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Tales of Conversion - Using Ubuntu at Work
madgreek writes "Here is a short story about my switch to Ubuntu from XP at work. I have been Microsoft-free for 3 months now at a Microsoft heavy shop. Few people know I am using Open Office and Linux. I create countless documents that people open using Word, Excel, PPT and nobody can tell that they were created using Open Office. From the article: 'When I first started my experiment I was trying to keep it a secret out of fear of attacks from angry Microsoft worshipers (especially from the admins and desktop support). What I am finding out is that most of the folks that I was hiding from are sick and tired of supporting Windows and are proponents of Linux. Several of them are using Linux at home. One of the guys I talked to has Vista and XP installed on his laptop. He swaps out the hard drive when switching between OS's.'"
it does to me.
Has Slashdot really stooped so low to the point where any story with the word Linux in gets an airing?
And haven't the Linux Zealots got the message that all these types of story do is SMACK OF A SENSE OF DESPERATION???
Conor "You're not married,you haven't got a girlfriend and you've never seen Star Trek? Good Lord!" - Patrick Stewart
hahaha, this is such a typical and lame response. Exactly what the problem is, too. You think you're somehow better because you understand the basics of HDD formats?
Look, tool (and other tools), I realize that most of this stuff is simple, but if you can't put a little explanatory help file that explains what the differences in each format are, waht's reccomended, and what size swap file partition are needed and which aprtition types are not, then guess what? A shitload of people are not going to be able to migrate over to Ubuntu.
In fact, most people would probably be confused installing Windows! The difference is that you are asking them to dual-boot or install a new OS instead of giving them a new laptop with one installed.
I personally think Ubuntu is so easy to use that it's ridiculous that no one has added obvious tips and recommendations to installation questions. And made the resolution issue easier.
I may have no trouble running Ubuntu, but if you're telling someone who is competent with Windows to DIAF because they aren't competent for other OSes that were intended for Windows users, then Bill Gates can sleep easy tonight. Do you think the people who wrote Windows were dumber than you? They surely got tired of all the user error too, but went ahead and listened and worked around common problems and wrote extensive help for even the obvious. Ubuntu is destined to be bloated with this sort of stuff. That's not a bad thing because there are other distros for those more able.
The evidence speaks for itself: Linux can't even capture market share with its software by giving it away for free. In any other business on Earth, if you can't capture your competitor's customers by making your products free, it means there is something seriously,seriously wrong with your product. Call me names all you want, it won't make your wishful thinking a reality.
A-Bomb
Linux Sysadmin? Are you a Marine firefighter on your off hours?
Shucks, you got me. I made the whole thing up.
A-Bomb
Excel is also known for getting fairly simple calculations wrong...
Openoffice also has the same flaws, probably implemented intentionally to be compatible...
Gnumeric on the other hand seems fairly accurate
Is it not a sarbanes-oxley rule that anyone signing off on accounts they know were created using a known flawed process (incorrect calculations in excel apply) they are held liable?
http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
I'm rich, successful, good looking and have a model-gorgeous wife, but I'm not sadistic so it doesn'tgive me any satisfaction to know that you and the vast majority of your fellow slashdotters aren't. I wonder which of us is a better person? Morally, I mean, of course.
A-Bomb
If it was communism and they wouldn't let you refuse to use windows, it would be forcing, otherwise it's not. You're always welcome to get another job. You don't really think things out much, do you?
Ubuntu is still far behind Microsoft Windows, when it comes to Windows compatibility.
/.
This has got to be one of the most stupid things I've ever seen posted on
The poster simply doesn't get it. Windows is largely irrelevant. It's just a poor proprietary client for a Unix world!
To have to suffer endlessly under the threat of having to use the best desktop OS available.
I think wanting to be the only guy using linux in the office is somewhat
akin to coming "out" like a gay guy does because he cant handle that he's so "different"
I'm not calling ubuntu users gay. But cmon your whole story sounds like some crap ass
after school special about how you made a difference.
OK Ubuntu boy, lets take 10 or 20 desktops out of the box and install ubuntu and windows on them
and see how many of the installations detect ALL of the video, sound, wireless, chipsets, dual monitor,
usb, firewire, video capture, webcams, keyboard, hardrive drivers...
ON THE FIRST TRY. With no, oh crap I have to log in as root spend 2-3 hours sideloading drivers
I have no idea if they work then recompiling the kernel.
Grow the hell up Linux still sucks compared to windows and so does OS X.
I have boxes running all of these OS's in my office and Im sick of you
closet cases coming out and trying to convince us we should all be technologically "GAY"
In other words, trying to convice us we need to do the opposite of what we know is true
for NO REASON.
Talk about a huge step backwards I'd never choose windows over OSX only reason I still keep windows around is games.