- Some of you may remember that last year , after a regretful decision to 'upgrade' from Windows 7 to Windows 8 I decided to jump ship and switch over to Linux. Ubuntu 13.04 to be precise. I blogged about the install process here, and my first thoughts after a week here, with the intention of regular posts whenever something goes really good or really bad. So, it's 14 months later, and basically things have gone pretty good. Sure, there's some things that aren't just how I like them with Windows, but other bits that just seem to work really well. In defence of my lax blogging, I'd just say that I got on and used the computer as I expected I would. I got tripped up a couple of times, but Google and AskUbuntu.com always seem to put me back on the right track. I have expanded my Linux network too. I was donated an old netbook last year that now runs Ubuntu 13.04 for an hourly Twitter job. The plan had been to test it on the netbook then set up a Raspberry Pi to run it, but the netbook is surplus, capable, cheap to run and it works - so why change. I have also bought myself a little HP server which I put Ubuntu Server 13.10 on, along with OwnCloud. This works like DropBox, and synchronises files between my main PC, phone, tablet, work computer and is available to me (albeit slowly) anywhere on the internet. All in all, things have been ticking over quite nicely. Life has been happy in Linux land... until recently!
- So, the goal of switching from Windows 8 to Linux was to get myself a usable computer. One where I can just log on and do whatever it is that I was going to do, without having to fight the OS just to do something simple. One which is intuitive to use. One where I don't have to learn a totally new way of doing things.
- Just over a week ago, I took the plunge, and installed Ubuntu Linux on my main home computer. It's not the kind of decision I take lightly, and I've probably been building up to this for some 10 years or so. But a few recent events have told me that the time is now right for me to make the switch from Windows. As an IT Engineer, I work with Microsoft products all day every day, and I used every version of Microsoft Windows since 3.11. Some with more success than others, but, as my Twitter followers will testify, I have not got on well with Windows 8. I had a pretty sweet set up with Windows 7, and thought I'd take advantage of the cheap £25 upgrade to Windows 8. That was probably the biggest mistake I've made! It broke software. It was slow. My hardware, despite being compatible didn't always work as planned. I struggled to find my way around. I was no longer in control of my own PC - Windows 8 was controlling me! It was driving me up the wall and it was time to change.
