ware Center was included in Ubuntu, with which you can download and install a huge variety of programs. Including powerful photo editor GIMP and a multifunctional media player VLC Media Player.
With the help of WINE, a Windows emulator, users can, of course, install familiar applications. But this should not be done. In emulation mode, programs do not always work correctly and do not look as presentable on the screen as we would like. Most Windows applications have quite decent Linux alternatives. If the user already decided to try a new operating system, it makes sense to spend a few days getting used to new applications.
As for web applications, they are always at hand, which is in Windows and Linux. LibreOffice is different from Microsoft Office, and Google Docs is the same on any of these operating systems. The same can be said about most web services.
Unexpected interface simplicity
The Ubuntu interface is slightly different from Windows and OS X. Instead of the usual taskbar or dock on the left side of the screen (by default), there is a kind of application bar. This loader (“launcher”) also plays the role of a tool for quickly switching between applications. “Advanced Linux” uses for this keyboard shortcuts, despising the simple “visual” (and most obvious) way to achieve the goal.
Some application icons will surprise yesterday's Windows users. And the structure of the operating system itself is somewhat different from the one to which they have been used for many years. But, in fact, these differences are greatly exaggerated. Yes, it will take a couple of hours to spend on familiarization and memorization of what is called and what is located.
According to some, Ubuntu is even a simpler tool for an unprepared user than Windows.
Third-party feature flaws
Over the decades of its existence and development, Windows has become a huge and overloaded system. Critics tirelessly release their taunts about this. But it's not about non-rational programming. This is only the reverse side of the huge variety of functions that have been added over the years to the most popular operating system of the planet.
In Ubuntu, some essential functions are not part of the operating system interface, but add-ons that have migrated to the system from third-party software solutions. It is also about energy-saving settings and system recovery and parental control. Therefore, they sometimes do not work as smoothly as desired. The unreliability of “Ubunt’s” energy-saving management was not included, perhaps, in proverbs and sayings. Notebook users complain that the battery under Ubuntu "holds a charge" is less than under Windows.
The Ubuntu version for touch screens is currently under development. But here we are talking about a mobile platform, and not about the desktop operating system. So, for owners of computers with touch screens, Windows 8 is still the best choice.
Wait or try?
What to say, today Ubuntu is an attractive operating system, friendly even to an unprepared user. There are not so many things she couldn’t do. Often these or other actions are easier to perform in Ubuntu than in Windows. The application store, which many habitually call a “store”, is a built-in tool that gives access to a huge collection, which is full of free programs.
If your hardware is supported. If you do not use advanced power saving settings. If you are not too attached to Microsoft Office. If these several conditions are met, then Ubuntu is able to replace Windows on your computer.
But not everything is as beautiful as it seems at first glance. In addition to difficulties with the support of the old "iron", there are other problems. Applications are often “raw”, familiar functions are missing or work differently. But the main problem, as is often the case, is psychological. Ubuntu is not at all Windows. And you can only accept this. And get ready to learn new approaches and look for a replacement for familiar applications.
But it just sounds scary. In fact, nothing complicated here. For most users, the computer acts only as a terminal in the fascinating virtual world of the Internet, riddled with a web of social networks. Ubuntu is doing great with this task.
The goal of our review was not to convince the reader of the superiority of Linux. The goal was somewhat different: to show that Ubuntu Linux is quite worthy to join the ranks of modern operating systems for ordinary users. Not without flaws (does there exist at least one program without flaws?), Which has not reached the peak of its popularity, and barely noticeable against the background of the leading players, it, nevertheless, in no way contains the horrors that helpfully draws the imagination the word "Linux".
Based on digitaltrends.com
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