Comments on: Running My Writing Business – Another Savings Account

By: Preparing for a Linux Desktop Migration: Practical Advice : Coup d’Oeil ::: Strategic Intuition.

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:44:18 +0000

[...] recently commented on a discussion about a planned migration to Linux in order to avoid having to deal with Windows Vista. It seems [...]

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:55:18 +0000

oh boy, I need to spend a couple of hours just exploring this don’t I, and then actually do it… thanks – I think I will this weekend… July 4 seems a good time to get ready to dump windows ;)

By: Marjorie

Marjorie — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:46:46 +0000

Yes, Thunderbird is the email program. If you download it along with Mozilla’s Lightning (calendar) program, you’ll basically have MS Outlook, but way better. I’ve been using it for a couple of years and have never looked back.

Cheers,
Marjorie

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:22:25 +0000

That makes sense… is thunderbird the email program? I’ve been using eudora for a hundred years but that’s going away… have used firefox for a long time… will mess about with open office and see what’s up… thanks…

I really really really don’t want to ever use vista, ever!

By: Brent Toderash

Brent Toderash — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:41:33 +0000

I’ve been using Mandriva Linux for several years – very easy install and the software is all there for you.

My recommendation to anyone planning to make the switch down the road is to start now using whatever software you can that is available for Windows. e.g., if you haven’t yet, make the switch from Word to Open Office, from IE and Outhouse, sorry, Outlook to Firefox and Thunderbird. See what other app’s you’re using and determine if you can make a similar switch. Some of the new app’s you’ll use will only run on Linux, but take this approach as far as you can. Once you’re comfortable with the new applications, changing the OS underneath them won’t seem like as big a change because you aren’t dealing with everything all at once. This should give the migration a higher chance of success — I think some who have changed and gone back have done so simply because the all-at-once effect overwhelmed them.

And of course, I *do* recommend the switch to Linux, whichever distro you choose.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:24:12 +0000

hmmm… got a website or blog you can point me at?

By: Thursday

Thursday — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:37:33 +0000

Yep! It’s a type of Linux — and it’s the most user-friendly type out there. There’s still a little bit of a learning curve when switching from Mac or Windows, but it’s much lower than most of the other types of Linux.

By: Anne Wayman

Anne Wayman — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:47:38 +0000

hmmmm, what’s ubuntu… a type of linux?

By: Marjorie

Marjorie — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:12:24 +0000

Hi, Anne!

Just so you know, there are lots of manufacturers out there who make laptops already loaded with Linux. Yes — and I hate to say this because of my general dislike for the company — even WalMart now sells inexpensive (about $400) Linux laptops. They’re very well-reviewed and come ready to go out of the box. If you’re already familiar with the Linux interface, you won’t have any problems with using them. Plus, many come pre-loaded with open source software, too, including my favorites, GIMP and OpenOffice.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Marjorie

By: Thursday

Thursday — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:11:25 +0000

If you do decide you’re interested in switching to Linux, there are some great writers’ tools now available for Ubuntu — all of which are free. And you don’t need a great machine to run Ubuntu, either — you can set up a new system for surprisingly little.